A week after the conversation with Leila, the rumors have been spreading at a considerable pace.
As evidence, the female students huddled near my seat were having conversations like this about the rumors:
“Hey, have you heard about that rumor?” (Girl A)
“Rumor? What kind of rumor?” (Girl B)
“Well, you see, apparently Irina-san studies until late at night, and practices her swordsmanship in the early morning.” (Girl A)
“What’s up with that~ Isn’t she just spreading it around herself?” (Girl B)
“Surprisingly not, there were several students saying that they have actually seen it.” (Girl A)
“Hmm, it’s kind of hard to believe. I mean, why would someone with that much talent and status have to go to such extends?” (Girl B)
“Well, that’s true… But everyone seems to be talking about it…” (Girl A)
Conversations like this could be heard everywhere, and it seems that the people who heard it could be divided into two groups.
The first group are those who are swayed by the rumors thinking that “it might be true”.
These people generally don’t harbor deep feelings of jealousy towards Irina. Surprisingly, the majority of reactions fall into this category, and it appears that most of them were simply interested to talk about the rumor.
And the other group are those who deny it, saying that “It can’t be true”.
This group varies in size but generally consists of people who already hold negative feelings towards Irina. Of course, this makes changing their unfavorable impression more difficult.
However, unless these negative feelings are addressed, it’s unlikely that the bad reputation will fade away.
—All of this is according to Leila’s analysis.
She has been asking her trustworthy acquaintances to spread the rumors one by one, using the strategy of “if multiple people are saying it, it must be true” tactic.
As expected of Leila.
Her great talents were as described in the game.
There probably isn’t a more reliable ally than her.
By the way, it seems that Allen has properly met Irina and interactions between them have started to develop.
Is this what they call the force majeure1?
However, judging from a brief glimpse of Irina’s reaction, it seems that Allen is not particularly well-liked.
I can deal with that after dispelling Irina’s bad reputation.
I have already started the rumor so moving on to the second stage of the plan takes priority.
With that in mind, during the lunch break, I visited the student council room once again.
I went there, but instead of Leila—.
“Hmm, so this is Leila’s older brother (nii-sama). If you look closely, he does have a somewhat dignified appearance just like Leila. However, his hair is a bit too messy, and he is lacking a bit in the cleanliness department. His physique seems moderately trained, but the muscle mass is still insufficient. Yet, there is not much excess fat… I see.” (?)
I don’t quite understand the “I see” part, but the person who was examining every inch of my body with a deadpan expression is Filine von Lyukarion, the student council president and one of the heroines of this story.
She is a loli girl with peach-colored twin-tailed hair, and honestly, she looks like she could transform into a magical girl at any moment. However, her eyes are generally devoid of any light, making her seem like a girl who has been mentally attacked by some extraterrestrial being.
And yet, she’s my senpai.
Yeah, my senpai… What does she want…?
As I tilted my head at her loli-like figure, she took a step back and, lifted her twin tails, and gave a playful wink.
“Onii-chan♪ Good job at work today! Would you like to have dinner first? Or a bath? Or perhaps… me?2“ (Filine)
“…………” (Louis)
I am speechless.
Well, I knew that she was like this, but still.
Seeing her directly had quite an impact.
In various ways.
While maintaining a lifeless expression, she struck poses that were meant to attract attention from guys and delivered those lines in a flirtatious and attractive tone.
One might wonder why a girl like this became the student council president, but I know the reason all too well.
She is highly capable in her work and has an unbelievably massive fan club, which led her to become the student council president through the overwhelming support.
…Seriously, there are way too many lolicons in this school.
Even though they are around the same age as high schoolers, everyone’s fetishes are just too twisted.
Onii-san3 is worried about your future.
By the way, in the latter part of the story, she mentioned that she was dissatisfied with becoming the student council president.
It seemed that she was nominated by the students and reluctantly accepted the position.
I feel quite sorry for her.
Moreover, she is also one of the heroines in this story and also carries darkness deep within her heart.
That’s why her eyes are so lifeless.
Well, she will be saved by Allen-kun, but I intend to lend a hand as well.
If, by any chance, the plan fails, it would be a disaster both in terms of death flags and from an otaku perspective.
While pondering such things, Filine launched a follow-up attack on me, who was still unresponsive.
“Onii-chan♪ Good job at work today! Would you like to have dinn—” (Filine)
“W-W-Wait! You don’t need to say it twice! It’s making me embarrassed too!” (Louis)
“Eh~ this is usually quite well-received. Even the teachers like it.” (Filine)
…Lolicon School.
Seriously! Teachers shouldn’t be like this!
“What’s with the ‘good job at work’? I don’t remember doing any work.” (Louis)
“Oh, I meant from now on. I am going to entrust you with a task so dreadful that you wish you were dead, so I said ‘good job’ in advance.” (Filine)
“…Huh? A task so dreadful that it might make me want to die? What exactly am I about to do?” (Louis)
“Ah, it’s just a joke, so don’t mind it.” (Filine)
“Being told a joke with those lifeless eyes just makes it impossible to believe it’s a joke, so please stop…” (Louis)
I drooped my shoulder with a sigh
Somehow, a wave of exhaustion washed over me.
In the game, I had only thought of this as cute, but taking a direct hit like this in person is quite tough.
“By the way, I’m sorry for using casual language. I can call you Filine-senpai, right?” (Louis)
“I’m Filine♪ Onii-chan♪ Good job at work today—” (Filine)
“—I understand! I get it, so please stop! I won’t use formal language anymore, so please just stop!” (Louis)
“Onii-chan♪ Good—” (Filine)
“Enough! I got it! No more formal language! Is this better?!4” (Louis)
When I shouted like that, Filine nodded with a satisfied expression.
This is exhausting…
For now, I don’t have time to indulge her, so I swiftly end the conversation and quickly got to the matter at hand.
“So, um, do you know where is Leila? I have something I want to talk to her about… Oh, wait. Come to think of it, how does Filine know that Leila and I are siblings?” (Louis)
“Maidens have their own secrets. People who pry into those secrets are met with… well, you know.” (Filine)
“I-I see… Well, I won’t ask about it for now. So, about Leila—” (Louis)
“If you’re looking for her, she is right there, look.” (Filine)
She pointed to a door at the side of the student council room.
It’s probably the entrance to a storage room for supplies or something… It was open slightly, and I could tell someone was peering inside.
My body froze in an instant.
S-Since when was she watching…?
The door gently opened and my little sister, Leila, appeared from behind it.
Her expression was clearly taken aback, and her voice trembled as she cautiously spoke.
“Um, Ani. If you’re feeling sexually frustrated, I can help you out, you know? I mean, I don’t want my brother to commit a crime because of some weird twisted desires… Plus, it’s kind of my fault for not calling you Onii-chan.” (Leila)
While there are definitely many things I would like to discuss about that proposition, saying something like that would undoubtedly make her even more shocked, so I shook my head.
“No… I don’t want you to misunderstand, but I never forced Filine to call me ‘Onii-chan’ or anything. She did that on her own.” (Louis)
“…Really?” (Leila)
Her gaze shifted toward Filine.
…Am I not trustworthy enough?
In response to Leila’s question, Filine seemed apologetic as she spoke.
“I’m sorry. Louis onii-chan told me that he prefers me over Leila… But he’s quite shy, you see…” (Filine)
“…………Huh?” (Leila)
Ah, not good.
Seeing Leila looking like she might crumble in sadness, I sighed once more and gave both of them a light chop on the head to wake them up.
“Enough already, stop playing around with me. It’s really not good for my heart.” (Louis)
“Ok~ Sorry, Ani.” (Leila)
“Ok, I’m sorry. Louis-san.” (Filine)
Both of them apologized with a somewhat dejected tone.
Sigh… I’m really exhausted.
Suppressing the urge to sigh once more, I returned the conversation back on track.
“So, Leila. I want to talk about that matter, but do you have a place where we can be alone?” (Louis)
“Alone!? Ani, do you want me that much——!?” (Leila)
I gave her another chop on the head, this time a bit firmer.
Tears welled up in Leila’s eyes as she held her head, but she apologized and continue the conversation.
“Sorry, sorry, I won’t do it again… Anyway, Filine-senpai is our ally. She’s one of the people who helped spread the rumors.” (Leila)
“I see… Got it. In that case, we can discuss this together.” (Louis)
Normally, I should insist on talking with Leila alone, but I know Filine can keep a secret.
It should be fine.
She isn’t likely to reveal anything, and having a capable ally on our side is reassuring.
“I have already heard the basics from Leila, so there is no need for an explanation.” (Filine)
“In that case, let’s get to the main topic. —For now, it seems like the rumors are spreading, so I’m thinking of moving on to the second phase of the plan.” (Louis)
“The second phase is about presenting the evidence of Irina’s efforts in an ‘unfortunate accident’ and making those around us aware of it, right?” (Filine)
“Yeah, that’s mostly correct. However… Irina is something else. The amount of effort she puts in is excessive to the point that even I’m taken aback.” (Louis)
“If it were you, Ani, you would probably give up after studying for a day.” (Leila)
“Well, I can’t deny that. But I think everyone will be surprised by this. Without a doubt.” (Louis)
Indeed, if it were Louis, who usually just sleeps all the time, he might be overwhelmed with just putting in a normal amount of effort.
But the truth is, I used to be a workaholic.
Even for someone like me, the level of effort she puts in is so extreme that I think it’s dangerous. I don’t think I’m wrong when I say this… probably.
“But doesn’t Irina-san want to hide it, doesn’t she?” (Leila)
“She probably does.” (Filine)
“Then, is it okay to show it to others?” (Leila)
“No, it’s fine. Because Irina is just being driven by her high sense of pride. She thinks that effort is something not meant to be shown to others.” (Louis)
During the latter part of the story, in her internal monologue, Irina was struggling with whether or not she should show her efforts to others.
In other words, even though she believed she shouldn’t show it, she also thought it might be better to show it.
Initially, there might be some mental resistance, but if she starts showing the amount of effort she puts in and gets recognized by those around her, this perspective of hers might change.
“Well, if Ani says it’s okay, then it’s probably okay.” (Leila)
Leila nodded in agreement with my words.
Filine gazed at her with a hint of admiration in her eyes and murmured,
“Leila and Louis-san have such a strong level of trust towards each other.” (Filine)
Upon hearing those words, Leila’s expression turned complicated.
“Well, there is some trust, but… It’s not like I approve of my Ani’s everyday behavior.” (Leila)
“Is that so? Recently, Leila has been venting about Louis-san to me quite often, but she seems to be enjoying it.” (Filine)
“Ugh! Th-that’s not true! Not at all!” (Leila)
Leila’s face turned bright red as she shook her head from side to side.
I don’t quite get it, but she looks cute.
My little sister is just too cute.
… Well, in the end, it’s not me but the protagonist who will save Leila.
For now, let me enjoy her cuteness as her brother.
“Anyways, I understand the second phase better now. You already have a clear plan in mind for this, right?” (Filine)
“Yeah, absolutely. I’ve got that part covered.” (Louis)
“…Ugh. I feel like I was the only one who was bothered about the previous topic. That’s kind of frustrating.” (Leila)
There seems to be someone sulking over there, but ignoring that, Filine continued.
“Since you came to the Student Council room, it means that you need our help with something, right?” (Filine)
Truly befitting of a student council president. She catches on quickly.
I start to gather my resolve before I make my next request.
This time, the request I’m making might be quite extreme.
At this point, I have already cast aside my pride and shame.
After all, in the end, I’m going to become the villain who will be defeated by Irina.
At this point, pride and shame don’t really matter at all.
I took a deep breath and then lowered my head with determination.
“Yeah, that’s right. So… please! Please grant me permission to enter the girls’ dormitory!” (Louis)
TL notes:
Thanks for reading!
H-How is she doing those lines with lifeless eyes? Right now I’m imagining her as Tsutsukakushi Tsukiko.
Btw, did anyone else catch that Filine’s eyes stopped being lifeless for a moment when she was talking about the siblings trusting each other? I have no idea if this is an implication for something or just overthinking on my part. If I were to be more precise, the raw said longing gaze instead of mentioning anything about eyes, but I went for something more obvious incase it foreshadows something.
Personally, I feel that school student council president elections are usually won based on who is more popular instead of actual skill. Of course, this is just from my experience.
Thanks for the chapter!
Allen seems to be not well-liked? I wonder how was their convo going
Wow…. That wss hilarious 😂🤣