Episode 4 – the big four

I Kept Rescuing Unlucky Beautiful Girls and Before I Knew It, They Were Targeting Me

The next day I came to school as normal.

It’s not something that happens every day, which is good.

I get to my seat and greet my friends as usual.

“Good morning, Kouki.”

“Good morning, nothing happened today?”

“As expected, not every day in a row.”

“Yesterday was a tough day.”

From the side, Shizuru also joined the conversation.

“Good morning, Shizuru. I wonder …… what happened yesterday?”

“It was a disaster, wasn’t it?”

“Well, there are days like that.”

“Fufu, here’s a present for you.”

　
Shizuru took out a small pretty pink bag from her bag and put it on my desk with a pop.

“…… What’s this?”

“It’s a reward for working hard yesterday.
I baked cookies.”

“Ou! Thanks, Shizuru!”

“Was it really that hard yesterday?”

Kouki
looked at me suspiciously, but Shizuru answered.

“Yesterday, he was helping Ryoka on duty, right? After that, he also help Kaguya, who lost her keys. And the buttons on his clothes came off.”

“…… Kaguya is that Kaguya?”

“That’s right.”

After Kouki asked Shizuru about it, he looked at me seriously. ……

“You’re awesome,…….”

“What?”

“What’s that? You know three of the big Four of this grade, don’t you?”

“….The big four? Is there someone who runs this school like that?”

“No, no, no, I’m talking about the Four of Beautiful Girls.”

“What’s that?”

“Don’t you know? There are four first-years in this class who are called the
beautifull girls”

“That’s Kaguya?”

“You’re calling her by her name already?…yeah”

“Hee”

“Ryouka-chan and Shizuru are also one of the Four”

Eh?

I looked at Shizuru and she looked uncomfortable.

“Nothing, it’s not that I want to be called that. ……”

“It’s fine, being called a beautiful girl.”

“It’s a good nuisance.
That’s why strangers kept confessing to me for about three days after I enrolled.”

“What can I say …… I’m sorry to hear that?”

“It takes courage to refuse a confession, so it was mentally tough.”

“Oh, ……, when you put it like that, you’re right.”

“Right?”

“So? Who is the last one?”

I was curious about the other one, so I asked Kouki.

“The last one is Izu”

Eri came up behind me.

　
“Oh, Eri, good morning.”

“Here, I’ll give this back.”

Eri handed me the one thousand yen I had lent her.

“Oh, sure.”

“And this.”

Eri also put a small red bag on my desk.

“What’s this?”

“For yesterday.”

“Oh, thanks for coming all the way!”

“I made you some cheese crackers.”

“Hee, that looks good!”

“There’s all sorts of Tabasco in them, you’ll have to try them.”

“Oh, cheese and Tabasco, that sounds delicious.”

“Yeah, I’m proud of it.”

“Then I’ll eat it with care.”

“Yeah. …… the school cafeteria again today?”

“That’s right.”

“Then we’ll eat together.”

“Ah, yeah!”

“I brought something else today.”

“……, you brought what we were talking about yesterday?”

“Yeah, just for fun.”

“O-Okay. All right.”

“Bye.”

With that said, Eri went back to her seat.

“I-Izuru?”

….. Why is Kouki upset?

“Hm?”

“Why are you and Suo-san getting on so well too? And Eri? ……”

“She forgot her wallet yesterday, and I lent her some money when she was in despair at the cafeteria ticket machine.”

“…… I didn’t expect you to be helping Suo-san as well.”

Shizuru’s eyes widen and she looks astonished.　

“…… what’s wrong with Eri?”

“That Suo-san is one of the Four”

“…… Hee.”

“How did you become friends with all four…?”

Kouki also asks me with a surprised expression, but it’s not something I know

“…… I can only say that it just happened.”

“Izuru-kun.”

This voice is ……

“Ryoka, good morning.”

“Good morning, Izuru-kun, this is for yesterday.”

At the same time as saying that, Ryoka put a pale blue sachet on my desk.

“I made made madeleines. If you like, could you please eat them?”

“Oh, thank you! I’ll have some when I get home.”

“…… there’s another bag, what’s this one?”

“Ah, yeah, everyone gave it to me as a thank you for yesterday.”

“…Thank you?…Maybe you were helping other people besides me?”

“Yeah, I just noticed”

“…… I see.”

For some reason, Ryoka looks down and closes her eyes as if thinking.

Is something wrong? As I was thinking that, her eyes suddenly opened and she started staring at me.

“Izuru kun, what do you usually do for lunch?”

“uh? I usually go to the school cafeteria.”

“I see.
Hey, Izuru-kun, will you let me make lunch for you tomorrow?”

“What?!”

“I want to thank you.”

“These sweets are enough, right?”

“No, it doesn’t seem like it’s enough.
Tomorrow we’ll have lunch together! See you.”

Ryoka returned to her seat without hearing my reply.

Then, as if by mistake, the last of the Four arrives.

“Izu chi!”

That’s right, it’s Kaguya

“Y-yeah Kaguya, good morning.”

“Here.”

She
hands me a paper bag. I looked inside and found the jacket I gave her yesterday, along with a beautiful yellow sachet.

“I made chocolate muffins with you and put them in there, eat them if you like!”

“Oh, they look delicious.
Thanks!”

“…… what’s that sachet on your desk?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s from the others, as a thank you for yesterday.”

“Thanks? Everyone? Who exactly?”

“Eh, I got it from Shizuru, Ryoka and Eri …… Chieri.”

“Eh, all the Four?”

“…… Is the Four a common perception amongst everyone?”

“At least that’s what I’ve heard.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You were helping other people yesterday?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Hmm. ……”

For some reason, Kaguya is glaring at me. …… Why? ……

“W-Why are you glaring at me?”

“Nothing …….”

She suddenly became grumpy. ……?

“Hey.”

“Yes.”

“Are you free after school today?”

“After school? Yeah, I don’t have any plans.”

“Then come home with me. Let me pay you back.”

“This pastry’s all I need, okay? And I got my jacket re-buttoned.”

“Just come home with me, okay?”

“…… Okay. I’ll clear my schedule.”

“Okay! homeroom is soon, so I’ll see you later!”

Kaguya also returned to her seat as homeroom was about to start.

“Izuru……”

Kouki looked at me with a serious expression on his face.

“What is it ……?”

“Be careful on the streets at night, okay?”

“That’s not a joke….”

—Maiban

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