As usual, please refer to the for the chronological reading order.
Iirc, the bulk of character development and the unveiling of their backgrounds, including Meru’s, take place some time after Meru properly meets them all. This is pretty much still the kick-off stage.
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Reiryuu Gakuen Seitokai
The chime that signals break time rings. At the same time, Meru vigorously stands up from her seat.
"Meru? Where are you going?"
"Toilet!"
In response to Maiko's question, the face of Meru who replies such in a loud voice with no shame has a never-before-seen serious expression.
"Goodness, how long have you been holding it?"
"That's not it! …! He's here!"
When the girls in the classroom starts a commotion, Meru hides behind Maiko.
"Meru-chan, are you here~?"
The one making an appearance with those words is Fuuga. Scattering the same ikemen smile as ever, Fuuga dazzles the girls of class F. There is only one reason for him, a member of class B, to specially come to class F which is on a different floor.
"Meruuu, he's here, you know? The usual."
"Shhh!"
When Maiko calls out to the girl behind her whom Fuuga is aiming for――Meru places her index finger against her lips. Meru's face states plainly to「Hide me」but in this situation, it's a futile struggle after all. Fuuga heads straight towards Maiko.
"Uemura-san. Where is Meru?"
"Meru, she…"
When Maiko says this, Meru, who was behind Maiko, has already left the class at a ferocious speed.
"Meru-chan!? Hang on for a bit."
"Don't come after me!"
Recently, Meru's break times are always in this fashion. Fuuga seems to find Meru pleasing ever since that incident, and will frequently come and see her, but as expected, the gazes of the girls are painful.
"Meru-chan, you're too fast!"
The Meru running through the corridor will probably put even the Track and Field Club to shame. This Meru who runs without paying attention to her surroundings suddenly slams into a wall. As Meru's rump lands on the floor due to the recoil, she glares at that wall.
"Kusuhara."
"Gasp… Se, sensei!"
The one mistaken to be a wall is class F's homeroom teacher, Matsuda-sensei. His build cannot be called 'slender' even as flattery, but that protruding stomach is hard. It's a perfect example of a certain luxurious medical condition[1].
"The corridor ain't a truck, Kusuhara."
"Aha, ahahahaha!"
Having a bad premonition for some reason, Meru spills dry laughter. She is by no means joking around, but at the sight of Meru's reaction, Matsuda-sensei sternly points at her.
"Since you're so energetic, help out with some work after school! Got it!?"
"You're in the Go-Home Club right!"
Along with having her freedom after school stolen, Fuuga catches up and clings to her, earning her glares from the surrounding girls. Meru feels wretched.
x
x
x
"Uuu, it sure is heavyy…"
After school. Meru considered skipping, but Matsuda-sensei blocked the doorway after the closing salutations came to a close. She seeked help from Maiko, but she readily left for the clubroom of the Volleyball Club she belongs to.
The work assigned to Meru who was abandoned by her friend is to transport a large amount of print-outs from the 1st storey to the 4th.
"I can't, see the front."
Print-outs are piled before her face and due to the heaviness, Meru staggers as she walks. Naturally, there is no way that nothing will occur in such a situation――
"Whooa!"
Meru ends up bumping into someone during a turn. Because it is the 2nd time she falls on her rump today, she cannot really feel pain in her rump. More importantly, watching the print-outs flutter in midair makes her want to cry more.
"My apologies. Are you alright?"
When she raises her head at the voice that falls from above, she finds one of the big-names of the school. Eyes with light pigment gaze at Meru.
"Ah, Aidou-kun. I'm the one who should apologise."
Meru immediately begins to gather the print-outs after apologising and Yuuri, too, starts to help out with that.
"Ahh, it's fine. Aidou-kun. I can do it myself."
"No matter. I am also at fault after all."
The one clearly at fault is Meru for carrying so many print-outs that she cannot see in front of her. Towards Yuuri who disregards that, says those words and helps her out, Meru unconsciously mumbles: "He's a good person".
"But, why so many?"
"This load is arduous for a girl, right?"
Yuuri lifts the print-outs he picked up and passes a quarter of it to Meru. He continues to carry the remaining three quarters. Not understanding why he does not return them to her, Meru tilts her head.
"Eh? It's fine. I can carry them myself."
"Still, at least half of it…"
"I may look like this but I am pretty strong."
Even giving Yuuri who says this another look-over, he has a delicate build. Although he is taller than Meru, he is short for a boy. Certainly, he does not appear strong no matter how you look at him, but he's able to easily carry three quarters of the total load with his right hand and the remaining one quarter with his left [2].
"I'll take you up on your offer then."
Thinking that he will surely carry them even if she rejects him, Meru obediently accepts his help.
Having reached the reference room, Meru thanks Yuuri and takes out the usual candy from her pocket and passes it to Yuuri. Seeing that candy, Yuuri presumes that Meru is Fuuga's fan.
x
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x
"Kusuhara-san. Did you do something again?"
A few days after that. Yuuri encounters Meru again, but she is carrying print-outs as usual. What is different from the other day is that she has divided the print-outs and carries them separately.
"Un. I forgot my homeworkー"
Looking at Meru who says so as she sticks out her tongue, Yuuri perceives that she truly is a careless person.
x
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After school that day, in the midst of doing Student Council work, Yuuri is walking through the corridor and hears voices coming from class F. As it is close to the school closure time, Yuuri who intends to notify them hears a voice he recognises and closes his mouth.
"It's fine already."
"Really, I'm sorry! Kusuhara."
Peeping in, a male student from the Soccer Club is intently apologising to Meru who has collapsed on her desk after she is done transporting the print-outs.
"Borrowing your notebook but forgetting to bring it on submission day! Moreover, forgetting only yours! I'm seriously unbelievable!"
"Un. That's true."
When Meru agrees with a troubled expression, the boy from the Soccer Club places his palms together before Meru, and shouts words of apology in a voice even louder than before.
"I'm really sorry!"
"Seriously sorry."
"You don't have to apologise anymore. Ah, that's right. I'll forgive you if you buy me this candy next time."
Meru shows him a candy wrapped in pink nylon paper. Sure enough, it is the same candy as the one Fuuga has been eating recently.
"You really like that huh."
"I'll go and buy them so look forward to it!"
"Un, thanks for coming even though you're in the middle of club activities."
The exhausted Meru sends that boy out. When the only one remaining in the classroom is Meru, Yuuri finally steps in.
"So it was his fault that you had to carry the print-outs?"
Yuuri's voice resounds distinctly. Slightly surprised, Meru raises her head. Looking at Yuuri who entered the classroom, a wry smile surfaces on Meru's face.
"Aa, yeah."
"Well. Things that were forgotten were forgotten. Besides, I might have forgotten it even if I didn't lend it out?"
Although Meru says that, Yuuri still thinks that since the other party was the one who forgot to bring it, the responsibility lies on him. As such, Yuuri is not convinced. And perhaps discerning that, Meru laughs "Hahaha" nonchalantly.
"If I'm to add on, I'm in the Go-Home Club while he's in the Soccer Club. If, I were to snitch, wouldn't he have to carry the print-outs?"
Looking at Meru who laughs as she speaks, Yuuri's eyes widen faintly.
Having ended her preparations to go home, Meru stands up with her bag in hand. She then puts on the white blazer, that she had taken off, above her black dress shirt.
"Haa, I'm tired. Aidou-kun, too, break a leg for your work. Byebyye."
Towards Meru who waves her hand lightly, Yuuri returns only a "Goodbye" awkwardly.
x
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x
And then, the next day. Yuuri turns around at the sound of vigorous footsteps of a staggering velocity. From what he sees, Meru is running across the corridor. Won't she get punished again? As he worries so, his eyes widens at the person behind her.
"Rengetsu-kun――"
Yuuri is convinced at this point. Fuuga and Meru's candy. And the penalty for running in the corridor. She did not give an excuse, but she was also chased by Fuuga that time.
x
x
x
"Let me help you, Kusuhara-san."
Yuuri calls out to Meru who is carrying print-outs as usual.
"Eh? I didn't bump into you today, you know?"
"Ah, I see. Thanks~"
Deducing the 'him' whom Yuuri is referring to, Meru hands him half of the print-outs. Although there is no particular need to have Yuuri help out, somehow or other, Meru decides to accept Yuuri's good will.
"Kusuhara-san."
"I will help you again, alright."
For some reason, Yuuri says so. Meru tilts her head for a moment and 'Does that mean it's decided that I'll receive a penalty again?', she laughs.
"Still, thanks~. I'll be relying on you."
"Yes."
The two smile at each other and climb the stairs towards the reference room.
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[1] I’m assuming it’s obesity caused by leading a 'luxurious' lifestyle.
[2] If neither the author nor I made a mistake, Meru could be referring to how he carried them before passing a quarter of it to her.