V4Ch17: White Determination

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Translator: Soafp

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“W-Wait a second!”

I stopped Shirase just as she was about to speak.

…She said she wanted to express her feelings.

When I heard those words, Momoka's voice echoed in my mind. Yesterday, I thought it was impossible, but the atmosphere now felt similar to what she'd implied. That's why I wanted to take a breath and stay calm, no matter what happened.

“What's wrong?”

“It's just… bad timing, I guess. I needed a moment to settle down.”

“To settle down?”

“…No, you're right. It'd be strange to say nothing. Please don't take this the wrong way. The truth is, yesterday, Momoka told me something—she said Shirase might have feelings for me.”

I thought she would deny it.

Because I believed Shirase's feelings were directed toward her younger brother, Yakumo. Though, that guy is completely into Shion.

“You really are perceptive. You’re not wrong. I do have feelings for you, Shota-san. Of course, I mean as someone of the opposite sex. That's actually what I was about to talk to you about.”

“Wha…”

You've got to be kidding.

I had no idea. Actually, it's more than that.

“Sorry if this sounds weird, but… could you tell me why? Why you developed feelings for me? I honestly have no clue.”

We used to date, technically, but that was just a temporary thing. It wasn't a deep relationship, and we didn't really know each other.

Even when I came back, Shirase didn't recognize me. That just shows how shallow our connection had been.

And even after that, nothing really happened to deepen our bond. We went on a fake date, went to the pool with Kuromine and the others. But even after all that, I never felt like we got particularly close.

Then, when my identity was revealed, she apologized.

After that, we settled into a relationship that was more like… casual acquaintances. Not bad terms, but not particularly close either. I don't recall anything that would have boosted her affection toward me.

“…Please don't laugh and call me simple or easy.”

“I wouldn't laugh.”

“It was when you gave me that birthday present. It was the first time I'd ever received a gift from a boy who wasn't family. I was absolutely over the moon.”

Ah, the birthday present… That must've been during the summer cooking competition.

“From that moment, I started to clearly see you as a man.”

That gift triggered all this?

From my perspective, it was more of a peace offering—something to make up and smooth things over. At the time, I still didn't know how things would go. If Shirase betrayed me, my peaceful life would've ended. So it was sort of a bribe to prevent that.

“Since then, I started watching you more and more.”

“I didn't notice at all.”

“When you said you'd leave the White Faction, I was genuinely shocked. I was shaking, thinking you hated me.”

“…So that's what that was about.”

I remembered her expression then, and it all made sense now.

Still, Momoka was right. I never imagined Shirase had feelings for me. Are women's instincts that sharp? Or is Momoka's intuition just crazy good?

“That was the beginning, but as time passed, I realized I was more and more drawn to you. You're smart, athletic, and a genuinely good person. The more I got to know you, the stronger my feelings became.”

Then Shirase's expression clouded over.

“But… I've also been unsure whether this is really love. It might sound strange coming from me, but I've never gotten close to a guy outside of my family before.”

She went to an all-girls school, and her feelings were previously directed toward her brother Yakumo. And considering she became a Goddess, it's obvious she's never been in a deep relationship with a man.

If I had to name someone, it'd be the old me from our fake relationship.

“That's why I wanted to nurture my feelings slowly and let things progress at a comfortable pace. I had this faint hope that we might become something more one day. Despite my past actions… and ignoring the existence of my rivals.”

“…And then Momoka appeared.”

Shirase gave a deep nod.

“When I heard she confessed to you, I froze from the shock. On top of that, she brought up the past and used it to keep me in check… that really hit me hard. But I suppose I brought it upon myself.”

She looked straight at me.

“I have feelings for you, Shota-san.”

Then she added:

“But… it seems my feelings aren't as strong as Momoka-san's. If I were truly passionate, this would be the moment I confess to you and lay everything out. But I guess I don't have that kind of drive.”

“…”

“If I borrow Momoka-san's words… maybe this wasn't real love after all.”

This… is not an easy thing to respond to.

I didn't know what to say in response, so I kept quiet.

“At the point when I couldn't argue back, I've already lost.”

Shirase admitted, her expression clearing up as if she had come to terms with it.

“…So, this is my honest feeling right now.”

“Uh, I see.”

“I guess I phrased it weirdly. I'm sure you don't know how to respond to something like this.”

Indeed, I was at a loss for words. No matter how I responded, it would likely come off as strange or awkward.

In other words, she had feelings for me, but because of the overwhelming rival that is Momoka, she raised the white flag and admitted defeat.

“…Well, thanks for telling me.”

“Eh?”

“Sure, the way you said it was odd, but I'm glad I got to hear what you really think. Plus, I'm happy that you said all those nice things about me. I've been working hard over there, so it feels good to have my efforts acknowledged.”

For some reason, Shirase let out a sigh.

“When you thank me like that, it makes it hard to know how to respond.”

“Sorry about that.”

Both of us were at a loss for words, and we ended up laughing.

As we continued to laugh, the awkward atmosphere between us seemed to fade away.

“So, what are you going to do from here, Shirase?”

“Well, I think I'll try even harder to become the Goddess.”

“The Goddess?”

“Yes. I want to set the Contest as a milestone. If I can win the title of the best female student at the academy again this year, I feel like something will change for me. A lot has changed since last year, in both my situation and environment, but I want to make this contest a turning point.”

Shirase nodded as if reassuring herself.

“That's a good goal.”

“By the way, once I become the Goddess—”

She started to say something but closed her mouth.

“No, never mind. By then, I'm sure Momoka will have swept you away. She seems to have no gaps or weaknesses to exploit.”

“…”

“Anyway, I'll focus all my efforts on becoming the Goddess. I'll think about what comes after that later. There are people supporting me, and I really want to give it my all. I don't know why, but I just feel motivated to do this.”

For a time, I was part of the White Faction.

While I'd still vote for Shion, I couldn't help but root for Shirase as well.

“Good luck with the Contest.”

“Thank you! I will definitely become the Goddess!”

The Shirase, full of resolve, looked even more appealing than before.

After that, Shirase began her serious campaign to become the Goddess.

Although the current Goddess was somewhat being pushed back by the lower-year students, it wasn't long before I heard that Shirase had started gaining more votes.