My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 203

"Mizuto-kun, help me take off my socks~"

"I haven't picked up the comics yet."

"Oh, right."

I put down my belongings and opened the door again. Izana crawled out of the private room on her hands and feet.

Then we went to the bookshelf area.

"We can read so many comics as we please..."

"Isn't this incredibly exciting!"

Indeed... these bookshelves crammed with comics are spectacular just to look up at.

As I casually flipped through a few comic books, Isana said, "Ah, this one. And this one too." She then hugged the comic books to her chest one by one.

"Ugh! It's gone after episode 5! Who took it and won't give it back?!"

"You have no right to judge others now."

Looking at the approximately twenty comic books she was holding in her arms, I was dumbfounded. "You definitely can't finish reading them in three hours."

I received half of the manga selected by Isana and returned to the private room with her. I gave up on the ice cream since I didn't have any hands to hold it.

Isana piled the comics on the computer desk, said "Okay!" and pulled her arms inward.

"Then let's start over!"

As she said this, she stretched her foot out to me.

I understood without needing to say more. I helped Isana take off her socks on the soft mat.

"It feels like I'm in Mizuto-san's room right now~"

"Then paying for it would be a loss."

"No, it's still different from usual. We're all wearing uniforms, aren't we?"

"Oh, no wonder."

"No wonder?"

Isana tilted her head slightly, looking blank, and I pointed to the light blue fabric peeking out from between her thighs.

"I saw it all. You forgot you were wearing a skirt today."

"...I...I showed it to you on purpose."

"That won't work either."

"Awooo~..."

Izana sat on the cushion in a W shape, keeping her thighs tightly closed.

Then, simply look to the side and say:

"...However, Mizuto-kun, it's actually like this."

"Um?"

"During summer vacation, I spent almost every day in my room with my classmate Shuidou... As a result, I'm probably getting worn out."

"Smooth what?"

"Shame."

After saying that, Isana stopped holding down her skirt.

What's frightening is that she actually changed to sitting cross-legged.

"Now I might feel okay about you seeing my underwear."

"Restore it now! Restore your sense of shame!"

"Why~? As long as Mizuto-kun doesn't get any lewd thoughts, it should be fine, right~?"

...I never said I couldn't.

That's where the trouble lies.

Yui Irito ◆ Yearning for and pursuing the same goal

"Well then, that's all for today."

The first day of the student council activities ended after a brief explanation of the work content.

As if he had timed it perfectly, the former president, Hoshino, got up from the guest sofa while yawning.

"Oh—you're done talking? Let's go to the welcome party then."

President Hong stared blankly at Senior Xingbian.

"You specifically chose this place for your afternoon nap, could it be just for this?"

"Hey, hey, hey, are you trying to ostracize me? Usher me, the senior who did you a favor? Huh?"

"Ugh~ This OB is so annoying. I'm so disappointed in my senior."

After Senior Sister Ya Shuang finished speaking in a teasing tone, Senior Brother Xing Bian opened his mouth wide and laughed heartily without any shame.

I don't know much about this senior's personality; I just think he might be the life of the party in the group. Compared to the charismatic president who commands the room with his personal charm, he has a different kind of leadership quality.

"Alright, regardless of whether we should let that OB join, the venue for the orientation party has already been booked. We hope the two first-year female students will definitely attend."

"Ah, yes. Of course I won't be absent."

"I'll definitely go!"

After hearing my and Asuha-in's replies, President Kurenai nodded with a smile.

After that, the six of us left the school together and walked down the street with President Hong.

Leading the way was, of course, President Kurenai, with Asuhain and I following behind. Behind us, Asou-senpai seemed to be looking for an opportunity to joke with Hoshibe-senpai, and then Haba-senpai followed closely behind like a shadow.

"How was your first day in student council?"

President Hong turned around and asked our first-grade group.

"We haven't officially started working yet, so it's hard to say... I just feel very nervous. Because I'm rather shy around strangers..."

"Really? If that's the case, then I think you're very good at coexisting with your own shortcomings. I can't tell at all that you're shy."

I was so happy to hear that. I felt she had astutely pointed out the part of me that I wanted to be praised for. Someone like her must be a natural-born leader.

"Lan, what about you?"

"Ooh! Uh, this, that...!"

Tomorrow, Ye Yuan's petite frame froze in panic, saying:

"I feel that the atmosphere... is more relaxed than I expected."

Perhaps he was too anxious, because he almost revealed his true feelings.

Asahi-no-Yuan immediately groaned and covered her mouth, but President Kurenai just chuckled and said:

"As you can imagine. Last year, I had the exact same thoughts as you."

"Huh...? The student council president too?"

"I originally thought it would be a more serious and dedicated organization, but the president at the time, as you can see, was that carefree senior. I thought to myself, now I can only rely on myself to pull myself together."

President Hong gazed towards our back. There, she saw Senior Xingbian seemingly imitating some kind of online streamer, being scolded by Senior Yashuang: "You're nothing like her at all! Apologize to Aisha's admin right now!"... But then again, it turns out that when Senior Yashuang met the senior, she referred to herself as using her own name...

"I bet you, Lan, are thinking about the same thing, aren't you?"

"Ah! No, well, how should I put it..."

Asahi-no-Yuan's voice trailed off as she looked away. It seemed her prediction had come true.

"There's nothing wrong with that."

Upon hearing President Hong's firm and powerful words, the students from Tomorrow's Ye Academy turned their attention back to her.

"I have no intention of spouting any rhetoric about adapting to local customs. As a first-year student, your earnestness and reliability are actually an inspiration to us second-year students. Just do things your way."

"Okay, okay...!"

Asahi-no-Ya-in, true to her name, tensed up, accepting the president's golden words. It was hardly the attitude one would expect from a woman only a year older than herself. Did she perhaps think the president was a god or something?

After the president turned back to the front, Asahi-no-Yuan finally relaxed his shoulders and sighed.

"...Asuka-in, I have a question for you."

"What's up?"

After I spoke politely, Asahiya looked up at me with a gaze that still held hostility. She was quite cute, so she wasn't scary at all.

"Where did you meet President Kurenai, Asuha-in? I worked with the president when I was an executive committee member."

As far as I remember, Asuhain isn't a member of the executive committee. Since she admires the president so much, she must have had some interaction with him somewhere. I wonder where she met the president?

"...There's no particular reason."

Asahi-no-in lowered his head slightly and said with a self-deprecating smile.

"When I first entered school, I was harassed by a boy... Usually I can get rid of him in a few words, but that guy was particularly persistent."

Oh, so she got hit on. Xiaoyue mentioned that she's often mistaken for a middle school student, so she doesn't get approached by boys very often. But while Asuhain is about the same height, her bust size is... well...

"Just when I was racking my brains, Senior Hong happened to pass by and helped me. She looked so dignified and cool at that moment..."

I nodded repeatedly in my heart.

In terms of height, President Kurenai and Asuhain are actually not that different. However, for some reason, President Kurenai appears to be taller than she actually is. It must be because she is fearless in front of anyone and has a strong sense of self.

"So, I started aiming to join the student council. Anyway, I'm good at studying, and I thought that as long as my grades were good enough, I should have a chance to be invited, so I studied hard... but I didn't expect..."

“Ahahaha…”

She glared at me with resentment, and I could only force a smile.

"Sigh." Asuha-in sighed again.

"I thought I could handle the small talk with my senior better, but my mind just went blank... Irito-san, how come you can talk normally with someone like Kurenai-senpai? Is it just that you get used to it?"

"Hmm... well... actually, I was also completely frozen with fear at first, but..."

If I had to say what marked the beginning... perhaps it was that incident.

I remembered the boy who should have been at the very back of the group, like a background figure.

"Although President Hong seems to live in a different time and space than us... don't let her appearance fool you, she's actually quite ordinary in some ways."

"Ordinary? You mean Sister Hong?"

"Hmm... I think Asuha-in will find out soon too."

Asahi-no-Yuan squinted and frowned slightly.

"...I always feel like you're putting me down..."

"Huh? No, no, I absolutely didn't mean that!"

However... topics related to romance are probably a landmine for Asuhain-kun.

I don't know if it's a big deal. What if she finds out that President Kurenai actually likes Haba-senpai? I don't know what will happen.

Yui Irito ◆ Student Council President's Side Job

We were led to a coffee shop with a sign in a quiet alley; this was the venue for the welcome party.

Whether they had booked the entire restaurant or there were simply few customers to begin with, we weren't seen in any other establishments, and we were leisurely led to our seats. As first-year students, we naturally huddled together. We had barely sat down next to Asuhain when President Kurenai said:

What would you all like to drink?

After listening to everyone's answers, the president nodded and said, "Hmm."

"Then I will go and make preparations. Please wait a moment."

What are they preparing? Just as I was wondering, the chairman walked into the staff lounge.

"Rinri is working here."

As Shuang, who was sitting next to Xingbian, said.

I was taken aback and said: