I’m Not Just the Protagonist’s Sidekick — Part 4

Takuto’s harem, who arrived late, stand in shock.

“T-that can’t be…”

“But if that’s who Takuto chose…”

“Then we’ll just have to accept it, however frustrating it is.”

Their resignation is palpable.

Meanwhile, Sakurako, maintaining her professional smile, responds, “Thank you for your feelings, but I’m sorry.”

Takuto, unwilling to give up, pleads, “At least let’s be friends!”

But Sakurako, still smiling, replies, “I’m sorry, but I’m very busy with work. Also… I don’t recall meeting you before.”

Oof.

I couldn’t help but laugh. To think that even Takuto’s legendary obliviousness would result in him not being remembered by Kuga Sakurako herself. Classic.

While Takuto and his harem stood frozen in shock, the rest of the students resumed clamoring to catch a glimpse of Sakurako. Seizing the opportunity, I decided to quietly slip away and head home.

Just as I turned my back on the photoshoot and started to leave—

Grab!

I felt a firm hand latch onto my wrist.

…Something told me I shouldn’t turn around. But as the grip tightened, I hesitantly glanced over my shoulder, only to find Kuga Sakurako standing there, clutching my wrist with a terrifyingly radiant smile.

The other students, stunned by her sudden action, whispered among themselves. “Who’s that guy? What’s his connection to Sakurako?” “Wait, wasn’t he just some sketchy dude?”

As I stood there flustered, Sakurako leaned in and spoke.

“Amane… where do you think you’re going?”

“I-I was just, uh, heading to the bookstore to grab the latest manga release…”

“Oh, really?”

Ahh! That smile is terrifying!

“I messaged you earlier about today’s important shoot, didn’t I? And I mentioned it was close to the school, so I asked you to prepare as much as possible beforehand.”

She delivered this with a grin, but for the first time in my life, I learned how frightening a smile could be. Just then, I noticed murmuring from the school building. Moments later, a familiar voice rang out.

“What’s going on, Amane? Sakurako?”

“Haru, you’re late!”

Haru!

Ichinose Haruhiko had arrived, and Sakurako immediately addressed him. The grip on my wrist loosened slightly, giving me the chance to break free. I darted behind Haru and clung to him for protection.

“Haru! Sakurako is terrifying!”

“What happened?”

“What do you mean, ‘what happened’? Amane tried to skip out on work again, that’s what!”

Haru gave me an exasperated look.

“But Haru, she’s got superhuman strength! My wrist is red from where she grabbed me!”

For emphasis, I showed my wrist. Honestly, it was a bit red. This woman is scary strong—what kind of model is she? Fraudulent, that’s what! I should file a complaint with the agency!

“…Amane.”

“Yes?”

“And Haru.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

* * *

“Stop fooling around and get ready. Now.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

As I braced myself against Sakurako’s dictatorship, I prepared for the shoot. Even though hair and makeup would come later, I figured I’d better get started on the basics—anything to avoid angering her further.

When I took off my glasses and mask—

“Wait, what?!”

“No way!”

“Is that…?!”

“Sena-sama?!!!”

Ah. I forgot to mention this. My name is Minase Amane, and together with my childhood friend Haruhiko and Sakurako, I work as a model. My stage name, Sena, comes from my last name, “Minase.”

“Minase-kun is Sena-sama?!”

“Seriously?”

“We’ve been breathing the same air as Sena-sama?!”

“He’s even cooler in person!”

“His face is so perfectly sculpted!”

As the class erupted into chaos, Sakurako smirked.

“Wow, Amane. Still as popular as ever. But seriously, what was with that awful getup earlier? Was it some kind of disguise?”

“It wasn’t a disguise! And it wasn’t awful! Why does nobody understand that I was just trying to protect myself from pollen? I have allergies!”

“Yeah, well, your usual look screams ‘suspicious person,’” Haru commented, shaking his head.

“Are you kidding me?”

That hurt. I’ve spent years battling pollen season, and this is what I get in return?

“I’m more surprised you’re shocked by this,” Haru muttered under his breath. I didn’t quite catch it over the chatter of our classmates.

“Anyway,” Sakurako cut in, “Amane, you really need to rethink your school outfits. One day, someone’s going to mistake you for a trespasser and call the cops.”

Gah! That was a critical hit!

As I reeled from the blow, I glanced at Takuto and his harem. They all looked dumbfounded, their expressions utterly vacant. I was about to say something when the manager called out to us.

“Sena-kun, Haru-kun, Sakurako-chan, time to prep for the shoot!”

It seemed word had spread that Haru and I had arrived. Everything was ready—the outfits, the set. So much for skipping out; someone had foiled my plan. I cast a quick glance at Sakurako, only to find her smiling sweetly at me.

“Were you thinking something rude just now?”

Eek!

Instinctively, I clung to Haru, prompting squeals from the nearby female students. When I looked up, I noticed Haru’s face had gone pale, and he was trembling. Following his gaze, I turned to see Sakurako’s scariest smile yet.

“Stop fooling around and let’s get to work, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am!!!”   

[The End]

Description