What I Like About You.
What I Like About You.
Time rewinds to the past.
As soon as Elaine received the report, she sought out where Milady was.
It didn't take long to find her.
Midway up the stairs.
Leaning her back against the wall by the window, she was standing there alone, staring blankly.
Even from afar, it was obvious.
The tips of her ears were flushed red.
Elaine paused her steps for a moment.
...Is that really Milady?
Originally, Shizuku Ichinose was not that kind of person.
She never lost her composure in any setting.
No matter the situation, her expression never faltered.
That was true even throughout the years Elaine had served by her side.
A person who didn't even bat an eye while receiving the gazes of dozens of people at family events.
A person who dominated the atmosphere with a single word, no matter who the opponent was.
A person who, even if she made a mistake, made it look as though it wasn't a mistake at all.
"Is that you, Elaine?"
She noticed first. At least that remained unchanged.
"......Yes, it is."
"I..."
Shizuku spoke, keeping her head tilted up toward the ceiling.
"I think there's someone on my mind."
Elaine's eyes froze for 0.3 seconds.
She rewound it in her head.
Keuhup, it was truly remarkable that blood didn't spurt out of Elaine's mouth right then and there.
After all, anyone who had served Shizuku all her life and knew what kind of person she was would have shown a similar reaction.
"...What on earth do you mean by that?"
Her voice was surprisingly calm. Professionalism is a scary thing.
"There's someone on my mind. It's not a... confession, exactly. But anyway, I received something... pleasant."
She hadn't misheard either.
Elaine tried to deny reality for a brief moment, then gave up.
"...In what sense do you mean they are on your mind?"
"..."
There was no response.
However, the gaze fixed on the ceiling grew a little more intense.
And somehow, her cheeks seemed even redder than a moment ago.
Even after confirming it with her own eyes, it was hard to believe.
Elaine was feeling shock and horror, as if all common sense she had about Milady up until now was crumbling away.
The young lady of the Ichinose Family, of all people, reacting like that?
Up until just a few days ago, it was taken for granted that she had zero interest in the opposite sex.
The person who used to beat people to a pulp in kendo matches...?
"...Do you mean... in a romantic sense? That you're... paying attention to them?"
"..."
"No, wait a moment."
At the headache surging as if to explode, Elaine grabbed her head for a moment and crouched down beside her.
Come to think of it, a few days ago she had received a report that there were various interactions with the Student Council President. She had brushed it off as nothing important, but...
Isn't this reaction completely that?
Falling for the opposite sex....
Elaine couldn't bring herself to complete the words that followed.
"...No."
She denied it herself.
There was no way.
Milady?
With someone?
Elaine slowly shook her head.
"Milady."
"What?"
"Is that person..."
Shizuku turned her head.
"...the Student Council President?"
"..."
There was no reply.
However.
Shizuku's gaze, which had been directed at the ceiling until just now.
Just a tiny bit.
Shifted to the side.
Elaine did not miss that slight movement.
"..."
Ah.
I see.
Elaine closed her eyes.
A few days ago.
The report of interaction with the Student Council President.
The fact that Milady had personally engaged in conversation, unlike her usual self.
And.
Her current reaction.
All the puzzle pieces fell into place far too easily.
"...It is President Akira."
"......"
"Am I correct?"
"How do you know that name..."
"It is indeed."
Shizuku shut her mouth.
Elaine said nothing for a moment.
Milady seemed to like someone.
And on top of that.
It seemed she herself didn't even understand that emotion accurately yet.
This...
...was a bigger deal than expected.
Elaine looked at Shizuku once more.
"What kind of person is that student?"
"......"
"Milady."
"I don't know."
At that answer.
Elaine's eyebrows twitched up just a bit.
"You don't know?"
"Yeah."
Shizuku was still looking out the window.
"I don't really know."
A moment of silence passed.
And.
Shizuku spoke very softly.
"But..."
Elaine waited.
"I keep thinking of him."
"..."
"I don't know why, but..."
The tips of Shizuku's fingers moved ever so slightly.
"The things he said..."
"......"
"...keep replaying in my head."
Elaine said nothing.
This...
...was genuine.
Milady...
...has not realized her own feelings yet.
But at the very least.
It was certain that she was feeling something toward that person.
Elaine slowly lowered her gaze.
And.
Thought for a moment.
If Milady likes someone...
What kind of person he is...
...she had to find out herself.
It was only natural.
Milady did not have bad judgment when it came to people.
However.
Liking someone...
...and knowing whether that person is a good human being...
...were entirely different matters.
Elaine looked at Milady.
"Milady."
"Yes?"
"That student..."
"Yeah?"
"...I shall go meet him myself."
Shizuku's head turned back slowly.
"...Why?"
"Because there is something I must confirm."
"What?"
Elaine pondered for a moment.
And.
Answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Whether he is a man suitable for Milady."
"..."
Shizuku's face flushed red once again.
Elaine watched her figure.
And.
Just a tiny bit.
...she felt anxious.
Milady making a face like that...
...was truly something she had never seen before.
"...I shall be back."
"Wait."
"Yes?"
"What are you planning to say?"
"I will decide after I meet him."
"Elaine."
"Yes?"
"Don't scare him too much."
Elaine paused briefly.
"...Me?"
"Yes."
"I am always polite."
Shizuku did not reply.
That silence...
...was a bit dissatisfying to Elaine.
However.
It couldn't be helped.
Elaine eventually turned around.
And thought as she walked away:
Student Council President Akira.
What kind of man is he?
What on earth did Milady see...
...to make a face...
...like that?
Elaine decided to verify the answer herself.
And.
Even up until then...
...she never dreamed that after meeting that man...
...she would end up acknowledging him...
...even before Milady did.
...Not even in her wildest dreams.
//
"I have come to see you regarding Ichinose-nim's matter."
From the very first sentence, it was extraordinary.
Her appearance was so excessively neat that it felt unrealistic instead.
Not a single crease in her school uniform, not a single strand of hair out of place, and even her standing posture was naturally upright.
A person for whom that wasn't dressed up, but simply her default setting.
Her eyes were the key point. They weren't cold, but they weren't warm either.
She was simply observing.
Yet somehow, that gaze gave off the feeling that she had already figured everything out.
An imbalance where, from the opponent's perspective, they had zero clue what she was thinking, but felt like she knew everything about them.
Breaking into a cold sweat, I maintained as calm an expression as possible.
"You came regarding Ichinose-nim's matter?"
"......Yes."
"Specifically, what kind of..."
Elaine examined me for a brief, fleeting moment.
It was a look that seemed to be confirming something. Neither measuring nor being wary. Just—a look of grasping the situation.
"It is not a topic suitable for discussion standing in the hallway."
"......."
"Do you have time?"
Her tone was polite, but left no room for leeway. A structure with zero margin to refuse.
Because there was no fluff, it sounded all the heavier.
"...I do."
"Then, this way."
She didn't speak at length.
I felt as though she also had a rough idea of why I was flustered.
No, it goes without saying.
'....That thing from yesterday.'
Is this even fixable?
No, can this be salvaged in the first place?
When I messed with Shizuku, who is practically the pinnacle of high-born families?
...However, the atmosphere wasn't one where I could ponder over this.
The fact that her exclusive servant came in person, rather than Shizuku herself, made me feel without words that something major had happened.
Whether I would become trash who confessed blinded by beauty, or a superhuman who properly explains himself here and makes it out alive, depended on my actions right now.
"I have something to say for a moment—"
"—Let us discuss that inside."
Midway through pressing me, she shoved me into the interior of the classroom we had arrived at.
"...!"
There wasn't even time to say anything.
She pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit right there.
I stared at her for a moment, then sat down on the chair.
She took a seat opposite me and pulled out a notebook.
-Sagak, sagak, sagak,
The sound of her holding the pen and writing across the sheet of paper felt like my own heartbeat.
There was no hesitation in her hand as she moved the pen.
Right now, she came to me for the purpose of verifying something.
....That fact was actually even scarier.
How do I really get out of this?
If I make even a tiny slip of the tongue here.... do I die? Just like this?
No, in the first place... I just brought up those words in a place where the person concerned wasn't even present....!!
Besides, I don't even know what Shizuku is thinking right now either...!
"..."
However, I realized that exchanging gazes in prolonged silence was far more terrifying.
The atmosphere was even colder than when I went for my first interview.
....This, I really have to do something about this.
Having briefly paused her hand, she said nothing.
And yet, in my head, her warning was ringing loud and clear.
Hurry up and speak.
".....Haa."
Feeling like a prisoner being forced to confess, I began to read the transparent characters appearing before my eyes.
[ Elaine ]
[ Status: Extremely Vigilant, Suspicious, Questioning ]
[ TIP: Answer honestly and satisfy the other party. ]
How many minutes had passed?
Around the time the cold air slowly began to feel prickling against my skin.
"Then."
Elaine opened her mouth.
"What aspect of Shizuku do you like so much?"
"......."
"Ah."
She immediately added.
"If it is difficult to answer, you do not have to."
Those words basically meant:
If you don't answer, I'll make things difficult for you, right?
.....Honestly, I wanted to run away, but right now I couldn't even do that.
As much as she suspected me, I had to approach this with utmost seriousness.
1. If it's her beauty... what is there? Everything?
2. The fact that she is a Hard Worker?
3. Because she has big breasts... wide hips, and a body that looks like she'd bear children well.
4. I just like her.
5. Rather than liking her... she is a friend.
Ignoring option 3.
...First, let me think. Why did she come looking for me?
I racked my brain trying to understand the current situation.
I was talking with Kanna about Shizuku, and somehow words like 'confession' and 'fell in love' ended up coming out.
The fact that she was actually working hard. Was the problem that I noticed that?
I chewed on the words I had said back then.
'After working that hard, for nobody to acknowledge it... that's kind of sad. Let's not bring up the family too much to Ichinose even here. It must be tough on Ichinose too. She's the eldest daughter of the family.'
I didn't properly realize it back then, but thinking about it now, I get it.
...Shizuku is the eldest daughter. And of a high-ranking family at that.
If my words from that day caused a butterfly effect...
And if she came looking for me to find out my true intentions...
....Is the answer... this?
[ Selection: Number 2 ]
【 Warning: The answer differs from expectations. 】
【 Please check the opponent's reaction. 】
.....Holy fuck.
///
He is ordinary. No, is he ordinary?
Elaine was harboring such thoughts as she continued her questions.
Student Council President, Akira.
Excellent grades. Student Council President. School reputation, not bad.
That was how it looked on paper. These were things she had verified in advance before coming to see him. If it was someone involved with Milady, grasping at least that much was the proper order of business.
However.
......More than she thought.
Elaine slowed her pace for a second.
The atmosphere of the Student Council room from earlier lingered in her mind.
When they sat opposite each other, he was nervous. He tried to hide it, but—the way he hid it was awkward.
The timing of him adjusting his posture, and the subtle consciousness in his effort not to avert his eyes, were subtly visible.
That wasn't in a bad sense.
Rather.
'...He's on the honest side.'
He was a person unaccustomed to hiding things. Or a person who didn't feel much need to hide them.
Either way, it was slightly different from what Elaine had expected.
"Then."
Elaine opened her mouth.
"What aspect of Shizuku do you like so much?"
"......."
"Ah."
She immediately added.
"If it is difficult to answer, you don't have to."
Of course, she thought he wouldn't answer.
Because most men were like that.
She's pretty.
She comes from a good family.
Her atmosphere is mysterious.
Just that much.
Elaine, who had watched Shizuku since childhood, knew.
They all without exception praised Shizuku's looks, extolled her family, and called her cold atmosphere mysterious.
However, Elaine knew.
What they liked wasn't Shizuku, but the image of Shizuku they projected.
So she thought this time would end quickly as well.
The men who approached Milady were all alike.
Even while saying they liked Shizuku...
...when actually asked what they liked about Shizuku...
...they could not give a proper answer.
Simply...
...because they only liked what was visible to the eye.
That was why Elaine threw this question at him.
If he couldn't answer...
...she planned to use that as an excuse to cut off the conversation.
And yet.
"What I like about her, huh."
He looked out the window as if contemplating for a moment.
"The fact that she's a Hard Worker?"
Elaine's fine eyebrows twitched.
"...A Hard Worker?"
"Yes."
"Milady?"
"Yes."
Elaine almost let out a laugh.
That was something she was hearing for the very first time.
As the eldest daughter of the family, she excelled at everything.
Studies.
Sports.
Socializing.
It had always been that way since she was young.
If told to do something, she accomplished it.
If taught once, she mastered it quickly.
Things others spent years building up...
...Shizuku accomplished with utmost ease.
At least...
...that was how it looked to Elaine.
For a man who hadn't even met her for long to claim he knew such a side of her.
"In what aspect?"
This time, she genuinely asked.
If he couldn't answer...
...she intended to end this conversation.
"When we first met,"
the man spoke.
"Ichinose-ssi didn't put sugar in her tea."
"..."
"However, last time, she put in two spoonfuls."
Elaine's expression hardened.
"...You noticed that?"
"Yes."
"What does that have to do with being hard-working?"
"Because Ichinose-ssi doesn't like sweet things."
"..."
"And yet, she was smiling the entire time that day."
He paused briefly.
"It was probably because the person she was with was someone who likes sweet things."
Elaine said nothing.
"Ichinose-ssi works hard in that manner."
"..."
"Without anyone knowing."
"..."
"Without bothering to mention her own discomfort..."
"..."
"...so that the other person can feel comfortable."
Elaine kept her mouth shut.
That...
...she didn't know.
She knew Shizuku didn't like sweet things.
However...
...she didn't even know the fact that Shizuku was putting up with it.
"And,"
the man continued.
"she is an extremely diligent person."
"...Diligent?"
"Yes."
"And what is that supposed to..."
"She remembered what I had said last time."
"..."
"It was just a casual remark I made."
He smiled.
"When we met next, Ichinose-ssi remembered it."
Elaine's expression froze little by little.
"Isn't that just having a good memory?"
"That could be."
He readily admitted.
"However, I don't think so."
"...Why?"
"Because even after returning home that day, Ichinose-ssi must have recalled what I said once again."
"..."
"What the other person said."
"What they like."
"What they dislike."
He quietly looked ahead.
"She would have tried her best to remember it."
Elaine could say nothing.
That was Shizuku.
She was always like that.
In places where others didn't notice...
...preparing alone...
...learning alone...
...and accommodating others alone.
And yet...
...this man knew it.
"Ichinose..."
The man slowly continued.
"...knows that she appears to be a perfect person."
"..."
"That's why I think she works even harder."
Elaine looked at him.
"Even though she is perfect?"
"No,"
he answered.
"because she is not perfect."
"..."
"A person who looks perfect disappoints others even with a tiny mistake."
He paused for a moment.
"She is a person who continues to work hard even while knowing that."
"..."
"I like that about her."
Elaine didn't say a word for quite some time.
At first...
...she had intended to tear him away from Shizuku.
That was why she had asked...
...if he really liked Shizuku.
And yet.
"..."
"..."
"...What is this?"
She unconsciously muttered to herself.
"Why do you ask?"
Elaine slowly looked at the man.
And.
Just a tiny bit...
...she felt that she had asked the wrong question.
......This guy is the absolute best, isn't he?
So much so that she herself wanted to cheer him on instead.