Youthful Love Affair
Suddenly, the atmosphere turns chilly.
Seira, wearing a sad face, is visible.
With her already youthful appearance, Seira’s whiny demeanor makes her look like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
Still not acting her age.
[······.]
Even the Black Prince, who would normally have called her “sister,” is silent.
His usual love for banter makes his silence even more terrifying.
“What’s going on, President?”
Aris, slightly flustered by the sudden intrusion, asks.
“Ah-chan······. I missed you.”
Seira dashes over and embraces Aris.
Aris’s cheeks turn red.
“President, there’s a guest here, so please······.”
“Guest? Huh?”
Upon hearing Aris’s words, Seira’s gaze turns toward us.
Our eyes meet.
Whoosh.
Seira’s cheeks flush.
“L-little one, th-this is······.”
Now realizing my presence, Seira waves her hands in panic.
I sigh and finish my coffee.
“I didn’t expect a little one to be here······.”
With a completely blushing face, Seira falls from Aris’s embrace.
I already knew they shared a sister-like bond.
I had even witnessed a similar scene during the summer festival.
It’s nothing to be surprised about.
Just that my insides are churning.
[Oh dear······.]
In my mind, the Black Prince lets out a short sigh.
“Ahem. Forget what you just saw. Yes, that’s right, forget.”
Seira clears her throat.
Swish.
She opens the black lace fan, trying desperately to regain her composure.
“······Since the President has arrived, I’ll prepare some coffee.”
With a slightly stiff face, Aris stands up.
She heads toward the kitchen.
During the brief moment that Aris is away, Seira and I exchange glances.
“Hmph······.”
Seira clears her throat again and pretends to flutter her lace fan with a serious expression.
A moment of awkward silence hangs between us.
“Little one. Why are you here?”
Seira breaks the silence.
“I received an invitation from Senior Aris.”
I reply in a deadpan tone to her question.
“Senior Aris······?”
Seira’s eyes widen slightly, seemingly realizing I’ve played with the Yobiste.
“Yes.”
“Little one, no way······.”
Just as Seira was about to say something,
“Coffee is ready!”
Thud.
Aris places a tray on the table with a blank expression.
Puffing steam rises from the coffee placed before Seira.
“Enjoy, President.”
“Thank you, Ah-chan.”
“Ah-chan.”
Slurp.
Seira, who finished her thank-you, sips her instant coffee.
Instant coffee in a fancy teacup—what a bizarre irony.
Placing the cup down, Seira speaks.
“Chairman.”
“Did you call me?”
“What was the matter? I was a bit startled when you suddenly came in.”
Aris, with a poker face, talks to Seira, whose cheeks turn slightly red.
A flustered look emerges in her eyes.
Swaying.
Seira fans herself as she speaks.
“Ahem. Well, that is…”
Glancing furtively.
Seira’s eyes flicker toward me, struggling to complete her sentence.
“Haru’s antics have gotten a bit out of hand…”
The moment Seira finishes her reply, a vivid picture forms in my mind.
Haru’s guardian is currently Seira, who is living with her. Given Haru’s personality, she’s likely to be quite a handful.
It’s obvious even without seeing it.
“Ahem. So I had to take refuge here for a moment.”
Seira’s face turns even more embarrassed.
It would be a bit shameful to say she fled here for being teased by Haru in front of me, even if she used to call Aris sister without a care.
I would feel the same.
“What kind of prank was it…?”
Aris’s eyes subtly wobble.
For someone who doesn’t know Haru’s personality, it would certainly be shocking.
“Well, um…”
With Aris’s question, Seira’s tongue loosens.
“She keeps calling me Se-Seira-tan instead of big sister… calling me ‘grandma’… I mean, I’m a grandmother, but she says the nickname is cute… and throws a fit saying she doesn’t want Ginseng Candy… Ughhhh… Haru’s not a bad kid, but her pranks can be a bit much…”
Seira’s hands tremble.
Looks like she made fun of her age.
Given it’s Haru, that’s not surprising.
“I see…”
Aris nods.
“You’ve had a hard time, Chairman.”
“Indeed. Ahem. But as an adult, I must endure. Haru is still a very young child, after all.”
“That’s right, Chairman.”
“But, Ah-chan. You’ve been calling me Chairman since earlier. It’s a bit hurtful. Call me big sister.”
Seira pouts her cheeks at Aris’s words.
Aris’s face turns slightly red.
“…”
Her lips twitch.
Glance.
Aris’s eyes dart this way.
“Oh come now, hurry and call me big sister.”
“Seira big sister…”
Reluctantly, Aris utters the word ‘sister’ under Seira’s pressure.
Her cheeks flush bright red.
“Ahem, I must say, I prefer Ah-chan over that cheeky brat Haru. So, Ah-chan, what was the reason for inviting the little one here?”
Seira squints her eyes.
At her words, Aris hesitates, her lips fumbling.
“T-that’s…”
Aris looks flustered.
Her cheeks bloom bright red.
Heh heh.
Seira pokes Aris’s waist with her finger.
“Surely I’m not interrupting a youthful romance between you two, am I?”
Seira fans herself dramatically.
“That’s not it!”
Aris shakes her head vigorously in panic.
Snap.
Seira closes her fan.
Her red eyes narrow.
“Ever since ancient times, a strong denial has been a strong affirmation… Are you truly saying it isn’t so?”
Heh heh.
Seira jabs Aris’s waist with her folded fan.
“Not at all!”
Aris shakes her head vigorously.
“I haven’t engaged in any shameless or unhealthy romantic relationship with Mr. Kim Deok-Sung over the Student Council President’s seat.”
She adds more words.
What on earth is Seira imagining?
It’s ridiculous.
“Oh? Really?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Aris nods her head.
“Hmm… If it’s not a secret meeting, then why did you call the kid here?”
Seira’s gaze turns towards Aris.
“Well… I called him to arrange a promise to visit my hometown together this weekend. There are too many eyes outside.”
Aris stumbles over her words.
“You mean your hometown?”
“Yes…”
“I see, I misunderstood. Sorry about that, A-chan.”
Pat, pat.
Seira taps Aris on the shoulder.
“No problem. I’m fine. Big sister.”
Aris receives the apology with a blank expression.
A smile appears on Seira’s face as she sees this.
“By the way, can I join you on your trip to A-chan’s hometown?”
A bombshell declaration comes from her lips.
Where are you planning to go together?
[Oh dear. Big sister.]
I can almost hear the sigh from the Black Prince in my head.
“Well…”
Aris trails off.
Cold sweat runs down her forehead.
“I wanted to be invited to A-chan’s hometown this time… but if not, I can’t do anything about it.”
Seira makes a sulky face.
Seeing this, Aris speaks with a trembling voice.
“No, it’s okay.”
“Are you really okay with it?”
“Yes. Mr. Kim Deok-Sung is fine with it too, right?”
Aris throws the question at me.
Should I say it’s okay or not?
There’s no hell like this.
[Say it’s okay. Partner. This is the Black Prince’s intuition; saying it’s okay is the right answer.]
I hear the Black Prince’s advice in my head.
Well, Aris and Seira are practically like family anyway.
Moreover, refusing here wouldn’t make Seira go “Alright, I understand,” and not follow along.
It might actually be better to let her join officially.
“Yeah, sure. Let’s do that.”
Seira’s expression brightens upon hearing my words.
As for Aris…
Still the same blank expression.
I can’t read her emotions.
“Hehe. A trip to Aris’s hometown… I’m already looking forward to it.”
Watching Seira’s sparkling eyes, I sipped the now-cold coffee on the table.
Clink.
I set the coffee cup down.
“Aris-senpai, this is where we wrap up the conversation, right?”
“Yes.”
Aris nods at my words.
“Then I’ll take my leave now.”
I stand up.
Now that my business is all done, there’s no need to stay here anymore.
“Hey, kid, is something going on?”
Seira throws a question my way.
Aris gazes at me silently with her silver eyes.
“Yes.”
I nod in response to Seira.
“I came out because of club activities. I need to head back.”
As soon as my words finish, the Black Prince’s voice rings in my head.
[Oh, partner. You’re being considerate of the other ladies too? Our partner is so gentlemanly!]
Considerate? Not at all.
‘I’m just going back because I want to eat some kimchi stew.’
[So tsundere!]
The Black Prince spits out nonsense.
I wonder when this damned tsundere label will ever fade.
“Understood. Then I’ll see you again this weekend.”
“Have a good time with your activities! Take care, kid!”
With Aris and Seira seeing me off, I left the Student Council President’s Residence.
As I received a farewell from Riss and Seira, I stepped out of the Student Council President’s Residence.
It was time to taste some Kimchi Stew.
*
After leaving the residence, I headed back to the Home Economics Practice Room.
I hadn’t eaten dinner properly, so I was starving.
As I approached the practice room, the smell of kimchi stew assaulted my nose.
Grrr.
A thunderous sound echoed from my stomach.
Creak.
I opened the door to the Home Economics Practice Room.
“Y-You?!”
The first voice I heard was Olivia’s.
Her face lit up.
“Why are you only coming now?! Did something weird happen with the president senpai? As your maid, I simply won’t tolerate any scandalous behavior······!!”
Olivia rushed towards me, her face turning red and yelling.
I had just stepped out for a moment, but it feels like ages since I saw her.
I was a little happy.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Master! Master is back! Eri was also waiting to see Master!”
Eri appeared behind Olivia.
“Deok-Sung! You’re here! I missed you······.”
Rin, blushing, was also present.
“Junior, are you finally here?”
“Welcome back, my lord!”
I heard Kasumi and Makoto’s greetings in my ears.
“Hawawawawa······. Kim Deok-Sung! You’ve returned!”
“Eep!”
Evangeline and Beatrice showed up.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Kim Deok-Sung.”
Lastly, the impressive lady in a gray bob cut, Han Seo-Jin, greeted me as well.
Wait, Han Seo-Jin?
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to assist you, Kim Deok-Sung.”
Han Seo-Jin replied with a steady expression.
Assist, huh.
Well, that’s the job she was originally assigned to do.
I thought that as I headed toward the table.
“Let me taste the kimchi stew. Is there any left?”
I felt like I was starving to death.
I needed to put something in my mouth.
Just then.
Thud.
Olivia placed a large pot steaming with kimchi stew on the table.
It was kimchi stew made by a French princess at a Japanese academy.
*
In the Student Council Hall.
After Kim Deok-Sung and Seira left, Aris, who was left alone, bit her lip.
She placed her hand over her chest.
Thump.
Her heartbeat was noticeable.
She had made a promise with him.
Although it wasn’t a private meeting, still······.
A smile crept onto Aris’s face.
She took out her phone and made a call.
Tring, tring.
The call connected.
[Cough, cough, is that you, A-chan?]
Aris heard her mother’s voice.
Upon hearing her sick mother’s voice, Aris’s expression stiffened slightly.
“Yeah. Is Mom feeling any better?”
[Oh, I’m doing just fine. Cough, cough. Are you doing well in Tokyo?]
“Yeah. By the way, Mom, I’m going to visit my hometown this weekend with my junior.”
[Cough, your junior? Is it that Korean kid you mentioned before?]
Aris blushed at her mother’s words.
She nodded.
“Uh, yeah.”
[Oh, that’s great. Our daughter’s fiancé is coming, so we need to prepare at our house.]
“W-What, Mom! That’s not it!”
Aris’s face turned bright red as she was startled by her mother’s statement.
She waved her hands frantically.
[That’s not true. Hehe. Well then, please take care until the weekend.]
Click.
The call ended.
Holding her smartphone, Aris bowed her head low.
The term “fiancé” kept swirling in her mind.
Aris’s gaze fell on the calendar.
The weekend was approaching.
It was almost time to head to her hometown with him.
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