Rabudame Vol. 2 (continued after Ch5.3 from Story Seedling)
2024-06-01
Chapter 5: Who Decided That an Unfavorable Character Can't Be in a Rom-Com?

And then, three days passed—until Monday morning.

Today was the day of the 'Community Cleanup Volunteering' event.

"Yes, it's a go as planned," I said, making a phone call at the end of the hallway and glancing up at the sky through the window.

Today's weather was cloudy, and the forecast of rain starting in the evening was a concern. Still, it didn't seem like it would rain at the event's start time, so it should be fine to proceed.

"Ah, I see. The weather's been good, hasn't it?—Yes, thank you. I'll send the representative over first, and then—yes, yes. Goodbye," I said and ended the call.

Okay... that's the final adjustment done.

Everything was in place: coordination with various parties, gathering necessary information, preparing the 'event' scenario, and practicing acting—all checked.

Feeling satisfied, I put my phone into my chest pocket and headed toward the classroom, glancing at the list with completed checks.

But including the holidays, it had been about four days... it feels like it's been a long time. Well, maybe it's also because I've been working overtime a lot lately... I tend to overwork myself before events.

"Morning," I greeted Anayama, entering through the front door of the classroom and taking my seat near the entrance.

"Oh, Master. Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah, thanks to you. I'm fully recovered and ready to give it my all today!"

I clenched my fist and replied with determination as I walked toward my seat.

*

Due to some last-minute preparations, I arrived at school just as the bell was about to ring, and the class was almost fully assembled.

The classroom was filled with a restless, fidgety atmosphere, and the upcoming day's cleaning activity was the topic of discussion everywhere.

It felt like the prelude to an event, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

But—

I glanced briefly at the still-empty seat.

As for that person... it felt like everyone was acting as if nothing had happened.

"Ah, Class Rep..."

"Yo, Tokiwa. Long time no see."

Tokiwa, having noticed me, turned to face me with a worried expression.

Even though I had already given a rough explanation of today's "operation" to everyone in our "friend group" yesterday, I knew that it would still be stressful for them. Tokiwa was probably the most anxious, and I could understand how he felt.

I tried to lighten the mood by bringing up a random topic.

"Man, it's been a while, so I'm kinda nervous. Oh, and if you don't mind, could I borrow the notes from when I was absent—"

—At that moment, a notebook was smoothly extended from the opposite side.

"Kiyosato-san...?"

"Here you go. Sorry, I don't think they're as neat as Nagasaka's, though."

She said with a wry smile, still holding out the notebook.

...I really had been causing Kiyosato nothing but worry.

"Thanks. I'll borrow them."

"You're welcome."

*

After I thanked her and took it, Kiyosato-san smiled angelically for the first time in a while.

– On that day Katsunuma left the class, after that...

As I was about to leave after submitting my wish list, Kiyosato-san...

*

"– I'm sorry. I surprised you earlier."

"Eh? ...Ah, no. Not at all."

Kiyosato-san, who had apparently been waiting at the shoe lockers, suddenly threw those words at me.

Her usually smiling face was downturned, and she tightly pressed her lips together as if enduring something.

...Damn, I really screwed up big time. To make her look so pained...

As I gritted my teeth at my own helplessness, Kiyosato-san began to speak slowly.

"Back then... something similar happened."

"......Eh?"

Kiyosato-san looked out at the pouring rain.

"Let's all ignore the class outcast. Let's exclude the person who disrupts the harmony from our group."

That was a story from her middle school days... probably?

Then I suddenly realized. This was the first time Kiyosato-san had spoken about her past.

"I... couldn't do anything about that situation, until the very end."

*

Kiyosato-san's expression is hidden from view as she speaks. But it's certain that her usual cheerfulness is completely absent from her voice.

"That girl was definitely in the wrong. But—"

She cuts her words short and turns back to face me. Her face is more earnest than ever, and the flames from earlier still seem to linger in the depths of her eyes.

And then, with a passionate voice—

"But even if we ostracize the villain, it won't lead to a happy ending...

I don't want that. I absolutely don't want that. I don't want to accept that kind of reality."

Ah—I see.

Kiyosato-san feels the same way I do. She thinks that the current situation is unacceptable.

I'm 100% certain that this is the truth—I'm convinced of it.

"That's why I want to resolve this by any means necessary... That's why I came to you, Nagasaka-kun."

Kiyosato-san suddenly starts to bow her head.

"W-Wait, Kiyosato-san?!"

"I know it's a selfish request, but... please help me."

*

"......You're saying......"

"I'll prepare the stage, so you, Nagasaka-kun, create a place for Ayumi."

"The only one who can do that is... surely you, Nagasaka-kun."

My heart skipped a beat.

...I don't know why Kiyosato-san is putting so much faith in me.

But that doesn't matter.

Because I, right now—am being asked for help by the "Main Heroine."

Then, it's my duty as the "Protagonist" to respond with all my might, and more.

"──I understand."

I accepted Kiyosato-san's feelings and nodded firmly.

"I will definitely—bring about the best ending. I promise."

"......Yeah."

Kiyosato-san narrowed her eyes as if looking into the distance, and nodded with a painful expression.

Until the very end, she didn't show her angelic smile.

*

—Gyarara.

My consciousness was drawn to the sound of the door opening vigorously.

*

Everyone turned to look in that direction at once, and their breath caught in their throats at the figure standing there.

"...!"

"Ah! Ayumi...!"

Tokiwa, with a loud scrape, stood up from his chair.

Without saying a word, Katsuma glanced briefly in our direction before striding into the classroom.

The room fell silent for a moment before the whispers started again.

"Seriously? She came...","What's her intention now?","More importantly, what are we going to do today...?"

Here and there, people were whispering to each other.

Anayama and the others kept their distance, cautiously observing the situation. Koizumi-san had a disinterested look on her face as she spared only a single glance. The former Katsunuma group members, including Ide, seemed somewhat uncomfortable.

—Good. Just as Kiyosato-san said, everyone seems to have calmed down a bit.

If they were still eager to attack Katsunuma, there wouldn't have been much I could do...

"U-Um, Class Rep... Um..."

"Tokiwa-kun."

Kiyosato-san, sitting next to me, quietly held up her index finger to her lips, signaling to Tokiwa, who seemed like he wanted to say something.

Nice support. Now isn't the time to say anything.

As I watched Tokiwa sit back down, biting his lip, I glanced at Katsunuma, who was muttering to herself, and turned my thoughts to the upcoming "event."

*

"Now then, I will announce the assigned blocks for each class."

The gymnasium was filled with all the students of Kyougoku Nishi High School. The student council president, an intellectual-looking boy with glasses, stood on the podium and began the announcements after a brief greeting.

Perhaps because this wasn't a formal ceremony, the students were lined up haphazardly, and the atmosphere was lively. It didn't feel chaotic, but rather brimming with energy.

As expected, the atmosphere wasn't that of mere garbage collection. It felt like the prelude to a fun event.

"The riverbed block will be handled by the third-year Class 7."

A corner of the gymnasium erupted in cheers.

Wow, the enthusiasm of the seniors is on another level. They must be dealing with pre-exam stress, and this is their last year of high school. Plus, they've chosen their block wisely.

Still, they could have just distributed a printout or posted the assignments on a bulletin board. Doing it like this is clearly more entertaining. It's like they're saying, "This way, it'll be more exciting, right?" The Kyou-Nishi student council sure knows how to put on a show for the festival-loving school.

"The south residential block will be handled by the first-year Class 5."

Hmm, so Uenohara's class got the south block. It's the second-lowest block in terms of garbage potential.

Class 5 doesn't seem too enthusiastic about this event, so it's a fair choice.

One after another, the names of the classes were called out, and only a few blocks remained.

And finally—

*

'West Block, Class 1-4'

There was a stir among the students as the remaining classes clearly breathed a sigh of relief. Some of the upperclassmen even made faces that seemed to say, "Those guys are out of the running." They must be thinking, "Better luck next time."

"Are you okay with this?"

Koizumi, who was standing in front of me, half-turned and asked with a clearly dissatisfied expression, making me feel somewhat accused.

—In the previous block preference resolution.

After Katsunuma ran off, the class was left in an unexpectedly awkward and restless atmosphere due to Kiyosato's unexpected actions. Naturally, it was not a situation where we could have a fun discussion, and so it was decided that we would make the West Block our first choice, following the previous flow of the conversation.

At the time, no one openly objected... but gradually, many people started to have doubts about whether that had been the right decision, and so we ended up facing today with a vague sense of unease.

I replied with an unchanged expression, "It's already over, and we can't change the past. All we can do is focus on what we can do now."

"Oh, okay then."

Koizumi didn't say anything else and turned her face away.

I sighed and looked at Katsunuma, who was huddled up front, looking uncomfortable.

*

By the way...

I knew that everyone's "Is that really okay?" included the current classroom environment as well.

*

"Is everyone ready?" I called out, conscious of a volume that wouldn't be drowned out by the noise.

In the courtyard where we gathered, similar crowds had formed in various places. It seemed that each of them was confirming their upcoming movements.

"Please put the trash in your personal bags! The sorting will be done by the people in charge of collection, so feel free to put everything in the same bag! Please check the handout for the route you'll be taking!"

A few scattered replies of "Okay" came back. The responses lacked enthusiasm.

They're listening to me, and it's not like they don't want to do it, but... it's this block and this situation. I guess their motivation isn't really up there.

Well, that's as expected, so it's fine, but...

What are you going to do, Katsunuma? It's about to start, you know?

"Do you have work gloves, tongs, and any other tools you need? All good?"

While buying time like that, I glanced at Katsunuma, who was looking down at the very edge of the group.

Looking closely, I could see her grasping and crumpling the hem of her jacket, restlessly rubbing her exposed arms from her short sleeves, and repeatedly parting her lips as if to speak, only to stop.

*

Ah geez, what are you chickening out for now?! The "event" won't start if you don't raise your voice here!

"Well then! Shu! Pa! Tsu! Shi-ma──"

I further raised the volume of my voice and appealed by deliberately breaking up the words in an exaggerated manner.

Then, Katsunuma's head snapped up, and she looked in my direction.

I tightly furrowed my brow and urged Katsunuma on with my gaze.

──Come on, hurry up! Show them the new you!

"──Hey!"

......Phew. Seriously, what a handful.

On the surface, I was exasperated, but in my heart, I let out a sigh of relief and turned towards the voice.

"What, are you planning to complain again? Katsunuma."

Everyone made startled faces, and their eyes focused on Katsunuma.

Katsunuma's body shrank as she received the gazes of the entire class, and she lowered her face again.

"......That's......"

"Huh? I can't hear you."

"I said! That, with me......"

She exhaled irritably while scratching her head vigorously.

Geez, she's overly chickening out. Even if she's a small fry, isn't she the type to hang on with spirit and momentum? Is she remembering when she confronted Tokiwa's senpai girlfriend and getting scared?

It couldn't be helped...

I let out a small grunt, switched to my "character setting," and raised my voice in a shout.

"You're so damn annoying, you loser! Quit whining, you pathetic excuse for a human! Just rot away like garbage, you worthless failure!"

"Ugh!"

Ignoring the startled looks from my classmates, Katsunuma snapped her head up as if yanked by a string and gritted her teeth fiercely.

Then, she lifted her foot––

With a resounding thud, she stomped the ground.

"Shut up, baka! Challenge me if you dare!"

The booming shout reverberated off the walls surrounding the courtyard, slicing through all other noise.

––Good. That's right. You can do it if you try.

The strongest weapon in Katsunuma Ayumi's arsenal as a "character" is––

Her unyielding tenacity that refuses to acknowledge defeat, no matter how many times she loses.

*

──Three days ago, continuing from the time I tried to convince Katsunuma.

"Romantic comed... huh? What?"

"Put that aside for now."

I firmly cut off Katsunuma's repeated words as she blinked in confusion. This conversation was going to drag on at this rate.

"Listen up, let's organize our goals first. Above all, the priority is to establish your position in our class."

"..."

Katsunuma listened silently. After all her fussing and shouting, she seemed to have calmed down a little.

"To do that, there are a few things I need you to do. First and foremost, attacking others to make them submit is completely banned. That sort of thing only works in middle school. Especially here at Kyou-Nishi, thinking you can succeed with such simplistic and foolish methods is absurd. Think about our classmates, will you?"

"Shut up! You damn ronin!"

"There it is! That diss is not allowed! You reflexively attack people like that, and that's why you always end up facing backlash!"

"Ugh...!"

Katsunuma swallowed her words with a face that perfectly matched the expression "gnashing her teeth."

Hmm, she does have potential... no, wait, let's put that aside for now.

"Also, as you are now, you won't do. You're selfish and lack a shred of goodwill. The current you, who tries to act tough despite not being particularly strong, is just a shallow show-off."

"K-Knock it off! Stop saying whatever you want!"

Katsunuma stood trembling, fists clenched, as if she could leap at me at any moment.

But I wasn't scared of her at all anymore, knowing her true nature. She was just like a little puppy barking away.

"You've got something way more valuable than that superficial exterior. All you need to do is show it off to the fullest."

"That's not true! I've only ever failed, so what could I possibly—"

"That's it."
I immediately cut her off.

"That way of thinking—your interpretation is wrong from the start."

"My interpretation...?"

"Yeah. The real you, not putting on any airs, just being yourself as you are— that's the Katsunuma Ayumi who can't be beaten by anyone."

To put it simply...

"In other words, Katsunuma Ayumi is most charming in her natural state."

Katsunuma blinked blankly like she was hearing these words for the first time. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"C-Charming...?"

I nodded firmly.

"Yep. So, ditch that superficial facade entirely. Without relying on any of that, your past, your accumulated history, will stand on its own as your greatest strength."

Katsunuma looked down in confusion and murmured,

"But even if you say that... there's no way it'll work out..."

"What, are you scared?"

"Huh...? I'm not scared or anything!"

"Oh, really? So you're just gonna run away with your tail between your legs. You're giving up 'cause you're afraid of failure."

"Ugh, damn it...!"

Katsunuma gritted her teeth in frustration and glared at me.

I let out a snort and taunted her further.

"If you're frustrated, then fight. Cling on desperately. Making use of the person who beat you to climb up is your specialty, isn't it?"

"...!"

"Then use me! Turn the tables on all your past defeats! You can do it!"

"Ugh, damn it!"

Completely overheated, Katsunuma groaned and ruffled her hair with both hands.

Then she stomped her foot on the ground.

"Alright, alright! I'll do it! And I'll make you eat your words!"

With a fierce declaration, she shouted passionately.

I couldn't help but laugh at her.

What are you doing? Your hair's all messed up, and the shoulder of your hoodie is slipping off.

Last time, she was full-on speaking in dialect, without any composure.

──But yes, that's right.

That's what's good about you.

That uncool side of yours──is what makes you shine the brightest.

"Well said! Then, I'll explain the outline of the 'event' to you! Listen up, first──"

*

──After all that.

Katsunuma, who had reflected on herself, is now challenging me like this.

So let's get started──this time's "event."

The official name: "Nemesis Defeat Event"──let's begin.

"Haa~? A competition?"

I sneered at her best taunt through my nose and deliberately looked down on her.

"Let's compete on who can collect the most trash! The one who picks up the most wins!"

Katsunuma glares at me with a sharp look.

She's stammering a bit, and her voice seems to be trembling slightly, but that's good. That's how it should be.

I silently head towards Katsunuma.

"C-Class rep...?"

Ide calls out in a perplexed voice as I pass by, but I ignore him and stand in front of Katsunuma.

"Um, so, the loser will apologize to the winner-"

As everyone's eyes are on us, I respond to Katsunuma, who is desperately reciting the lines she memorized:

"Hah. What are you saying now, you loser?"

"Huh...?"

Katsunuma's eyes widen as if to say this isn't what we agreed on.

Well, of course. The "scenario" I told Katsunuma was just that we'd have an intense battle to liven up the event from here on out.

I never said anything about coldly brushing her off like this.

"What, are you copying me with this match thing? That's lame. I know you're just pretending to be a big shot, but you're really just imitating others, aren't you?"

"Ah, huh..."

I diss her loudly enough for everyone to hear, and then I suddenly notice Anayama nearby.

"Did you think you could succeed by imitating the person who beat you? You're not thinking this through, right, Anayama?"

"Hmm, hmm?"

"Tell her already. This b*tch is too stupid, huh?"

"Ah... well, um..."

Suddenly put on the spot, Anayama was taken aback and fell silent with a troubled expression.

I glanced sideways at Katsunuma and let out a snort.

"If you want to do it, go ahead. I'm outta here."

"Ah, wait!"

Ignoring Katsunuma, who seemed unable to keep up with the conversation, I turned my back on the group and stepped away.

"Alright, let's head out! Follow me!"

Shouting that loudly, I began walking briskly towards the school gate, leaving everyone in confusion behind.

──Alright, I need to stay focused.

From here on out, the real challenge begins.

The time limit for the community cleaning volunteer activity is two hours. During that time, as long as it's within our assigned block, we're free to take any route we like.

The western block is mostly a residential area with a network of narrow alleyways. It doesn't make sense for everyone to walk down the same path aimlessly, so we set up four different routes in advance and divided the class into small groups to cover each one. The western end of our block borders Kawabata River.

*

I suggested we use the park as a central collection point, so each group is now making their way there while picking up trash along the route.

That was the plan.

As for me, I positioned myself as a rover, free to move between groups and cover any areas that might have been missed.

"Yo, Anayama. How's it going over here?"

I poked my head out from an alley and called out to Anayama, who was crouching by the roadside, picking up cigarette butts.

Anayama's group, which included those with lower attendance numbers, also happened to be where all the supporting characters were gathered. They could be considered the main group for this "event."

"Yeah, there's quite a bit of trash lying around. In the gutters and the shadows of curbs."

"We usually don't pay attention to those places, do we? Oh, but it looks like you guys are doing a great job!"

Indeed, a third of their small bags were already filled, which was quite a substantial amount.
As I spoke, I casually picked up a piece of paper litter I spotted nearby.

"By the way, didn't they also have a cleaning event like this in 'Kaguya-sama: Love is War'?"

"The one where they splash into the pond? That was such a heartwarming scene!"

Anayama's face lit up, and he immediately got excited. But the next moment, he suddenly snapped out of it as if he had just remembered something, and covered his mouth.

Hmm... I wonder if he recalled being dissed by Katsunuma?

I glanced at the back of the group and then said in a louder voice,

"Ah, don't worry about that anymore. No one's complaining, are they?"

"Hey, Ide," I said to Ide, who was standing right next to me and glancing back.

"Huh? Oh, class rep? Did you say something?"

Ide turned to face me, snapped out of his daze.

"You know, about how otaku hobbies are creepy and all that. No one's thinking that, right?" 

"Eh, well... I read manga too, stuff like N○NA."

At this answer, Anayama timidly interjected, "The fact that it's N○NA is so... band-like of you."

"Huh, but isn't it interesting? It's got a certain raw humanity to it, you know?"

"Yeah, I get that. It's got that unique portrayal of psychology that you find in shōjo manga, like it's depicting both the beautiful and ugly sides of human emotions..."

And so, Anayama and the others began their conversation.

Good, good... their guard is definitely lowering.

Looking around, I noticed that the other members of the otaku group, aside from Anayama, were also interacting and cooperating with others outside their usual circle to collect trash. With this, their aptitude for group rom-com situations should improve.

Relieved by the positive effects of my efforts, I steeled myself once more. Then, I interjected into their conversation.

"Yeah, the root of all evil is gone, so let's all get along from now on, okay?"

After emphasizing that last part, I looked towards the back of the group—where Ide had been sending glances—at Katsunuma.

That girl was by the vending machine at the side of the road. From a distance, it didn't seem like her bag had much trash in it.

Well, of course. Being at the very back, most of the trash would've been picked up by others.

But Katsunuma... was diligently kneeling down to peer under the vending machine and picking up overflowing empty cans from the attached trash bin. She was being thoroughly honest. At the very least, she didn't seem to be slacking off or cutting corners in any way.

... Perfect. I'll use that.

"Damn that stupid woman!"

"Eh...? W-Wait, Master?!"

I clicked my tongue loudly and strode purposefully towards Katsunuma.

With a swift motion, I snatched the bag from her hand.

"Ah! What are you─"

"Hey, I told you trash from the garbage can is not allowed!"

I yelled loudly at her.

... Well, to be honest, the stuff that overflowed and fell out was treated as fair game.

Katsunuma's shoulders trembled as she cowered, and then she tightly gripped her left arm with her right hand and hung her head. Her white, slender arm was stained by the dirty work glove.

"Ah, I see. So you're trying to get our class disqualified like that, huh?"

"N-No, that's not it! I was just trying to win the competition..."

"Don't lie, you haven't picked up any other trash except for this."

Saying that, I held up the garbage bag containing only the cans she just picked up and shook it noisily.
My angry voice and the unpleasant sound of the clattering cans drew everyone's attention to us.

"What you're doing is so pathetic, I don't even want to bother with you. Right, Koizumi-san?"

"..."

I called out to Koizumi-san, who had been observing the situation, but she grimaced in disgust and abruptly turned her back to me.

"You bast... no, you...!"

"... Here."

Seeing Katsunuma trying to obey my order in a flustered manner, I suppressed the emotions that threatened to spill out and tossed the garbage bag carelessly. The opening came loose, and the empty cans scattered noisily on the ground.

I deliberately held the bottom of the bag when I threw it, so naturally that would happen.

"Pick them up. All of them."

"W-Why are you doing this...?"

"Ah!?"

I raised an eyebrow and furrowed my brow, glaring fiercely at Katsunuma.

"If you don't like it, then give up and get lost."

"......Ah!"

At those words, Katsunuma's eyes widened, and she tightly pressed her lips together. Then, she glared sharply back at me, crouched down as if she had been sprung, and began to pick up the scattered cans.

...Phew.

"Oh ho, crawling on the ground like that is so lame. You really look like a loser; it's hilarious! Don't you all think so?"

I burst out laughing loudly.

However, everyone around me remained silent and unresponsive.

Ah ha ha, ah ha ha... haa...

This is really taking a toll on my stomach...

*

—After a while.

I arrived at Kawabata Park and headed towards the collection site in the square. The group in charge of sorting had already proceeded to the park and were waiting while picking up the surrounding trash.

"Ah, Nagasaka. Nice work."

As soon as Kiyosato-san from the cleanup crew noticed me, she called out, "Nagasaka-kun, over here!"

My classmates who had already arrived were gathered around. From the looks of it, I was probably the last one.

"You did a great job, Kiyosato-san. How's it going?"

"We still have some sorting to do, but so far, it's looking something like this."

Kiyosato-san stood up and wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve.

The collected trash was to be sorted into combustible waste, non-combustible waste, glass and cans, plastic bottles, and plastics. They were then to be placed in bags of a predetermined size for each category. The final winner would be decided by the number of bags in each category (with weight as a tiebreaker if the numbers were equal). Additionally, bulky waste that didn't fit in the bags would not be counted.

So far, our progress was two bags of combustible waste, one bag each of glass and cans and plastic bottles, and almost no plastics or non-combustible waste... just over four bags in total.

"That's quite a lot, isn't it? I thought it would be less since we're in an unlucky block." Kiyosato-san said, sounding surprised as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, maybe we got lucky."

I replied nonchalantly, then turned to survey the area.

Then, I called out to everyone in a loud voice. "Everyone, come gather around for a moment!"

And so, I waited for my classmates who were scattered around the area to gather.

Now then... I guess it's time for a little boost.

"Great work so far, everyone. Thanks to your efforts... to be honest, we're doing pretty well. Last year's winning class had a total of six bags, I believe."

A small cheer of "Ohh!" rose from the group.

However, the maximum number of bags two years ago was seven, so we still had a long way to go. At the very least, we needed to fill at least two more bags...

I want to place at least in the top three.

I pretended to be deep in thought, my hand on my chin as I spoke in a teasing tone.

"Perhaps... we might even have a shot at winning."

The surrounding buzz grew louder.

"No way, that's lucky! Leftovers are where it's at!" "We can aim for the top spot!" "Should we get a little more serious?" "Damn, I'm fired up now!" "What's the prize again?" "I heard it's cafeteria vouchers this year." "No way, for real?" "I kinda want that."

Alright, this is good. Their morale is rising.

Feeling the impact of my intervention, I began to explain our next move.

"We're at the halfway point, so I think we should head to the Yatsukawa riverside walkway next."

Compared to the Shizukawa riverside area in the riverbed block, Yatsukawa is a smaller river without much open space on its banks. Still, we should be able to find more trash than on regular backstreets.

"There are walkways on both sides of the river, so let's split into two groups by attendance number. I'll give instructions to the latter half, and as for the first half—"

I paused there and looked at the person I had in mind.

"Koizumi, can I leave the coordination to you?"

In response to my request, Koizumi narrowed her eyes slightly and gave a clear answer.

"I've been intending to win from the start. Naturally, I'll expect the same of those around me. How about you?"

Then, with powerful eyes that seemed to pierce right through me, she looked my way.

Good, as expected. I couldn't let this opportunity to rile them up slip away.

I raised my face and took a deep breath.

"Listen up, everyone! If we keep this up, we can seriously aim for the win! What do you all think!?"

With those heated words, I turned to look at my classmates.

And my eyes met Eiji Tokiwa's.

"......Alright! Let's win and have a cafeteria festival!"

And with that, he clenched his fist and shouted, "Oh!" as he thrust it into the air.

Nice assist! I guess that's what you call a "best friend" for you!

Following Tokiwa's lead, my classmates, mostly athletes, began to voice their enthusiasm.

Feeling the atmosphere gradually heat up, I shouted with determination.

"All right! Let's step up our game in the second half!"

"Oh!" came a clear response this time.

Perfect! This is exactly how I envisioned it! Even though it's mostly going according to plan, I can feel my tension rising!

"Hey, class rep. Can I..."

Just then, Ide, who had been unusually quiet, timidly spoke to me.

"Hmm? What's up?"

"Uh..."

He then pointed towards the edge of the park, at the hedge.

Following his gaze, I looked in that direction and—

—found Katsunuma Ayumi there, all alone.

She was desperately searching for trash.

Her movements were incredibly clumsy. As she tried to reach under the hedge, she couldn't quite get there, repeatedly scratching her face on the branches and scattering trash everywhere when she accidentally let go of the garbage bag.

Her long hair was tangled with leaves, and her white tracksuit jacket was stained with dirt, making her look shabby.

Despite all her efforts, the amount of trash she collected was still less than half of what I had managed to gather.

No matter how you looked at it, she wasn't being helpful at all. It just seemed like a futile struggle.

But then—

"...She's really giving it her all," Koizumi muttered softly.

Yes, even if she looked uncool and things weren't going well for her, she still refused to give up. Her whole demeanor shouted that determination.

Drawn by Koizumi's words, the air that had been buzzing with excitement suddenly grew tense.

"C-Class Rep..." Tokiwa looked at me with a face that said he couldn't stand it anymore. Everyone else turned their gazes towards me, their eyes filled with expectations.

I let out a heavy sigh.

...Sorry, Tokiwa. I've made you hold back long enough.

But now that it's come to this, I can't do things halfway.

After steeling my resolve, I headed towards Katsunuma.

"...You want to compete with me that badly?"

"Ah!"

Katsunuma's head popped out from the bushes with a rustle, looking up at me.

Perhaps cut by a branch from the hedge, a little blood was oozing from her forehead.

Suppressing the ache in my chest at her pitiful appearance, I forced myself to speak coldly.

"If that's the case, then go to the art museum."

"...Huh?"

"You know it, right? The prefectural art museum. Since that's the last stop, get there first and pick up the trash. If you can gather more there, you win."

Katsunuma blinked her eyes, then muttered in a dazed voice,

"Th-That's..."

"Ah, if you don't want to, that's fine. Just stay in the back so you don't get in the way."

Spitting that out, I turned around and walked away.

"──Ah!"

I sensed her standing up behind me, and heard her running footsteps.

...Alright, she's headed there. She's really obedient despite not knowing anything.

But I'm begging you... From here on out, it's seriously all up to you in my planned scenario.

"H-Hey Master, about the art museum..."

"Hm? You heard that?"

As soon as I returned to the others, Anayama timidly spoke to me.

"Um, I get the impression there wouldn't be much trash there...?"

"Yeah, obviously."

The air froze in an instant.

Then, an unpleasant atmosphere began to slowly spread.

I laughed cheerfully and said,

"Well, she's useless whether she's here or not. At least she won't get in the way, right?"

"M-Master... That's a bit harsh..."

"She's so gullible, what a useless weakling. She's always been like that, messing everything up and failing at everything she does. She's a born loser."

"Oi, Class Rep! That's enough out of you...!"

Koizumi-san raised her voice in anger, unable to hold back anymore.

"It's her own fault, isn't it?"

"...!"

Koizumi-san fell silent, her face twisting bitterly at my retort.

"Besides, I was almost ostracized by her. I'm the victim here. Why should I hold back? It's all her fault."

The class atmosphere turned tense.

Pretending not to notice the uncomfortable sweat running down my back, I secretly regulated my breathing.

And then, I... just like the god I know, used all my facial muscles to contort my eyes and mouth into a pleasantly distorted expression.

Then, looking around at my silent classmates──

"I'm just attacking the enemy on everyone's behalf.

──After all, she's not one of us anymore, right?"

──Really, Katsunuma, I'm counting on you.

I'm reaching my limit, too.

We arrived at the midpoint of the walkway along the Yatsukawa River and combined the trash from the two groups for re-sorting.
But──

"There's less than I thought,"

The newly collected trash amounted to one and a half bags. We hadn't even reached our minimum goal, so the situation looked hopeless.

"The last one is the art gallery, huh......I guess so, but......"

Ide, standing next to me, muttered with a disappointed tone.

Everyone seemed convinced that there wouldn't be any trash at the art gallery, and an air of resignation began to hang over the group.

We had thirty minutes left. Faster classes would already be back at school by now.

It was about time we received some information from our spy......

Thinking this, I took off my gloves and took out my phone, only to find a single unread message.

"Student Council intel. The top class has six and a half bags, another has six bags. Looks like it'll be close."

—As expected, Uenohara Spy, your work is impeccable.

"Damn it! We're still short, aren't we?!"

Without missing a beat, I shouted and raked my hand through my hair in frustration.

"Huh? What's wrong? What happened?"

"According to the latest info, the top class has six and a half bags. We're going to lose at this rate."

My classmates sighed dejectedly, their motivation visibly waning.

"What should we do?""It's probably impossible now, they're too far ahead.""Should we just head back to school then?"

...Oops, maybe I deflated them a little too much. I'd prefer if they kept their spirits up a bit more.

"Shut up, it's not over yet,"

Koizumi-san interjected sharply, restoring discipline to the group.

Wow... she's so reliable. From my vantage point across the river, I could see her actively climbing over the fence to pick up trash and giving instructions to others. With her taking such initiative, I could definitely expect significant improvements in our class's performance.

Moreover, having someone who can demonstrate leadership skills like this as a "sub-character" will undoubtedly be beneficial for my future "plans." It's reassuring to know that I can rely on her to take charge of the class even when I'm not around.

"The art museum is just ahead. Let's at least go and take a look."

I quickly gave everyone instructions and decided to move towards our final destination.

──Now then. This is the climax.

The Prefectural Art Museum is located in the southwest direction from Kyougoku Nishi and is famous for its Millet paintings. The museum also has park facilities such as a square and water area on its premises, making it a spacious and open location.

"This... it doesn't look like there's any trash here, does it?"

Ide sighed in front of the well-maintained entrance.

The tiled walkway was spotless, and the neatly trimmed hedges and trees lined the approach in perfect order. It didn't look like even a single piece of paper had fallen on the ground.

Just as everyone was about to accept defeat, thinking that they had exhausted all possibilities──

At that moment.

"Hmm, wait a second. What's that over there?"

Koizumi-san muttered as she looked towards the parking lot.

──Good, you noticed it.

"Is that... a container...?"

In the spacious area where several buses could be parked, there were large containers with open tops lined up.

Inside were──

"Huh? Aren't those all garbage bags...?"

Indeed they were.

Those belonged to a waste disposal container.

The surroundings stirred with a buzz.

"Huh? No way, why is there so much garbage in the art gallery...!?"

Ide was astonished, his eyes wide as saucers.

"What is all this? Paper plates, disposable chopsticks...?"

Ide stepped forward, craning his neck to look around. Koizumi pushed him aside impatiently and narrowed her eyes.

Hmm.

"Ah, that's it!"

Anayama shouted as if he had spotted something. Everyone's gaze followed the direction of his finger.

At the entrance of the park area──there was a special gate in the process of being dismantled.

"The Kyougoku City Special Products Festival... Special Venue...!?"

As the words were read out, everyone suddenly understood, and the place erupted in excitement.

"Ah, garbage from the festival!?""No way, what a coincidence!?""There's always a lot of garbage after a festival!""Eh, so is the whole place littered with trash?""There's bound to be a lot of garbage if it's piled up like that...!"

The classmates' enthusiasm rose sharply.

As I watched everyone let out delighted exclamations here and there, I secretly smirked to myself.

──In the library, investigating the garbage potential.

The biggest irregular factor I discovered while skimming through the PR magazine was the Special Product Festival.
Usually held in a public square far from Kyou-Nishi, this year it seemed to overlap with another event, and so the art museum's public area was chosen as the alternative venue.

The event itself, as its name suggests, was for the sale of Kyougoku City's special products, but one of its highlights was also the wine-tasting event for wines from within the prefecture.

And with the presence of stalls, a large amount of garbage would inevitably be generated. Given the nature of the location, it would likely be a space that required a return to its original state, which meant that cleaning up the park would be a necessity.

Having noticed this, I... had proposed to assist with cleaning a portion of the area by contacting the organizing body in advance.
Perhaps because I went through the city's tourism department, the person from the organization readily accepted my offer. When I conveyed this morning that the cleaning volunteer activity would be carried out, they repeatedly expressed their gratitude.

──And because of this special factor.

The garbage potential of the West Block.

Just for today—is on par with that of the Riverside Block.

"But we don't have much time left...!"

Anayama anxiously raised his voice as he looked at his smartphone.

With only 20 minutes left, even if the entire class were to move now, the amount they could gather wouldn't be much.

──So, that's why.

I anticipated this situation.

I left the most challenging spot to the most motivated person.

"Hey, hey, everyone! Hurry over here!"

Ide, who must have gone ahead to check out the situation inside, pointed towards the back of the park area.

"What? What happened?"

"Hurry, hurry!"

Koizumi-san, puzzled, was urged by Ide to start running after him, and the rest of us followed suit.

──A little further down the northern path of the park area.

In a corner of the promenade, surrounded by green trees.

By what looked like a riverside.

"Ah..."

Someone let out a gasp of surprise.

There stood──

"──Ha!"

Amidst heaps of trash,
Covered in mud-stained athletic wear and with her long blonde hair dirty with mud──

"Did you see this?! With all this, I'm winning!"

──With her chest puffed out, she wore a triumphant grin.

There stood Katsunuma Ayumi, looking as proud as she could.

Ah... geez. What an embarassing sight.

Did she fall into a puddle? Or maybe into the river right in front of us?

If she remained composed, she might have looked cool.

This klutz.

But still──

In your desperate, earnest, unwavering determination,

No matter how many times you get knocked down, you stand up again,

Your unyielding, never-give-up klutzy demeanor──

──Is the epitome of a rom-com character!

"Ayumi! This is amazing!"

"Huh, uh...?"

It was her best friend Tamahata-san who ran up to the surprised Katsunuma, overwhelmed with emotion.

And then, as if a floodgate had opened, classmates began calling out to Katsunuma.

"This is a crazy amount!" "You picked all this up by yourself?!"

"Awesome, incredible!" "That's six and a half bags! We're only half a bag away from first place now!"

"Whoa, let's go! Just a little more!" "But she's so dirty!" "Someone, get a towel!"

Watching this, I couldn't help but feel a swell of emotion in my chest.

After all, this is what everyone wanted, right?

Alright then──let's wrap this up.

I pushed my way through the excited crowd and stood in front of Katsunuma.

"Hey, klutz."

Katsunuma snapped back to reality as I gave her a sly grin.

"All this stuff, you didn't pick it up yourself, did you? You got it from one of the organizations."

"...N-no, I didn't! I picked it up properly!"

"Liar. Stop pretending to be a nice girl. It's really annoying."

I continued to berate Katsunuma.
Because I'm the "villain" of this event. The "enemy" that needs to be defeated.
And the true "enemy" is──

"Cut it out, class rep!"

──Ide, who slipped his body in from the side and stood in front of me.
His face bore none of his usual flippant demeanor, only a serious expression.
Ide──

"Enough already! Stop bullying her and excluding her! This is no fun at all!"

──Ah.
That's right. Exactly right.

All the classmates were looking at the "villain" with condemnation.
Not a single person was defending the "enemy."
In other words, this was──the consensus of the class.

Isolating, excluding, and ostracizing someone.
Such a "scenario"──

──I am the "archenemy" that deserves to be defeated!

"Katsunuma──what was the bet for the winner and loser again?"
"Huh...?"

She muttered softly.
It's okay now, right? It's about time, right?
...Ah, I can't hold it in anymore!

Then I took a deep breath.
Inhaled and inhaled, arching my body back to the limit.
And with all the feelings I had kept bottled up──

"I'm really, truly────
SORRY!"

──With 1,000 rehearsals under my belt, I executed a perfectly polished dogeza.

"...............Huh?"

All sound vanished from the surroundings.

"I'm so sorry for mocking and dissing you! I was wrong!"
Banging my forehead on the concrete ground, I yelled out.
"Katsunuma-san is our savior! The best! Our friend!"
And with all the air left in my lungs──

"So please, forgive meeeeeeeeeee!"

──。
──......。
────............。
Chirp chirp chirp.

......Ms. Sparrow, could you read the room a little right now?

I tried to calm my breathing, still flustered, and glanced cautiously around me.
From my low vantage point, I could see my classmates' faces—frozen, every one of them.

Uh oh...... maybe I went a little overboard......?

Unable to bear the silence, I stood up quietly.
Then, I cleared my throat with an "Ahem."

"......A-anyway, Katsunuma, I was wrong."

Damn it, I messed up! I let my guilt get the better of me and apologized too dramatically!
This is so uncool! I can't criticize Katsunuma like this! I need a redo, a redo!

I slapped my probably bright red cheeks, trying to shake off the embarrassment, and said, "I-I'm not embarrassed! It's just swollen, that's all?"

Katsunuma tried to brush it off, but her stiff expression gave her away.

The more I looked at her, the more disheveled she seemed. How did she get like this from just picking up trash... or so I wondered.

...Well, but.

Still, she's amazing.

"You're so cool. As expected of my senpai."

At those words, Katsunuma seemed to reboot.

"I forgive everything you've done up until now."

I continued, smiling gently to give a softer impression.

"So please... forgive us too?"

And then I turned to look at everyone in the class.

"It's not fun when classmates bicker and put each other down, right? I think everyone feels the same way."

Then I turned back to Katsunuma.

"So let's just call it even. We were both in the wrong, so let's just forget about it."

"Ah... well..."

Katsunuma didn't know what to say.

...Honestly, what an idiot. You should've been able to figure that out without a script.

"Ah, forget it!"

Suddenly, a shout came from the side.

It was Ide, who had tousled his perfectly set hair, clapping his hands together in front of him.

"I was so lame! How boring! I'm sorry, Ayumi! I went too far!"

"Ah, Ayumi! Me too! I'm really sorry for tattling on you!"

Tamahata-san also apologized.

And then...

"... I was wrong too," "Sorry, Ayumi! I didn't mean to go that far!" "Pretending to be important was my bad," "I'm really sorry!"

One by one, the members of the Katsunuma group started to apologize.

──Moreover.

"Well... I've been badmouthing her behind her back too... so I apologize."

Anayama scratched his cheek and bowed his head, trying to look as stern as possible.

"But! I think it's wrong to make fun of anime! Tell me your preferences, and I'll definitely convert you into an otaku next time!"

He pointed at her with a burst of confidence.

"I didn't say anything wrong. I have no reason to ask for forgiveness."

Koizumi struck a typical pose, crossing her arms and standing with her feet apart.

But...

"Well... that unfashionable version of you isn't all that bad."

She shrugged and relaxed her mouth a little.

"You're not very honest, are you, Koizumi? Didn't you say you'd beat up class rep later?"

"Shut up, Mikoto. You're going to be the target for shooting practice next time."

"Eh!" Nishino-san exclaimed.

Everyone laughed at this exchange.

"──Ayumi."

And finally...

Kiyosato, who had been watching from a distance, stepped forward.

"No one will hurt you, Ayumi. Your place is here with us."

With the face of an angel, she smiled gently, full of kindness and compassion.

Katsunuma—

"I-I... too..."

Her lips quivered as she struggled to speak, her eyes turning red.

"I'm really sorry... for doing such stupid things!"

Covering her mouth... she bowed deeply.

──Yes. That's right. That's good.

Everyone fought, apologized to each other, and reconciled.

That's how we became comrades.

──This is the quintessential romcom template.

Like a dam breaking, everyone swarmed around Katsunuma. Surrounded by many classmates, led by Ide and Tamahata, Katsunuma was mobbed. Watching from a distance, I relaxed my gaze.

"Did your 'plan' work perfectly?"

......Torisawa, who had been silent until now, suddenly appeared next to me, grinning.

"You chose the West Block as an option nonchalantly, knowing about the local fair from the start, didn't you? Regardless of whether or not Katsunuma would face trouble, you intended to bring it to this conclusion."

"......Well, I wonder what you're talking about."

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled mischievously.

......I really wanted to grin broadly, but it ended up looking more like a smirk.

Torisawa looked genuinely amused, slapped me on the shoulder.

"You never cease to amaze me. I don't know what your endgame is, but keep it up, leader?"

"Y-Yeah, let's keep at it."

As I laughed like a broken robot, Tokiwa, looking deeply moved, clenched his fists tightly.

"......Alright! Everyone, just a little more! Let's give it our all in this final push!"

After saying that, he thrust both hands upward toward the sky.

The loud cheers echoed around us.

Ah, I could feel the rising excitement from everyone.

I could feel the breath of the romantic comedy.

──Yes, this is it.

"......Alright, let's win this! Class 1-4!"

"""""Oooh!"""""

This is the "romantic comedy class" I wanted to create!

──The "Defeat the Enemy Event."

And the construction of the three-layered romantic comedy environment model, with the middle layer being the "Romantic Comedy Optimized Class."

All clear.

Mission complete!!

*

"Whew......that's that."

After tossing a trash bag filled with candy wrappers into the school's garbage dump, I clapped my hands together.
There weren't many people left in the school after the event. It felt even quieter because we'd been having a juice and candy party just a while ago.

"Sorry about that, Tokiwa. Thanks for your help."

"No, not at all. Please, let me at least do this much."

With a cheerful "Hoi!," the bag of empty PET bottles that Tokiwa threw landed with a clatter on the top of the garbage pile.

"Nice shot. Well, I have one last check to do, so I'll head back to the classroom. You go on to the after-party first."

I said that, turning on my heel to head back to the classroom.

"Ah, Class Rep──no, Kouhei!"

"......?"

Called back by Tokiwa, I turned around.

Huh, did I just hear him call me by my name?

"Once again......thank you so much for helping Ayumi."

Tokiwa stood up straight, then bowed his head sincerely with a serious expression.

"Wh-What is it, all of a sudden?"

"You worked so hard for Ayumi, even going as far as to play the villain. At first, I was a little suspicious, but... in the end, you solved everything."

"No, no, lift your head. I didn't do it to be thanked or anything."

I only did what was necessary for my 'Project.' There was nothing special about it.

"Besides, the one who worked the hardest was Katsunuma. If you want to compliment someone, praise her."
"...Yeah, you're right."

Tokiwa smiled, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"But still, thank you. Kouhei, you're really something."

Those straightforward words hit me directly.
I-I can't help but get embarrassed when I'm praised that much... Heh heh.
"A-Ah, anyway, see you later! Bye!"
"Yeah, see ya later!"

Suppressing a smirk, I ran toward the classroom.

Yes, yes, I think I've successfully raised my favorability with him! He even started calling me by my name, and he's really playing the role of the "best friend" character perfectly!

Excited, I dashed up the stairs to the fourth floor.
Let's finish this check quickly and head to the fun 'after-party event!'

With that in mind, I entered my classroom.
"...Oh, Katsunuma?"

There, in the empty classroom, stood Katsunuma, leaning against the window.
Since her tracksuit was dirty, she was now in her uniform. Her hair, which had gotten muddy, was washed clean with water, and neatly pulled forward in a ponytail. 

She didn't have a hair dryer, so it couldn't be helped that it was still damp.

"Were you still here? What about the after-party?"
"I told them I'd catch up later. Everyone's already gone."
"I see."

Feeling that she had fully reintegrated into the class, I spoke with a smile.
"That's good. Like I said, you managed to win just by being yourself, right?"
"...But we didn't win first place."

Katsunuma averted her gaze and looked down, as if weighed down by her thoughts.

──To put it simply, we missed out on winning the championship.
The final amount of trash collected was eight bags, a personal best. However, the riverbank block ended up tying with us, so the result came down to weight.

Most of the trash Katsunuma collected was paper cups and plates, which are lightweight but bulky. While that increased the number of bags, it put us at a disadvantage when it came to weight. In the end, we lost narrowly to the riverbank block, which had heavier glass bottles and cans.

Regardless, there was no blame to be placed on Katsunuma, who had collected such a significant amount of garbage on her own.

Besides, to begin with—

"What are you talking about? The goal from the start was to create a place for you. So it's your victory."
"..."

Even if the competition result was a loss, it was undoubtedly a victory for Katsunuma.

That's why this 'event' was a huge success.
"...So, what's up? Tokiwa already headed to the venue."

When I asked that, Katsunuma looked back at me.
"I forgot to say something to you."
"Hm? What is it?"

At that, Katsunuma stepped away from the wall and faced me directly, combing her hair with her fingers.

She bit her lip tightly, then made up her mind and gave a small bow.
"The ball... I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"During the volleyball game..."

Ah... Yeah, that happened, didn't it?

Katsunuma continued, head drooping.
"I swear it wasn't on purpose. I just thought, 'They're having so much fun, it's pissing me off,' and threw it without thinking. It just happened to hit the right spot by chance. I wasn't trying to hurt anyone or anything..."

"It's fine. I said I forgave you. I could tell it was an accident when I saw how clumsy you are."

She's so unlucky that things always backfire on her. I'm the same way.

"I mean, you know..."

Katsunuma raised her head and looked up at me with downcast eyes.
"Why did you... do so much for me, even though I kept getting in your way and just hitting you all the time?"

"It wasn't just for you. I needed to bring you into the class for my own goal. Plus, you had a much better 'setting' than I expected."

"Purpose...? Setting...?"

Ah, come to think of it... I never really explained that part.

I glanced at Katsunuma, who tilted her head with a puzzled look, and scrutinized her from head to toe.

"You know... you actually look better without makeup."

"Wha-what!?"

Startled, she touched her makeup-free face.

"Your figure's not bad either... You are ranked 19th, after all..."

"Hey, quit staring at me like that! It's embarrassing!"

"I haven't given you a solid number yet, so it's not confirmed, but..."

"A number?"

While Katsunuma looked at me blankly, I let out a sigh.

"I don't think you'll make it..."

"Make it?"

"But your 'attributes' and 'backstory' could easily be the strongest... What a waste."

"W-Wait a minute, what have you been talking about...?"

There's also the issue of what position to give her...

Wait, hold on a second...

"...Exception, out of range... Extra?"

──Ah!!

That's it!

I clapped my hands together and nodded repeatedly.

Then I turned back to Katsunuma and gazed directly into her eyes.

Katsunuma flinched and tried to take a step back, but the window behind her meant she couldn't retreat.

"Katsunuma."

"W-What...?"

"You have incredible potential. Like how you desperately try your best even though you're just a small fry, and how you're unexpectedly honest."

"T-That's...!"

"And that 'grrr' face of yours. Those are precisely the qualities that make you a fitting 'heroine.'"

"A heroine!?"

Katsunuma let out a startled yelp.

"But..."

I groaned, frustrated, and delivered the news with great reluctance.

"To qualify as an official heroine, you need to have a romcom aptitude of A or higher. Regrettably, I fear your limit is B."

"Huh...?"

"But it would be a shame to let your potential go to waste."

So I thought about it.

A role for Katsunuma that could even surpass the main characters in popularity, an exceptional position.

That position is──.

"I bestow upon you the role of an 'Unconquerable Heroine' and the 'Clumsy Kohai Character!'"

"...Huh?"

"Basically, an unattainable heroine."

"...?"

Katsunuma tilted her head in confusion.

Do I need to explain?

"It's like this. Basically, you're a 'supporting character,' not a main target for conquest. But you're so charming and your character stands out so much that readers love you like a heroine."

"..."

"But unfortunately, you're still just a 'supporting character,' unrelated to the main plot. No matter how charming you are, you won't receive as good treatment as the main cast. That feeling of being fundamentally outclassed suits you perfectly."

"...Ah."

Katsunuma muttered as if she had realized something.

Oh, did she understand?

"So, basically, you're picking a fight with me?"

"Wait, how did you reach that conclusion!?"

Katsunuma squinted her eyes and then clicked her tongue.

"Nah, that's not gonna fly. Seriously, it's not. I was scared for nothing. Ridiculous."

"What? You don't like it!?"

"Wait, isn't she kind of back to normal!?"

"I mean, come on, who'd be happy to be called 'clumsy' or a 'loser'? Are you an idiot?"

"No, no, hold on! Don't jump to conclusions! Clumsiness is the pinnacle of gap moe! Like how the seemingly perfect student council president turns out to be an airhead doing love research, or how the stunning beauty is actually a hopeless office lady with the mentality of a grade-schooler... that gap makes her cute, right?"

"I don't hear anything good in that."

"Fine, I'll throw in the 'annoying busybody' trait too! You've been a total pain from the start! How's that? Now we're incorporating the latest trends!"

"Your own annoying level just skyrocketed!"

Uh-oh, her eyes are ice cold now. She's looking down at me like I'm filth.

"A-and besides, these days even side characters get their due! If you're lucky, a few years after the series ends, there might be an Ayumi-if story! Your sharp tongue and underclassman status are definite selling points!"

"Go die."

"Ahhh, she's completely back to her old self!"

W-what happened!? Where did that adorably honest and clumsy girl from earlier go!?

"Seriously, what's with you and declaring stuff like that? Is this your goal?"

"What do you mean, 'stuff like that'!? What's wrong with trying to have a romcom in real life!?"

"...You're even more of an idiot than I am."

"You're the last person I want to hear that from!"

"Ahh!?"

And so, the two of us start yelling at each other in the classroom.

After a bit of back-and-forth, Katsunuma suddenly goes quiet.

"...Enough. This is so stupid."

She then lowered her head and muttered bitterly.

"To you, I'm just someone who doesn't matter, right? You just happened to help me, and you want to say, 'Don't get the wrong idea.'"

"I never said anything like that..."

"Then why do you start talking about 'side characters' and 'unrelated' things!?"

Clenching both hands tightly and biting her lip, Katsunuma glares at me.

Man, this is why she's so hopeless.

I sigh and continue.

"You've been working hard on your own this whole time, haven't you? No matter how many times you lose or fail, you never give up."

"..."

I stare straight into Katsunuma's eyes.

"And that's why I thought being the 'main character' of my story doesn't suit you. You're better off being the 'protagonist' of your own story. After all, you've always been my senpai in fighting against the absurdity of reality."

"...Ah."

Katsunuma's eyes widen.

"I wanted you to stick to that strength. Even if you're clumsy or a loser, never bow down to reality. Keep going until you get what you want, even if you have to die a thousand times. That indomitable spirit... I respect that."

And then, I smile.

"Katsunuma Ayumi never gives up until she wins. So that's your unbeatable winning strategy, isn't it?"

Katsunuma lowers her head and remains silent for a while, gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.
Her downturned eyes seem to reflect some emotion, and her cheeks appear slightly flushed.

And then—

"...Damn, that's so corny."

"What!?"

Why!? I thought this was a cool scene!

Katsunuma twists her face in disgust and hugs herself.

"You know... that cringy way you sometimes talk doesn't suit you at all."

"No way!"

How come no one gets it!? Is it that bad for the 'protagonist' to say something cool?

While I fume, Katsunuma lets out a huge sigh and turns away.

"Ugh, so stupid. I'm leaving."

"Yeah, yeah, just go. Go have plenty of fun and make some romcom memories."

I shoo her away, and she clicks her tongue in response.
"──Well, anyway."

──she said.

Katsunuma strode forward, but then suddenly stopped.

"At any rate... I'll try not to forget what you taught me."

She swept her long blonde hair that hung in front of her back over her shoulder with a quick motion. She turned to face me, her upper body only──

"Thanks for all your help... Senpai."

──and smiled, her expression looking somewhat refreshed.


Backstage: Special "Setting"

'──And that's the whole story. Thanks to Uenohara, we managed to create a good sense of urgency. As expected of my trusted accomplice.'

"Well, there wasn't much I could do during the event itself. A little bit of help was fine."

I sat on my bed, twirling my hair as I spoke. I was glad I had pushed my way through to talk to the student council senpais. Perhaps it was because the person in charge was, well, that person.

"By the way... what was Mei doing?"

'Hmm, Kiyosato-san didn't have much to do with this one. We decided not to include her in the 'main storyline' this time, and she's on the instigator's side anyway.'

While Kouhei spoke nonchalantly over the phone, I delved deeper into my thoughts.

──After this recent incident, I'd come to realize something significant about Mei's true intentions. She has an extreme aversion to her class falling into a negative state. So much so that she ended up wielding her influence, which she had never intended to use before.

Her efforts to restrain Katsunuma-san when she went off the rails, to lure Kouhei out, and to even fabricate Tokiwa and Katsunuma's 'childhood friend' setup to gain sympathy─it was all done to prevent a catastrophic clash between the two.

Perhaps the reason Class 4 was divided into small, friendly groups was because Mei had initially arranged it that way to avoid potential conflicts due to differing values.

And behind her aversion to negativity was a past experience.

From what I heard, she hadn't been able to overcome a similar situation before. Maybe she had regrets about not being able to help a bullied classmate or something like that.

Hmm...? Wait a minute.

An outcast. A disruptor of classroom harmony.

Mei, who tries to blend in, to not stand out, to be 'normal.'

──......

Could it be that──

'──Hey, are you listening?'

"Oh, sorry. My bad."

...I did it again. When I focus too much, I tend to tune everything else out.

Clearing my throat, I tried to come up with a suitable topic.

"Well... anyway, isn't it great that things turned out well? When you suddenly declared, 'I'm going to stop being the protagonist for a while,' I wondered if you were planning on becoming a decent person."

'It's like you're saying I'm not a decent person when I'm the 'protagonist.' Besides, no one but me could play the 'villain' role. I never want to do it again, though.'

"What would you have done if Katsunuma-san hadn't acted as expected?"

'Well, I wasn't too worried about that. I trusted her persistence, you know.'

...Come to think of it, if she's persistent enough to earn Kouhei's recognition, that's quite something. From my perspective, Kouhei already seems crazy enough.

In that sense, Katsunuma-san also has something unique that only she possesses.

'Plus, she had various romcom attributes. If she could just shed her superficial facade and reclaim her true self, I was sure she'd reach a happy ending.'

"......"

"Hmm...? Oh, sorry, I'm being called for a bath. I'll be back later."

'Oh, sure. Later.'

As I stared blankly at my phone, which had automatically returned to the home screen after the call ended, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

I, who couldn't point to a single thing that was inherently mine and could only define myself by the "settings" and "labels" that had been arbitrarily assigned to me... I was probably inherently incompatible with Kouhei's desired "rom-com."

For some reason, today I felt a slight twinge of frustration at this all-too-obvious fact.


Epilogue: Who Decided That Things Can't Change in Volume 2?

Another day, another energetic walk to school. The rainy season seems to be ending soon, as we've been having a lot of sunny days lately. I definitely prefer sunny days over rainy ones. The weather affects my investigations too, after all.

"Mornin' everyone!" I greeted the class loudly as I entered the classroom. People started reacting, starting with those who noticed me.

"Oh, Master. Did you finally buy the latest volume of 'Chiramune'? Have you read it yet?"

"Of course I did! It was amazing! I cried non-stop from the middle onwards. It's so inspiring that I'm considering joining a club."

"No way! I can't wait to read it!"

Anayama and I were having a fun otaku discussion when Tokiwa, who had just arrived, joined in.

"Hey, you two! What are you talking about this time? A new anime?"

"Nah, it's about that trending light novel. It's a new-age youth romantic comedy, for real."

"That's definitely getting an anime adaptation. Tokiwa, you'd be perfect for it if it was made into a drama. You'd love it since it's about coming-of-age, right?"

"Huh, really? Let me borrow it!"

As we were talking, Koizumi walked in.

"Class Rep, you came to watch our practice match the other day, didn't you? You should've said hi."

"Well, I didn't want to interrupt, and I'm technically an outsider..."

"Your choice of snacks is weird, though. Who eats shingen mochi during a match? Next time, bring sports drinks and put the powdered stuff in a tank."

[tl: 信玄餅 = shingen mochi. Shingen mochi is a rice cake (mochi) dusted in kinako (roasted soybean flour, amusingly also meaning "yellow flour" in Japanese) and brown sugar syrup, representing the prefecture of Yamanashi. It's named after Takeda Shingen (1521-1573), a famous daimyo who ruled over Yamanashi during the Sengoku era. Shingen mochi was developed in the 1960s and inspired by the locally made abekawa mochi (安倍川餅) which is traditionally eaten during Obon festival in Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures.]

"At that point, you're basically a manager."

"Eh, is that so? I got some sake manju as a snack, and I ate them, though?"

[tl: 酒饅頭 = sake manju. A traditional Japanese sweet (wagashi) representing the Nanbu region of Aomori prefecture. Made with flour, sake and sweet red bean paste.]

"Tokiwa, I think Koizumi's right this time... Master, your sense of taste is sometimes questionable."

Then, Ide showed up.

"Ah, Class Rep, Class Rep! What was that song you were singing at the party the other day? I couldn't tell because your pitch was all over the place, but the beginning was crazy!"

"The 'Strongest × ○ Plan'? Also, please don't mention my tone-deafness."

"Yeah, that's the one! We were talking about doing that one with our band."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

The beginning is the worst when it comes to appealing to girls.

Torisawa, who happened to be passing by, chimed in cheerfully.

"Why not? If you can play it, go for it."

"Are you serious!? Torisawa, you're okay with that!?"

"It's normal. Rock music and dirty jokes go hand in hand."

"Oh... I guess it could work...?"

Maybe it would sound cool if I sang it in English...

"Exactly! I think it would be a great hook!"

"No way. Ide's tone-deafness alone is a deal-breaker."

"Ah, sorry, but Ide isn't even in our target audience."

"...Huh?"

"So, you do get mad about that. If we're talking about songs, I'd like to hear 'Snow○ Flower' if the connection is good!"

And so, everyone was lively and excited.

—The barriers between groups in the class were long gone.

The dramatic improvement in our 'Q-U-L' investigation results showed an astonishing A-rank in romantic comedy adaptability.

Ide's party group has always had high scores, and the new Katsunuma group, reformed with only the core members, also had no problems, with Katsunuma's romantic comedy adaptability rising to B-rank. The only funny thing was that Katsunuma's role had become "the klutz who receives lukewarm sympathy from everyone each time she fails."

—Gara-ra!

The classroom door opened with unnecessary force.

"...Huh?"

Before I could turn around, I saw Ide in front of me, his mouth agape in surprise.

At the same time, there was a murmur of surprise from the people around us.

What's going on? Who is it?

I slowly turned my head to look at the person causing the commotion.

And there she was—

"...What's up? And could everyone stop staring!"

—With her hair cut short.

It was Katsunuma.

"Huh? Ayumi, what happened?!" "Oh, it looks like the old you! It suits you!" "It's better than before; it's not in the way!" "I like it! I really like it!"

People exclaimed their surprise and praised her.

What!? Why did she have a 'haircut event' at this timing!? What happened!?

Ignoring my stunned expression, Katsunuma brushed her shoulder-length hair back with a flick, gave a disdainful hmph, and started walking away.

"Er, um... Katsunuma-san? What brought about this change of heart?" I asked cautiously as I passed by her side.

"Could it be that you confessed to Tokiwa and got rejected...?"

"Huh? I just cut it because it was damaged and dirty. What else could it be?" she replied.

"Oh, I see..."

Well, that's a very practical reason. Honestly, everyone is wasting their valuable rom-com events like this...

"By the way, what does this have to do with you? Aren't you unrelated to this?" Katsunuma asked.

"Well, I mean, you're right, but..."

What's with her attitude? I never said we were unrelated...

Katsunuma, still looking grumpy, huffed again and turned to leave, but for some reason, she suddenly stopped.

"Well, but..."

Katsunuma turned around, giving me a meaningful look.

"Maybe the reason I switched to natural makeup is because of you, Senpai?" she said with a mischievous smile, showing her teeth.

──Huh?

"Huh!?"

"""Haaaaa!?"""

Thus, after this, I would be subjected to intense questioning by my classmates.

This is the story of how I created a class where typical rom-com developments occur so naturally...

Yes, it was all thanks to my own efforts.


Extra Chapter: As Long As You Keep Losing, You Won't Lose

──I've always hated myself.

I'm not very likable, and my face is nothing special. I'm not smart, I'm clumsy, and I start crying at the slightest inconvenience.
I'm seriously useless at everything, pathetic, and on top of that, I never give up, making me the worst kind of loser.

I've known that since I was a kid. I've always been aware that I'm a pain in the ass.
So, as long as I had just one place that would accept me as I am, that was enough. I didn't need anything else.

But when I realized that even that one place was out of my reach──I just couldn't take it.

I've always wanted to get it back, so I've been trying my best.
Since I'm such a screw-up, I tried to imitate those who were doing well, but I couldn't pull it off, and I failed.

No matter how many times I tried, I kept failing, and even when things went well, it didn't last. But I couldn't give up.
Even when I thought I might be wrong, I couldn't stop. It felt like admitting failure would mean everything was for nothing, and I couldn't accept that, so I kept repeating the same mistakes.

I was always, constantly, a loser.

"──You know, I've always hated myself."
"......"

──I stopped Eiji after his club activities.

I started talking to him as I used to, without holding back.
Eiji made his large frame look small, his face full of pain as he looked at me.

Honestly, Eiji has always been too serious about other people. That's why you end up with nuisances like me tagging along, baka.
Okay, so... honestly, honestly.

If I just say what I think, it'll be fine.

"Like, I'm stupid, pathetic, I'm from the boonies, and sometimes my dialect slips out... there's not a single good thing about me."
"Ayumi......"

"So, I thought that someone like me wouldn't fit in anywhere. I thought that only someone as dense as you could put up with me."
And if I thought everyone else was my enemy, of course, no one would accept me anywhere. I'm such an idiot.

"But... there's someone even more stupid than me."
"......"

"He's seriously creepy, says whatever he wants about people being broken or weak, and honestly, he's lacking in so many ways."
I guess he might be able to study a bit, but his face is even worse than mine, and his attitude sucks. The lame lines he spouts in that serious tone are so cringeworthy.
And then he talks about 'capturing' people, like a hero or something... who the hell does he think he is? In terms of being a man, Eiji is a hundred times better.
But.

"But... he said that it was amazing how I never gave up."
──That I was admirable.

Those were the first words of encouragement I'd ever received.

──That's why, I...

"That's why... I thought I'd give it my best, in my own way. That's all."

I raised my face and looked straight at Eiji.
I said that to him.

"......Oh."
Eiji looked relieved, somehow satisfied.

"Okay. Do your best, Ayumi."
And for some reason, he smiled a little sadly.
──.

Ugh, this is getting embarrassing......
Damn that senpai! I feel like he's made me dumber in more ways than one!
I waved my face around in agitation, then hastily changed the subject.

"So, what are you doing during Obon?"
"Yeah, I'm going. Oh, tell Auntie I want some kinako ohagi!"

[tl: きなこおはぎ = kinako ohagi. Ohagi, also known as botamochi, is a traditional Japanese sweet (wagashi) made with glutinous (sticky) rice, tsubuan (sweet red bean paste) filling and dusted with kinako (soy bean flour) or kurogoma (black sesame seeds). The proverb Tana kara botamochi (棚からぼたもち), literally "a botamochi falls down from a shelf", means "receiving a windfall", "a lucky break".]

"Ew, no way. I hate those."
Sticking my tongue out, I turned and started walking.

No matter how many times I fail, no matter how many times I lose. As long as I don't give up, it's not a loss. So I will absolutely not lose. That's my...apparently, my surefire way to win.

*

As I thought about all this, I noticed a figure approaching from ahead.

"......Mei?"

"Oh, Ayumi? What a coincidence to meet here."

Mei smiled with a face that was about a thousand times cuter than mine and waved gently.

"Were you talking to Tokiwa? Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

"Ah, well...... it's over now."

"I see. See you later, then!"

Saying this, she walked past me.

......Hey, wait a sec!

"Mei!"

"Yes?"

Mei turned her face back to look at me.

Right, I need to make sure Mei understands, too!

"Well, I just can't seem to bring myself to pretend and put up a front or anything like that."

──Mei had always given me advice.

She'd tell me what Eiji might be thinking, or what I should do. She'd been doing that all along.

When I was hiding my true feelings, thinking that this person would definitely betray me, she'd tell me, "It's smart to hide your negative feelings." When I was copying everyone else, she'd cover for me, saying, "Everyone pretends to some extent."......

"But...... I guess that kind of thing just isn't for me. It just made things more complicated."

If I'd been better at that, I don't think things would have turned out like this.

"I got too emotional...... and even when you tried to stop me, I ignored you."

During PE class──when I was about to get caught by the teacher for skipping class, Mei came and tried to get me to skip some more for some reason. I was suspicious of her, so I forced my way back to class.

She was probably just trying to keep me from getting too carried away. In reality, I ended up failing big time because I got so angry and lost my temper.

"I know you were just trying to do what you thought was best, but...... I'm sorry."

"......I see."

Mei smiled at me as I bowed my head.

Because her face was as kind as ever, I flinched involuntarily.

"Yeah. You look refreshed, Ayumi. That's definitely the best thing for you."

"Ah, well......"

......I didn't like this smile of Mei's.

Even when I lied, even when I yelled, she just smiled gently and kindly.

That's why I had no idea what Mei was thinking.

That's still true now.

"You're strong, Ayumi. You'll definitely be fine."

......Am I strong?

"No way. I'm super weak. I fail all the time."

"Is that so? You're definitely way stronger than me, at least."

The way she said it so matter-of-factly made me feel a bit annoyed.

"No way. Because, Mei, you're way more──"

"That's not true."

Her sudden strong denial surprised me.

"There's nothing I can do. If I could do everything right──things wouldn't have turned out like this."

"Me-Mei......"

"See you! See you next week!"

Before I could say anything, Mei smiled and ran off.

──.

"Oh, Mei-chan. Thanks for all your hard work in club!"

I heard Eiji's voice from behind me.

"You're right, I've been relying on your advice a lot lately...... thanks."

Eavesdropping is...... bad, right?

"You're right, Mei-chan. Because I'm not as amazing as Kouhei......"

Thinking this, I was about to start walking again when──.

"You shouldn't seek some ideal; it's obviously better to just live a normal life."

For some reason, those last words I heard made me really irritated.


??? A Rom-Com That Absolutely Won't Become a Rom-Com

─ I walk alone down the dark path.

"I'm sorry, Ayumi... Because of my weakness, I've only caused you pain."

I walk.

"Nagasaka, you're amazing."

I walk.

"You strive for your ideals, give it your all, and never give up no matter what...and because of that, you've reached the best possible outcome this time."

I walk.

"But, even if you keep pursuing your ideals, there's nothing at the end of that path."

I walk.

"Because...in truth, no one really desires that 'best ending'."

I walk.

"Ordinary people don't need to be the best. It's normal to not reach for things that are out of grasp."

I walk.

"The direction you're heading in is wrong. That's why, no matter how hard you try, there's no way you'll find a 'happy ending' at the end."

I walk.

"In fact...a fatal 'bad ending' awaits you."

I walk, and walk, and keep on walking─.

"─That's why, Nagasaka."

And then, I stopped walking.

"You are, after all, my enemy.
Your meaningless ideals that cannot come to fruition, and you, who tries to force them onto others─

I will deny them with all my might."

END


Afterword

Hello, it's Hajikano, the author of this work. Despite a brief hospitalization, I was able to energetically release the second volume. Surprisingly, hospitals can be a great place to write (delusion).

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude.

Thanks to your support, my humble work "Love Dame" ranked 19th in the Bunkobon rankings and 10th in the New Work rankings in "Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2020" (published by Takarajimasha). It also achieved a quadruple crown in the "Light Novel News Online Awards for July 2020", and I deeply feel your passionate support. Thank you very much!

Perhaps because I was determined to repay your support a hundredfold, this volume has a significantly increased page count. I made my editor say, "This is the first time I've seen a light novel with this many pages (white eyes)," and caused him to vomit blood. I'm really sorry, editor-san! Also, sorry for saying, "I don't like the latter half, so I'm going to rewrite it (100 pages, bye-bye)!" and for turning the author's proofreading into a forest of Post-it notes! To atone for the stress that must have shaved years off his life, I hope you will enjoy this work.

As always, Kuro Shiina's art quality is out of this world. I'm sorry for being a slug-like author who submits manuscripts at the last minute. And I'm sorry for making a certain character do a certain thing (for those who haven't read the main story yet, check it out now!). To showcase the wonderful character designs to their fullest, I heavily revised and edited the text, so please forgive me.

Now, let's move on to self-promotion and announcements.

I'm posting free short stories on my Twitter account. I irregularly post behind-the-scenes content that didn't make it into the main story, as well as scenes that were cut due to length constraints, so please check it out if you're interested.

Additionally, my Twitter account is the fastest and most comprehensive source of information, including the latest news and giveaways. I've included a QR code at the end of this page, so please follow me if you'd like. By the way, the flying slug icon is me, so please don't send salty replies, or I'll melt!

And finally, my humble work has been adapted into a manga that will be serialized in "Monthly Big Gangan" (published by Square Enix)! Looking at the lineup of serialized works, I'm both nervous and excited to see "Love Dame" among them. I will make an announcement as soon as I receive more information about the serialization.

Until we meet again—

Damn it, I ran out of space for my Yamanashi promotion!

December 2020

Volume 3 →