Nishida Yuki's Hobby

When the student council election activities ended each day and everyone went their separate ways,

Nishida Yuki would always ask Akimoto Yoichi to stay behind by himself.

It wasn't for anything else. She wanted Akimoto Yoichi to keep her company while she played the piano.

In Nishida Yuki's words, practicing the piano would help her win votes during the student council election.

Suzuran Ayano agreed with that reasoning, too.

Of course, Akimoto Yoichi couldn't play the piano—or any other such refined thing. And the reason Nishida Yuki asked him to stay instead of Suzuran Ayano or Kuroo Maya

was, in her words, that she needed him to help turn the sheet music. Akimoto Yoichi had to stand beside her.

Since he was tall, he could reach the sheet music without disturbing Nishida Yuki while she played. Ayano and Maya were too short; their bodies would bump into the keys.

But Nishida Yuki's piano skills were already good enough that she didn't need to look at the sheet music at all, let alone have someone turn the pages for her.

If she simply wanted Akimoto Yoichi to keep her company and spend more time with him, that would've been much more straightforward.

But Nishida Yuki refused to do that. She insisted that Akimoto Yoichi stand beside her and turn the sheet music.

If he was too slow, she'd look at him with a smile, her meaning perfectly clear.

She just loved watching Akimoto Yoichi make a fool of himself.

Listening to the lively piano music filling the music room, Akimoto Yoichi would hardly have believed that Nishida Yuki, with her awful personality, could play it so beautifully if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

Put simply, Nishida Yuki was just trying to get a thrill out of teasing Akimoto Yoichi.

Seeing Akimoto Yoichi obediently do what she wanted made Nishida Yuki happy and satisfied.

Akimoto Yoichi knew this very well, but he didn't call out the little scheme of this mean, scheming Young Lady. There was no point; she wouldn't change anyway.

So after taking part in the student council election, and after handing out flyers for her campaign each day, Akimoto Yoichi would accompany Nishida Yuki home later than usual, practicing the piano with her in the music room.

After finishing a song, Nishida Yuki turned to look at Akimoto Yoichi beside her.

He gave her an impatient scowl.

But Nishida Yuki's smile only grew brighter, and she became even more interested.

"You've gotten pretty good at turning the pages, Akimoto-kun. You don't wait until I've finished a page and then stand there clueless about turning to the next one anymore."

"Oh? Then should I thank you?" Akimoto Yoichi replied bluntly.

As it happened, he really should thank Nishida Yuki, because her Heroine Entry had the effect of improving Focus.

Akimoto Yoichi had originally thought that since Nishida Yuki wasn't in his class, this sort of BUFF that only worked during class wouldn't be any use to him.

Who would've guessed that Nishida Yuki would deliberately torment him, a musical idiot, every day by dragging him along to play the piano?

No matter how unwilling Akimoto Yoichi was, under the influence of Nishida Yuki's Focus BUFF, he was learning piano rapidly.

This was what they meant by picking things up through exposure. Akimoto Yoichi could now play simple tunes like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" all by himself.

It was the simplest sort of song, but Akimoto Yoichi had never touched a piano in his life.

The BUFFs the heroines had were undeniably terrifying.

Depending on how the heroines used them, the effects on whatever they did could be completely different.

"Of course you should thank me. All right, I haven't had my fill today, but tomorrow's a day off, isn't it? Let's head home early today."

Satisfied, Nishida Yuki stood up, closed the piano, clasped her hands behind her back, and walked toward the door.

"Let's go, Akimoto-kun."

"Or are you reluctant to part with me? That won't do."

Nishida Yuki deliberately said that to get a reaction from Akimoto Yoichi.

"No. I just think you're probably up to no good. You're not planning something nasty again, are you?" Akimoto Yoichi never bothered being polite when he spoke to Nishida Yuki.

She usually dragged piano practice out until six or seven in the evening, but today she was letting him go unusually early.

Judging by the sky outside, it was only a little past six.

Nishida Yuki had let him off the hook for now. Akimoto Yoichi was sure she'd make him pay it back twice over somewhere else.

"How vulgar, Akimoto-kun." Nishida Yuki giggled behind her hand, but didn't deny what he'd said.

"To say such vulgar things to a refined girl like me."

"But I don't dislike this side of you, Akimoto-kun."

"Because you're the only one who treats me so honestly. I really like your personality, Akimoto-kun."

Akimoto Yoichi glanced at the Young Lady beside him, who loved playing with fire. Had she gotten her kicks again?

If you talked like that, and someone else were playing the role of Blondie, you'd be in for a miserable time.

Then you wouldn't be playing the piano—you'd be playing the drums and singing opera.

"Come on, stop babbling. Your fancy car's waiting at the school gate, isn't it?"

As a Young Lady, Nishida Yuki had a car and driver pick her up every day.

He'd been going in and out of the school gates with Nishida Yuki every day lately, and he'd nearly gotten to know her driver.

"If you'd like, Akimoto-kun, you could enjoy the same treatment."

That was tempting. Who didn't like a rich woman?

"I might consider it if you were some other Young Lady. But not you. I'm afraid I'd end up sleeping in a dog cage if I went with you," Akimoto Yoichi said.

At that, Nishida Yuki giggled.

They changed into their own shoes and walked out of the school building side by side.

Just as they spotted the fancy car that had come to pick up Nishida Yuki, Akimoto Yoichi also saw a few green-haired guys squatting by the school gate.

"Step aside. Don't follow me. Have your driver pick you up." The moment he met their gaze, Akimoto Yoichi knew they'd come looking for him.

This time, Nishida Yuki didn't argue with him like she usually did. She nodded. "Okay."

Then Nishida Yuki stepped back, putting some distance between herself and Akimoto Yoichi.

But she didn't go call her driver. Instead, she watched with a smile, her hands behind her back.

Regardless of what Nishida Yuki was thinking behind him, Akimoto Yoichi walked toward the group of high school students in uniforms from another school, who were coming out from either side of the gate.

It was obvious at a glance what these high school students were there for.

Sure enough, when Akimoto Yoichi walked up to them, they called out to him.

"Hey, kid! You're the one who beat up our buddy before, right?"

"It's not a good place to talk here. Let's go outside." Akimoto Yoichi glanced at the students who hadn't left yet nearby, then headed straight out of the school.