Inkyara na Ore to Ichatsukitai tte Maji kayo… Volume 3 Chapter 2

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Kujou Shizuki’s Summer Vacation!

Before summer break began, Kasuga and I had the following conversation:

“Would a loner go to the sea and party?”

“No, that’s just something party-goers would do, I think.”

“Would a loner do a BBQ with his classmates?”

“That’s a bit too outdoor, I guess.”

“Fireworks.”

“So normie!”

“Basically!”

“Basically?”

“Kasuga and I won’t do anything like that this summer break! If you want to become a loner like I am, you should sit in your room all summer, playing games!”

“Ehhhhh!?”

Needless to say, it was a resounding success—A perfect summer vacation for loners! Or, that’s what it should have been…

“Heading to school to practice for the play, huh…I’ll memorize the script I was given today, so the practice at school will only be the entrance, the movement, and the exit. Luckily, we only have to head to school two times a week.” I muttered, while climbing up the stairs at school.

The practice for the play would happen Monday and Wednesday, lasting from 10am-12pm, then one hour of break, and finally the next round from 1pm to 4pm. Basically, there’s five hours of practice. I was wondering why we barely planned any practice sessions, but then again, this is a high school, not grade school where you’d have a sports festival or practice for the graduation ceremony and all that nonsense…so it’s actually not that surprising. So, right after entering the classroom…

“Ah, Shizuki-kun, good morning!”

“Yeah, morning, Kasuga.”

Ooba and the others were already present…but I’ll try to stay away from them. Gotta evacuate to the window side. However…Kasuga immediately approached me like a small chick following its mother bird.

“What are we doing first? Or rather, when is my turn?”

“Your part will be right after we start practicing, Master.”

Ooba approached us.

“Hm? We’re practicing the climax first?”

“No no no, lol. In fact, before we’re writing the script, we talked about how we’d like to add our own personal twists to it! The class 2-1 soul, you know?”

Class X Year Y originality…or Class X Year Y’s soul…all of that stuff is far too vague, and the idea of ‘Let’s show them’ would just be embarrassing if stuff didn’t work out. You need to properly work on stuff, this is Japan, remember?

“So if you say twists, how are you arranging the script, then? Adding more dwarves, shortening the phrases and script a bit, stuff like that, yeah?”

“We’re having the prince appear from the very beginning!”

Huh? Having who appear? The prince? Are you kidding me?

“I mean, in the original, the prince just, like, comes out of nowhere at the end, randomly kissing Snow White, right? That just makes him so insignificant, lol.”

“Right right, I thought so as well! I started reading the original material when the dwarves appeared, and it wasn’t all that interesting!”

“Haha, you sure talk a lot when books come into play, Kujou. Anyway, be on stand-by, yeah?”

Go rot in hell! You say that you all talked it through, but I didn’t hear anything about that! Again with this pattern!?

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s fine.” (A lot is wrong here, damn it!)

“Alright, then we’ll start with the first scene, you and Hina, got it?”

Ooba ignored (obviously) my inner curses, and called out to everyone. Seriously…so now I have to participate even from the very beginning…And right as I fell into despair, two girls from the Kasuga group walked over to me.

“Ah, Kujou-kun, your clothes aren’t done yet, so you can just do the acting in your normal uniform.”

“…Ah, yeah, g-got it, um…”

“Hm? My name is Eri, you know?”

“N-No, well…I don’t know how to call you, so…”

“Come on now, lol. Just Eri is fine.”

“Ah, you can call me Mai!”

Ehhh…I’m supposed to call two girls from the Kasuga group with their names?

“~~~! I-I understand…E-Eri…san, and Mai…san…”

“Kujou-kun is way too pure! He’s blushing just because he’s calling a girl by her name!”

“Ah, I finally get why Hina keeps calling him cute! This gets my heart racing!”

“Come on, Shizuki-kun is my boyfriend!”

W-Well, it was a bit of meaningless banter, but the practice started shortly after.

“We’re starting with the first page! Imagine the location to be the royal palace’s garden!” Ooba gave commands.

“…C-Cough, Snow White! Snow White! Where have you gone? Are you saying that our rendezvous was not an eternity in a single moment!?”

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! So embarrassing! I’m dying!

“I am right here, my prince!” There, Kasuga screamed, or at least called for me, from another classroom.

“Alright! This is where you hug Kujou-kun, Hina!” Eri-san said, sounding awfully excited.

“Huh!?”

“There~”

“Come on, Hina, the continuation!” Mai-san grinned ominously.

“My deepest apologies, Prince❤ I had something urgent housework to take care off because of the Queen’s orders❤ However, this is all for the sake of our eventual future together❤ I will try my best with cooking, cleaning, and laundry so that you can be proud of your wife❤❤❤.”

A-A hug while everyone is watching!? I can tell that I must be blushing without looking in the mirror, my entire body is boiling, and my sweat won’t stop!

“Come on, Master, read the continuation.”

“Grr…Cough…Ahh! My beloved Snow White! How commendable and charming you are! I could never grow tired of you! However, the Queen is quite the person, finding something to complain about my future wife, and this country’s princess!”

“Ahh, please quell your anger, my prince❤! Just being able to meet you like this is a dream come true for me❤ Ideal bonds, love in reality, we share all of that! We shouldn’t let these evil emotions ruin our time between us❤❤❤.”

“That is exactly why, my Snow White. This time is more valuable than any riches in this world, much more dazzling than any diamond in the rough. However, one day, you have to wake up from a dream. Time is limited, so I want even a single minute, a single second more, which is why I cannot forgive the Queen for stealing you from me!”

“Thank you, my beloved Prince❤❤❤! However, I can’t forgive that either❤❤❤ Seeing your anger towards the Queen to be stronger than your love for me❤❤❤.”

“What are you saying!? That is impossible! I love you, Snow White!”

“The same goes for me, my Prince❤ These feelings are hotter than the sun, shine more brightly than the moon, more beautiful than the stars in the night sky❤! I like you so much❤! I love you, I cannot live without you❤❤❤”

““Now, this is where you kiss her on the cheek, Kujou-kun!””

“Annoyed…..Wait a second.”

“Hm?” “What’s wrong?”

I pushed Kasuga away, looking at the script, which I held with quivering fingers. Snow White and the Prince are supposed to be childhood friends, and have promised eternal love to each other. Snow White’s step-mother, the Queen, immediately planned their marriage, but after the Magic Mirror said that “Snow White is the most beautiful in the world”, she started harassing her. That part was the same as in the original material. After this, it turns into some fantasy shoujo manga, together with a triangle relationship.

I mean…being childhood friends is fine, as well as the Queen aiming for the prince as well, that’s all okay. It’s an arrangement that sounds like it came from a high school girl. What’s the problem are these lines they’re forcing me to say here!

“This is weird! Why are there heart emotes at the end of every sentence Snow White is saying!?”

“Hmm…Mai and I did the arrangement of the script, but…”

“Make him say ‘My Snow White’, and make me say ‘I like you so much❤! I love you, I cannot live without you❤❤❤’ in front of everyone! I want to tell everyone about my love—is what Hina told us when we were working on it.”

“Kasugaaaaaa…”

“What should we do, Ooba?” Nakao, who was responsible for the costumes, asked.

“Alone is one thing, but getting everybody to agree will probably be quite difficult.” Asaka, responsible for the backgrounds, added.

“Hmm…What about you, Kujou?”

“Eh? Me?”

“If we’re going to make changes to the script, we have to ask you as well, as you’re playing the role of the prince.”

“…Ehhh…”

““““………Staaaare.””””

“Yeah! No problems here! Let’s go with this!”

****

Phew…twenty minutes longer than 4pm, huh…I’m so tired…that was awfully exhausting. I really want to go home right now…The city landscape outside of the window was colored in a strong orange, the cicadas were chirping, and I could hear the excited voices of grade school children on their way home. It was a bit early to call it night, so the heat was still strong.

In comparison to the energetic children’s voices outside, or the normies discussing this and that, I could simply lean backwards against my chair, groaning like a zombie. By the way, Kasuga is currently getting her sizes measured…or so I was told. They apparently headed to the girls’ changing room…or so I’ve heard. I can’t exactly check that.

Basically, the only reason I was still staying in the classroom is because Kasuga blackmailed me. She said ‘You’ll wait for me, right? If you go home without me…you’ll have to kiss me’. So, as I was spending my time fanning air to myself…

“Kujou-kun, do you have a moment?” Akizuki stood next to the door.

“Hm? Akizuki? When…did you come to like school to the point you’re coming to school during the summer?”

“You can step out for a moment, right?”

“Kasuga and her group are busy with the clothes, and everybody else is heading to the convenience store. If I have something to take care of, it’s now or never, yeah.”

So, I followed her. However, I let down my guard like a moron. I figured that Akizuki would be fine, that because she’s the same as me, she should be fine. With these thoughts, I carelessly followed her…

“Welcome! I’ve been waiting for you, Secretary!”

“You’re late, Kujou. I was planning on enjoying some beer in my cool room at home, playing some games.”

As I entered the audiovisual room right after Akizuki, I was greeted by Chisaka-senpai, standing like a king with crossed arms, as well as the advisor of our club, Hirahara-sensei. Looking around the audiovisual room, I saw around 45 to 55 more students.

“Ah, would you like some coffee? Though we only have black.”

“I bought it so that we’d get through the meeting easier, but Chisaka apparently doesn’t drink it without sugar.”

“Hm? Sure, I’ll take some.” Accepting the can, I opened up the tab, and took a sip…

“So, Kujou-kun, to repay me for the coffee, do you mind having a seat, and helping the culture festival execution committee? Not just now, but in the future as well.”

“Ah, don’t spit it out, okay? You’ll have to give us an equivalent exchange for drinking the coffee. OK?”

“Isn’t that a bit too unfair!? I’ve never seen someone actually do this in reality!”

“…Or so you’re saying, but you’re still sitting down right now.”

Rather, it’s already evening, so the meeting must have started…or maybe it’s already ended…so why am I here then…?

“For now, read this, Kujou.” Hirahara-sensei handed me some papers.

Oh man, immediately to documents…Let’s have a look…The official name for this culture festival is the Renkousai, happening from the 3rd of September (Fri) to the 5th, which is three days. The first day is a normal weekday, but as many grade and middle school students, as well as parents could only make it then, they decided to hold it on a Friday as well. All students are to gather at 9.45am, and the start is at 10am flat. The end will be 5pm. However, on the final day, there will be a closing ceremony of ten minutes after 5pm, and all students will be moving to the gym hall at 4.55pm. After this, also on the final day, there’s a 50-minute time slot for cleaning up and everything, and then the after-festival will be held from 6pm to 8pm.

This year’s slogan is [ALL People, ALL Enjoy], and calculations go from 966 participants from the students’ side, as well as 9.034 visitors from the outside, making it their goal to cross 10.000 visitors in total. To count that, people are split into shifts at the three respective gates to the north, east, and west.

As a principle rule, attractions by classes, clubs, and the committee are prioritized, and any other volunteers need a management team of ten or more people to receive permission. Thus, the execution committee will be doing a day-long maid cafe, organizing a two-person comedy act from celebrities during the opening ceremony on the first day, a live concert from a professional musician and miss-con preliminaries on the second day, followed by the miss-con selection and ending ceremony on the final day, as well as the after-festival.

Also, without proof of a student ID, you won’t be able to exchange your voting ticket for the preliminaries and actual selection of the miss-con. If you gave outsiders the right to vote, it would make it hard to identify the singular person, and one person might vote several times, which would make it hell for the vote counters.

“Before, when you asked for my help on the 22nd, you said that you would contact me after fixing some of the plans, right?”

“Agreed!”

“So, what am I supposed to do? Hanging up posters, or putting flyers into the post boxes in the neighbourhood, I wouldn’t mind doing that.”

“The people over there will be taking care of that!”

“By the way, Kujou-kun, the ones in the back right is the group responsible for advertisements, the ones to the left are teachers and other faculty people, as well as the group who are responsible for the parents and middle school students who come to check out the school, showing them around. The group in the center to the right are responsible for the miss-con, and the ones to the left of that are the after-festival group. The ones to the front and right are taking care of discussions in regards to getting the celebrities for the opening ceremony, whereas the ones to the left are in contact with the studio and the professional musician.” Akizuki explained.

“That’s pretty amazing…So, what’s Chisaka-senpai and her group’s duties?”

“General affairs!”

“Is that so, you’re pretty amazing, Chisaka-senpai. So, what exactly do we have to do, Akizuki?”

“He ignored me!?”

“First, the greeting at the opening ceremony and the last words at the ending ceremony, ignoring the existence or absence of a manuscript. Following that, making sure the schedule proceeds as planned and adjusting it if need be. Taking care of the broadcasting room, and although we have a group responsible for the advertising, we have to talk to the nearby convenience stores, bookstores, and train stations. Sending letters to all students’ families. Inviting middle school and grade school students over. Updating the homepage, as well as uploading regular updates on the progress and pictures. Creating pamphlets, money management, checking permissions for the attractions of the classes and clubs, assisting them in case any trouble arises, and more than anything…”

“—Trying to break the goal of 10.000 visitors that some idiot set up, and coming up with strategies for doing so.” Hirahara-sensei explained.

“Ah!”

“…This might be a bit late, but why are you here, Hirahara-sensei?”

“Same as with the field trip before! I got it pushed onto me!”

“Do you not have any teachers who started around the same time as you?”

“I sure don’t. That’s why they push it all onto me…”

“Normally you’d just scream ‘Outside my work time!’, and drink beer…”

“Damn it…Students may have free time during summer break, but at the same time, we teachers have to study in order to provide even better class for the students, so I’m still on duty! That’s why I have to sit here from 8am to 5pm!”

“Hasn’t this meeting dragged on a bit too long? I feel like what’s important is to get the work done, not just wasting time like this…”

“I’ve been here since 8am, but the meeting started at 2pm.”

“Kujou-kun, let’s get back on topic. What’s important is that you have yet to get any orders from Chisaka-senpai, right?”

With that, Chisaka-senpai cleared her throat in an adorable fashion. She crossed her arms, standing in front of me.

“When it came to the misunderstanding between you and Kasuga-san, and Aramiya-san’s dream, you used your shadow character methods to find a solution, yes?”

“Huh…I guess…”

“That being the case, I’ve been thinking about it, so please join the festa executive committee! And then, use your shadow character originality to find a solution for this problem!”

****

Thus, it’s gotten awfully late. However, that’s fine. When I got back to Kasuga, she was sulking, and urged us to go home together even during summer break. However, I shall ignore that. What’s the real problem now?

“Akizuki-san, where is the next road?”

“……”

“Akizuki-san?”

“…No, it’s nothing. Go left after the second traffic light.”

There’s gotta be something, alright! Chisaka-senpai is driving, remember!? And we’re sitting in the same car! By the way, Akizuki was sitting next to the driver Chisaka-senpai, me behind Chisaka-senpai, and Kasuga next to me. First, she’ll be sending off the girls, and then me.

“You’re amazing, Haruka-senpai! To think you had a driver’s license!”

“Hehe, my birthday was June 3rd after all!”

“How does a high school student have a car…”

“I worked part-time!”

“I’m just asking, but it’s your parents’ money, right?”

“No no, my own money. I am in a position with a large salary.”

“Or rather, why did you buy it? For your job?”

“Indeed, whenever I go to the stakeholder company, I feel sorry for asking the employees to send me off.”

““It sounds so logical, but something is still off…””

Both Akizuki and I commented at the same time.

“Haruka-senpai, you were attending school, working, and attending driving school?”

“Yes!”

“Chisaka-san, how were your grades during the mid-term exams?”

“Hm? Number one, what about it? I was actually aiming for 98 points across all subjects, but I ended up with 97.”

“When is this person even sleeping…”

“Well, ever since elementary school 3rd grade, I’ve been sleeping for five hours every day, so I’m used to it! Well, that resulted in my growth being halted…”

““Ehhhh…”” Once again, Akizuki and I commented at the same time.

“I thought you would always go to bed at 9pm.”

“Indeed. I head to bed at 9 o’clock, and get up at 2 o’clock.”

“Madness…”

“Even I have to respect her for that…” Akizuki commented after me.

“Also, why are you trying this hard, Haruka-senpai?”

“It’s all for my family.”

Maybe she wanted to hear that question from Kasuga, because she started talking fairly swiftly.

“For example, this culture festival. This year’s festival, I want to make it the greatest in the school’s history, and the most exciting for everyone.”

“So your family will be coming over?”

“Yes, my grandfather and father will most likely be coming over. They are more worried about me than my grandmother and mother…That’s why I want to show them my hard work, and my smile…that I’m having fun. And that I’m fine despite being busy.”

“““………”””

“Being at the center of class and the committee, getting excellent grades, succeeding at my work, and getting my driver’s license, that’s the least I have to do for my father to rest easy. At this rate, he’ll never make up with grandfather.”

“Grandfather?” Kasuga tilted her head.

“With Chisaka-senpai’s company, her grandfather apparently was the previous’ generation’s company president, but her father didn’t inherit that. To make her grandfather happy, Chisaka-senpai has been working in his stead, but her father doesn’t seem to think too highly of that, which led to a stiff atmosphere.”

“Yes, that’s exactly it.”

“So Chisaka-san, you’ve only been sleeping five hours a day since grade school…”

“Naturally, becoming a company president isn’t something an innocent child can achieve. Labor laws, labor contracts, labor organizations, consumer laws, commercial law, I tried my best studying that. At the same time, I also needed to study economics, management, IT, but I still needed to acquire the mindset of the business…and only then can I proudly declare that I’m not forcing myself, no matter who’s asking me.”

I’m sure that Chisaka-senpai must be truly thinking this way, but I can only see that as a contradiction. Surely enough, she’s working hard. I think it’s amazing. I can respect her for that, and I think she’s a wonderful person. However, I think she should stop with that cycle.

In order to show that she isn’t forcing herself, she is putting more work onto herself, and whenever one thing is done, she adds more, and more. Once she realizes that she has some room, she then thinks that she’s not at her limit, which means that she isn’t forcing herself. This repeats over and over…Just listening to her sounds exhausting. I don’t even want to imagine that.

“B-By the way, Sakuya-chan, why were you at school today?”

Well done, Kasuga! As expected of a normie! She guessed the heavy mood, and immediately switched the topic.

“Chisaka-san asked me to help with the culture festival execution committee.”

“Hm, I see.”

“I wanted to help Chisaka-san as much as I could.”

“~~~! S-Sakuya-chan, you’ve gotten a lot more bold than before…”

“You two were childhood friends, but because there’s nothing much between you, it’s easy to forget…”

Hey, Kasuga, there’s a big chance Akizuki was just lying right there…She’s the same as me, so any free time would be spent reading or doing stuff on her smartphone.

“Isn’t it wonderful to do something for other people?”

“Sniff…Y-Yeah!”

“If it’s for Chisaka-san, I would do whatever it takes.”

Ah! Moron! You said too much!

“Really!?”

“Eh?”

“As you know, the festa executive committee will be holding a maid cafe, but we are lacking manpower during a certain timeslot…”

“R-Right…”

“So please, Akizuki-san, won’t you work as a maid for the committee!?”