Chapter 12: Pleased to Work With You (⊙◞౪◟⊙)
After committing a major blunder, Momoko psyched herself up and approached her mission with a renewed spirit. Specifically, she undertook her duties while always keeping stomach medicine and headache pills on hand.
Today, like any other day, Momoko was reading Kazuma’s mind.
“(If I were to be reborn, I’d want to be a cat. Preferably one owned by a beautiful woman.)”
“(…)”
“(Is Shinonome-san a dog person? Or a cat person? Or maybe a hamster person?)”
“(I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t ask questions so naturally in my mind.)”
“(She looks like a dog person.)”
“(…………Yes, I am! What about it?)”
“(Why’s she glaring at me? Did I do something?)”
“(Kuh…! )”
Kazuma’s field of vision was wider than an ordinary person’s. Momoko, who had been detected despite glaring for only a fleeting moment, gritted her back teeth in frustration. This man truly knew how to irritate people to no end. However, upon careful reflection, Momoko calmed herself down, realizing she was the one arbitrarily peeking into his mind and getting angry on her own.
“(Phew. Let’s calm down for now. I can’t afford to make a mistake like before. Let’s stay composed and carry out the mission calmly.)”
“(When our eyes meet, it’s a premonition of love, ya know.)”
“(Yes, I’m fine. I am calm.)”
The pen gripped in the hand of the girl saying this was cracked.
“(I thought I heard a cracking sound…)”
“(I’ve done it. I accidentally used too much strength…)”
Momoko, having unintentionally put too much force and broken the pen, took out a new one from her bag. At that moment, Kazuma witnessed a terrifying sight. Momoko’s bag was tightly packed full of brand-new pens.
Seeing that, Kazuma timidly looked towards Momoko, who was staring back at him with lifeless eyes.
“(Hiee…! )”
“(Hmph… I wonder if I managed to get a little payback.)”
“(She’s a psychopath!)”
“(How rude! Who are you calling a psychopath?!)”
She might not be a psychopath, but there was no doubt she was an eccentric. Stuffing a bag full of new pens was already crazy. She probably wanted to surprise Kazuma, but there must have been other ways to do it.
After that, Kazuma, having learned of Momoko’s eccentricity, trembled nervously throughout. In a way, Momoko’s plan was a success. However, Momoko ended up being labeled an eccentric, but that put her on par with Kazuma, the pervert.
◇◇◇◇
Today’s last class was LHR (Long Homeroom). Even after the ten-minute break was over, the students showed no signs of taking their seats. This was because their homeroom teacher, Tanaka, hadn’t arrived yet. Until Tanaka came, the students continued to chat.
Then, after a short while, Tanaka entered the classroom, tablet in hand.
“Alright everyone~, take your seats~”
Hearing that, the students took their seats. Tanaka nodded in satisfaction at his students who obediently listened to him.
“Alright, then, let’s start LHR~”
Tanaka stood at the podium, and LHR began, tablet in his hand. Tanaka looked down at the tablet in his hand and relayed the announcements.
“Err, as I think you know, the second semester is packed with events. Next month’s sports festival, November’s school festival, and then the biggest main event in December, the Academy Battle Tournament. Well, that last one hardly concerns the first-year Support Course students, though. Wahahahaha!”
As Tanaka laughed with his mouth wide open, the students were drawn in and laughed as well. As Tanaka said, it wasn’t that the Academy Battle Tournament had nothing to do with the Support Course, but for first-years like Kazuma and the others, it was an unrelated event.
“Alright, today we’re deciding on the committee members for the sports festival and the school festival~. Any volunteers~?”
“Yes, Sensei! I have a question!”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Will it affect our internal assessment scores?!”
“Hahahaha. You’re an honest one. I don’t dislike that kind of thing~. So, you asked if it affects internal assessment scores, right? Well, it will be a plus, but if you’re asking if it’ll get you into the National Defense Force… that’s impossible.”
“Then, never mind!”
“Hahahahaha! Well, don’t say that. It’ll be advantageous for finding a job or going on to higher education.”
Even if told that, being a committee member was just a pain. There probably wasn’t anyone who wanted to do it.
“(Haaah, what a drag. I wanna go home and sleep~)”
“(I agree with that, but shouldn’t you show a little interest?)”
Momoko, who was reading Kazuma’s mind, seemed to have been influenced by him, as she was always making retorts, interjecting, and trying to establish a conversation. It wasn’t a bad thing, but unlike Momoko, Kazuma couldn’t read or transmit his thoughts.
“(Anyone, just volunteer already~)”
“(You don’t think of doing it yourself, do you?)”
“(It can’t be helped. If it comes to this, I’ll—)”
“(Eh? No way, really?)”
“(Shinonome-san! I choose you!!!)”
“(Could you please stop saying my name at every opportunity!?)”
“(It’s okay! You can do it! You can~ you can~ you can do it~)”
“(Ugh… a mysterious pain around my stomach… Kuh!)”
Kazuma was mentally recommending Momoko and making her listen to a strange song.
Momoko, forced to listen to that song, was struck by a mysterious stomachache, clutching her stomach in pain. For the record, Kazuma possessed no such ability.
“Hmm, is no one going to volunteer?”
Tanaka looked around the classroom with a troubled expression, scanning the students’ faces, but no one volunteered; they either averted their eyes or showed no interest.
“I don’t really want to do this, but we’ll decide by lottery~. No complaining afterwards, okay~?”
Sighing as if it couldn’t be helped, Tanaka started operating his tablet to create lots, then stopped. Thinking a roulette wheel might be fairer than drawing lots, Tanaka created a roulette wheel using an app.
Tanaka connected the roulette wheel, on which he had entered the classmates’ names, to the projector installed in the classroom so everyone could see it.
“Alright, I’m gonna spin the roulette wheel~. I’m telling you now, I won’t accept any complaints. Got it? Ah, also, I forgot to mention, but the sports festival and school festival committees will each have two members, one boy and one girl, so we’re choosing a total of four people. Don’t even think about slacking off, okay? It’ll affect your internal assessment scores~”
“Eh, what do you mean by that?”
“What do I mean? It’s simple, isn’t it? It’s only natural for people who irresponsibly abandon their assigned tasks to have their evaluations lowered.”
Hearing that, the students, who didn’t appreciate being forced, looked dissatisfied. It could be said that it was good they weren’t booing, but that’s just how society is. What a sad world it is.
“(Uoooooooh! Miss me! Miss me! Please miss meeee!)”
“(You’re noisy… But, well, this time all the students probably feel the same way, so I’ll turn a blind eye.)”
First, the sports festival committee members were decided. The boy and girl who were unlucky enough to be chosen were both lamenting. They were looking down sadly, but what’s decided is decided. They just had to accept their bad luck.
And next were the school festival committee members. Kazuma watched the roulette wheel while offering up a prayer. His prayer must have reached the heavens. The roulette needle was pointing at Satsuki Kazuma.
“(Hogeehhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!)”
“(Pfft… Serves you right!)”
He didn’t voice it out loud, but Kazuma recoiled dramatically in shock.
Momoko, seeing this, was sneering inwardly, but divine punishment descended.
The female member for the school festival committee was decided: Momoko.
“(Areeeeeeeeeeeh!?)”
“(If Shinonome-san is my partner, I guess it’s fine! If I’m with a cute girl, I can forgive it! We’ll get close through the committee work and then smoochy-smoochy lovey-dovey, ya know!)”
“(Ogeeeeeeeeeeeeh!)”
When Kazuma found out that Momoko was his partner on the committee, he turned to her, sitting in the seat next to him, and gave her a refreshing smile.
“Let’s get along, Shinonome-san.”
Seeing Kazuma smile brightly, Momoko’s vision went dark. She averted her eyes from reality, wondering if this wasn’t some kind of nightmare.
“Pleased to work with you…”
Momoko barely managed to cling to consciousness as she replied to Kazuma.