Public Morals Committee (6)
Suzuki had always thought of attending school as a privilege far beyond what he deserved.
Which meant that if anyone ever decided to pick on him, he would just stand there and take it like an idiot. Getting into trouble, after all, would only inconvenience the Minamoto family.
His personality was strange enough that Noah had always worried, privately — whether he was getting by at school, whether anyone was bullying him.
...Whether he was going to get sued for sexual harassment.
So today, she felt a little more at ease.
Noah smiled quietly to herself.
That idiot Coco. He's even made friends. Not bad.
Not that she was particularly thrilled those "friends" were a bunch of punks.
It was the first time he had ever introduced anyone as a friend.
That was why.
In a situation that would normally have earned someone a punch, she had not only held back — she had even swallowed the goosebumps crawling up her skin and put on a little performance. She didn't want Suzuki getting dumped as a friend just because of her temper.
Disgusting. This uniform has to go.
Noah tossed aside the blazer the punk had touched. In just a blouse, a slight chill crept in, but it was better than keeping something filthy on her body.
"Huh? Noah, where's your uniform?"
"It'll be here soon."
Back in the committee room, Yuria had come to her senses and was fidgeting in the corner. It had taken a few minutes for the full horror of her dark history to come flooding back.
"Oh, right. The girl Noah beat the stuffing out of is named Ichinose! Figured you wouldn't know."
"Ichi?"
"...Yeah!"
"Weird name."
"M-my name is Ichinose Yuria! What even is 'Ichi'?!"
Chise scratched her cheek and gave an awkward little laugh.
"Well, Noah can't remember anything longer than three syllables."
"That's not a thing! Is she an idiot?!"
Japanese names were a pain. Unless you were close, everyone went by family names — and Japanese family names were usually long.
"If I call you Ichi, you're Ichi. Don't like it, change your name."
"What kind of logic is that?!"
About ten minutes later, Suzuki showed up.
"Um... Suzuki?"
"Yes, Miss Fujiwara."
"You didn't really need to include the tights you were wearing, did you...?"
"This is a gift for the little b— for the young lady."
Noah blinked and picked up the black tights.
"I could suffocate someone with these."
"If at all possible, with the little boss's stockings..."
I put on that whole damn act for this guy, and THIS is what I get?!
Thud!
"Ghk."
Noah's punch — no holding back — buried itself in Suzuki's gut. He crumpled, clutching his stomach, drool trailing from his mouth.
Noah slammed the door with an irritated flick of her wrist. She picked up Suzuki's uniform and held it out to Yuria.
"Put this on."
"Y-yes."
Yuria took the uniform with hands that trembled faintly under Noah's sheer presence. Unlike her own shabby one, it was spotless.
So clothes could actually be this crisp.
Will I ever get to wear something like this?
For a moment, Yuria felt a little gloomy. Saints Academy was her first choice for high school. For a poor girl like her, the only way in was the academic excellence track — and as things stood, that wasn't going to be enough.
Her grades were fine. What she lacked was anything that stood out. She'd been hoping to build a record through the Public Morals Committee, but last year had been a total wash. If she missed this chance, there wouldn't be another.
"I-I'll go change and come back."
"Change here."
"Huh? B-but—"
"It's fine, isn't it? We're all girls anyway."
"...Understood."
Ziiip—
Yuria started to pull down her skirt, then flushed scarlet under the two pairs of eyes boring into her.
"W-why are you staring like that?"
Her chest... is big. Is that Noah's type?
That was Chise.
What I can see looks pretty solid. I'd need a closer look to really judge.
That was Noah.
The meanings were completely different. To Yuria, they both just looked like perverts.
W-wait a second. Come to think of it, those two seniors are always glued together. Don't tell me they're... that way...?
A forbidden thought she had no business entertaining popped into Yuria's head, and her eyes went wide. She sidled behind the sofa and changed as fast as she could.
Meanwhile, Chise leaned in to whisper to Noah.
"What do you think about putting Ichinose on the committee?"
"Dunno."
She hadn't made up her mind yet. All the girl had shown her so far was taking one hit and bursting into tears.
Noah was a sucker for tears. That didn't mean she liked girls who cried.
"I'm... done changing."
"It looks great on you. Right, Noah?"
"Eh, not bad."
Decent elasticity, at least.
Yuria had a good figure. Some of it was natural, but you could tell she'd trained hard.
Noah had more or less been saddled with the chair of the Public Morals Committee. But in her entire life, she had never once half-assed a role that had been given to her.
If she was going to do something, she did it properly. If she wasn't going to do it properly, she didn't do it at all.
That was Noah's creed. Which was why she was still deliberating whether to take Yuria on. One thing was certain: she wasn't going to let the girl in just because she felt sorry for her.
"You!"
Right in the middle of that deliberation, Yuria pointed at Noah and declared, loud and proud:
"Our duel isn't over yet!"
"You were bawling your eyes out two seconds ago."
Yuria faltered for a beat, then the corner of her mouth curled up.
"The rule of the duel is that it ends when someone says they give up. Right?"
"Ah."
She'd forgotten. One punch had put the girl down so fast it had slipped her mind. She had, in fact, been the one to add that rule.
"And we never specified the event, either."
"And?"
Noah's eyes lit up. Yuria placed a hand over her chest.
"This time, we do it my way. Follow me. I haven't given up."
Not bad.
Noah decided to withhold judgment.
"Archery. Surely someone from a distinguished family isn't going to tell me she can't shoot?"
"Yeah."
"I'll go first."
Even as a member of the student council, you were allowed a second club activity if you wanted one. Yuria had come up through the archery club — a genuine talent who'd taken home national-tournament medals more than once.
Sorry for stacking the deck in my favor, but the world of competition is a cold place.
Yuria drew the bowstring with easy composure.
Thock. Thock.
Five arrows. Forty-seven points — nine, nine, nine, ten, ten. A little disappointing, but the wind was fierce. A beginner would have been lucky to hit the target at all, let alone score a ten.
"Well, if you'd like, I can give you a handicap. Want me to spot you five points?"
A sharp whistle cut the air—!
"...?"
Yuria turned her head like someone who'd just thrown out their neck. That sound — that had come from a bow?
Noah kept drawing. There wasn't a hint of hesitation in her hands. She loosed five times with mechanical precision, and only then did Yuria collect herself.
Hmph. If shooting that sloppy actually hit anything, you'd be on the national team.
She was still wearing that easy smile when Noah spoke, perfectly calm.
"Fifty."
"Huh?"
Yuria checked the target with a face that refused to believe it. But there wasn't an arrow stuck anywhere.
She sneered, swelling with triumph.
"I don't see a single arrow. Invisible ones, are they?"
"Aaah— Noah. You botched the power control again?"
"I just had to shoot, didn't I? The bow didn't break."
"Give it here."
Noah clicked her tongue and handed the bow over. Chise took it, applied a little pressure, and bent it — and then—
It crumbled. Like powder.
"?"
Yuria couldn't make sense of what she was looking at. Chise beamed and pointed at the target.
"Why don't you go take a look, Ichinose?"
"T-take a look at what...? There's not a single arrow in sight."
"Come on, don't be like that."
Chise took Yuria by the arm and led her over. Still dazed, Yuria let herself be pulled to the target.
There was a hole punched through the ten-ring.
"...What's this?"
"It went straight through. Keep walking that way and you'll find where Noah's arrows ended up."
"You expect me to believe that nonsense?"
A target was far tougher than an arrow. No matter how well you shot, that was physically impossible.
And yet...
"Huh?"
An arrow sat buried halfway into a boulder. Hitting a rock with an egg would have been easier.
"That's a lie."
Tears welled at the corners of Yuria's eyes as she stared at Chise.
"T-this time it's tennis!"
Noah tossed in a casual serve.
KRA-KOOM—!
A sound like a bomb going off, and Yuria's head turned, very slowly.
Beside her, a concrete wall lay shattered as if a meteor had struck it. The strength went out of her legs and she sat down hard.
Noah's win.
The third match was at the boxing gym.
These young ladies have done karate at best. There's no way they can box...
Noah settled into a form that would have made a world champion look good and hit the heavy bag.
CRACK! WHAP!
"Wooow! Noah, you look so cool—!"
Every time the sound of a whip splitting the air rang out, Yuria's body flinched. It was the sound of a fist tearing through the air.
Yuria pictured that fist hitting her.
"N-nope."
She peeled off the gloves she'd just put on and hid them behind her back.
Before they knew it, the sun had sunk and night had fallen.
The matches kept coming. Yuria did not win a single one.
"I-it's not over yet...! The match isn't over!"
Tears were already standing in Yuria's eyes. She was furious. So furious she could hardly stand it.
How had she not won even once?
She refused, utterly, to accept it.
"This time — this time...!"
The duel. Archery. Tennis. Boxing. A footrace. Even a penalty-kick shootout.
Every last one had been Noah's, overwhelmingly.
Of course the tears came. And still Yuria would not quit; she was already hunting for the next event.
But then Noah walked up to her and laid a finger against her lips.
"......"
Let's go, Chise.
Noah said it under her breath and turned her back. Chise followed with a bright little smile. Yuria parted her lips, barely above a whisper.
"Um... really."
Noah's footsteps stopped. Fat, childish tears rolled down Yuria's cheeks.
"You're going to pick someone like me? Someone this useless...?"
"I lost every single match."
"So why......!"
"Is it pity?"
She clenched her fists and shouted.
"Answer me!"
Somewhere along the way, the idea of dragging Noah down from her pedestal had vanished. All that filled her now was the desperate wish to be acknowledged.
Noah turned her head just slightly and spoke, indifferent.
"Do you honestly think I would spend this long testing you over a single flicker of pity? That's just you being self-absorbed."
"...!"
Noah walked on without another word.
A long time later, once they had vanished beyond any distance where they could possibly have heard her, Yuria opened her mouth.
"...That's so cool. Minamoto-senpai."
Overwhelming talent. And what someone does when their towering pride gets stomped into the dirt.
The answer to Noah's curiosity had been admiration.
Yuria admired Noah.
A distinguished family that was distinguished in name only. A cute face so approachable it almost shouldn't have been legal. A small frame.
And yet — overwhelming skill.
How much work did it take to wring that kind of power out of a body that small?
Yuria didn't know the details, but she was sure of one thing: this girl had climbed over countless hardships to stand where she stood.
And she wanted to join the Public Morals Committee that girl led.
Which meant that, right now, Yuria was happier than she had ever been in her life.
That was the truth she was far too embarrassed to ever say out loud.