Five months have passed since I joined the Academy, not counting the time I was absent for summer vacation.
-Impossible...! You really managed to get into Noblesse!?
Behind a large desk, Konoe R. Chika exclaimed with a shocked expression. I was in the office of the president of Noblesse. This is where Konoe-san does her office and stationery work. The decoration was very simple, in the place there was a desk where there was a variety of pencils, pens, markers and all kinds of objects for writing, as well as a laptop. In the rest of the room there was a bookshelf, an electric kettle, and a tea table.
Konoe-san was looking at the paper with my results.
-When you entered the school, you were almost at the bottom, in 264th place. Since then, your grades have only improved, and at an amazing speed... The other day, after the summer vacations, you came third in the test and fulfilled the requirements to enter Noblesse.
-I didn't just study when I got home. I even did it during the school vacations. I spent more than 14 hours a day in my room studying, all to meet this goal.
-Just like students at exam time...
I spent most of my savings hiring a skilled private tutor. He was tough and strict, but I learned a lot from him, and it was all thanks to the guts I cultivated with baseball. As I was lost in thought. Konoe-san turned her cold blue eyes on me.
-Didn't you hang out with your friends during the whole vacation?
-I don't have any friends at school.
-Um... I see...
After what happened that fateful day with the dung, my classmates kept teasing me, as expected. Every time I went to the toilet, they would say things like, "Hey, Makihara, don't fall in the toilet!" and a lot of things like that.
I did nothing but ignore all those kinds of comments and teasing, which caused me to isolate myself more from the class and my classmates. But it wasn't all bad, as it gave me time to continue studying, and thanks to that I was able to get into Noblesse. Besides, I don't think I will feel lonely anymore.
I looked around the office, and something filled me with curiosity.
-By the way... Are there any other members in Noblesse?
-No. It's just Makihara-kun and me.
-Huh?
-To be admitted to Noblesse, students must be among the top of their year group, and must be approved by the council supervisor... And many get rejected.
Council supervisor... That reminds me, I had an interview with a grumpy old lady. She told me I was accepted after a few words. Now I keep wondering how hard it is to get in.
But that's not what's important now.
-Noblesse's job is to support the students, in addition to fulfilling the role of student council. It is a very laborious task, just to name a few jobs, organizing school events, budgeting, advising and among other activities that require great physical and mental effort.... Did you do all that by yourself, Konoe-san?
For some reason, Konoe looked away uncomfortably.
-It was no big deal.
What a humble woman. As I flatter her in my mind. Konoe-san gets to work on a stack of papers, reading them silently and placing her seal of approval. She is very quick. Since there's not much staff, and I'm the only person besides her, I plucked up the courage to offer her my help.
-And what will I do?
-I can manage on my own. The addition of you to this job would make it rather inefficient.
Eeh... That completely shocked me. But I don't sense any malice on Konoe-san's part, after all, she's immersed in her work, and she's been doing this alone for a while now.
-Don't take it personally, I'm just telling the truth.
-Okay, I understand. I'll be studying then, so if you need anything, let me know.
I headed for the desk in the corner of the room. If I ever lose my position in the grades, I'll be forced to leave Noblesse, so there's still a lot of studying to do. That doesn't mean I plan to stay here and do nothing, though. I have to prove that I'm someone useful.
I turned my gaze to Konoe-san. She had a beautiful hairpin flower in her blonde hair. Then I noticed her huge breasts resting on the desk. It must be hard to have something that big with you all the time. There's not a speck of dust in the room and all the equipment is spotless. You can tell Konoe-san loves cleanliness.
Despite that. She jumped into the muck and decided to save my life. I still can't believe she did something like that, I love her too much. My love for her is about to overflow from my heart... But I'm in no hurry to confess. I have been studying hard for five months and I will take advantage of every moment with her now. I'll take the time to get to know her, and then I'll tell her how I feel
[????]
-Aaah, it really takes your breath away... The more I look at him, the more I realize how beautiful he is.
-Well, he seems like the kind of guy Kaeko would like. And he's younger than you.
-You know what I mean, Mitsuri? But, aside from the unexpected increase in his grades, I was really surprised that old lady accepted him.
-That's true... And he keeps staring at Chika-neechan. He's totally in love with her. How beautiful love is!
-Yes. But surely Chika-neechan hasn't realized it? Shouldn't Maihime-neechan have to talk to him?
-I'm busy rehearsing for a play. In this scene, I'm moving like this...
-Hey, Maihime, don't make noise!
[Makihara Taiga]
Hmm?
I directed my gaze to the ceiling, as I heard something moving.
-Konoe-san, are there rats in the attic?
-...I think you might be right.
-Do you want me to go up to the roof and exterminate it?
-N-No, that's not necessary.
For some reason, there was a panicked expression in her eyes. Her chest thumps the papers on the desk, and some of them fall to the floor.
-If Makihara gets injured, we'll be in trouble.
Konoe-san is worried about me! I feel like I'm on a roller coaster.
*Knock knock*
Someone was knocking on the office door. Konoe-san says; "Come in", the door opens and an unremarkable girl walks in. She seems to be nervous. I guess it's because she's about to meet the most popular person in the academy.
-H-Hello! My name is Misaki Horai, from class 2 of the first year. I have a question for the president.
At Noblesse, you always have to be open to advice from your students. I also have to do my best. The only problem is that this girl...
-Oh, Makihara...
She's one of the classmates who made fun of me when I fell in that dung, and did nothing even though I was clearly in pain. And instead of doing something about it, she was the one who came up with the wonderful idea to have everyone post the videos and photos on Twitter.
-Hey, Makihara, lately your grades have been going up nonstop. No one says anything, but everyone in the class is amazed.
Many of the scholarship students like me can't keep up with the difficult lessons and end up transferring to other schools or become delinquent. My classmates seemed convinced that I would end up doing the same. Some were even betting on it.
At this moment, the last thing I want right now is to see the face of one of my classmates. But now I'm in Noblesse, I have to solve the problems of the students, including those I don't like. That should bring about an increase in favorability towards Konoe-san.
It's time to divide my feelings while I'm here. I sighed deeply, and put on a "Welcome" smile, at that moment Konoe-san raises her hand and points towards the door.
-Please wait for us in that reception room.
Next to the president's office is a reception room with a table and a two-seater sofa facing each other. After making a cup of tea, I sat down next to Konoe-san, who was facing Misaki Horai. Konoe-san starts asking questions. She looks like a shrewd prosecutor, combined with her cold appearance.
-Misaki Horai. Tell us about your problems.
-Well. The problem is...
Horai seems to be in love with her classmate 'Yamada'. The name brings back another unpleasant memory. He was the guy who belittled me by saying; 'He used to be a great pitcher, but he has declined in many ways'.
The help Horai was asking for was; "I want to confess my feelings to Yamada-kun and go out with him, but I don't have the courage, what should I do...?"
So it's a love advice. I feel a lot of interest in what Konoe-san will answer. It's my chance to know what the person I love thinks about love. She nodded and said; "I see."
-Forget about that boy. Romance in high school is a waste of time.
-Eeh?
Horai and I exclaimed at the same time. We were equally surprised at Konoe-san's complete rejection of couples. For some reason, Konoe-san brought a projector and connected it to her laptop. The projector displays charts and other documents on the wall. They list the risks of pregnancy, disturbance of public morals and other "evils of high school dating."
-By the way, this is a document I made.
Did you do something like this...? It's a little weird. But this is not right. The love between Horai and Yamada is worth less to me than the mating of a fly. But if Konoe-san says that love in high school is useless... I'll never be able to date her! And I don't want that! I have to refute Konoe-san, so I proceeded to raise my hand.
-What Konoe-san said may not be as wrong as one would think.
-Huh!?
-The question then is: What is the main purpose of a student?
-To study, of course.
-So, if love is so effective in improving academic performance, why waste it?
Konoe-san and Horai look at me with a confused expression on their faces.
-The reason why I was able to move from the bottom of the class to the top?
I feel my voice trailing off. Ah, I wish I had said this after we got to know each other better...! But if I don't refute Konoe-san right now and make her change her mind. My goal of being together with her won't be fulfilled. I stood up from my seat and faced her.
-I fell in love with Konoe-san that horrible day, and I've wanted to be by her side ever since! I was rotten inside, I had no will to live and I was depressed all the time since I couldn't play baseball, but you gave me the hope to go on living!
Horai opened her mouth and uttered a "huh?", as if she was trying to say; I came to you for advice about love, and you ended up confessing your love for the girl you like in front of me. Konoe-san, on the other hand, is still just as expressionless. The way she looks at me is still cold. I couldn't stand this silence any longer.
-Well? What do you think, Konoe-san?
-Think what?
-You say that romanticism in high school is useless, even though I'm a real example of a student whose performance has skyrocketed because I'm in love with you!
Konoe-san shrugged, and looked at Horai's empty cup and replied.
-I'm going to make more tea.
She left the place and entered the president's office.
Seriously? Did my words not reach you at all? I feel like I'm spinning on my own axis. Well, it's all over. She rejected me on my first day at Noblesse. I've been a lot every day for nothing...! All my effort went to waste.
I put my hands to my head at the same time that I have a great feeling of cowardice. This feeling of despair is greater than when the opposing team hits a home run in the last inning of a national tournament.
As I was lost in my psychotic thoughts of defeat, Horai spoke softly.
-Sorry, Makihara. I know you were arguing against the chairman for me.
Um...?
-After hearing what the president said, I probably wouldn't have confessed to Yamada-kun, for a moment I thought; "if the president says that, then it must be true". I was going to use that as an excuse for my cowardice.
-I-I see.
-It takes a lot of courage to do what you did, and you should have been prepared for rejection? Right?
Idiot. Why would I have to help you conquer someone who was laughing at me when I was dying? Although... I'll take this opportunity. Konoe-san might be listening through the door. I'm going to make a move to make myself more likable. I'll make my voice a little shriller so Konoe-san can hear me.
-Heh, I see you noticed.
-I'm so sorry... For taking pictures of you when you fell into that dung pit, and instead of helping you, I made fun of you with Yamada-kun...
Horai covered her face with her hands and started crying, probably because she felt ashamed of what happened. I stared at her as if I was looking at a piece of garbage. But despite that, I softened my voice and replied.
-It's okay, it doesn't matter anymore.
I have to be very careful; I won't give up until the game is over.
[Third Daughter, Mitsuri]
Konoe L. Mitsuri, the third daughter of the Konoe family, is ensconced in the attic of the president's office with her three sisters. They were watching a monitor they had in place. They had placed a tiny handheld camera attached to Chika's hair, which is disguised as the hairpin, making it very hard to notice.
Taiga Makihara's face in this shot looks so big. It gives an air of vigor.
-I fell in love with Konoe-san that horrible day, and I've wanted to be by her side ever since! I was rotten inside, I had no will to live and I was depressed all the time since I couldn't play baseball, but you gave me the hope to go on living!
-Eeehh...
The four girls expressed their astonishment at the same time, and then there was a round of applause. In the attic there are about 15 tatamis. It has a table, a bookcase, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, and even a bed for napping.
The second daughter, Kaeko, who has short blonde hair, patted Mitsuri's knee as she said...
-I told you from day one! The "Ace of Fortune" has a lot of guts!
The fifth daughter, Uchi, was also completely excited, and her sweet face was completely flushed.
-I'm very surprised. What do you think, Maihime?
-I want to concentrate on reading this script.
Maihime is the fourth daughter, she was lying on the floor, looking annoyed. She is preparing to play the lead role in the school festival play.
The four of us sisters are in the attic watching what Chika-neesan is doing, we look exactly the same except for our hair and the way we wear our uniforms.
Konoe R. Chika, the president of Noblesse, has the reputation of being a perfect superheroine, who can study, exercise, as well as being an influencer, actress and volunteer. But far from the truth, it's all just a facade in which the five of us play five different roles for each specific task.
Chika is in charge of exams, Kaeko in physical education and so on until each can perform a certain task while pretending to be one person. Because of its versatility, it is known as; "the five changes of the president" within the school. Below, I will briefly describe each of our roles as we try to be the same person.
Chika is the eldest daughter; she is one of the top five in the country in terms of academic skills... The second daughter, Kaeko, is in charge of speeches in the assembly and advising people. She is kind as a virgin, possesses the love of a mother, and is in charge of volunteer activities and sports.
The third daughter, Uchi, is the influencer with more than 200,000 followers on social media... And the fourth daughter, Maihime, is in charge of performing the duties of being an actress.
The reason why we do this is a bit complicated, but I'll explain it another time. Because something interesting is happening right now. I have to pay attention to the screen. Chika-neesan didn't lose her composure at Makihara's confession, but... At the moment she entered the president's office, the camera lens was pointed at the floor. She's probably bent over.
-Did Makihara-kun like me? Was that the reason why he put so much effort into his studies to enter Noblesse?
Haha. She's unusually nervous. It seems like she was embarrassed the moment she was left alone. Through the door, I could hear the conversation between Makihara-kun and Horai-san.
-You challenged the president for me, didn't you?
-Heh, I see you've noticed.
-I'm so sorry... For taking pictures of you when you fell into that dung pit, and instead of helping you, I made fun of you with Yamada-kun....
-It's okay, it doesn't matter anymore.
For some reason I can hear Makihara-kun's voice very clearly through the door. But that's beside the point. Horai-san and Yamada-kun did something terrible to Makihara-kun. And yet, Makihara-kun made sure that Horai-san followed his advice through his confession of love towards Chika-neesan, and this way she could be Yamada-kun's partner... That's amazing!
-W-What a great man!
-He's a good boy.
Kaeko and Uchi were equally impressed by Makihara-kun's performance.
Suddenly the president's office ceiling opened and a ladder descended. Chika-nee must have operated it with a remote control. Chika-nee climbed up the ladder.
-Mitsuri, please take over. I don't think I'm the right person to give relationship advice.
-Okay. By the way, Chika, how does it feel to be proposed to?
-.....
Hahaha. Usually she's usually someone quite cold, but even now she has red ears. Chika-neesan gave me a bobby pin camera and put it in my hair. Anyone who plays the role of "Konoe R. Chika" in school should wear this.
If the information on the camera is not shared, many problems can arise. For example, after Chika-neesan has talked to A-san, we take over. Also, if I talk to A-san, it wouldn't be at all natural if I don't remember the previous conversations, right?
-Mitsuri, do me a favor.
-Yes?
-Can you refuse the confession he made to me?
How annoying. Shouldn't you be the one to take responsibility for this? Chika-neesan is a great student, but sometimes she's insensitive to people's feelings. Although I'm sure she does it with no intentions of hurting others. It's because of things like that that we get into arguments... Well, if Chika-neesan doesn't want to say yes, what can I do? I'm sorry to be the one to break your heart, Makihara-kun.
With some sympathy, I walked down the stairs to the president's office. I opened the door to the reception room with great vigor and said cheerfully.
-I'm back☆
Makihara-kun rolled his eyes while expressing an emotionless "huh?". There is too much difference between Chika-neesan and me in terms of verbal expression and appearance, which is understandable that reaction on her part.
I always wear my uniform loose, no tie, shirt unbuttoned to the third button, skirt about a foot above the knee. And my hair is always tied back in a ponytail. And unlike Chika-neesan's black pantyhose, I wear simple black socks. She's a much more refined girl than me.
Makihara-kun looks redder than Uchi. When our gazes meet, he looks away shyly and scratches his cheek.
He's a very charming boy. He played baseball all through high school, so he's not used to girls, right? I'd love to talk to this boy, but first I have to solve Misaki Horai's problem.
-Hey! Misaki
-Y-Yes
-I'm sorry about before. That stuff about high school romance being a waste of time is a lie. I was testing your determination.
When Makihara-kun heard that, he made a shocked face.
-Ah... Then my confession made no sense...
Horai-san's appearance wasn't that attractive, so I used my makeup tools to do her makeup and hair, while showing her how she should do it on her own.
-Ready, you look beautiful!
-I can't believe Chika helped me with my makeup...
We also use Chika's name in our social networks. This will influence Horai-san to feel more comfortable with herself and be more confident.
-But you know, Misaki-san, the most important thing in a confession is...
I sat down next to Makihara-kun, ran my hands over the back of his neck and hugged him.
-It's courage! The same courage Makihara-kun had when he confessed to me.
-Gotcha!
Hourai thanked me, and when she headed for the door, she turned around and said; "Thank you, Makihara," and then disappeared.
-K-K-Konoe-san...?
Oh no, Makihara-kun is about to go into shock. Well, I guess that's what happens when you're so close to the person you love... But, on a closer look, this guy is so cute. He is like a little boy whom he provokes me to care for and protect. He's shorter than m... I think he's 1.50... How could such a small man become a pitcher for the Japanese national team?
-Umm, Konoe-san...
-What's the matter ~?
-In response to my confession...
Oh, Chika-neesan told me to turn it down. I feel bad, but it can't be helped.
-I'm sorry.
-....
Oh no, he has an expression like he's about to die. It hurt me to see him that way that I hurried to continue.
-By "I'm sorry," I mean I don't know much about you yet. So, I need some time to think about it.
Makihara-kun smiled again. It's so cute.
-I get it. I'll try harder and harder to make Konoe-san accept me!
Those words made me faint. I spend most of my time with my sisters, so I have a weakness for young, hardworking men like him. I didn't follow Chika-neesan's request, but that's okay. If she wants to reject someone, let her do it by herself. Besides... It's kind of fun to imagine the cool Chika-nee angry.
We love to have fun. So, let's add some spice to the relationship between Chika-nee and Makihara-kun.
-I'm not going to call you 'Makihara-kun' anymore. Your name is Taiga... Right?
I put my index finger on the tip of his nose.
-From today on, I'll call you Taiga-kun.
-W-Will you use my first name...?
Fufufu. Now Chika-nee is forced to call him "Taiga-kun". I've never seen my sister call someone by their first name before. That'll be something to see.
-Taiga-kun. You have to do your best, and make Konoe R. Chika love you!
I walked up to Taiga and gave him a kiss on the cheek... This is supposed to be a greeting in other countries, but in Japan it's a bit much, right? After that, Taiga turned completely red and fell backwards on the sofa.
Ouch. I pat him on the head and enter the president's office. I use the remote control to lower the staircase to the attic. Now, what will Chika-neesan look like?
[Makihara Taiga]
I looked up at the ceiling in a daze. My body is on fire from Konoe-san's embrace... Especially my cheeks are hot. Was it a dream?
The cool Konoe-san suddenly became so feminine... And she came close to me! I had her inches away from my body! Everything felt so soft. I could even see her cleavage through her unbuttoned shirt.... She even kissed me! Unusual moe gap!
I had heard some rumors about the president, they call her "the five changes of the president", from one moment to the next her looks and personality come to change dramatically. But I never imagined it would get this good.
Five changes, which means there are three more to go. Maybe I have the opportunity to meet them in the course of our work at Noblesse. And the best of all was... that she has not rejected me!
In great desperation, I put away the tea and other things and then went into the president's office. Konoe-san was sitting at her desk while she went through her papers. She was dressed in her previous uniform and had an expressionless face.
-Thanks for your hard work, Makihara-kun.
Her cold tone of her voice has returned, that change was very fast .. Hm? Wait a minute.
-Hey, didn't you just call me "Taiga-kun"?
-!!
Konoe-san snorted. For some reason, she stared at the ceiling for a moment and then... her cheeks flushed red and she stared at me.
-Ta... Taiga...- Kun...
Mwah! Why did she get so shy when you said you would call me by my name? I don't understand what is happening, but she is too cute. She just wanted to hear that sweet sound again.
-Sorry, I didn't hear you.
-Don't push your luck.
She glared at me after those words. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then coughed to deflect the conversation.
-I just received a message on LINE from a student asking Noblesse for help. Makihara-ku... Taiga, I need your help with this.
-I'll be happy to help you. I'll do my best! I'll show you what I can do!
Konoe-san tilted her head, and her blonde hair fell gently over her shoulder.
-Yes. You said before that I should try my best to make Konoe R. Chika fall in love with me.
-....
Konoe-san turned her head away after hearing my words. Her red ears peeked through her blonde hair. She might be shyer than I thought.
-So, what's the request?
-To cheer for the women's basketball team. We're going to play against Hokuo University College.
Hokuo University is a traditional public school located in Miyagi Prefecture, and it has a rivalry with our school.
-Our women's basketball team has been weakened lately due to declining membership and we have lost a lot of games. That's why they are coming to Noblesse to support them and help them win.
I see. With the charismatic Konoe-san cheering them on, morale is bound to go up. How is it that Konoe-san can be so cool and supportive? Does that mean I'm about to witness another big change from the president? I will see a new side of Konoe-san faster than I thought. I'm really looking forward to it.
~To be continue~