Chapter 27: Just listening.

Translated and Edited by: luccayn.

Common Honorifics:
-san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal.
-kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people.
-chan: A common suffix among people you’re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it’s cutesy and childlike.
-senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one’s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club.

He knows how to handle women!

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I’d officially become the general affairs officer of the student council. Though the real work was set to start next Monday, giving me a few days to prepare.

“Great job there, Akito,” Saki showered me with praise as she sat beside me. I had just finished having dinner with her, and we both lounged around and relaxed after a hard day’s work.

“Mhm, thanks,” I replied.

Today had been especially exhausting. It started with Matsuyama’s outburst, followed by him fainting. I had to be the one to carry him elsewhere as well, which, as a result, made me go home quite late.

Feeling the good kind of tired, I muttered to myself while stretching my sore muscles. “Tired, but it was a fulfilling week.”

It was a genuine remark for me. I had faced challenging trials, thinking about what was necessary and putting it into action. It was a different kind of difficulty compared to written tests, but it had been quite demanding regardless.

However, Saiki responded with a sharp tone, “Oh, so you’re saying that being with other girls made you so happy?”

She caught me off-guard. “Why would you think that?”

“If that’s not it, then you wouldn’t have said something like that. Hmph,” Saki gave me a stern look. She read too much into what I said, and it soured her mood a little. “I don’t have the maturity or the allure of an older girl, like them. I’m also younger than you. Been treated like a little sister, too. Always. Ah, I wish I was at least as old as you!” She sighed.

Quite the complex, it seems. It didn’t take long for me to realize I had to do something to improve her mood. In fact, I had no choice but to make amends right here and now. I could almost taste the displeasure she emanated in the air.

“Sorry. What can I do to make you feel better?” I turned to her.

“Figure it out yourself. Ah, I’m so hurt!” She replied, obviously dramatizing her reaction.

It was a bit irritating, not gonna lie. But getting mad over it wouldn’t help. Only making her feel better would.

Now that I think about it, I’ve been working hard this week so I could be selected as the newest council member. This inevitably meant I had less time to spend with her, so she must’ve felt lonely. As if that wasn’t enough, I’d noticed time and time again her getting jealous over me spending time with older, attractive women—her words.

Yup. What a pain.

Honestly, it was all beyond my control. I saw no fault on my part, at all.

“…If I say that, she’ll definitely get mad,” I muttered to my ears only.

“Did you say something?” She had an intimidating smile on her face.

“Nope. Nada,” I replied with a smile of my own, trying not to appear scared or affected.

“C’mon, hurry up. It’s not that difficult, is it? I even gave you a hint…” She said, fidgeting like some shy grade schooler looking forward to a field trip.

I took a moment to contemplate her words. She mentioned wanting the qualities of maturity and allure that come with being older. So, perhaps what Saiki wanted was for me to be more affectionate toward her. In other words, be clear like an adult… or was it something else entirely?

Should I try being more affectionate with her…? No, but that’s too embarrassing. What is it that she really wants from me?

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Meanwhile…

Look at him, thinking so hard! Honestly, I’m thrilled to be the only thing in his mind right now, but I hope he doesn’t dwell on it too much.

What I feel I haven’t conveyed to him yet is the sense of maturity, that aura of being older. So, I made it clear I wanted to play the part by pretending to be jealous of older women, right? He’s smart enough to figure it out without me having to spell it out.

Come on, hurry up!

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“Um… Maybe, this?”

After giving it some thought, this seemed like the best option for me to try.

“Huh? What is it?”

One glance at her and I could perfectly picture a cute dog wagging its tail, excited to finally be able to play with its owner. Still, I didn’t want her to have too high an expectation for me.

“Here.”

“‘Here?'”

I gestured for her to come closer as I sat cross-legged on the sofa. She had a questioning look on her face.

“I thought you maybe wanted to lean on me, Saki.”

She could be troublesome at times. At times being an euphemism. So the fact she threw the ‘older girl’ thing at me made me think that, maybe, she looked for those qualities in me.

“It’s the opposite…” She muttered something under her breath I couldn’t quite catch.

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Anyway, I’m amazed by your denseness, Akito. To think you’d believe I’m asking for something like that!”

I shrugged. “Since you say so, let’s not.”

“Well~ you genuinely thought of me, so I’ll take that seriously!”

Before I could yap another word, she quickly took a seat behind me, cross-legged as I was, and with her back leaned against mine. I chuckled. “Alrighty then, enjoy yourself.”

Hehe, with our bodies touching like this, it’s a chance to showcase my nurturing side!

“Alrighty then,” unaware of Saki’s intentions, I decided to pamper her. And five minutes later…

“Ugh, why does President Midou bring so much work all at once?! I get tired too, y’know!”

We had changed positions. At some point, Saki and I started facing each other, then she rested her head on my chest, gently grasping and patting it as she listened to my heartbeat.

“There, there. I hear you,” I continued to lovingly stroke her head. Initially, she put on a tough front. It didn’t take long for it to crumble though. And now, she vented some complaints she had about Ayaka.

“‘Saki-chan can handle it, right?’ That woman, she’s definitely enjoying watching me suffer!”

“Isn’t it because she trusts you a lot?”

“But tough things are tough! Actually, this last week my workload was tripled to ensure I couldn’t interact with you!”

“So that’s what was going on behind the scenes…”

Regardless, I thought President Midou made the right call this time. If Saki had joined in, it wouldn’t have been a challenge. And, most importantly, if she made contact with Matsuyama instead, chaos might’ve ensued.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted! And you even flirted with some other girls? You’re a dummy-dum-dum, Akito! Pamper me more!”

“Yes, yes.”

I neither affirmed nor denied anything. I simply fulfilled her request. All in all, I was glad to have gotten it right without much trouble.

“Ugh… I got a bit childish there…”

One hour later…

“F-Forget about what just happened, okay?” She buried her face in her hands after remembering her earlier actions. Namely, all the pamper-me’s!

“It’s fine. You were tired. And besides, didn’t you want me to do this, Saki?”

“Not really! Uhm, well, it ended up being amazing. But still! Ugh…”

“If it ended up being amazing, it was well worth it.”

“Ugh… Why did you have to listen to all my complaints…” She managed to bury her head further, having picked one of my pajamas that was lying around as cover. “That’s not how this was supposed to go…”

“Well, it made me happy to help you for once. I’ve been relying on you so much, it feels good to give back a little.”

“Ugh… You’re just too good of a guy! You ikemen!”

A bit exaggerated there…

Still, I kept patting her head with tender motions. After a bit, she finally seemed to recover and lifted her head with a fire in her eyes.

“Akito, let’s go on a date the day after tomorrow!”

“A date?”

“Yes. Y’know, looking back, it feels we haven’t done anything couple-like recently, yeah?”

We’ve done quite a bit. I think. While I felt so, I decided not to argue and just nod. Easier that way.

“So let’s have a nice date on Sunday. I’ll plan it!” She said, hyped to oblivion. In fact, she seemed to super about it, I couldn’t help but find it a bit sus. She might have something up her sleeve, though it didn’t seem like a bad thing.

“Alright,” I agreed.

“Great response. Well then, look forward to it!” She left my house with those words.

I’ll repay today’s embarrassment on Sunday. Just you wait, Akito! I’ll have you head over heels with my sheer charm and allure!

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