The night after the shocking confession passed.
I couldn't sleep much last night, so I faced the after-school hours still sleep-deprived.
In the printing room, I was vaguely gazing at the manuscript being spat out by the copier.
...Yesterday's Amane-san. She was serious after all.
Now that I think about it, why didn't I answer immediately?
If I had said "yes" to her confession, I would have had a girlfriend at that point.
A girlfriend. The girl I thought existed only in 2D was trying to appear in the real world.
I wish Tiara-san would have pushed harder, without worrying about my feelings...
"Nu-Nukumizu, the copier's stopped."
It was Komari who broke my train of thought.
While tapping the finished manuscripts to align them, she looked at me with a worried expression.
"A-are you okay? Y-your eyes look more lifeless than usual."
"Ah... Komari, you were here the whole time."
"D-die."
"...Hey, Komari."
"W-what?"
I deserved that. Komari and I came here to print the club magazine after school.
I let out a long sigh and looked up at the ceiling.
"Have you ever... been in love?"
Thump.
Komari dropped the stack of papers she was holding onto the floor.
"What's wrong? Are you tired too, Komari?"
"Sh-shut up and die! Right here, right now!"
Why is she so angry? I don't get it.
As I squatted down to pick up the scattered papers, Komari knelt beside me and reached out her hand.
"Nu-Nukumizu, the page order for Yanami's novel is wrong."
Oh, it's true. The ending is at the beginning.
"Well, we could just say it’s a stylistic choice."
"Sh-shut up. We’re fixing it."
"......Okay."
There’s a new plot development in Yanami’s novel.
My high school life was also about to move to the next stage—a possibility that I myself put a stop to.
"Come to think of it, you didn't write anything this time either. Are you in a slump?"
“Wha?!”
Komari looked flustered for some reason.
Aha, this is... she's probably writing BL. Something she can't show to other people, no doubt.
I handed the collected papers to Komari with a gentle smile.
"Yeah, you're busy, huh? I get it, I get it."
"W-what? You're creepy."
Even that awkward attempt to hide her embarrassment felt cute to me in my current state.
 After all, I was a guy who almost got a girlfriend. Seriously, why didn't I answer immediately...?
While I was lost in thought, Komari looked at me suspiciously.
"Y-you're definitely acting weird today. A-are you really okay?"
"I'm fine. In a way, I'm different from the me before, or maybe it's just something like that."
Komari sighed in exasperation and pointed at the door of the printing room.
"I-I'll take care of the rest. Y-you wait for me in the club room."
There was no arguing with that. Faced with a cold dismissal, I nodded obediently.
Banished from the printing room, I walked down the hallway towards the club room. Come to think of it, I might be acting strange today due to lack of sleep.
Last night, on top of not being able to sleep until late, a drowsy Yoshiki tried to get into my bed, causing a commotion...
Mistaking rooms when coming back from the bathroom, Yoshiki can be so absentminded.
As I was about to pass by the bulletin board, I hurriedly stopped.
Stuck there was—the latest issue of the school newspaper.
This time's special feature was packed with topics like the student council election and the sports festival.
The top story was, as expected, the student council election.
A large photo of Tiara-san shouting without minding her nosebleed was prominently displayed.
Tiara-san must have read this...
Shikiya-san's sudden interruption was orchestrated by male student A, and Ms. A-na's mysterious speech was apparently a spiteful jab due to being rejected. Male student A is the worst.
Even so, what outrageous rumors. The student council members liking me—?
No, it's not all rumors.
Tiara-san likes me.
Looking back on everything with that in mind, haven't I done some pretty terrible things...?
As I mentally organized past memories, my eyes landed on a certain advertisement in the school newspaper.
.........Limited-edition, unreleased photos of Yakishio who was going to the nationals, available for a fee?
I don't admire making money off things like this, but it's not good to criticize without seeing it.
Um, how do you buy the paid version again...?
As I pointed my camera at the QR code,
"Nukkun, whatcha doin'?"
At the same time as the cheerful voice, Yakishio forcefully slapped my back. It hurt.
"Just looking at the school newspaper. What about you, Yakishio? How was practice?"
"I've been running around inside the school building since break time. If I run on the track, the coach gets mad at me for not taking breaks seriously."
Yakishio, with a mischievous expression, dug her elbow into my side.
"Huh? What?"
"Don't you have anything to say to me?"
.........Come to think of it, we were so busy I didn't say it directly.
"Ah, congratulations on making it to nationals."
I said awkwardly out of embarrassment, and Yakishio pouted unhappily.
"......That's all?"
"Huh? Wasn't that it?"
"It is, but still. I qualified for the nationals in two events, aren't you even a little happy, Nukkun? Aren't you gonna go 'Yay!' or, like, give me a hug??"
No way. Introverts like me live cautiously 24/7.
"There's still more to come, right? You're aiming to win the nationals, aren't you?"
"Well, yeah, I'm aiming for it."
Yakishio grinned confidently.
"Then, once we win nationals, I'm gonna get a hug, okay?"
What's that? I only stand to gain.
Next to me, as I imagined hugging Yakishio in her uniform, Yakishio looked at the bulletin board with wide eyes.
"Oh yeah, what were you looking at, Nukkun? The school newspaper?"
"Ah, no, this is—"
As she continued reading, Yakishio's expression turned serious.
And after finishing the article, Yakishio gave me a sidelong glare.
"......Oh, it's the enemy of women."
"It's a rumor. Besides, there's no guarantee that this 'male student A' is me, right?"
"It's you, Nukkun."
It is and it isn't.
"Huh? What?"
As I was wondering how to explain, Yakishio stared intently at my phone.
"......Hey, were you by any chance trying to buy my photo?"
Crap, I forgot I had the camera app open.
"No, that was, um, my finger just accidentally touched the camera icon and it just started up..."
As I stammered out excuses, Yakishio grinned and then—forcefully slapped my back. It really hurt.
"What?"
"You're definitely the enemy of women, Nukkun. I'm gonna tell Chiha-chan."
"Why Asagumo-san?"
She has nothing to do with this, but somehow I don't like it. It's scary.
After slapping my bewildered back once more, Yakishio spun around and ran off.

When I returned to the club room, a heartwarming scene was unfolding there. "Yanami-senpai, ahh."
"Yes, ahh."
As Yanami opened her mouth wide, Shiratama-san tossed in a chikuwa. It looked very similar to a scene from the sea lion show at the Takeshima Aquarium.
"What are you two doing?"
Shiratama-san smiled sweetly when she noticed me entering.
"My relatives gave me some chikuwa, so I'm sharing. Club pres, would you like some too?"
"Thanks. But I'll pass."
For some reason, the two of them have been getting along well lately.
Apparently, the deciding factor was Yanami picking up an onigiri instead of an eraser, but the situation and whether Yanami ate the onigiri remain a mystery.
"Nukumizu-kun, is the printing of the club magazine finished? We're all ready on our end."
Yanami dry-fired the stapler. Click click.
Koyanagi and I were in charge of printing, while Yanami and Shiratama-san were in charge of binding.
"It'll be done soon. By the way, I've been laid off."
"Ah..." the two of them said in unison. Apparently, everyone thought I was useless today.
In that case, like the enemy of women I am, I'll let the girls work while I relax.
As I sat in a chair, gazing at the wall, there was a knocking sound.
The door opened to Yanami's cheerful "Come in."
"Excuse me, is Nukumizu-san here?"
It was Tiara-san who entered the club room.
Seeing me jump up involuntarily, still affected by yesterday's events, Tiara-san looked relieved.
"Eh, um, what brings you to the club room?"
"I came to deliver the thing I promised. I completely forgot to give it to you."
.........The thing she promised? What Tiara-san held out was a cute paper bag.
Looking inside, it was an assortment of Chika-pyon store promotional displays.
"Can I really have this? Really?"
"I promised, didn't I?"
That's true, but being rewarded for my efforts normally is a first since I enrolled, so I was surprised.
Wow, this is a super rare one from before the first season aired.
As I grinned holding the display, Tiara-san peered into my face.
"Nukumizu-san, are you going to be late today?"
"Well, I'll be a little late since I'm working on the club magazine."
"Oh, that's a shame. My student council duties finished early, so I thought we could walk home together."
"Huh? With me?"
Click. Yanami stapled something loudly.
".........The election's over, right? Why are you two going home together?"
"There's no particularly deep reason. Just friends. I thought it would be nice to walk home together sometimes."
Tiara-san said lightly, then turned to Shiratama-san.
"Then, I'll borrow Shiratama-san instead. Would you mind coming with me?"
"Sure, for a little."
Shiratama-san glanced at me and stood up. Why does Tiara-san want Shiratama-san to come?
Shiratama-san gave me a cute wink as I made various confused faces.
"Club pres. I've decided to join the student council."
Is it okay for criminals to join the student council?
Well, the previous president was an accomplice, so maybe the rules are surprisingly lax.
As I convinced myself of this, Tiara-san gave me a small nod.
"I was the one who asked her. Of course, I'll make sure it doesn't interfere with the Literature Club's activities."
We're the ones who are very grateful for your joint management of the unexploded bomb.
"It’s fine with us. Well then, Basori-san, please take care of Shiratama-san."
Tiara-san, who was about to leave the club room, looked back over her shoulder.
"Oh, you're not calling me by my given name today."
"Well, I thought you didn't like being called by your given name."
What came back to my honest question was—Tiara-san's smile.
"I don't mind if it's you, Nukumizu-san, you can call me by Tiara."
Permission to call her Tiara... was granted?
Tiara-san chuckled again at me as I froze and left the club room with Shiratama-san.
After confirming the door was closed, I plopped down in my chair.
Alright, I managed to get through today somehow, but things are going to be tough from now on...
".........Stare..."
Yanami looked at me while muttering to herself. What was that about?
"Do you have something you want to say to me?"
"What was that just now? Were you always like that with Basori-san?"
"Like what...?"
"You always call me by my family name with '-san', but you call Basori-san by her first name? Huh."
I see, so that's what she's getting at. I see, I see...
I rested my elbows on the desk and hid my mouth with my clasped fingers.
"Well, Yanami-san, listen. It's true that through the election campaign, you could say a mutual understanding with Basori-san has progressed. Creating a connection with the new student council president will strengthen the Literature Club's position in the future, and I think that aligns with Yanami-san's goals, wouldn't you say?"
Even with my perfect explanation, Yanami still had a displeased look as she put a mini chikuwa in her mouth.
"The student council election is a sacred thing to choose the representatives of the students, you know?? Using the election campaign as an excuse to get close to girls is a little impure, don't you think?"
"If you're going to say that, Yanami-san, aren't you doing something similar?"
"Doing what?"
At my unintentional words, Yanami looked suspicious.
"Yanami-san, you were with Sakurai-kun the whole time during the election period, right? He's popular with girls, and I don't think that's very good."
"Sakurai-kun? He was busy with student council work, so we weren't together that much—"
Yanami, who had started to say something, suddenly looked like she had realized something.
"Yanami-san, what's wrong?"
Without answering, Yanami slowly stood up and plopped down next to me.
.........Huh? What? This is scary.
To my nervous self, Yanami said in an amused tone.
"Nukumizu-kun—you're totally jealous, aren't you?"
.........Huh? Jealous? Me?
What are you talking about, Yanami-san? I hurriedly shook my head.
"That's not it. I just wouldn't want Sakurai-kun to have baseless rumors spread about him."
"......Why are we talking about Sakurai-kun here?"
Yanami suddenly turned serious.
"Why? Because that's what I've been talking about from the beginning."
"No, you haven't! We were talking about how you're jealous because I was getting along with Sakurai-kun!"
It's the same thing! Hmm, so maybe I just need to change how I say it...?
"In other words, if strange rumors start spreading about him and you, Sakurai-kun will be the one who suffers."
"There’s nothing strange going on though?"
It's plenty strange, Yanami-san. I still can't trust you with my Sakurai-kun...
Yanami sighed in exasperation and plunged her hand into the bag of mini chikuwas.
"That's the thing with you, Nukumizu-kun. Here, this is delicious."
Yanami held a mini chikuwa in front of my mouth. I ate it without thinking, and the aroma softly spread in my mouth.
"Oh, this has ginger in it."
"Good, right? I've been hooked on these lately."
Yanami, who had suddenly become cheerful for some reason, put the last one in her mouth.
While vaguely watching her, I pondered Yanami's words.
.........Apparently, she thinks I'm jealous.
"Sakurai-kun is one of my few male friends, and it's true that I feel a sense of alienation when he's getting along with Yanami.
Expressing that as jealousy might not be entirely wrong.
In other words, I only felt more alienated because Sakurai-kun's companion was my friend Yanami—"
Feeling relieved that I had explained my own feelings, I watched Yanami, who had finished her chikuwa, twirl her hair with her fingertip as she asked.
"......More importantly, what was Basori-san's theme for the scavenger hunt?"
"Why are you curious about that?"
"Because Basori-san held a boy's hand and crossed the finish line in front of the whole school, you know? It was even written up in the school newspaper, so if you don’t give a proper explanation, they’ll get the wrong impression.”
I can't say for sure that was the wrong impression.
The theme Tiara-san drew was—the person you like.
It was the one thing that the gossip article in the school newspaper got right
"Things like this tend to drag on if you refute them poorly. It’s best for me to ignore it."
Alright, that should do it. With this, Yanami should be convinced.
"That's true. So, what was the theme?"
.........Yeah, she's not convinced. Her gaze is kind of scary, so I'll just try to bluff my way through.
"Friends—yeah, it was 'male friends'!"
"Hmm, 'male friends' for a theme where you don't even know who's going to draw it, huh." Yanami muttered to herself as if talking to no one, then rested her cheek on her hand and gave me a sidelong glare.
"Y-yeah, that's right..."
"Well, whatever. I've sent Shiratama-chan into the student council anyway."
"What does that mean?"
"Now, what could it mean?"
Yatnami dodged the question with a theatrical tone and stood up abruptly.
She walked straight to the window, her expression hidden from me.

(next part is anna’s enemy of women scene)