Lately, Tooru felt like something was a bit off.
On the classroom's small balcony.
Sitting backward on a chair, his chin resting on the backrest and his hands swinging casually, Tooru was currently staring blankly at the clear blue sky above.
As he stared, he suddenly blurted out.
"Ah... so bored..."
The moment the words fell, a familiar sensation suddenly landed on his shoulder.
Ohhh! This familiar force, this familiar angle, and this familiar impact... it's you!
"Yoshikawa." With a face full of resentment, Tooru turned his head expressionlessly to look at Yuki, who had her hands behind her back and was leisurely sipping cola through a straw. He asked in a drawn-out tone.
"If you keep hitting me like this, my shoulder is going to be crippled sooner or later."
"No, it won't!"
Hearing Tooru describe her as a brute gorilla, Yuki puffed her cheeks and angrily raised her hand for another smack.
Smack—!
"Pwah! I'm falling, I'm falling."
Tooru shouted as he tilted his head, his entire body slumping into the chair as if he were truly crippled. And his mouth didn't stay idle either, constantly demanding Yuki pay him compensation.
"Pay up, pay up. If you don't pay, I'm not getting up."
"Tooru!" Black lines popping up on her forehead, Yuki rested the hand holding the cola on her hip and used her other hand to pinch Tooru's cheek.
"As a guy, how can you be so sluggish! Cheer up!"
"Ow, ow, ow! Yoshikawa! My face! My cheek is going to be torn off!"
"Get up right now!"
"Let go!"
"Get up."
"..."
While the two were making a fuss on the balcony, inside the classroom.
"Ah, Yuki and Ishikawa-kun are at it again." With shoulder-length short hair tied into two small bunches at the back of her head, Shinoda Hanasaki smiled as she neatly placed her textbooks on the desk. She smiled at Hori Kyoko in the seat in front of her.
"Aren't you going to stop them, Hori?"
"I don't want to." With an expression of 'I'm used to this', Kyoko glanced at the two clowns on the balcony, who were making a fuss like two childish elementary school students, and let out a somewhat heart-tired sigh.
"Those two clowns, when have they ever been quiet for a single day? I don't have the energy to manage them."
"Hori." Listening to Kyoko's tone, which sounded exactly like a worried old mother, Shinoda Hanasaki, sitting behind her, couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
"The way you talk sounds exactly like Yuki and Ishikawa-kun's mom."
"If I had two kids like them, I'd be angry to death."
"Yes, yes, yes, the strict Hori-mama~"
"Hanasaki! Stop mimicking Miyahito when you talk to me!"
"Doesn't it sound nice? I actually think the nickname Aragaki-kun gave you is very fitting, don't you think? Hori-mama~"
"Good grief, that guy Miyahito."
Shooting a glare at Hanasaki, who was getting happier the more she called it, the frustrated Kyoko slapped the table in annoyance.
However, no matter how annoyed she was, what good would it do in the end?
After all, the nickname "Hori-mama" had already been shouted by Miyahito so much that the entire first year knew it, and it even showed signs of spreading to other grades. How many people could she possibly stop from saying it all by herself?
Oh, right, she almost forgot to specifically call out a certain "plistic" best friend who loved stirring the pot, was the perfect example of a husband and wife acting in perfect sync, and had a terrible sense of humor.
Yes, that would be Miyahito's girlfriend, and her and Yuki's best friend—Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Without exaggeration, sixty percent of the credit for the current popularity of the "Hori-mama" nickname went to Miyahito, thirty percent to Utaha, and the remaining ten percent to Yuki and Tooru.
Hehe, thanks a lot to the Aragaki couple. Why don't you two just go register your marriage at the ward office right now? With such perfect chemistry, if you don't go pilot Gipsy Danger, you're just wasting your talents as a couple.
"By the way, Hori."
Kyoko's internal rant about the shameless couple was interrupted by Shinoda Hanasaki.
Giving a soft "Mm?" to indicate she was listening, Kyoko turned her head and cast an inquiring look at Shinoda.
"I heard that Aragaki-kun has already been internally selected as the next Student Council President."
Shinoda's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she leaned in carefully, whispering to confirm with Kyoko.
"Hey, Hori, is this rumor true?"
"Who told you that, Hanasaki?" Kyoko shot a mildly exasperated glance at Shinoda, who had transformed into a curious baby.
Honestly, she didn't know if it was just her imagination.
Looking at Shinoda right now, Kyoko felt like she was dealing with those two clowns who were still making a fuss on the balcony.
Shaking her head to clear those messy illusions, Kyoko thought for a moment and said to the curious Shinoda,
"Well, I'm not entirely sure if it's true or not."
Spreading her hands, Kyoko, who had been thoroughly corrupted by Utaha, shrugged.
"But lately, Miyahito has been dragged into work by the President every single day. Right now, he's busy preparing for the school sports festival."
"I see."
Shinoda nodded solemnly.
"I was wondering why I hadn't seen Aragaki-kun playing basketball with the other boys lately, and why he disappeared after lunch."
"So he was dragged into work by the President."
"Yeah." Kyoko nodded.
At this moment, she remembered last night's video call with Yuki and Utaha. She and Yuki had listened to Utaha's rambling complaints about the President dumping a mountain of work on Miyahito, leaving her boyfriend with barely any time to eat.
Kyoko couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Startled by Kyoko's sudden laugh, Shinoda paused.
"Hori, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
Waving her hand to stop laughing, Kyoko let out a soft breath and said in a cheerful tone.
"I just remembered Utaha complaining to me that Miyahito is so busy he doesn't even have time to spend with her."
"Eh?" Shinoda's eyes widened in surprise. "Aragaki-kun is that busy? No way, right?"
"Hori, Hanasaki, what are you guys talking about?"
Just then, Yuki's voice suddenly cut into their conversation.
When Kyoko and Shinoda looked up, a curious Yuki bent over slightly, resting her hips lightly against the edge of Tooru's desk at the next seat.
"We're talking about Aragaki-kun and Kasumigaoka-san," Shinoda replied. "By the way, Yuki, have you heard about the next Student Council President?"
"You mean Miyahito being internally selected as the next President? Yeah, I have."
Yuki nodded in sudden realization, then waved her hand with a smile.
"That's just talk for fun, though. The Student Council President still has to be elected."
"Eh? There's still an election?"
"Mhm, mhm. After the sports festival ends, the Student Council will start organizing the presidential election~"
"..."
Meanwhile, outside the Student Council office.
"Aragaki-kun, is the sports festival budget ready?"
"It's with Sho. Hey! Sho! The President wants to see the budget!"
"Here you go, President. This is the budget plan."
"Thank you, Sengoku-kun."
"....."
Listening to the heated discussion coming from inside the office, Utaha, standing outside with a bento box in hand, let out a helpless sigh.
Just as she expected, her Miyahito had forgotten to eat again.
Seriously, no matter how busy you are, you can't forget to eat.
When I'm rushing to meet a deadline, he remembers to nag me to eat properly.
But when it's his turn, if I don't come, he just forgets.