“This is… more embarrassing than I thought.”
“…Well, Sara, you’re better off since you’re playing Cinderella in our class play. I’m so embarrassed I could die.”
As Yuna said, Sara was wearing a flashy costume for their class play.
In contrast, Yuna was wearing a military uniform for their class play.
Seeing Sara being just as embarrassed as herself, Yuna couldn’t help but point it out.
“That’s different! This is different. Besides, I was really embarrassed about that costume at first too!”
“I see. But this is really embarrassing…”
“Alright, alright! You both look plenty cute, so come on out!”
Perhaps growing impatient with the juniors hiding behind the door, the senior pushed them out.
Forced into the open, both girls seemed to have resigned themselves and timidly walked towards Haruya.
“…H-how do we look?”
Sara, fidgeting nervously, asked for Haruya’s opinion.
“H-how is it… I guess?”
Yuna had her hands on her elbows, and her hair was tied in a ponytail.
Her expression was stiff, probably due to her strong feelings of embarrassment.
Both of them looked incredibly good in the uniforms.
Although his thoughts were quite ordinary, Haruya was too stunned to say anything else.
The play was amazing, but if they had done a maid café, they would have dominated the festival.
If Kohinata-san had been part of this too, it would have been truly unbeatable, which was almost scary to think about.
“…I think both of you look really good in them.”
Feeling the silent pressure from both girls, Haruya voiced his honest opinion.
“Th-thank you…”
“I-I see…”
Sara and Yuna responded in that order, but their reactions were subdued, and it was clear they were still tense.
“See? I told you so!”
The bespectacled senior was proudly beaming as if it were her own achievement, and the atmosphere began to lighten.
“Well then, shall we take a picture…?”
In line with the relaxed atmosphere, Yuna handed over her phone.
“Since we have this opportunity, wouldn’t it be better if you two stood together for the photo?”
Haruya interjected as Sara and Yuna were still fidgeting and standing apart from each other.
The senior also agreed, saying that would definitely be better.
“R-really? Then, I guess…”
Yuna, looking away, started to close the distance with Sara, taking half steps at a time.
“Then, if you don’t mind…”
Sara, seemingly having made up her mind, turned towards Yuna and took her hand.
“…Eh? S-Sara… Isn’t this a bit… close?”
Yuna instinctively reacted to Sara, who had smoothly closed the distance between them.
This was a scene from their “class play.”
It was the scene near the end where Cinderella, who had been unable to show initiative until then, takes the prince’s hand.
It had probably become an unconscious habit.
Perhaps because her partner was Yuna, she naturally took that pose.
“Ah… no, this is…”
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Sara couldn’t hide her agitation, her face turning bright red, but she quickly continued.
“Yuna-san, are you perhaps feeling embarrassed? Isn’t this the scene we’ve been practicing so much in the play?!”
It was clearly an attempt to hide her own embarrassment, but Sara looked straight at Yuna.
“…Hm. You’ve learned to talk back, Sara… As if that’s the case.”
As if Sara’s provocation (or attempt to hide her embarrassment) had flipped a switch, Yuna tightly grasped Sara’s hand.
(As expected of Nayu-san. Even here, her competitive spirit kicks in…)
From the side, it looked like nothing more than the two of them flirting.
“I-I won’t back down from something like this.”
“…I see.”
Yuna also seemed to hesitate to get any closer, resulting in a stalemate.
— Click, click, click.
While watching over the two, Haruya pressed the shutter button several times.
“W-why are you taking pictures of this, Akasaki-kun?”
“That’s right! Akasaki-san!”
The two girls protested, their faces flushed red.
The senior, who had been frozen by how cute the two were, was now giving Haruya a thumbs up for his photography.
“If you’re both so competitive, why don’t you have Akasaki-kun, was it? Tell you which one of you is cuter?”
“…Huh?”
The senior threw out an impossible request.
When Haruya turned back to face them, Sara and Yuna were still holding hands but had turned their faces towards him.
“Who do you think is cuter?”
“…W-which one is cuter?”
Give me a break. There’s no way I can answer that.
Haruya tried to deflect by continuously pressing the shutter button.
In response, both girls began changing their expressions with each shutter click, sometimes showing a fleeting, delicate expression, other times forcing an awkward smile.
They were probably trying to look their best in the photos.
Haruya felt relieved that he might be able to get away with just taking pictures.
(… They’re both cute, so there’s no way I could decide which one is better.)
As they left the maid café run by the upperclassmen’s class, the Eika Festival was entering its final stages.
This was evident from the school-wide announcement about the closing event organized by the executive committee.
Many students, including the guests, were heading towards the stage to watch the executive committee’s event.
Although participation in the executive committee’s event wasn’t mandatory for everyone, many people still came to at least catch a glimpse of it, as it was the festival’s closing event.
“Rin’s performing too, right?”
“I’m so excited to see Rin’s performance!”
They must have been informed by Rin beforehand.
The first-year students were going to perform a live band concert, and she would be the vocalist.
It’s natural for them to be excited since they’re Rin’s friends.
“Well, I think I’ll head back to my post now.”
“Oh, right… Sorry for keeping you here so long.”
“Good luck, Akasaki-san. We’ll be sure to watch your event too!”
Parting ways with the two, Haruya hurried back to the organizing committee.
It was already twilight. He thought many guests would have left by now, but surprisingly, quite a few remained on campus. Perhaps they were looking forward to the committee’s events.
This year, the committee’s events were scheduled to be held in the order of second-years, third-years, and then first-years.
Normally, they wouldn’t put first-years last to avoid pressuring the new students, but there was nothing to be done about this unlucky draw.
Yes, luck wasn’t on their side.
Every year at the Eika Festival, the order of events for the first to third-year committee members is randomly decided.
Last year’s first-years went second, but being last, even if you’re not the one on stage, can make you nervous.
Out in the schoolyard, a stage was set up specifically for the committee’s events.
A crowd had already gathered around it.
A few committee members, likely second-years, were setting up a microphone stand in the center of the stage.
(… Huh? The second-years’ performance is a comedy routine?)
Haruya was shocked when he saw the program.
(Doing a comedy routine in front of such a large crowd… If it flops, it’ll be so embarrassing… I might not even be able to watch.)
It didn’t seem like only two people would be going on stage for the comedy while the rest of the committee worked behind the scenes.
That would mean too few people on stage.
Most likely, they had formed several comedy pairs.
After the first pair finished their routine, the second pair would come on… and so on. He wasn’t sure how many pairs there were, but that’s how it would probably go.
(What kind of mental fortitude do they have… Are they all aspiring comedians?)
Perhaps the organizing committee naturally attracts outgoing personalities.
Even the first-year committee members were all quite proactive, he thought with a wry smile.
As the second-years made their final preparations, Haruya went behind the stage.
There, he saw the now-familiar first-year committee members.
Among them was Rin, with Kawada Sayuki by her side.
“Oh, Akasaki-kun, you just got back? You could have taken a bit more time, you know.”
“Well… the shops were already closing up.”
“Haha, that’s true.”
Sayuki laughed, slapping Haruya’s back.
She seemed to be in a very good mood.
…Could you please stop that? My back really hurts.
“Akasaki-kun… Thanks for earlier.”
Rin waved gently with a calm smile.
“…Kohinata-san.”
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