Chapter 3

Pardon me.

How did everything go, sir? Did your proposal pass? Were there any issues?

I deeply apologize for my delay in getting here. My work shoveling snow ended early—Or rather, it was canceled, and so my hands were freed.

Fufu, I entirely forgot that a snowstorm was coming.

I had to put off shoveling the snow, as it would have been nothing more than a waste of time.

But you seemed so eager to do this on your own…

So keeping that in mind, I decided to pass the time by lending Takamine-sama a hand with his work in the shopping district.

It’s true; you really are no longer a child… Now if only you would stop asking for my help with other things, such as getting changed.

It does feel lonely, but I hardened my heart and waited a while before I came to see you, in hopes that I could see your growth.

Butler-san, Butler-san. I do apologize for interrupting your endless list of explanations… the Princess is currently not in the student council room. A pity, isn’t it?

Oh my, Hibiki-sama. We run into each other quite often here, don’t we? Especially considering neither of us are on the student council.

…You seem a bit downhearted; might I ask why?

Fufufu. It appears it’s not enough to simply put up a façade; you will see right through it.

That is my duty, yes. One cannot call themself a first-class butler if he cannot instinctively detect the slightest of changes in their master.

Of course, you are not exactly my master, Hibiki-sama.

But we are in a unit together, so I found myself a little worried.

My, thank you for your concern! Oh, Butler-san, hear out my woes!

I’m sure you could already tell, but I just suffered a barrage of abuse from Hokuto-kun…!

Hm. And just what were you doing to receive such abuse, Hibiki-sama?

Oh? What makes you so certain that I am the one at fault?

I have plenty of precedent from past instances to believe as such. Hidaka-sama is not the type to insult others without reason.

Meanwhile, you are the type to irritate others without reason… And so there is a possibility that you received such a response because you were being obstructive.

How cruel! You should comfort me when I’ve fallen to depression! My weak, vulnerable self is not something you get to see every day, you know!

Sob, sob… All my kouhai are so very hard on me—It’s utterly heart-breaking! I envy the other Oddballs; they’re always adored by their juniors!

If you wish to be liked, then perhaps you should try behaving in a more becoming manner.

…But may I ask what actually happened? If you’d like, I’ll hear you out.

Fufun. Well, if you insist… fine’s activities as of late have been rather low-key and I have an abundance of free time, so I went to go pull some hilarious pranks on Hokuto-kun.

I’ve already lost any semblance of sympathy for you, Hibiki-sama.

Oh, but I didn’t go just to toy with him, you see! I beg of you, please don’t misunderstand!

Even I can make the distinction between good and bad times to joke around!

In any case, it feels as though Trickstar has fallen out of sync ever since the other day, when Anzu-san was hospitalized, don’t you think?¹

They’ve been somehow awkward and stiff, I mean to say.

I agree. Their strength lies in the reckless way they act however they so please. But lately they’ve been somewhat subdued.

As if a fire has been extinguished within them.

Yes. I imagine they’re worried about Anzu-san. She’s not yet recovered, so they don’t want to be too excessive.

However, that is probably far from her intentions…

How that SS lays before them, they need to push ever onward, stopping for nothing.

Which is why I went to give Hokuto-kun some advice! You could say I’m something of a Daddy-Long-Legs to him… ☆²

I stood before him and proclaimed that even if someone dies atop the stage, the actors must never allow the audience to know it—The show must go on, and the guests must be entertained.

But then he became enraged! “Don’t jinx us by talking about death!” he told me!

I said nothing wrong, did I? There was no need to be so angry!

It would benefit you to read the room occasionally, Hibiki-sama. I have no words to give to one who gleefully stepped onto a field of landmines.

Fufufu. Well, the other members of Trickstar and Anzu-san too were with him…

Once I scuttled away, it seemed as though they got themselves mixed up in a heated debate.

I thought I would set off a few of those landmines, in order to light up the sky with their fire once more…

And events did proceed according to that plan, but I’ve been berated near to death in the process—how depressing.

I thought I could ask Eichi to comfort me, as he is happy to giggle at any trivial thing I pull just like a little girl…

And so I made my way to the studen council room.

But Eichi isn’t here. He’s always in here around this time, but do you think he foresaw the snowstorm and left for home?

Butler-san, do you know where Eichi has gone?

Um—You’re asking me? But now that you say it, you are correct; President-sama is nowhere to be seen.

My master was meant to have come here, as well, and yet…?

Wh–what could explain this…? I have a bad feeling about this.