Chapter 1 – Kureha Sara and Mareshino Rui

When I stood by the window, I heard such whispers.

“Who do you think the most popular girl in this school is?”

“Obviously it’s Kureha Sara-san!”

Today was the weekly committee meeting. As the vice-president of the Aitan Festival committee, I was currently in the meeting room at the Cultural Affairs Building, sitting idly. This place would only open during this time of the year.

It was already October, but the summer heat was still lingering in the air, so it was hard to believe that we’ve entered autumn for quite a while already. Still, we had to wear our autumn uniform; a bolero on top of our usual uniform. But because of the heat, it felt stupidly stuffy. Hopefully, the air would cool down soon.

With the winter closing in, we, the second-years, had become busier. It was because the third-years had to prepare for their upcoming exam next year, and they couldn’t participate in organizing school events such as the November’s Sports Festival and the December’s Aitan Festival, so naturally, we’d have to handle most of the job ourselves. This was always a problem every year, the school shoulda held those festivals earlier, but no, of course not.

At that moment, my reflection on the window caught my eyes. It had become a habit of mine to admire my own look.

My waist-length, shiny reddish hair swayed smoothly in the wind, coiffed down to the tip like a fine lace. It was flawless. Perfect.

The makeup I applied to my face was light, my eyeshadow and my fan-shaped eyelashes blended naturally, with the latter standing out, adorning my face even further. Perfect.

Now, posture check. I was taller than other girls my age, and if I wasn’t careful, I could unconsciously hunch my back, so I always tried to keep it straight. My body line, that I always measured every night, was perfectly showcased with the way I wore my uniform. Perfect.

As always, I looked pretty.

Finished with their classes, the underclassmen started to gather inside the room. When they saw me, they stopped walking, then they bowed to me before continuing, as if they were my believers or something.

Cute, weren’t they? Seeing this felt more pleasant because I knew that they adored me. Hehehe…

“…Then, for the next Belle Fleur…”

“…Yes, I’ll definitely vote for Kureha-san…”

It was hard to not break out into a smirk after hearing those words.

Moments like this; When I was being praised by those students, was the most enjoyable moment of my life.

This school, Mizugahara Academy, was an integrated school consisting of both middle and high school. It was a traditional all-girls school for specifically young rich ladies. To be the top student of this school, you had to act like a Galapagos, strictly adhering to the traditions and abstain from doing anything that a modern girl would do, such as getting a boyfriend or following trends.

For example, they encouraged you to be well-educated and always act gracefully. Of course, having a good look was also important in this matter, as it would make it easier for you to be ‘adored’ by everyone. And that ‘adoration’ was more important than anything else.

Giving those other girls a good impression was important, and maintaining it was even more so. If you hadn’t figured it out already, I had been working on that all my life. All, so that I could stand where I was currently standing! And I won’t give up until I reach the top!

If I were to step outside the school, I would be just another beauty that you could find every once in a while. But here, my existence was sublime!

As I was the most popular girl in this school!

The ultimate ‘Onee-sama’ of the Mizugahara Academy! Someone who was born with talent and passion! That was me, Kureha Sara!

If you need proof to my statements, well…

“Niiyama-san.”

“Eh? Y-Yes?!”

As I turned my body around and called out to one of the girls who were speaking just now, her body jerked up, like a startled puppy. Her big eyes blinked repeatedly, as they fixed their gaze at me.

“You can’t do that, Niiyama-san. It’s prohibited to tell your friend who you’re going to vote for. Especially since you’re a member of the committee.”

“A-Ah… S-Sorry… I-I didn’t mean to…”

Her cheeks reddened as her face scrunched up like she was about to cry. My words seemed to affect her that greatly, and I found her reaction to be quite cute and endearing.

I walked up to her, straightening my back so that I’d look graceful as I did so. When I arrived in front of her, I took her small hand. In this situation, I could try to wipe her tears for the maximum impact, but that would be too much.

Instead, I smiled down at her, who was ten centimeters shorter than me.

“K-Kureha-san…?”

I held her hand a little tighter and this time, her face turned bright red. The murmurs around us had stopped at some point. When I found the perfect moment, like a theater actress, I opened my mouth and began to speak.

“Still, I can’t say that I’m not happy to find out that you adore me. I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations. That’s why, please, continue to place your trust in me, okay?”

Then, I placed my other hand on top of her hand, moving it so that I could grip that small hand of hers a little tightly between my hands. Of course, this move was intentional. Hearing my words, Niiyama-san nodded her head vigorously with an elated expression.

“…I-It would be my honor!”

That was the reaction I wanted to see. She didn’t scream because of my actions, but everyone around us still looked at her enviously. I moved my hand to stroke her hair. She stared at me, as if enchanted by what I was doing. There was a tinge of nervousness, and desire in her defenseless expression.

I could feel a shiver of excitement running down my spine. This feeling… So irresistible!

Everything was on the palm of my hand. No exceptions. Like a cake, waiting to be consumed by me!

Even Niiyama-san, the girl who was dubbed as one of the five prettiest girls at this school, was bewitched by me! This was the result of all my efforts!

All my efforts! My sweat and tears! Everything was so that I could achieve this! To be popular among those girls!

Before you were suspecting anything, my motive was 100% pure. Girls were cute, and I liked them… They smelled so nice and their bodies were soft, I liked them… Ahh… I liked them!

“I hope that everyone here keeps my words in mind. We shouldn’t talk too much about the matters of the voting… At least until the beginning of next month…”

Calling out to the rest of them, I smiled at them, before giving them a wink. Those cute girls responded to me eagerly, like baby birds asking to be fed by their mothers. Cute. Like ‘em.

In the future, I planned to do at least sixteen things with them, but for now, I had to endure. I should never touch them. After all, I couldn’t risk them liking me less.

Because there was a title that I was so determined to get!

‘Belle Fleur.’

The star of the Aitan Festival, the prettiest flower at Mizugahara Academy, the person everyone would look up to. To be bestowed with that title, one had to be chosen by vote from all the students at school.

She must be a ‘pure saint,’ which meant she must never carelessly laid her hand on anyone who approached her.

That was why—

Suddenly, the door opened with a bang.

The atmosphere suddenly changed, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed this.

“Thank you for waiting. Let’s begin the meeting immediately.”

The girl who came in was a perfect beauty who had her hair tied up with a blue ribbon that she tied around her head. Although her voice, as clear as an angelic bell, was quiet, it managed to captivate everyone in the room. Including me.

This girl had everything. Personality, intelligence, and above all, the kind of beauty that would captivate anyone no matter who they were.

Just by walking, she managed to completely change the room’s atmosphere. No matter where she set her feet on, her surroundings turned into a stage that would only emphasize her beauty. Everything around her seemed to sparkle with life.

The grace she possessed made the notion that she ever cried uglily as a baby sound ridiculous. This world didn’t lack such beauties, but there was something in her… Radiance that could only be emitted by a ‘true’ beauty…

“…Oh, no… Mareshino-san is as beautiful as always…”

“…Hurry, take our seats. We can’t keep Mareshino-san waiting…”

The underclassmen whispered as such to each other as they took their seats.

Meanwhile, I stared at the back of the girl with the fluttering blue ribbon for a while.

Mareshino Rui.

She was my rival. The obstacle I had to overcome to achieve my goal.

* * *

Mizugahara Academy didn’t have a student council. As such, they’d form special committees to organize each school event.

Most events would be participated by both middle school and high school students, and the event we were organizing was no different. Since each class sent two people as a member of the committee, there were around thirty people here, ranging from first-years of middle school to the second-years of high school.

The president of the committee was chosen among the second-years of high school who had the highest grade out of everyone. I expected that I would be chosen, but it turned out that wasn’t the case. Instead, Mareshino Rui was the one who was chosen.

Then again, this girl was the indomitable queen who had always held the highest grade since back when she was a middle schooler. Everyone around her had a great expectation of her, especially the teachers. I’ve even heard that some of the teachers actually consulted her regarding how they should make the exam’s questions.

If I represented an ordinary girl who received recognition through hard work, then she was a natural born genius.

…What I was trying to say here was… She was a strong opponent for me.

After everyone took their seats, Mareshino-san opened her pretty lips and spoke.

“Now, I declare that the regular meeting of the Aitan Festival Committee has begun. Since this is our first meeting, we will start with self-introductions. After that, I will brief you about our goal and our future work flow, then we’ll end the meeting as there isn’t any work to be done yet for now. Alright, we’ll start the self-introduction, starting from the fifth-years.”

In this school, because the middle school and high school were too closely related with each other, they called the second-years high schoolers ‘fifth-years’ for convenience.

With a graceful gesture, Mareshino-san shifted her chair, stood up and placed a hand on her chest. There were no flaws in her movements, a perfectly beautiful gesture.

“My name is Mareshino Rui. I am this year’s Aitan Festival Committee’s president, and I will do my best to do my duty properly. Pleased to work with you. I’m sure the first-years have many questions that they want to ask about the main duty of this committee and such, that’s why, feel free to consult me. I’ll try my best to answer all of your questions.”

Her voice sounded gentle and pleasant to hear, and her manner of speaking was polite, but it wasn’t overly polite. That last remark of hers expressed her consideration towards the middle school first-years, adding perfection to the already amazing greeting. I was both proud and fearful of being in the same year as her.

After she finished her greetings, Mareshino-san sat down and signaled to me with her eyes. Fine. Going after her put so much pressure on me, but it wasn’t like I could do anything about it. Let’s just get this over with. I stood up from my seat.

“I am Kureha Sara, the vice-president of this year’s Aitan Festival Committee. My goal for the festival this year is to give our Senpais a grand send-off. I mean, if this year’s festival turns out to be a great success, it could be used as a reference for our year’s send-off next year, wouldn’t it? In any case, please take care of me, everyone.”

Small chuckles echoed through the air as they heard my greetings. The atmosphere of the room had softened considerably. As that happened, I glanced sideways to see Mareshino-san’s face. Well, who woulda thought? She was as expressionless as always.

Sometimes it felt like she always gave me the cold shoulders. Did she see me as a rival or something? Or maybe she just hated me. I heard she always treated everyone nicely, but that clearly never happened with me.

After that, everyone took turns to introduce themselves.

Hearing the first-years’ innocent introduction felt pleasant. They were at the crossroad of their adolescence… Maybe I should consider seducing some of them…

“Now that everyone has introduced themselves, I’ll announce the brief overview of our plan in the future.”

Mareshino-san stood up and wrote our timeline on the whiteboard. Today was the second Thursday of October. They’d begin the voting on the first Monday of December, and the festival itself would be held around Christmas. There was a good chance that we wouldn’t be able to hold meetings in December, so realistically speaking, if we held our meetings every Thursday, we could only hold seven meetings in total.

Only seven times… That wasn’t a big number, was it?

On the bright side, this meant I’d get to meet with Mareshino-san, who was in a different class than me, seven more times. Seven times to glance at her pretty visage from a close range like this. Bless me, bless my eyes.

“So, what we’ll have to do is to prepare for the voting session and Aitan Festival at the same time. As for the voting candidates’ names…”

Mareshino-san’s handwriting looked as dignified as she was.

Her explanation went on for a while. I didn’t really have anything to do, so what I’ve been doing was staring at her blankly. If I were to become the Belle Fleur, I gotta have a girlfriend that was at least in Mareshino-san’s caliber.

Speaking of her, I wonder what kind of face would she show to her lover? She bore the air of a graceful young lady, so I was sure that she was a kind, sweet and devoted girl. I want her as my wife…

More time passed as I was thinking about such things. Before the meeting was about to end, something unexpected suddenly happened.

“…Esumi-san and Tanihara-san refused to participate?”

As she said that, Mareshino-san furrowed her brows.

“Um… Yes… Apparently so…”

The girl who answered, someone who was in the same year as me, nodded her head fearfully.

Esumi-san and Tanihara-san were both prominent girls in our year. Of course, by ‘prominent,’ I meant they were incredibly pretty.

“The Belle Fleur candidates should be chosen among the fifth-years. Every year, we always had six candidates at once, whether they were recommended by others or they nominated themselves, but…”

I turned my gaze to the whiteboard as I propped my chin with the back of my hand.

“So, only two candidates left this year?”

My eyes met with Mareshino-san’s. It was clear that she felt troubled over this development. The gap between her usual expression and her current one was obvious, and it only made her look even more gorgeous. What a cutie.

“This never happened before…”

“It should be fine. I mean, it isn’t like we can force anyone to become a candidate.”

“That’s true, but…”

She seemed to have something else to say, but in the end she gave up and shifted her focus back to the meeting.

“…I understand, I’ll notify the teachers about this. But, is everyone really okay with this? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the Belle Fleur of the Aitan Festival, you know?”

Belle Fleur was the title that every girl in our school dreamed of, so I understood what Mareshino-san was trying to say. Despite that, everyone in the room shook their heads firmly, as if their sullen look from before was a lie.

“Of course! No matter who’d be nominated… There’s no way they’d be able to beat the two candidates! The winner will definitely be among them!”

In response to those words, voices of agreements echoed through the room. I see…

The two candidates. Their names were written on the whiteboard. Kureha Sara and Mareshino Rui.

* * *

After the meeting ended, everyone dispersed, except for the president and the vice-president as they had to clean up the room and return the room’s key to the school. In other words, I was alone with Mareshino-san.

It was already dark outside. Aside from us, the room was pretty much deserted, and the air felt chilly for some reason.

Suddenly, Mareshino-san let out a sigh.

“Are those girls for real? Did they mistake the school’s traditional festival for a popularity contest or something?”

It was rare to hear such words come out of her mouth. Rather, it was the first time I’ve ever heard it.

I wasn’t trying to criticize her or anything, but I kinda need to say something here to balance things out.

“It has always been the case, isn’t it? Essentially, it’s a popularity contest. While personality, academic performance, and appearance are all important factors, in the end, it’s the students’ vote that will decide who’ll acquire the title.”

“Belle Fleur is the symbol of this school. It’s not about your fleeting popularity among students, it’s about someone who embodies the core teaching of Mizugahara Academy, ‘love.’”

That was indeed something that would come out of THE honor student’s mouth.

“Even if you say that, what can we do when there is no one who’s willing to be a candidate?”

Unlike Mareshino-san, I didn’t really take this matter seriously. So what if there were people who withdrew their candidacy? It didn’t matter in the slightest.

Because in the end, it would be either her or me that would win the whole thing.

I continued tidying up the chairs and stacking them to the side. Since we’d be having a meeting next week anyway, I did think that we should just leave the chair where they were, but whatever. This way, I’d have more time to be together with Mareshino-san, so that was a big win for me.

“Kureha-san.”

“Hm?”

I hardly interacted with her because we were in different classes. While I liked her because she was pretty, I could tell that she wasn’t that fond of me due to my rather carefree nature.

That was why it caught me off guard when she suddenly called out to me like that.

“Kureha-san, who do you think is the most fitting to be the Belle Fleur. Me, or you?”

Wow, that was one hell of a question.

Well, in my opinion, it was clear that I was the more popular one among the two of us, but it wasn’t like I could just say that right in front of her face. So, I decided to gloss the question over a little.

“I can’t really answer that question. I mean, I don’t know much about you, Mareshino-san.”

“You have a point. Yeah, we don’t know each other much, do we?”

My answer seemed to have convinced her. Still, why did she even ask me that question in the first place? Maybe she had something in mind regarding the matter?

Anyone who attended Mizugahara Academy would understand each other’s feelings of longing for the Belle Fleur title. But I sensed a stronger feeling of longing from Mareshino-san than anyone else’s.

Too bad for her that this matter wasn’t negotiable for me. My reason for it might be impure, but it was still a dream of mine to become the Belle Fleur.

The atmosphere around her changed a little. She stared at me with a serious face, as if she was taking the university entrance exam.

“…If I say there’s a more reliable way to become the Belle Fleur, what would you say?”

That came out of nowhere.

Then it hit me. The reason why she stayed behind was to talk to me about this.

Interesting. What did she have in mind, I wonder?

“Something like me getting a risque picture of you and threaten you to withdraw, Mareshino-san?”

“Not that far, of course, but…”

Mareshino-san took my outrageous words with a cool face. Come to think of it, I did hear that she had a whole mansion for a house. If I were to threaten her, I’d be the one who’d end up in the ditch…

“But, you went in the right direction. Since there are only two candidates left, if one of us were to withdraw, the one who left would automatically become the Belle Fleur.”

“Theoretically speaking, yes. Still, even if someone were to bribe me to withdraw, I wouldn’t nod my head and back down.”

“What if…”

She held up one finger.

“I were to give you ten million yen for it.”

“…What?”

Such an amazing sentence just flew out of the mouth of THE honor student herself.

Ten million yen? She wanted to bribe me with ten million yen? That was crazy. My family was a mere normal family, receiving ten million yen at once— Wait, I needed to stop panicking!

I crossed my arms as I stared at her. If she were to realize my current state of mind, she’d definitely look down on me, so I had to appear unperturbed.

“The title couldn’t be exchanged for money. Of course I’ll refuse.”

A thin smile appeared on Mareshino-san’s face.

“As expected of you, Kureha-san. I knew this kind of farce wouldn’t faze you at all. Pardon me, that question wasn’t meant to test you or anything.”

No, I was actually shaken, you know? Because I knew if I were to say yes, you’d actually give me the money you just mentioned.

Even so, judging from the way she spoke, it was clear that she wanted the title that badly. My stomach churned from anticipating her next move. Then, she opened her mouth.

“Then, why don’t we have a proper showdown?”

“…A showdown?”

“Yes. A showdown between the two of us. To find out which among us is worthy of the title Belle Fleur.”

I see.

What she was trying to say was that we shouldn’t let it come to voting to decide who was the worthy one, instead we should just decide it between us.

Her emerald eyes, reflected in the fluorescent light, were staring right at me.

This was a tough situation, I shouldn’t get dragged into her pace carelessly. I personally didn’t mind having us two duking it out, it was just… While I definitely wouldn’t use dirty tricks against her, there was no guarantee that she would do the same.

Indeed, I really didn’t know her well. I’d bet that this was part of her personality that she had never shown to anyone in school.

Carefully, I gave her a reply.

“That’s a rather weird idea that you have there, Mareshino-san. If I were to accept it, wouldn’t that mean I’d be trampling the feelings of the girls who are putting their trust in me?”

“I believe that if someone were to put their trust in anyone, they’d accept whatever the conclusion that someone came to. So, this doesn’t mean you’ll be trampling their feelings, but rather you forwarded it to someone else. You can rest assured, I won’t do something heinous.”

“Can you swear upon the title of Belle Fleur?”

Hearing my words, Mareshino-san averted her eyes. Oi, seriously?

“…You can rest assured, really.”

She didn’t dare, which meant she was incapable of lying.

This girl… I didn’t know what I should do with her…

Though, I gotta admit that this whole thing seemed interesting. I’ve always been interested in her, so I wanted to see what she was up to. Wouldn’t it be fun to fall into her trick?

Alright, since such a pretty girl asked me for a favor, it wasn’t in my nature to just refuse her.

“Fine. But, first thing first. How do we determine the winner?”

“Right. I’m no match to you when it comes to athletic prowess, after all…”

“And I can’t beat you when it comes to academics.”

I let out a sigh at our back and forth interaction.

“Jeez… I assume that you’ve come up with a fair way for us to compete in this showdown, haven’t you? There’s no way someone like you would suggest something like this thoughtlessly.”

“I guess using the word showdown here is a little bit too much…”

She quickly corrected her previous words.

“I’d like both of us to decide, which of us is worthy of the title Belle Fleur.”

“Are you suggesting we watch each other’s every move?”

Since I still didn’t know what exactly she was up to, I said those words to her to probe.

She looked at her watch. It was almost time for us to leave. Perhaps sensing that if we were to continue on the talk with this kind of atmosphere, the deal wouldn’t happen, she took a deep breath.

“Not exactly, but that’s the right direction… I’ll just tell you what I’m trying to say directly.”

It was the first time I’ve seen her looking so nervous. Back when she gave her speech at the national speech competition, there was no trace of such emotion in her face.

“Kureha-san… Please be my lover… During the two months of time before the voting begins… I’ll prove to you that I’m worthy of the title Belle Fleur…”

‘…Huh?’

My mind went blank after hearing those words. Kureha Sara was supposed to be the ultimate ‘Onee-san’ whose composure would never falter under any circumstances, but you know… There was a limit to everything!

The only saving grace in this situation was the flush in Mareshino-san’s cheek, proof that she herself was aware of how ridiculous the words she uttered were. If this was under any normal circumstances, I would have already came forward to check if she had a fever or not.

“U-Um…?”

“Like I said—”

She was about to repeat her words, but I managed to cut her off.

“Wait. I don’t understand what you are trying to do here. Why should I become your lover instead of, you know, friend?”

“Because I believe there’s a big difference in the quality of information you can get as a lover.”

“That… Makes sense, yeah… But…”

This meant I’d have to show her my true nature, something that I’d only show to my lover… If that were to happen, she’d be able to snatch the Belle Fleur title from me easily! What should I do here…?

But… Something that could only be shared between lovers… An image of Mareshino-san smiling shyly at me appeared in my mind…

Oh no, that thought just plunged my mind into chaos. Was this a normal thing that would happen when two most popular girls at school talked to each other in private? Like they’d become lovers immediately? I don’t know anymore!

“Well, that’s a rather interesting proposal you brought up there, but there’s one thing that you overlooked, Mareshino-san. I’m a girl.”

“I know, I’m a girl too.”

“Can I take it as you don’t mind with such a relationship?”

To my question, she nodded as if the answer was obvious from the start.

“Yes. As long as it’s with you.”

Anyone in this school would definitely yield after hearing those words. Hell, if it weren’t for this strange situation, I’d be jumping in joy already!

I felt so lost. This wasn’t something that I even dared to imagine. Mareshino-san? Asked me to be her lover? I wasn’t dreaming, was I?

“What about you? Do you have someone you’re interested in already, Kureha-san?”

She asked me that question, but from her tone, it seemed like she had already known that there was no such person in my life. Did she hire a detective to investigate me or something?

“No… But, Mareshino-san…”

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell this to anyone. We’ll keep our relationship a secret from others. Or do you find me not attractive enough?”

Wait, what were you saying?!

“No. In fact, I’d be happy if you were to take my hand in marriage, Mareshino-san. Honestly, I don’t think there’s any girl in this school that would reject your proposal.”

“Aren’t you exaggerating it too much…?”

At my words, her face turned red in embarrassment. Huh? Could it be?

But there was no way… It was as if she wasn’t used to being called pretty… Still, it didn’t seem like she was faking it…

Anyway, the idea of getting her as my secret lover was definitely a good thing. Like, I wouldn’t be losing out at all from this.

Since I wouldn’t give up from becoming the Belle Fleur, that meant I could just flirt around with her for two whole months. Seriously, this situation was crazy.

While I didn’t know much about her, she was a real beauty, and that was enough for me to accept this.

The only problem here was how should I pace myself and how should I seal this deal with her?

“I understand. Can you give me some time to think? This is a serious matter, after all. I promise you I’ll come up with an answer tomorrow.”

“No.”

She refused my request with a stubborn voice. What? Why?

Then, she took a step closer to me. Her cheeks were flushed, making her look even prettier than she already was. The intense gaze in her eyes made it hard for me to keep staring at her.

Guess this was how it felt when a renowned idol suddenly came to me, grabbed my hand and peered into my face. This wasn’t the kind of pressure I could easily handle!

Still, I had to say something here!

“W-Why though…?”

As I asked her that, she placed her hand on my cheek. H-Hey!

My body involuntarily shivered. No, it wasn’t because her hand was cold, I was just surprised that she suddenly did this! Of course, I wasn’t upset or anything.

I couldn’t do anything but lock my gaze with her, but before long she averted her gaze. Well, that made me feel a little bit better.

It seemed like she was about to say something grandiose, but after struggling for a while, she settled with a whisper. There was a vulnerable expression on her face.

“I don’t want you to…”

“What? Why? I mean, this is all really sudden and—”

I was about to complain to her, but she suddenly made her move. Her expression shifted to a determined one, the one she had always worn as the queen of this school, and she brought it closer to mine.

Her beautiful face, so pretty that I couldn’t believe that she was even a human, came even closer to mine as she brought her lips to my ear. Then, like a sweet poison, she whispered something in my ear.

“Stop resisting, just be my lover already.”

“W-Wait, what?”

My heart felt like it was about to explode. There was no way I could keep my composure after all that. But, the more powerful blow came right afterward.

She pressed her lips against mine.

“Mm— Mmmph–!”

No way…

I never expected this at all! The reason why I didn’t shove her away as soon as I realized what she was doing was because self-control was my forte.

Any normal girl would back away in surprise, but this was ME we were talking about. THE Kureha Sara. My reaction should always be different than any normal girl’s!

And so, I accepted her kiss gracefully, as if kisses like this were nothing to me. Besides, since we were going to be lovers anyway, this much should be fine. We just did it earlier than normal.

I relaxed my tense body as I returned her kiss. But, she wasn’t done yet. Suddenly she pulled my neck closer with her hands and inserted her tongue into my mouth. W-Wait!

Her tongue carefully explored my mouth. As soon as she found my tongue, she gave it a gentle lick, as if carressing it.

Guess the rumor about her being delicate and attentive was true. It was completely reflected in the movement of her tongue. All the caresses she had done made me feel dizzy.

For a moment, I was dumbstruck. I didn’t know who I was and why I was even here in the first place. It was as if I was drowning, the sensation overwhelmed me.

That was how irresistible this whole thing felt. It made me feel that I shouldn’t let her go.

I put my hand around her back, just like what any drowning child would do. I clung to her, determined to not let her go. Then, as if she was trying to stroke the head of a drowning child, she moved her tongue again.

That kiss must have lasted for three whole minutes.

She released me and took a step back. Everything felt like a blur to me, I couldn’t even remember my own name at this moment.

Still, I opened my mouth, trying to say something to her. But, my tongue was frozen stiff.

“Phew… M-Mareshino-san, you—”

I ended up calling her name as I tried to catch my breath. My brain felt like it had turned into a mush.

On the other hand, Mareshino-san… Her face was bright red, but there was a seductive smile on her face. A completely different smile than the one I was familiar with.

“Oh my.”

She let out a chuckle.

“It was great that you didn’t end up rejecting it, but I didn’t expect it to go this well. So you do have a cute side, don’t you, Kureha-san?”

Her taunting words made me snap back to reality.

All the heat subsided from my body as I opened my mouth.

“…To become the Belle Fleur… You’d need to be ‘pure’… Which means I’ll be screwed if you were to tell anyone what we have done…”

“That applies to both of us. But you won’t do that, will you, Kureha-san?”

“How are you so sure? You don’t even know me well.”

“Then, I hope that I’ll get to know you better from now on.”

This girl must’ve figured it out from the kiss just now! That was why she was provoking me, she knew that I wouldn’t back down so easily! She gambled on that one aggressive move and it paid off!

I could hear her smug inner heart’s voice. ‘After all that said and done, you’re still just a girl, Kureha-san. With just a little pressure, you already bent your knees. Also, what do you think about the kiss? It felt good, didn’t it?’

She underestimated me.

Fine, I’ll yield. I’ll take her on.

“I see, I understand everything now, Mareshino-san.”

“Then—”

Before she could speak, I put my hand on the back of her hair. It was soft, compared to the finest silk. Then, my hand traveled toward the tip of her ribbon. She could only watch me doing my things while letting out a small yelp.

Seeing the look she gave me woke up something inside me.

This time, I’d be the one who’d make her give in.

So, I leaned down and kissed her.

Her eyes widened for a moment as she tried to push me away reflexively, but I didn’t let her go. I embraced her soft body and mercilessly thrusted my tongue inside those flower-like lips of hers. She did it to me first, so it was fair for me to do this, right?

This was the girl who was respected like a saint in this school, and I earnestly violated her mouth with my tongue. It was like splashing paints on a blank canvas, the sensation felt so good that my mind went black for a moment there.

“Ngh— Fwaah… K-Kureha—-San—!”

Unable to keep up with the situation, she attempted to resist, but it only lasted for a brief moment. As if she had given up, she relaxed her tense body. Just like that, she had finally become my prey.

Good girl.

In the beginning of the kiss, I treated her rather roughly, but at this point, I had already shifted my method. Instead, I poured my affection at her, to reward her for her obedience. Kissing such a girl, someone who possessed the kind of beauty that’d make anyone envious, brought me a sense of immorality. It tasted sweet.

Obey me. If you do, I’ll reward you with a good time.

I took my time as I carefully explored her mouth. Before I knew it, Mareshino-san was already tilting her head, moving her tongue as if welcoming me. Her mouth was wide open and lewd noises could be heard, coming from inside.

Just before we’d go even deeper into the kiss, I let her go. The part of her shoulder that I grabbed felt hot to the touch, as if it was a ball of fire.

“Haah… Haah…”

She tried to catch her breath.

Her face was bright red, her eyes were moist and unfocused. There was no trace of her usual dignity. It was funny to think that this person was the president of the Aitan Festival Committee, someone who was loved by everyone in this school. What I was seeing in front of me was just a girl in heat.

And I was the one who made her like this.

Oh, no… This… Was more fun than I thought…

Mareshino-san picked up her bag that she placed nearby. She took out a handkerchief from inside before wiping her lips with it, trying to regain her composure. The previously dry handkerchief was now stained with her saliva.

“…I-I… N-Never expected you to be such a… P-Passionate person…”

“Well, I just tried to repay what you’ve done to me, following the motto of our school. Repay kindness with kindness.”

I smiled at her.

At that point, Mareshino-san finally managed to regain her composure.

“That’s a good point that you made there.”

“So, what do you think? Am I worthy of the title Belle Fleur?”

“…I… Don’t know about that yet…”

But, she didn’t seem as calm as she usually was. She stared at me with an intense gaze.

“Is it okay for me to take the previous kiss as your reply?”

Look at her. Trying so hard to turn the tide into her favor.

Well, fine. I wouldn’t mind becoming her partner until the voting session started.

“Let me change something to the clause.”

“…What is it?”

She had already regained her competitive spirit at this point. There wasn’t a shadow of doubt in her eyes. This was exactly the Mareshino Rui I expected to face off against.

A formidable foe who wouldn’t solely rely on trickery. If I wasn’t careful, I’d be trapped within her net.

And that was exactly why I was so eager to go against her. I could go all out, without holding anything back.

I pointed my finger at her.

“It isn’t me who’d become your lover, but you who’d become mine.”

“…Fine. It doesn’t matter anyway, besides, I can give you at least that much out of consideration as I’m the one who started everything. Besides, you’ll realize soon that you won’t be able to live without me.”

* * *

I turned off the lights and walked out of the room. Mareshino-san locked the door, before turning around to face me. Was she glaring at me?

From the way she looked at me, it seemed like she wasn’t only trying to taunt me. Though, I didn’t know what kind of feelings she was trying to hide.

But, I did know one thing.

“I won’t lose.”

She said, but that was supposed to be my line, you know?

“No. I will definitely make you submit.”

Our harsh exchange echoed in the cold night hallway.

Just like that, my five years of purity was ruined by Mareshino Rui.

Which among the two of us would become the Belle Fleur? Which among us would bring the other one down to her knees? And, what exactly was the reason behind this whole situation? Well, there were still two months before the promised time. I’d get to know everything eventually, as we’d try to get to know each other deeply.