「Eda…I’m already fine. Thanks」
When I placed the Pet bottle on the desk, I looked at Eda.
Eda wasn’t looking at me.
She was trying to work on something on the laptop in front of her.
「Sorry…for making you wait」
I actually wanted to tell her right away but I also can’t speak of my selfishness.
Acting upon my vigor from earlier made me quite exhausted.
I casually look at the student council room.
With the size of 8 tatami, it was smaller than an ordinary classroom.
Long tables were positioned into a square and were surrounded on the outside by pipe chairs.
Eda was sitting on the right side with her back facing the windows.
There was a whiteboard in the room with a bunch of stuff written on it.
It was silent.
However, there was sound.
*Kata kata*, there was the sound of Eda tapping her keyboard.
There was also the voices of the sports clubs outside warming up.
And finally, I could hear the sound of the clock ticking every second.
「I’m done. I’ve kept you waiting」
Eda raises her face from her laptop and looked at me.
She is definitely a capable woman.
She had the feeling of a career woman with her uniform on.
Of course, since her appearance was exactly like a high school girl’s, that comparison isn’t quite right.
However, her aura made me think that.
「Are you busy?」
「You came faster than I thought you would」
Eda stands up and closes the curtains.
「I didn’t think you would come in an all-out sprint so…」
「Is that so?」
The student council room became dim.
When Eda was done closing the curtains, she started drawing closer to me.
I put myself on guard instantly but Eda passes by me without doing anything and went towards the door.
*Gachari*, I could hear the sound of the door being locked.
「Oi-」
I turn my head flustered.
「Eh? What?」
Eda looked back at me with round eyes like she was surprised.
The glasses girl had a slightly red face.
「Well…the lock」
「After all, if we are gonna strip, wouldn’t it be better to lock it? Or is it that the chance of someone walking in excites you?」
「That’s not it. First of all, unlock the door please」
「…I got it」
It seems she thought my strict tone was suspicious.
Obediently unlocking the door, Eda asks.
「What is it? Does this mean you don’t want to do perverted things with me?」
「Well…yeah, that’s how it is」
Without her expression changing to my reply, Eda returns to her seat.
Then she tries to organize herself to properly have a conversation.
「Then, wouldn’t it be fine not to come?」
「That isn’t fine either…I’d be worried you would end up waiting the whole time」
「You think I would wait that long?」
Eda looks at me amazed.
I nod as if to say certainly.
「I was quite conceited…」
「Well, I was gonna wait 4 hours」
「That’s a long time, oi!」
「Well, since it’s the good-for-nothing you, you would worry about it endlessly after returning home. After finally thinking you do want to do perverted things with me, I thought you would come back to school」
What an imagination.
「Well, that’s a joke but…I had things to do」
「What’s with that? As I thought, aren’t you busy」
「Rather than busy…there are things I have to think about」
「About your manga?」
Eda was expressionless towards my words.
And then, puckering her lips a bit, she gave a wry smile.
Was she the type of person whose expression changed so much?
「Is there something I can help with?」
「Eh?」
「Well, it was just for a moment, but it felt like you were troubled…」
「That’s disgusting, Okutani-kun」
「But my cleanliness is the one thing I’m proud of」
*Fuh*, after ridiculing me, Eda shrugged her shoulders.
「That’s right…I’m a bit troubled about my manga」
「Is it that? Something like you can’t think of a story, or can’t draw the screen very well? Well, the most I can do to help out is undressing」
「You didn’t refuse that」
That’s right. I drank some of the water in the Pet battle.
「In exchange for this water, I thought I would do anything that I could」
「How conscientious, Okutani-kun」
「Conscientiousness and cleanliness are the few things I’m proud of」
「They increased」
Smiling again, Eda looked at me with serious eyes.
「I was asked to join a manga magazine…」1
「Hee…that’s amazing」
In other words, it isn’t a hobby. She draws manga and gets paid for it.
It’s not something I’m knowledgeable about but I could tell it’s something amazing.
「But, I’m worried if I should do it…」
「Why? Don’t you want to be a mangaka?」
「It’s not about whether or not I want to be one…If I want to have fun drawing manga then it’s fine. I never really had a feeling of wanting to become a pro」
So she can become a pro at any moment, the issue is whether she should chose to be one or not.
Certainly if it becomes a licensed manga, it could no longer be considered fun drawings she did as a hobby.
「That’s difficult」
「No it isn’t, since I refused just now」
「Haa?」
I met eyes with Eda.
The voices of the running baseball club pass by.
「It’s kind of a gamble…」
「Gamble?」
「I decided if you came by the time the baseball club ran by that building, I’d refuse…if you didn’t I’d accept」
The baseball club ran by just now.
They practically run through the bottom of the school building almost the same time everyday.
「Oi」
Was there such a foolish conversation?
Eda was showing a smile like a kid that was successful with a prank.
「You don’t mean, when I had you wait earlier…」
「I was sending the refusal e-mail」
「What did you do!」
I unintentionally stood up.
「To leave such an important decision to others!」
「Isn’t it because it’s important?」
Eda says in a cold voice.
「Isn’t it bad to burden myself with it because it’s important…When the time comes for me to regret it, it would be better if I could blame someone else」
「You intend to blame me!?」
「Yup…If the time comes where I regret it」
「Stop messing around!」
I tried to leave the student council room.
However, Eda’s next words made me stop.
「But, before now I haven’t regretted anything」
I stopped my feet but I didn’t turn around as I asked her.
「…And from now on? What’s the probability of regret now?」
「It’s not like I will but…there is a possibility」
Turning around, I glare at Eda.
I don’t philosophize much.
However, recently I only have one belief.
That is「Everything is your own choice」.
I thought that with Ooki too.
It’s not good to push your feelings and actions onto others.
Because Mia quit the club, he secluded himself.
That’s too much.
「My dad died a couple months back…」
「Eh?」
Eda showed plain confusion.
However, I continued, ignoring her.
「When he was on the verge of death, my dad told me and my mother, who had spent the whole time nursing him」
「What did he say?」
I look directly at Eda and said.
「My dad said it. He said since you have to work to eat, if you get sick you’ll die」
Silence dominated the student council room.
The voices of the running baseball club got farther.
And, the second hand on the clock accurately displays the passage of time.
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