The Cheeky Junior Gal Becomes Too Cute When She Gets Attached to Me-Chapter 3Volume 1 .4 - A Polite But Sharp-Tongued Junior
A Polite But Sharp-Tongued Junior
“She’s gone, huh?”
Despite being the one who had been criticizing her, Monaka spoke with a hint of loneliness.
“…Why does she dislike me so much?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did I do something bad in class?”
“Hmm, I don’t think so. Probably not.”
Monaka pulled her knees up onto the chair and buried her face in them.
She had been acting cheerful until a moment ago, but it seemed she was actually feeling down now.
“But I guess it is what it is. Being disliked is nothing new for me.”
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Her smile was one of resignation, the kind I had seen before.
“It’s always been like this ever since I was little. It’s not that Kawana-san is particularly bad. It’s me who is at fault.”
“Kawana would understand you if you talked more to her.”
“I wonder if that’s the case. You’re about the only one, Senpai, who really looks at me.”
Kawana had described Monaka as a delinquent.
Indeed, Monaka dyed her hair and dressed very flashy, but that didn’t necessarily equate to being a delinquent.
It’s not that Kawana’s prejudice was particularly strong.
Appearance is an important factor in judging someone, especially when there’s little interaction, the weight of that judgment becomes even heavier.
“But if she’s Senpai’s junior, I’d like to get along with her too.”
“I’d be happy if you did. It would be good for my mental stability.”
“Right. I think understanding from those around us is important, and to get them to accept the relationship between you and me, Senpai, we need to be friendly.”
“Our relationship is just that of Senpai and junior, right?”
“For now~!”
Monaka made a peace sign at her chin and smiled mischievously.
She was probably trying to look decisive.
“I’m going to head home first today. My mom’s coming home early.”
“Got it. See you later.”
“Yeah, bye-bye.”
Monaka slung her school bag over her shoulder and waved her hand lightly.
I raised one hand in response.
Recently, we had been going home together, so being alone felt a bit unusual.
Feeling slightly embarrassed by my sense of disappointment, I stayed seated and watched Monaka leave the Student Council room.
“What to do now…”
Now that I was alone, I took the opportunity to think things over.
…It had been a mentally exhausting time.
I hadn’t expected Monaka and Kawana to be so incompatible.
They’re both important junior to me, so I wish they would get along…
I don’t know what they’re like in class though.
School is a place that crams people of the same age together. Naturally, there will be some who don’t get along.
It’s not a matter of who’s at fault.
Unless necessary, it’s important not to force interactions with someone you don’t click with in order to maintain smooth human relationships.
So, I don’t think forcing them to get along is always the right answer.
But… maybe it’s just my selfish wish, I feel like, somehow, the two of them could get along.
“Alright, time to go see Kawana.”
Working with this nagging feeling won’t get me anywhere.
There’s nothing to gain from putting things off, so it’s best to resolve concerns immediately.
I finished preparing to leave and locked the Student Council room.
Then, I headed to where Kawana was likely to be.
***
Kawana often studies in the library.
I’m pretty sure that’s where we first met.
“…There she is.”
The usual seat at the end by the window separated by dividers for study purposes, Kawana was there.
The library was nearly empty, with most of the seats unoccupied. Yet, Kawana always sat at the end of the room.
“How’s your studying going?”
I asked as I took a seat next to her.
“…I was just disrupted in my concentration by a meddlesome Senpai.”
“Sorry about that.”
As someone who’s often interrupted by Monaka while working, I could totally empathize with the complaint, so I apologized sincerely.
Kawana pursed her lips and glanced sideways at me.
It seemed she wasn’t really angry, which was a relief.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t making much progress even before you came.”
She put down her mechanical pencil and leaned back in her chair.
The page of the notebook she had opened was blank, with no textbooks or anything else laid out.
“Why did you come here?”
“I wanted to talk to you, Kawana.”
“You probably did. Flirting with junior is the president’s hobby, isn’t it?”
“Let’s not phrase it that way, shall we? Besides, I’m well aware of the difficulty in courting you, Kawana.”
Of course, I didn’t mean it in a flirtatious way.
I remembered the times I frequented the library to persuade her to run for Treasurer.
She wasn’t keen at first, but somehow I managed to convince her.
Compared to that time, Kawana’s attitude had softened… even if just a bit.
“Shouldn’t you be going to see that girl instead of me?”
Kawana asked while twining her fingers together as if uninterested.
“Monaka had some errands and went home.”
“Is that so?”
“Ah, no, it’s not like I came to see Kawana just because Monaka went home… Well, actually, that’s exactly why, but…”
“Which one is it? …I understand that I’m the second choice junior to the president, so it’s fine.”
“What, are you actually jealous?”
“I’m not. You’re just being self-conscious.”
It’s almost as if I’m being made out to be someone who switches between junior…
“To me, both Kawana and Monaka are important juniors.”
“Please don’t say embarrassing things with a straight face…”
“There’s nothing embarrassing about it.”
To the senpai, from the junior.
It’s just a difference of one year, or even less depending on when their birthdays are.
It’s a relationship with only one grade difference, but in school life, it holds significant meaning.
I have no intention of saying that one must respect another just because they’re a junior, but I do want to be a good senpai.
That might be because I just want to look cool, and ultimately, maybe it’s because of a shameful desire to stand above them.
Even if it’s just my ego, I want to take care of my junior.
Besides, it’s also for the smooth operation of the Student Council.
