Chapter 23: The Dancer Who Is at the Mercy of Others

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

---

[Aoi Pov]

Summer vacation ended.

And the new term began.

At the opening ceremony assembly for the entire school,

Standing on the stage as the student council president, giving my speech, I spotted Yamato among the many students.

My emotions swelled.

I had been waiting so long for this day when I could finally see him again.

And yet…

Yamato didn't seem to be listening to me at all—he was dozing off, even yawning.

…It irritated me.

After the ceremony ended, I called Yamato to the student council room.

“Pull yourself together already!”

“I told you, I get it. Just give me a break… Aoi.”

“Entrance exams are next year! You really have to start trying! Your grades aren't good, Yamato!”

I care about you this much, so why are you acting like this…?

“Don't say that, Aoi. Yamato is trying in his own way.”

Toru was too soft on him.

Maybe that was his kind of kindness, but I couldn't just leave Yamato alone.

“Yamato… you remember our promise, right?”

“Y-yeah… of course.”

That promise… does it really mean something to you?

“Well then… I'm heading home.”

“Wait! Why do you always leave so early!?”

“That's because… I need to get home and study…”

We finally got to see each other again after summer vacation…

“Then wait just a bit. Today's student council work is just a meeting. Let's walk home together for once.”

“…No, I… I'm in a hurry!”

“Hey, wait!”

He cut off the conversation and left the student council room.

As if talking to me was a burden.

“Aoi… about that cooperation thing we talked about earlier…”

“What? Did your parents say something again?”

A while ago, our parents had started that ridiculous talk about engagement and marriage.

For now, Toru and I were going along with it to avoid conflict.

I had even responded coldly to my father with, “Do whatever you want.”

“Yeah… my parents are coming to the cultural festival, and they said they want to see you again…”

“…Haah… okay, I understand.”

Honestly, it felt like a hassle, but for Toru's sake, I decided to keep the peace for now.

“…Next year is already entrance exams…”

Time passes so quickly.

It feels like I just became a second-year, and now summer is over, and it's already the second term…

“Yamato… there's not much time left…”

Since high school started, Yamato had changed, and my frustration kept building inside me.

---

Another round of exams came.

As usual, I ranked first in the year. Toru was second.

Same as always.

Yes… as always, Yamato's name wasn't on the top-ranking list.

“Why isn't Yamato's name on the rankings?”

“Well… I guess that just means… I'm that kind of person now…”

“Don't mess around!!”

I lashed out at him again.

It's not like I wanted to say things like that.

Sometimes when Yamato sees me, he avoids me, like he thinks I'll just scold him again…

And every time, it makes me more irritated.

“Hey, Miyano-san, are you dating Murase-kun?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

A classmate suddenly asked me that.

“We're not dating… why?”

“Really? It's been going around the whole school. That the student council president and vice president are a couple.”

What is that?

That makes no sense.

“Hey, I heard the student council president is dating the vice president.”

“Seriously? I was aiming for her…”

Even just walking down the hallway, that kind of noise kept reaching my ears.

…So annoying.

…It made me irritated.

“Toru, about those rumors going around—how did this even happen!?”

“H-how should I know?”

Shaking his head, he continued,

“I just heard about it from my classmates too. Who the hell started saying we're dating…”

As if dealing with our parents wasn't enough… now this at school too…

“What should I do…? What if Yamato misunderstands…?”

“You haven't even been able to talk to him lately, right?”

“…Yeah.”

I joined the student council because I wanted to change myself, to do something for my own sake…

But now I have no time, and I can't even spend time with Yamato.

I can't slack off on my studies either, and Yamato just goes home without caring about me at all.

“Aoi… I've got an idea…”

Toru suddenly whispered that into my ear as I looked down.

---

A few days passed since the rumors about me and Toru spread through the school.

“Aoi… can we talk for a second?”

Yamato kept trying to talk to me.

“I'm… busy.”

I brushed him off and quickly distanced myself.

When I glanced back from a short distance, Yamato was walking back to the classroom with a complicated expression, shoulders slumped.

Seeing that, my emotions surged.

“Toru, you were right!”

After school, in the student council room, I told him about what happened.

“See?”

Following Toru's advice, we decided to make use of the rumors.

When people asked if we were dating, of course we didn't say yes—

but we gave vague answers and avoided giving a clear response.

“Aoi, you're kind of enjoying this, aren't you?”

“Yeah! Though… I do feel a little bad for Yamato…”

Ever since high school started, Yamato had stopped paying attention to me.

And now, he was trying to talk to me every day.

“Don't worry about it. Yamato was cold to you too.”

“Yeah… I guess a little payback is fine… So, um… how is he reacting? Does he… feel anything about me…?”

When we decided to use the rumors, Toru told me—

If Yamato heard the rumors and did nothing, then there was no chance.

But if he reacted somehow…

“I can't say for sure, but you can assume there's a good chance. Right now, he's probably thinking about you nonstop.”

I couldn't stop smiling.

Just imagining that Yamato might be thinking about me all the time made me feel excited and happy.

“But if this goes on too long, it'll be kind of cruel… Maybe next time he talks to me, I should tell him the truth.”

“No, it's too soon. Let it drag on a bit longer.”

“But… if the rumors last too long…”

“Don't you want to know how he really feels? If we make him stew a bit more… he might do something bold.”

“Something bold?”

“Like confessing.”

“A c-confession!? Yamato… to me!?”

“Yeah.”

A confession…

Yamato telling me he likes me… asking me to go out with him…

“I think there's a high chance he's into you. Even if he doesn't confess, he might start trying seriously again to get your attention.”

“Does that mean… he could be number one in the year again?”

“No way we could beat him if he got serious. Our rankings would drop.”

I see… that's right.

So Yamato hasn't been serious all this time.

Even though Toru once said he was barely managing average scores…

“Yeah! If Yamato becomes number one again… then…”

We could study together again, aim for the same university… and beyond that…

“Oh, right—Toru, are you okay? With these rumors about us… what if the person you like misunderstands?”

“It's fine. That person… the one I like… doesn't care about me at all. It's just one-sided. So don't worry about it. For now…”

For now…?

It sounded like there was more behind those words, but maybe Toru had his own plans.

“Aoi… the cultural festival is coming up soon.”

The cultural festival…!?

Last year, I didn't have the courage to ask him to dance at the after-festival event.

But this year… maybe Yamato would ask me…!?

“That day… it's your birthday, right?”

That's right… my birthday…

Could that day become something truly special for me…?

“Yeah… I'm really looking forward to it…”

I hadn't felt this excited since starting high school.

No—this might be the most excited I've ever been in my life.

“…Yeah. The day of the festival… is going to be busy…”

I was busy imagining what Yamato might do next—maybe even a confession at the festival…

And I didn't pay even the slightest attention…

to Toru, who stood by the small window in the student council room, quietly lost in thought as he looked outside.