Enjou Shuusuke POV

Chapter 4

Every May, Suiran takes us out on excursions to various luxurious place. This year, though, we would be going to an animal farm.

Masaya happily talked about competing on horseback, rafting, and getting to see the animals. He was especially interested in racing on horseback against me.

The competitive spirit he had infected me as well. So as soon as the bus stopped at the farm, we ran to the stables and coerced the stable-hand to let us pick out horses to ride on. Our teacher gave us helpless looks but allowed it, and soon a few other students joined in, picking out horses and riding around the farm. It only took a few minutes for Masaya to command the ranch-hands into emptying one of the grazing pastures for a pseudo-race track.

Mounted on our horses, we raced against each other while people cheered from the sidelines. There were a few other kids who could ride horseback as well, but they weren’t being cheered for. How pitiful...

While we were taking a break from racing, I glanced around the farm while still mounted on my horse. In the distance, I could see a cluster of girls playing with some of the small animals, and saw Reika surrounded by numerous rabbits, and cuddling a small white one to her face.

I merely stared as I saw the rabbit snuggle close to Reika, who happily held it in her arms. Suddenly, she looked up and stared at me. Quickly but making sure to not look like I was staring at her, I diverted my look and turned away from her.

“Shuusuke! Lets race again before we leave!” Masaya called out to me as he mounted his horse again. I nodded and led my horse back to the starting point of the race track.

Of course, the race ended in tie. Masaya happily told me he planned to do horse-riding when summer vacation came. I agreed to race against him when the time came.

I suppose that was the start of Masaya's interest in horse riding.

-

“So, how about it, Enjou-san?”

“I rather not...” I began to reject, but the teacher looked incredibly pitiful. Aren’t I a member of the Pivoine? Why must I do odd jobs and help out in the Executive Committee? That's the job of the external students.

It's been several days after the excursion, and I was supposed to be relaxing in the Petite with Masaya, but my teacher had requested I stay behind so we could talk. I was originally worried, thinking I might have done something, but instead she was requesting that I go and do odd jobs.

“You don’t have to worry about being the only member of the Pivoine there! Kisshouin-san is also helping out!” The teacher spoke quickly as she lowered her head to me.

I maintained my politely neutral expression, but frowned inwardly. Reika? So what if she's there?

My teacher seemed to have noticed the drop in my mood, because she quickly added on, "Kisshouin-san will be helping out and is very familiar with the work, but I think if there was another member of the Pivoine there, it would help her get along with everyone else. You know how hard it is for Kisshouin-san to get along with the others right? You'll be really helping her out."

... I can pay her back this way, right? I guess there's no choice.

“All right. I’ll help.” I flashed a smile as I agreed to the teacher’s begging.

-

The executives from 5th and 6th grades gathered before the real preparations for the athletics carnival, and we introduced ourselves.

Among these people, I spotted Reika looking around with a polite but empty smile on her face.

Hmmm... hey, Reika, do you realize that a smile that does not reach the eyes can scare people?