After school. Just as the setting sun dyed the classroom orange, an unprecedented ‘negative aura’ swirled in front of Class 2-1’s room.

“…Shizuku-chan, I’ve come to pick you up.”

Not at the school gate, but having deliberately “sortied” all the way to the classroom, Aoi appeared slinking through the gap in the door. Her eyes smiled, but behind them an abyss-like darkness spread. Beside me, thoroughly attached and clutching my sleeve, was the silver-haired fairy, Lise. And on the other side, the red-haired young lady, Anju, stood with arms crossed like a guardian deity.

“…Oh my, Aoi-san. Whatever business could someone from another school have in this classroom, which is off-limits to outsiders?”

“Fufu, Anju-chan, shouldn’t you be worrying about the safety management of your own route home, rather than clinging to Shizuku-chan like that?”

Sparks flew. I could practically see them physically. Lise hid behind my back, trembling, “Shizuku... Elles me font peur...” (Shizuku... those girls are scary...)

It reminded me of my Sales Department Section 2 days in my past life, when I was caught between two senior female colleagues fighting a faction war. What I learned then was not to ineptly take one side, but to present a common “great cause” and win them over.

“Hey, you two. Can I have a moment?”

Using my finest husky voice, I mixed in a tiny bit of a ‘vulnerable junior character’ essence and looked at them.

“Lise just arrived in Japan, and she’s really anxious about not understanding the language or culture. I don’t want her to end up hating Japan, you know. So, if my two best friends would get along with Lise and teach her all sorts of things, I’d... be super happy. That’s ok right?”

I tilted my head slightly, lowering my brows as if troubled, and gazed at them. This is my signature skill, polished in my past life through countless unreasonable requests using the line, ‘…I can only ask you, senpai.’ My ultimate ‘Unconscious Request Escort.’

““————!!””

Silence. In an instant, Aoi and Anju’s bloodlust dispersed, and in its place, dazzling smiles like that of a holy mother exploded into being.

“O-of course! If that is what you wish, Nanase-san, this Hojo Anju is fully prepared to extend generous hospitality to one from a foreign land!”

“Yes! If it’s Shizuku-chan’s wish, I’ll do anything! Lise-chan, let’s be good friends ♪”

The about-face was so swift I nearly got whiplash. The two approached Lise and clasped her hands. Lise, though bewildered, looked at me, “Est-ce qu’elles sont gentilles, Shizuku?” (Are they nice, Shizuku?)

“Elles disent qu’elles veulent être tes amies.” (They say they want to be your friends.)

“Vraiment? Merci!” (Really? Thank you!)

When I interpreted, Lise’s face lit up and she hugged them both. On the surface, it was a blissfully peaceful scene of a silver-haired, blonde, and red-haired beautiful girl embracing. However, at an angle I couldn’t see, Aoi and Anju were crossing dagger-like glares over Lise’s back that said, ‘I can’t show any failing in front of Shizuku, but I won’t concede this position.’ I had no way of noticing.

* * *

After that, the three of us (plus me as interpreter) ended up walking to the school gate.

“Lise, this is ‘sakura.’ A Japanese flower that blooms in spring.”

“Sakura... C’est magnifique!” (Sakura... It’s so beautiful!)

As I explained, Anju immediately cut in.

“Nanase-san, she just said ‘beautiful,’ didn’t she!? Tell her this! ‘The Hojo garden has a weeping cherry tree a hundred times more beautiful than this’!”

“Ah… ‘Anju’s house has pretty flowers too, she says.’”

“Merci, Anju!” (Thank you, Anju!)

Even with my rough translation, when Lise smiled and took Anju’s hand, Anju puffed up with a “H-hmph, of course!” Aoi, not to be outdone, clutched my other arm firmly and whispered.

“Shizuku-chan, teach me too? How do you say ‘I love Shizuku-chan’ in French, to tell Lise-chan.”

“I won’t teach you that. And besides, that’s not a greeting between friends.”

Amid all this, by repeatedly stepping in as interpreter, a “bloody after school” was somehow averted.

* * *

[Anju’s Perspective]

That night, in her luxurious room in the Hojo household, Anju sat at her desk with pen in hand. Inside her brain, the events of the day were being sorted at high speed.

‘...Come to think of it, I was perfect today. I flawlessly carried out Shizuku’s ‘wish’ and kindly hosted Lise. …At the end, Shizuku smiled at me with that coolest, most wonderful voice and said, “Anju, you saved me. Thanks.” Just remembering it makes me blush!’

Just remembering it made her face hot. Affection points up with Shizuku. This is the supreme reward. But at the same time, she hit upon a major problem.

‘...But as things stand, every conversation with Lise requires Shizuku to mediate. This way, the time where Shizuku is exclusively Lise’s won’t decrease. And, more than anything!’

Suddenly, a lightning bolt raced through Anju’s mind.

‘That French that Shizuku and Lise were speaking so happily together... Those sweet-sounding words of a foreign tongue, spun in that husky voice... If Shizuku were to teach me French, that would mean...’

The victory formula was completed in Anju’s mind.

① Get along with Lise = Carry out Shizuku’s wish = Shizuku’s affection points skyrocketing.

② The language barrier is inconvenient = Ask Shizuku to be her private French tutor.

③ French lessons = Securing time alone together after school in the library room, or some other closed room!

④ Being instructed on pronunciation at close range by Shizuku in that wonderful voice...

‘Hya, hyaauuu... This is it! This is the perfect strategy to outmaneuver that thieving cat Aoi and monopolize Shizuku...’

Anju immediately summoned Sebastian and declared, “Sebastian! From tomorrow, incorporate French preparation into my self-study hours! …No, you will procure the same textbook as Shizuku’s! And tomorrow at school, I will say this to Shizuku! ‘For Lise-san’s sake, won’t you teach me French?’!”

A cunning yet maidenly stratagem that took advantage of Shizuku’s “eager teacher” personality.

Meanwhile, at the Hoshikawa household, Aoi was also frantically combing through a French dictionary, “in order to whisper her love to Shizuku-chan in French.”

The oblivious lady-killer teacher (aged seven) had not the slightest clue that after-school “Forbidden Rendezvous (just language study)” was about to begin.