[Ena Ayami – POV]

“Hey, hey, Ena-san!”

“Y-yes. What is it, Kannonzaki-kun?”

During the break after second period.

With a lively voice, Kannonzaki-kun talks to me.

As fellow class representatives, I have a lot of chances to talk with him, but his innocent, pure smile is terrible for my heart every single time.

Or rather… for a boy, he stands awfully close.

“Tachibana-kun invited me to lunch.”

“Lunch!? Just the two of you, as boys!?”

Zawa! Shock ripples across the Class 1 classroom.

“Yeah. Is it… not okay if I go?”

Hau… cute…

If he tilts his head up and asks like that, any girl would grant him anything he asks for.

“Ah, I’ve also received a message about lunch from Class 2’s representative, Tatara-hama-san.”

We exchanged contact information at the last class rep meeting and it’s already proven useful.

Although, Tatara-hama-san looked extremely displeased when we exchanged contact info…

Hmm, apparently Tatara-hama-san is quite competent, since the proposal written in her message was feasible and seemed likely to gain the agreement of both classes.

“What do you think, Ena-san?”

“Yes, it’s fine. Let’s do it during today’s lunch.”

I lift my gaze from my phone and give Kannonzaki-kun a smile.

“I’m glad. I’m looking forward to eating lunch with Tachibana-kun.”

“You really like Tachibana-kun, don’t you, Kannonzaki-kun?”

“Eh? Ah, yeah… He’s the first boy I’ve ever been able to get along with. Other boys either won’t talk to me at all, face to face or are really rough…”

He looks upward as he laughs bitterly.

Because boys are such an overwhelming minority, I’ve heard rumors about male-only communities or round tables where “no women allowed,” and maybe something bitter happened to him there too.

“And Tachibana-kun isn’t like that?”

“Yeah. He’s my ideal kind of boy.”

“Ideal…”

Hearing him speak so happily, I unconsciously touch my head.

The feeling of that large, warm hand that gently held my head when he mediated the conflict between Class 1 and Class 2 right after we enrolled… I still remember that warmth.

“No way! You’re a Class 1 boy, so the number one boy in this whole academy is you, Kannonzaki-kun!”

“You’re the ideal boy who’s always so kind to us!”

At Kannonzaki-kun’s “Tachibana is my ideal boy” comment, the other classmates all scold him at once.

“Say something too, class rep.”

“This is exactly the time when you’re supposed to step in and smooth things over, duh.”

More arrows of criticism rain down at me from the sidelines.

“S-sorry, everyone. I said something weird…”

Kannonzaki-kun hurriedly tries to cover for me.

Even though he’s a boy, he’s so considerate… he really is amazing.

He’s so amazing and yet…

Why am I so drawn to Tachibana-kun too?

In this world where boys are precious, I’ve been given the chance to interact with a boy regularly.

And not just any boy—an extremely cute, sincere boy.

To keep hold of the reins as Class 1’s representative, dealing with a class full of excellent and eccentric students, I know I must devote myself fully.

Yet here I am… looking at a boy in another class instead.

‘I guess I’m a much more greedy woman than I ever thought…’

As I look at the small back of Kannonzaki-kun as he tries to shield me, I don’t feel moved by his chivalry—rather, I feel self-loathing for thinking about another boy entirely.