OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 6
Chapter 6 I Thought it was an Romantic Opportunity, but it ended up as a Mayhem
The seventh day of summer cram school.
When the three of us were eating lunch as usual at the cram school cafeteria, Kaoru took out an A4 size flyer.
"It’s nearly this time of year."
The flyer displayed bright colorful pictures of fireworks.
This was the Hane River fireworks festival that was held on August 1st of every year.
"This flyer is pretty well made."
"I always wished they didn’t give it so much publicity. Like this, there’ll be a lot of people outside of the city there, and it’ll be hard to get a good seat."
I sipped the tea from my own thermos, and said:
"Even though the fireworks are beautiful, the crowd is really troublesome, and the station near the riverbank will be unusually packed."
"R-right! It would be perfect if we had a secret place to watch the fireworks?"
When Fuyuumi said this sentence, I didn’t know why her voice distorted.
A secret place?
When I was little, it feels like there was some kind of sad experience finding this ｢secret place｣, but I’ve pretty much forgotten about it.
Then, Fuyuumi timidly said:
"Kidou-kun, are you going with Natsukawa Masuzu?"
"She invited me, but I refused."
"Then what about Harusaki Chiwa?"
"She invited me, but I refused."
"......It couldn’t be Akishino Himeka?"
"If she invites me, I’ll refuse."
At this moment, something unexpected occurred.
The chairs ｢clattered!｣ back, and Fuyuumi stood up. She immediately raised her fist that still clutched chopsticks, and said:
"Yahooo~ ♪ The magic, spell, really, worked! O-Opportunity, it’s a romance opportunity! Ai-chan epic win—♪"
I looked up at Fuyuumi in a daze.
The reaction from all around was just about the same. Everyone stared at Fuyuumi completely dumbstruck. The rice balls that some people were eating fell to the ground, while other peoples’ cups at the water fountains overflowed. Similar reactions kept occurring. From behind Fuyuumi, Yamamoto-kun from the soccer club had noodles spurt out of his nose. That being said, I didn’t notice he was here until now.
Among everyone, only Kaoru nodded his head as if feeling ｢great｣.
Fuyuumi gave an ｢Ah?｣, when she realized what was going on, and then nonchalantly sat down on her chair. She cleared her throat and said:
"If Kidou-kun is really that happy about the fireworks festival, he’s really unexpectedly childish!"
"......Uh......"
"That’s not good. You need to mature a little more, since we’re already high school students!"
"......"
Forget about it. Just forget that she said I was childish.
"So then what? You are you going to the fireworks festival with? Eh? Y-Y-Y-Y-You should clarify that kind of thing."
I didn’t know why, but Fuyuumi took out a small hand mirror and began to fix her bangs as she asked me.
My answered honestly:
"No, this year I'm not going."
The mirror slipped from Fuyuumi’s hands, and it fell to the ground with a clatter.
"W-why? It’s a rare fireworks festival! Then what other plans do you have?"
"I intend to stay at the cram school and study in a self-study room."
"Then you’re not busy! You should just go!"
"Uh—I guess you could say I’m not interested in going this year……"
I didn’t want to go because I hated getting caught in mayhem. That kind of reason was just too embarrassing.
"That being said, isn’t Fuyuumi going with her boyfriend?"
"Eh? Boyfriend? What’s that?"
Fuyuumi tilted her head, not understanding.
"I’m talking about Michel. The boyfriend you said was from Tokyo. Didn’t you say in the family restaurant that he would be back in August?"
"...........Ah, t-that! That Michel!"
Fuyuumi clapped her hands as if she just thought of it.
"Are there any other Michels?"
"So annoying! Everyone forgets things once in a while."
"Who forgets their own boyfriend’s name?"
This capricious girlfriend reminded me of some Masuzu-san.
"I-I definitely scheduled a date with Miche! But unluckily he’ll still be on Tokyo on August 1st! So on the day of the fireworks festival, I’m free!"
"Ah, you’re free?"
"Not just free! I’m super free!"
"......"
What kind of conversation was this?
Whatever, I was quite happy.
"Well, even though I’m also really looking forward to the fireworks festival."
Kaoru probably realized this conversation was not going to go anywhere, so he was helping rescue it.
"Tomorrow is a holiday, so are you two free?"
"Huh? There’s no summer cram school tomorrow?"
I was quite shocked, as it was still clearly a weekday.
"It seems like they’re inspecting the facilities, on we have the day off. I remember that it was written on the schedule."
"Really."
I didn’t even notice it myself.
"Well because it’s a holiday, I got these!"
Kaoru took out three movie tickets for a movie that was just released several days ago. Not long ago, I heard Chiwa say that film had pretty good ratings.
"How about? Want to go together tomorrow afternoon?"
"Well......"
Resting for half a day was pretty nice.
And if I paid attention to the subtitles along with the lines, it might be helpful in learning English.
"Okay? A-chan is going too?"
"Ah, um, of course I’ll go......"
Fuyuumi glanced at me from the side.
She must have been considering what her boyfriend would think. After all, if his girlfriend went to the movies with some other guy, he probably wouldn’t feel good.
But apart from me, Kaoru and Fuyuumi where childhood friends, so it probably wasn’t a big deal.
"Okay, so the three of us can go together."
"Ah, ah! I’ll go! Let’s go ♪"
Fuyuumi’s expression had a pretty smile.
If it's always like this, it'll be easier to hang around her.
—Afterwards I told what happened today at cram school to the three girls, and their reaction was as follows:
"Three people are going to the ｢movies｣? Hmph! So frivolous."
"Ei-kun is just too undisciplined!"
"......This is an embarrassment for the Holy Dragon Race......"
"We’re just going to see a movie. Why are you complaining so much?"
The time was eight o’clock at night.
We were all called by Masuzu for an emergency meeting, so ｢Jien-Otsu｣ once again met in the same open air café as last time. It seemed like Masuzu had come up with a ｢plan to recover the shut-down club｣; in either case it wouldn’t be a good thing, but if I didn’t go the consequences would be terrible.
Masuzu took a sip of black coffee and said:
"But, it may actually turn out to be a good thing."
"What’s a good thing?"
"In this case, we must take advantage of the opportunities we can take advantage of."
We didn’t know what Masuzu was talking about, but she spread out a half sheet of paper that she prepared at home and brought.
It read:
"Capture the Disciplinary Committee Member’s Weakness! Heartbeat? Heartbeat! Date battle!"
"What is this? It sounds just like a boring TV show name."
This is what I consider frivolous.
"What? What do you mean? Date? Whose date?"
Chiwa’s eyes excitedly began to glow, as Masuzu began to explain.
"So far, we’ve launched an investigation to other to discover Fuyuumi Ai’s weakness, but we don’t have any satisfactory results. Although this failed primarily because of Eita-kun’s lack of competence, lack of aggression, and lack of enthusiasm, I as club president also did not come up with concrete plans, so I take one hundred percent of the responsibility."
"You dare say......!"
As my fist shook, Masuzu continued to give her speech in front of me.
"So I thought about it. The demon disciplinary committee member’s lovestruck capacity has been completely revealed, so the opportunity to exploit it—is a ｢date｣!"
Chiwa and Hime applauded with ｢Whoo｣, but I completely did not understand what they admired about that.
"But that’s it? We’ll stalk Fuyuumi and Michel’s date, and find out her weaknesses?"
"Hehehehe, you’re thought process is too shallow, Eita-kun."
Masuzu tut-tutted with her tongue.
"The person on the date will be you."
"Huh?"
It was not only me who exclaimed in surprise. Chiwa and Hime also simultaneously called out.
"Why? Why is Ei-kun going on a date with that kind of person?"
"Demanding clarification."
Masuzu coaxed the two, ｢okay-okay｣ and said:
"Eita-kun and Fuyuumi Ai are going on a date, and we’ll make her ｢fall in love｣. It’ll be the male version of our popularity exploits, ｢Society for Bringing Out Your Gentleman Self｣."
"I see......"
The abbreviation would be, ｢Jien-Otoko｣? [1]
......This abbreviation makes me want to cry. ｢Jien-Otsu｣ feels much better.
"If Fuyuumi Ai has a boyfriend, this would be an ｢affair｣. Thus, we would catch her most powerful weakness.
"What if she doesn’t have a boyfriend?"
"Then......"
Masuzu gave a fearless smile and said:
"Then, Fuyuumi Ai will simply be captivated by Eita-kun, and will become a living puppet that will obey our will......!"
"Meat puppet!" [2]
Masuzu repeated the line like a parrot, with her eyes wide open.
Such an amazing battle plan.
That being said, it must be impossible……....
Wasn’t ｢making Fuyuumi become captivated with me｣ being confused with ｢making Fuyuumi put me down completely｣?
"But Kaoru is also going tomorrow? There’s no way two people can be alone."
"Don’t worry. Asoi-kun will be Harusaki-san’s responsibility."
"Eh, me?"
When the topic was suddenly mentioned, Chiwa gave a strange cry.
"Harusaki-san, please go with Eita-kun to the meeting place for the date, and propose to make it a double date."
"I see! It’ll be a date with me and Ei-kun, Fuyuumi Ai and Kaoru-kun!"
Chiwa even stood up and began to pant intensely, ｢Huu—Haaaa—!｣, but—
"N-N-No. Didn’t you hear me? It will be Harusaki-san and Asoi-kun, Eita-kun and Fuyuumi Ai dating."
After being immediately denied by Masuzu, Chiwa ｢dejectedly｣ sat down with her enthusiasm gone.
"Akishino-san and I will secretly follow you four. When Fuyuumi Ai exposes a decisive vulnerability—I’ll use this to take a picture."
Masuzu spoke as she took out her cellphone in camera mode.
"Understand? Akishino-san?"
But Hime still shook her head with a poker face and said:
"Too complicated."
"Oh, why?"
"Fuyuumi Ai is my Love Master (LOVE MASTER). And Eita is my ex-boyfriend, so it’s a dilemma."
"Indeed it is."
I sympathized with Hime, as it was a very difficult dilemma—and this was someone speaking from experience (the present experience).
"If those two are going on a date...... then I—"
"Then I?"
"Will destroy everything."
"What do you intend to do at the movie theatre—?!"
I tsukkomi’d with all my strength. This girl’s talk had gradually become too extreme for me.
Hime looked apologetic at me and said:
"Eita, I’m joking."
"Then you should say it more like a joke!"
Why did it feel like what she said was entirely possible?
"Anyways, I won’t participate."
"Well, I’m not cold-hearted enough to force you to betray your Master."
Masuzu very graciously agreed. So cunning. If it had been me, she would make me do it mercilessly whether my partner was my parent or my sponsor.
"But Masuzu, you say Fuyuumi will fall in love with me, but how specifically will we do that?"
"How would I know that kind of thing?"
Masuzu looked at me as if I was a ｢paramecium talking nonsense｣."
"Eita-kun is the consultant for ｢Jien-Otsu｣, so you should occasionally reveal your skills to us to see."
"That’s ridiculous!"
I was originally going to rest for half a day, but now the situation became very bad……
"Sigh, well it might be too much if we don’t provide you with a little support, so I’ll give you this."
Masuzu handed me a small wireless headset, the type that could fit in the ear.
"By using this, you can safely use your phone to talk to me. I will give you good tips."
"......Your tips......"
It seems like the movie was going to become very unsettling.
Later—
After I separated with Masuzu and Hime, I walked home with Chiwa on the nighttime road.
"Um, Ei-kun?"
"What is it?"
I replied absently, wondering how I would survive the day tomorrow.
Masuzu made this incident very tiresome. Kaoru was the kind of person who would smile and agree, but Fuyuumi wasn’t that simple. It seemed like she and Chiwa had pretty bad relations, so it was possible they might get in a fight before the movie?
"If you’re serious, I won’t forgive you."
"Yeahh."
With regards to how Masuzu ordered me to try to make Fuyuumi fall in love with me, I could only agree superficially and pretend to obey. That being said, it was too difficult anyways. How much pheromones did one need to emit to captivate a girl just after watching one movie?
"If you, take it, seriously, I won’t, forgive you."
"You’ve been saying that nonstop for minutes now!"
I was dragged back to reality from my thoughts, and I finally looked at Chiwa in the face.
"If you’re serious, I won’t forgive you ♪"
Chiwa smiled.
Her smile seemed to be saying, ｢what?｣.
To make an analogy, it was a smile like a giant hammer wrapped in a soft blanket.
Even though the surface was very soft, the underlying shape was clearly a weapon!
"W-W-What are you talking about, Chiwa? I-It’s impossible for me to be serious?"
"That’s true— ♪"
Chiwa hummed ｢Mmm— ♪｣ as she practiced sword exercises with a stick she picked up from the roadside.
Maybe it was because the nearby rice paddy was so close, but the sound of insects was quite loud and it was quite difficult to hear voices clearly.
But in this environment, the sounds of Chiwa’s sword exercises were very clear.
Huu!
Huu!
Huu!
"Um— Chihuahua-san?"
"Hei! What is it? Yeah! Ei-kun? Hyaaa!"
I wanted to ask her why she was practicing her sword so energetically, but it was impossible for me to ask.
Then, the sound of that cursed music came from my pocket. It was Masuzu’s text message.
I opened the phone to see—
[Subject] Gugu Gu Gu Gugu Gugu Gu... [Text] If you’re serious, I won’t forgive you.
"Masuzu, even you......"
Really! It didn’t matter if it was my childhood friend or girlfriend!
There weren’t any decent girls beside me!
Notes
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