Chapter 7: The Gal’s Friend

The next morning, as I was changing into my indoor shoes at the lockers when—

“Yoohoo, Keiji!”

Before I knew it, I turned to find a female student standing right beside me.

“Oh, it’s just Maki.”

Sogano Maki──a gal with flashy, short blonde hair. Even though it was still April, she had forgone her blazer in favor of a pink school sweater, and her miniskirt was daringly short, blatantly ignoring the school’s dress code.

While many of our students, all from good families, were modern enough to have brown hair, a blonde as vibrant as Maki’s was a rare sight. She possessed remarkably fine features, even among the attractive student body of Sōshūkan, but her hair and rebellious attire made her stand out in a way that was entirely her own.

“That’s a cold way to greet me, calling me ‘just Maki.’ We’re close, aren’t we, Keiji?”

“What kind of close are we talking about?”

That was Maki for you. For some reason, she had always been casual with me, often approaching me just like this and calling me by my first name without a second thought. Not that I particularly minded.

“By the way, Keiji,” she said, her voice dropping conspiratorially. “You finally did it, huh?”

“Did what?”

“Here, look at this.”

Maki angled her smartphone toward me, the screen displaying a photo of Sayaka and me walking side-by-side down the school hallway.

“Where did you get a picture like that, Maki? You weren’t there, were you?”

Maki, as I’ve mentioned, is a girl who commands attention. If she had been anywhere near the hallway where the test results were posted, I would have definitely noticed her.

“Well, that’s because Maki-chan is an information broker,” she declared with a wink.

“…”

That’s right. Sogano Maki called herself the school’s “information broker,” and she was frighteningly well-informed about campus affairs. She seemed to have an endless supply of intel──who was dating whom, who got into trouble off-campus, even whispers of inappropriate relationships between teachers and students. At a school like Sōshūkan, where family background was paramount, she apparently knew everything about that, too. I have no doubt that if she put her mind to it, she could manipulate information to ruin a student, and their entire family along with them. It’s a scary thought.

“I thought you only sold information, but it looks like you buy it, too. Maybe I should start taking scoop photos and sell them to you.”

“Hey now, the young master of the Kiyomiya family shouldn’t be talking about such petty business. We’re friends, so if you get a good scoop, you should give it to me for free!”

“You’re the one using friendship as an excuse for petty business…”

Of course, the idea of me selling information was just a joke.

“More importantly, Keiji, I heard you got tangled up with that Fujikawa kid again. And that Hisaka-san was the one who saved you?”

“Sayaka seems to be surprisingly kind, despite her cool exterior.”

“Sayaka? Hey, hey, when did you two get on a first-name basis? Does this mean I can start calling her Saya-cchi too?”

“Don’t just invent nicknames for her. Knowing Sayaka, she’d probably just ignore you completely.”

“That kind of cold treatment can be a thrill sometimes, don’t you think, Keiji?”

“I’m not being ignored.”

“Tch, acting all high and mighty just because you’ve got a girl.”

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

And she’s certainly not my maid, either. She’s a freeloader I’m letting stay out of the kindness of my heart.

The area by the shoe lockers was starting to get crowded, so we moved into the nearby lobby, a spacious atrium that extended up to the second floor. It was a common spot for students to gather and chat before heading to their classrooms.

“So, where did you and Hisaka-san sneak off to after that?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be a young lady? What’s with that vulgar phrasing?”

“I think expecting ladies to be refined is an outdated way of thinking. Besides, the Sogano family is pretty minor, you know.”

I couldn’t recall hearing the Sogano family name much myself, but Sōshūkan factored in family lineage for admissions. If she was able to enroll, her family must have some kind of distinguished history.

“Still, it’s strange, isn’t it? Hisaka-san, who normally doesn’t even talk to other girls, is being so proactive with you.”

“We’re in the same class, Maki, you know that. Our seats are right next to each other.”

“That’s no reason for her to be kind to a guy. That’s just not in Hisaka-san’s character.”

“Then she must have a strong sense of justice, She probably couldn’t stand watching little ol’ me get picked on by Fujikawa.”

“Calling yourself ‘little ol’ me’ now, are you? Or maybe she stepped in to stop you before you could do something reckless…”

“Me? Do something reckless? What are you talking about?”

“Oh, nothing at all,” Maki said, laughing as she shook her head. “Well, anyway…”

She suddenly broke into a dance, waving her arms and lifting her legs with a practiced ease. It was clear she had experience; I knew she had been in the dance club in middle school and had even qualified for the national competition, though for some reason she withdrew before it began. It wasn’t because of an injury, so knowing Maki, it was probably just a whim.

“Stop breaking into dance all of a sudden.”

“It’s what I do. You’re happy to see my gorgeous dancing, aren’t you?”

“I’m tired of seeing it. You start dancing at every opportunity.”

The guys milling about the lobby were definitely glancing her way. With that short skirt of hers, there probably wasn’t a high school boy alive who could completely ignore it.

“You know, Keiji, you don’t look at me with perverted eyes. Are you not interested in women?”

“I am. It’s just that with your dancing, I’m more focused on the sharp, precise movements than any kind of sexiness.”

“Ugh… th-this guy, complimenting me so naturally…!”

“Why are you frustrated about being complimented?”

As usual, Maki’s reactions were a mystery. She was so expressive, yet she was just as difficult to read as the perpetually cool and expressionless Sayaka.

“A-anyway! The hottest topic at school right now is Hisaka-san. Hey, Keiji, could you set up an interview for me?”

“Just ask her yourself. You’re in the same class.”

“That girl gives such cold responses. I’ve applied for an interview a hundred times and been rejected about two hundred times.”

“Your math doesn’t add up.”

She must mean she’s been rejected with a coldness equivalent to two hundred times.

“She transferred in during our third year of middle school, immediately knocked Fujikawa down to second place, and has been in first ever since! And with that beauty and those big boobs! Information on Hisaka-san would sell for a high price!”

“You’re not taking secret photos of her, are you?!”

“If it’s for you, Keiji, I could take some on commission. My telephoto lens would be blazing!”

“No, I’m not into changing photos. I prefer the daily glimpses of armpits and thighs…”

“Eww, Maki-chan is totally shocked.”

“…”

Damn, I went too far with that joke.

“Well, if a girl’s cute enough, her armpits and thighs are plenty satisfying. And Hisaka Sayaka-san is one of the two great beauties of the first-year girls, after all.”

“Two great beauties… that ranking sounds like something straight out of an otaku’s playbook.”

Hisaka might be one of them, but since I barely interacted with the other girl, this whole “top two” thing didn’t really register with me.

“I’m more of a Hisaka-san supporter than that ‘Yamato nadeshiko’ type. Personally, I want information on her, too. First up, I want to find out her measurements and her favorite color of underwear!”

“Information broker, your personal desires are showing through.”

Maki seemed to have a genuine appreciation for cute girls. She was pretty cute herself, though that’s definitely something I’d never say out loud.

“Fine, then I’ll settle for just visiting Hisaka-san’s house.”

“That’s the highest hurdle of all!”

“Actually, a lot of people are curious about where she lives.”

“…That’s just called being a voyeur. Look, Hisaka is a scholarship student with a tuition exemption. I don’t know the exact conditions, but doesn’t that mean her family has to have financial difficulties?”

Sayaka should still be living in that small but cozy apartment. I don’t think she was economically well-off. At a school like Sōshūkan, where most students came from considerable wealth, being curious about a scholarship student’s home was in poor taste.

“I don’t think anyone means any harm. The students here are just sheltered, so they’re probably interested in what a ‘commoner’s’ house looks like.”

“Even without ill intent, it’s tasteless.” I crossed my arms and glared at her.

“Tch, I was hoping that if you got close to Hisaka-san, I might have a chance to get acquainted with her, too.”

“Give it up. Let Hisaka Sayaka remain a mystery.”

Besides, I don’t think Maki would ever do anything to actually expose Sayaka’s secrets. She only deals in information that can be enjoyed as lighthearted amusement.

“Then you’ll have to do, Keiji.”

“Hm?”

“You moved into the Kiyomiya Family’s Old Manor, right?”

“H-how do you know that?”

“Huh? You sent me pictures on LINE the day you moved. Said you were in a Western-style mansion that looked like it could be haunted.”

“Did I…?”

I was so shocked by that incredibly classic old manor that I probably did send photos to Maki without thinking…

“The old Kiyomiya manor is a well-known building to those in the know. Even among Sōshūkan students, almost no one lives in that kind of Western mansion. It’s a rare scoop. Can I come over for an interview? It’s fine, right, since you’re living all alone?”

“W-wait, Maki.”

“It’s okay, right?” she pressed, placing her hands on my shoulders and leaning in close. “There’s no reason to refuse, is there? A cute female friend coming to visit your lonely, one-person household ♡”

“…”

I was speechless. Partly because Maki had a look on her face that said she absolutely would not take no for an answer──and partly because, at that very moment, a beautiful girl with brown, semi-long hair and black-rimmed glasses walked right past us.

Maki, focused on me, didn’t notice her.

Could she have possibly heard that conversation──?

 

When we arrived at the classroom, my neighbor was already in her seat, a new (used) paperback book open before her.

I sat down in the seat next to Sayaka.

“I hear a cute female friend is coming to visit.”

I knew she’d heard it…

“Leave it to me,” Sayaka muttered, her voice a low murmur just for me. “Entertaining guests is a maid’s duty, not just housework. This will be a good opportunity to demonstrate my skills.”

“…”

She was speaking as if to herself, but I could hear every single word.

There’s no doubt about it──is Sayaka actually planning to entertain Maki?