Fukayama, Look at Him

At noon, in the academy convenience store cafeteria.

"What? Akimoto-kun, you joined the Student Council?" Fukayama Midori stared blankly at Akimoto Yoichi.

He never would have imagined that Akimoto Yoichi had actually joined the Student Council.

Still, was it really okay for the Student Council to have a fierce-looking Blondie joining them?

There might be some handsome blond guys in the Student Council, but a delinquent blond was a first—unless it was one of those public schools that had already gone completely downhill.

"What? You don't believe it? Do you think Akimoto-kun would lie? Especially about something so obvious?"

Suzuran Ayano could not help getting angry when she saw Fukayama Midori.

Look at Akimoto-kun. Meanwhile, Fukayama Midori was still the same as ever.

"Compared to Akimoto-kun, what about you?"

"Do you hold any committee position in Class B? Or are you still like you were in middle school, hanging around with friends who do not study and only know how to watch porn?"

"You drifted through middle school in a daze. Do you still want to live the same way now that you're in high school?"

With Akimoto Yoichi beside her as such a positive example, Ayano's words toward Fukayama Midori became even harsher.

Perhaps this was what they meant by: look at him?

Sitting beside Suzuran Ayano, Kuroo Maya did not dare say anything. She wanted to run away.

What kind of situation was this? She should never have been here.

Kuroo Maya had originally wanted to keep having lunch with Suzuran Ayano, but Ayano had invited Akimoto Yoichi along.

Her best friend had fought with her childhood friend, so there was nothing wrong with finding a new friend to eat with. This blond guy also seemed to be a decent person.

The problem was that, when they left the classroom together, they ran into Fukayama Midori coming out of the neighboring class.

Fukayama Midori was also heading to the convenience store cafeteria.

And then... then it had turned into this.

Suzuran Ayano had always liked her childhood friend, Fukayama Midori, but now that Akimoto Yoichi had appeared, Ayano had developed favorable feelings toward him too.

Fukayama Midori did not feel even the slightest sense of crisis over it, and he was still grinning happily.

The relationship between these three was such a mess. Perhaps this was what it meant to see things more clearly from the outside.

Instead, Kuroo Maya felt terribly awkward, as though she were the only one who thought this group was a little abnormal.

Still, like Fukayama Midori, Kuroo Maya was surprised that Akimoto Yoichi had become a Student Council member.

"I didn't join the Student Council willingly through normal means. I couldn't afford tuition, so Nishida Yuki forced me to become some kind of Vice President. Even if I really became Vice President looking like this, it would cause trouble, right? Nishida Yuki was probably just acting on a whim."

Chewing on the small bread in his hand, Akimoto Yoichi did not want to stand out. That was simply the truth.

"Ahahaha, it really is hard to imagine Akimoto-kun joining the Student Council properly." Kuroo Maya blurted out what she was thinking.

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized how rude they had been.

She secretly glanced at Akimoto Yoichi uneasily. Fortunately, he was not angry.

"Nishida Yuki must be trying to get revenge on you, Akimoto-kun! How about I join the Student Council too and see what Nishida is really trying to do?" Suzuran Ayano said, clenching her fists.

As for Nishida Yuki, she could not find a single reason not to dislike her.

She had hit on her childhood friend at the opening ceremony, and now she was targeting her good friend too.

"That's impossible. Since Nishida Yuki could get me into the Student Council, she could naturally stop you from joining it too. Besides, didn't you already join the Public Morals Committee?"

Akimoto Yoichi said this without much concern. He did not expect Ayano to be able to help; Nishida was using the kind of "money power" only adults could wield.

In the face of "money power," courage, justice, and bonds were all useless.

Since he could not resist, he might as well lie back and enjoy it.

"Hmph, then I'll keep a close eye on Nishida from my position in the Public Morals Committee!"

Ayano said this with determination.

"M-Maybe not. Nishida is actually very friendly," Fukayama Midori refuted in a small voice.

Hearing Fukayama Midori still speak well of Nishida Yuki, Suzuran Ayano's anger immediately soared.

"Then tell me, why does Nishida Yuki insist on making Akimoto-kun, whom she just met, her Vice President? And why did she suddenly demand Akimoto-kun's tuition?"

No matter her attitude, there was indeed nothing wrong with Suzuran Ayano's words.

Fukayama Midori could only mutter stubbornly, "T-That's not necessarily true. If we don't ask Nishida in person, how can we know what she thinks? We're just guessing here, and that's very rude to Nishida."

"Hmph. Then why don't you go ask Nishida Yuki?" Suzuran Ayano crossed her arms over her chest and looked sideways at Fukayama Midori.

"Nishida was absent all morning. Teacher Shimono said she wasn't feeling well. Oh, Shimono is the homeroom teacher of Class B."

Although Nishida Yuki had spoken to Fukayama Midori during the opening ceremony, they had not exchanged phone numbers or email addresses.

Nishida Yuki had not returned to the classroom all morning.

By now, Fukayama Midori knew that Nishida Yuki had gone to snap up Akimoto Yoichi at a bargain.

"It's fine. That isn't important. In any case, it isn't a bad thing for me. I really need the money, and I don't want to be expelled."

Swallowing the rest of the bread in his hand, Akimoto Yoichi picked up his milk.

Akimoto Yoichi would not refuse Nishida Yuki's offer. Having his tuition waived was an enormous help.

What was more, Nishida Yuki was going to pay him as well. She had offered terms Akimoto Yoichi could not refuse.

"Is Akimoto-kun's family very poor? Oh, sorry, that's not what I meant. I mean, can Akimoto-kun's family not afford the tuition?"

Kuroo Maya's curiosity had also been piqued, and she asked cautiously.

After spending some time with him, she had begun to feel that Akimoto Yoichi was not as frightening as he looked.

She was also deeply curious about Akimoto Yoichi.

"My family situation is fairly good, I suppose. Fukayama... his parents are also away on business overseas, so he has never had to worry about money. Someone even has enough spare cash to buy a huge pile of magazines and figures to stack in his room."

Suzuran Ayano's curiosity had also been piqued, though she still did not give Fukayama Midori a friendly look.

Fukayama Midori, who had been dragged through the mud again, could only lower his head and eat his ramen without looking up.

Akimoto Yoichi said indifferently, "My family situation is a little unusual. I don't remember what my mother looked like from when I was young. I've always lived with my father, but he's a layabout. He collects management fees, sanitation fees, and things like that from several shopping streets. Then he throws all of it into Pachinko."

The utilities at home had been overdue for half a year, and the meals were all discounted bento his old man bought from the supermarket.

The money Akimoto Yoichi had for food now was what he had saved from previous part-time jobs. His entire fortune amounted to only a few thousand yen.

With finances like that, let alone focusing on his studies, even surviving normally was difficult for him.

"What happened between that Nishida girl and Akimoto-kun that made her do this?" Kuroo Maya, who knew nothing about what had happened earlier, voiced her question.

However, the moment she said it, she could clearly feel the atmosphere turn heavy.

Kuroo Maya knew she had stepped on another landmine.

She wished she could zip her mouth shut so she would stop saying the wrong things.

"Well, she interrupted my studying earlier, so I lost my temper. Kuroo, you should be careful too. Don't interrupt my studying."

Akimoto Yoichi glanced at the twin-tailed girl. She immediately took on the expression of a frightened little animal and nodded vigorously.

Seeing Kuroo Maya like that, he found her somewhat cute.

"Yes, Akimoto-kun is very scary when he gets angry."

At some point, Nishida Yuki had appeared behind Akimoto Yoichi.