As I had feared, lots of students has heard about how the Love Consultation Club had successfully repaired the relationship of the couple from the Drama Club. The good news is that everyone thought that Nagano did all the job and I was just there to be there. Those people who called Nagano wanted to consult her and her alone and didn’t want me around. Fine by me since it means less work for me.

   According to Nagano, her advice didn’t really work out.

   ‘Don’t look at me. Your clients didn’t want me around, remember?’ I told her.

   ‘I know, but you could have insisted, right? You’re the brains of the club, remember? How are we supposed to help them if you don’t provide them with solutions?’

   ‘Again, not my problem.’

   After a few more visitors and failures, the club became untrustworthy once again. No one had ask for a consultation for weeks. Ah. It’s so nice when things are peaceful.

   Just remember one thing, folks. It’s never a good thing whenever things are too quiet for you for a long period of time. It’s literally a calm before the storm.

   It was just another day for me. Once again, my schedule is free for the evening as I didn’t have to go to work, and there was no consultation. And then, she was there.

   Iseri Ayano, the Ice Queen of Jindai High.

   She’s standing in the middle of the corridor like she owns the place. Her arms are crossed, and she’s holding her school bag on her right hand. School hours was over a while ago, so no one else was there beside us. Even so, I could already imagine the students and even teachers walking on the left or right side of the corridor instead of straight up telling her to move.

   Just as I thought that she’s waiting for her ex, she notices me and stiffens. Great. She was waiting for me.

   ‘You that guy from that Love Consultation Club thing, right?’ she asks me.

   ‘Unfortunately, yes.’

   ‘You got a minute or two?’

   ‘Well, it’s true that I don’t have anything better to do right now.’

   ‘If that’s the case-’

   ‘But I refuse!’

   She looks at me in disbelief.

   ‘What did you just say?’

   ‘One of the things I like to do most is to find someone who think that they’re tough and tell them “no!” straight to their face!’

   Oh. My. Holy Jojo. I actually managed to say the legendary line in real life. I can die without regrets now. Which will probably happen in a few seconds since I defied the Queen.

   Her reaction was completely unexpected. I was waiting for her to throw a fit, or at least look at me with contempt for saying something incomprehensible. Instead, she raises her eyebrows in recognition, as if she knows where I got the line from. It was only a second, though, so I could have been wrong. I cough on my fist.

   ‘And that was a little joke of mine. Right this way.’

   She follows me quietly to the club room.

   ‘Where’ the other one?’ she asks me once we’re inside.

   ‘She went to help out at the shrine she always worked at since there wasn’t any consultation.’ I tell her.

   I make some tea for the two of us before I sit down. She takes a sip and made a face.

   ‘You’re not really good at this, are you?’ she asks.

   ‘My apologies. As you can see, my secretary isn’t around today.’

   She smiles evilly. ‘I’m gonna tell her you said that.’

   ‘Be my guest. That’s pretty much her role here anyway, so I doubt that she has anything to say about it. And oh, if you have issues with the tea, there’s a vending machine at the end of the corridor.’

   ‘You’re asking me to go out and get something for myself, aren’t you?’

   ‘No, I was going to ask you to go out and get something for yourself and get something for me as well while you’re at it.’

   That somehow made her laugh. It’s a pretty and pleasing laugh that doesn’t fit her image at all.

   ‘You’re a terrible host, you know that?’

   ‘I do my best.’

   ‘Something tells me you don’t have a lot of friends.’

   ‘Almost none at all. Well, enough about me. What business do you have with us?’

   Her expression immediately turns serious.

   ‘Ever since I’ve broken up with Kou, I constantly had the thought that I wasn’t in love with him at all in the first place.’

   For those of you with amnesia, the Kou she’s talking about is Kagawa Kou, the flashy senpai who plays basketball.

   ‘Oh? What makes you think that?’

   ‘You want to hear how it happened?’

   ‘Please summarize the entire thing in less than ten words.’

   ‘It all began last year, when the two of us were still first years. Kou was already popular among the girls since he looks quite hot, and his skills in basketball isn’t anything to sneeze at. He was and still is constantly surrounded by girls wherever he goes. Everyday, his shoes box are filled with love letters. He’s their absolute prince. It’s not only the girls. He’s very sociable, so he has lots of male friends as well. As for me, I’m the opposite of him. I hate crowds and I don’t have any friends. Before I know it, I’ve been called the Ice Queen.’

   ‘I don’t blame them. I mean, you look like a delinquent with that blonde hair of yours, your eyes are cold most of the time, and you speak crudely. Most if not every person would want to avoid you.’ I comment.

   ‘Cut me some slack would ya? I dyed my hair to this color cause black’s too plain! I look like I have piercing gaze cause I have trouble seeing where I’m going! As for my crude way of speaking, I was just trying to be blunt and direct!’

   ‘Well, hair and way of speaking aside, you could at least wear contact lenses. I didn’t recommend glasses since you might hate them for being unfashionable.’

   ‘I’ve tried those. They weren’t exactly comfortable.’

   ‘Then glasses will have to do. You don’t want to have a big fall, do you?’

   ‘I guess not.’ she admits grudgingly.

   ‘Anyway, please continue.’

   ‘Right. Well, Kou came up to me one day and said that we should go out together as the king and queen of Jindai High.’

   ‘And you just said yes?’ I shake my head in disbelief.

   ‘I can’t help it. He asked me during the after-party of the Cultural Festival in front of the entire class. I was under a lot of pressure!’

   ‘And I’m guessing you weren’t happy in your relationship?’

   ‘Admittedly, there were fun times. Kou’s pretty charming, after all. He’s also funny and talkative, you’ll never get bored around him.’

   ‘But?’

   ‘Despite all his charms, I’m still not into him. To make things worse, he never refused the approach of his fans even though he already has me. Also, his mood can change from being cheerful to being upset in the blink of an eye. He even snapped at me once or twice. He did apologize afterwards, but the damage was already done.’

   ‘I heard from my secretary that the two of you broke up. Mind elaborating?’

   ‘It was during another of his mood swings. I finally had it and put a stop to our relationship. He was quite depressed by it, so I may have done a bad thing. Which is why I wonder whether I should make up with him.’

   ‘Do you love him?’

   ‘No.’ she answers without a single second of hesitation.

   ‘Then the answer is clear.’

   ‘But-’

   I raise up my hand to interrupt her. ‘No buts. Being in a relationship is not about making only one person happy. If you can’t stand his mood swings, if you don’t even love him, then you did the right choice in breaking up with him.’

   ‘You know, you would have sounded more convincing if you didn’t have that happy smirk on your face.’

   ‘My bad. I just love it when a popular guy was turned away. My point is this. You don’t have to feel guilty about it.’

   She lets out a depressed sigh. ‘You know what’s the worse thing? This isn’t the first time this kind of thing had happened to me.’

   ‘I’m sorry, but your ten words limit has long been passed.’

   ‘Just shut up and listen.’

   ‘As you wish.’

   ‘I was in the fifth grade. There was a boy who was in love with me, see, but I only thought of him as a classmate. I rejected him as gently as I could, but his feelings was hurt anyway. He was so heart-broken he skipped school for two weeks. Our classmates blamed me solely for this and turned on me. A few friends I had no longer talked to me, and it lasted until we graduated.’

   ‘So when you got confessed again, you agreed on the sole reason that you didn’t want to hurt him, but you broke up with him anyway. Now you feel conflicted.’ I summarize up the whole thing for her. ‘And to discourage any further suitors, you put on a front that you’re a cold, haughty, nasty piece of work when you were just being insecure. However, your plan failed anyway, and now you’re left with a conflicted feeling and no friends to share it with.’

   ‘I’ll ignore that casual jibe you threw in, but other than that you got it right. So what am I supposed to do now?’

   ‘For starters, get a pair of glasses. After you’re done with that, throw away your facade and try to make some friends.’

   ‘The first two things I can do easily enough, but the third one, I’m not really sure.’

   ‘Just take things one at a time. Change your attitude and you’ll make friends eventually. I think.’

   ‘You suddenly don’t sound so sure.’

   ‘Senpai, you’re taking friendship advice from someone who only has two friends. I’m not the best person to ask about this.’

   ‘And you’re an expert in giving love advice?’

   ‘Not love advice.’ I correct her. ‘I’m just advising you on how to deal with your relationship problems.’

   ‘Well, I’m sorry for bothering you. I don’t really have the courage to talk things over with my parents since they’re always so busy.’

   ‘You should if it’s possible. Parents are normally very helpful in this kind of things, after all.’

   ‘Once again, you don’t sound so sure. Haven’t you ever discuss things with your parents too?’

   ‘Nope. My father’s most likely a slave for loan sharks for life, and my mother’s serving jail time for abusing me.’

   An awkward pause.

   ‘...My bad for mentioning them.’

   ‘No worries. And you shouldn’t blame yourself for asking for my help. Jojo fans should help each other, after all.’

   Her eyes widen immediately. ‘Huh? Wait, I-’

   ‘Please don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.’ I assure her. ‘It’s not like people will believe me anyway.’

   She starts to calm down after hearing my assurance.

   ‘Fine, I believe you. But just so you know, Jojo’s the only series I touched.’

   I shrug. ‘Doesn’t have anything to do with me, anyway.’

   ‘Good. Now that it’s out of the way, let’s go get me a pair of glasses.’

   ‘Why are you talking as if I’m going with you?’

   ‘That’s because you are.’

   ‘No no no, that’s not how this club works. I’m only here to provide you with advice. I’m not supposed to accompany my clients to go somewhere.’

   ‘Come on, don’t say that. You got a chance to hang out with the former Ice Queen! You should count yourself lucky!’

   I groan. There’s no getting myself out of this. And so, I follow her to leave the school. There are still lots of students who stayed back for their club activity, and a lot of them saw us walking together.

   ‘It’s not my problem if weird gossips start flying around.’ I tell her.

   ‘Bah. I don’t care about those kind of things anymore. You don’t either, right?’

   ‘True.’

   ‘Then it’s all fine and dandy.’

   When we reach a glasses shop near the school, Iseri-senpai gets her eye power checked before choosing the frame of the glasses.

   ‘How does this look?’

   ‘Looks fine.’

   ‘How about this?’

   ‘They suit you.’

   ‘And this?’

   ‘Looks good on you.’

   ‘Hey, are you even trying to help me pick here?’

   ‘Nope. Not at all.’

   She exhales loudly. ‘Well, at least help me pick one!’

   I turn my head towards the store clerk who had been standing near us from the beginning. ‘Do you sell swirly glasses?’

   ‘I’m afraid we don’t…’ the clerk answers awkwardly.

   ‘Shame. Those would definitely look good on her.’

   ‘Ah, you’re not helpful at all.’

   In the end, she chose one with a simple black rectangular frame. After the frame has been chosen, all that’s left is to wait for the glasses to be made, which would, according to the clerk, take around five days.

   ‘Five days until I can see clearly again.’ Iseri-senpai says after we left the shop.

   ‘You could have gotten them way earlier if it wasn’t for your pointless facade.’ I point out to her.

   ‘Yes yes, I know I made a mistake. Well, no more! The me tomorrow will be a brand new person!’

   ‘Just remember one thing, please. It’s good that you think that you need to change, but never, ever go aboard. Always go one step at a time or you’ll go back to square one again or worse.’

   ‘Are you speaking from experience again?’

   ‘Unfortunately, yes I am.’

   ‘You have some dark past.’ Iseri-senpai notes.

   ‘Don’t we all?’

   ‘Well, it’s getting late. So I guess I’ll be seeing you.’

   ‘Goodbye, senpai. Have a safe trip home.’

   ‘Before I go, I got one last question.’

   ‘Which is?’

   ‘I still don’t know your name yet.’

   ‘It’s Bandou Takuya.’

   ‘See you, Bandou.’

   And with that, we went on our separate ways. I thought I’ll never bee seeing her again, despite what she said. Boy was I wrong.

   It was during one of the many ten minutes break we get between classes. When I come back from the restroom, for some reason Iseri-senpai is standing outside my classroom. How did she even know which class I was in?

   Her face lights up when she sees me.

   ‘About time.’ she grumbles. ‘ I was waiting for you.’

   ‘For me? Why?’

   I notice the paper bag she was holding for the first time.

   ‘I just made these in Home Economic Class just now. Have some and tell me what you think.’ she tells me while handing me the bag.

   I take the bag and take a peek at the content. There’s some cookies inside.

   ‘They don’t have any wasabi or something equally horrendous inside, do they?’ I ask her.

   ‘What! Of course not! I wasn’t in the mood for a russain roulette!’

   I take one out and put it inside my mouth. I slowly chew a few times. Then I swallow.

   ‘How does it taste?’ she ask immediately.

   ‘Do you want kind, honest or brutal opinion?’ I present her with three options.

   ‘Um, just honest will do.’

   ‘You put little sugar and salt, so it’s kind of bland. On the bright side, you cooked it just right, so it’s not burnt or anything.’

   ‘And how many points are you giving this?’

   ‘50.’

   ‘What? Did I screw up that badly in seasoning?’

   ‘Not at all. In my opinion, putting too little seasoning is better than putting too much. Your fatal mistake was not putting chocolate chips, which is the only kind of cookies I eat.’

   ‘That’s just your personal preference!’ she accuses me.

   ‘Agreed. But you wanted honest opinion. If you asked for kind ones, I would have given you an 80.’

   She rolls her eyes in annoyance. ‘I don’t know why I still talk to you.’

   ‘You shouldn’t.’ I agree with her. ‘Our discussion yesterday was a one-time thing, after all.’

   ‘Oh, whatever. The break’s going to be over soon, so I should get back to my class. Expect wasabi cookies next time.’

   ‘Please don’t.’

   I planned to go inside the classroom once she’s gone, but everyone from my class is blocking the way since they were listening in to us. And all of them have a shocked look on their face.

   ‘You actually know Iseri-senpai, Bandou-kun?’ Takeuchi asks me.

   ‘Know is a bit far-fetched. We’re just acquaintances. No big deal.’

   ‘No no no, the fact that you actually talked to the Ice Queen of Jindai High is a pretty big deal. Besides, you were talking so casually with her! That reminds me. One of my friends said that he saw you walking out the school gate with her yesterday. Were you going on a date?’

   ‘Nope. Nothing of the sort.’

   ‘Come on, just be honest with us!’ someone demands from the back.

   ‘Nah, there’s just no way. Not Takuya.’ Masato dismisses.

   ‘He’s right. There’s no way a girl would actually go on a date with him without getting blackmailed or something.’ Kazuki adds.

   For better or worse, they’ll helping me out, so I didn’t jibe them in return like I usually would. I manage to get inside the classroom and gt to my seat.

   Of course, the words of me walking with Iseri-senpai yesterday and the cookie thing just now was spread like wild fire in an instant. And guess who called me out during lunch period to a secluded spot so that they could interrogate me?

   That’s right. Kagawa Kou the flashy senpai, Furuta Osamu the male gyaru, and their lackeys from the basketball club.

   ‘Hey hey hey~! Words have it that you and Ayano-chan went outside together, and she even gave you some cookies this morning~! Are the two of ya a thing now?’ the male gyaru demands.

   Again, his spits landed all over my face. I need to get a face shield one of these days.

   ‘Not at all. We barely know each other.’ I tell them truthfully.

   Of course, they’re not buying it.

   ‘Don’t give me that crap! She’s Kou-chan’s woman! They’re all lovey-dovey and stuff!’ male gyaru shouts.

   I raise my eyebrow. ‘Really? That’s not what she told me.’

   ‘Whatchu’ talking ’bout?’

   ‘I’m saying that she said she doesn’t love him at all, and the only reason she agreed to go out with him is that she was pressured to do it.’

   Flashy senpai lost his temper completely. He pushed male gyaru aside so that he could grab my collar.

   ‘Listen, you.’ he hisses. ‘Ayano and I are going out, no matter what she said. And you better not spread that lie she told you, or you’ll be getting it from us.’

   Us. Not him alone. He’s too much of a coward to beat someone up all by himself. As if I’ll be intimidated by a chicken like him. Alas, it’s not like I can beat them up, since no one will believe me if I ever told someone that they were in the wrong.

   ‘Kou, stop that right now!’

   ‘Kagawa-senpai actually threatened someone? How awful!’

   ‘Here I always thought he’s a sparkling prince!’

   ‘I’m so disappointed in him!’

   Unless Iseri-senpai and his entire fan club happened to witness the scene themselves. All of the basketball club members turn around in shock to look at the huge crowd. Flashy senpai let goes of my collar at once.

   ‘Ayano, everyone. This, this isn’t what it looks like...’ he attempts a futile act.

   ‘Save it, you bloody jerk!’ Iseri-senpai shouts. ‘You were a jerk occasionally, but even this is going too far! While we’re on the subject, he’s right! I don’t like you at all! We’re officially done! Don’t you ever talk to me again!’

   While all this is going on, I walk leisurely towards Nagano, who gathered this crowd and told Iseri-senpai about this in the first place.

   ‘Thanks, I owe you one.’ I whisper to her.

   ‘I can’t exactly let you handle this alone, could I? Who knows what kind of horrible things you would do to them?’ she whispers back.

   ‘I would have gotten the media and their parents involved.’ I answer truthfully. ‘I won’t stop until all of them become shut-ins for the rest of their lives.’

   ‘See, this is why I can’t leave you alone.’

   Eventually, Iseri-senpai finally spoke her mind to flashy senpai and effectively severed all ties with him. And I’m guessing that each and every basketball members will have zero fans from now on.

   Ah, what a beautiful day.