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The Day of the Contest
“I wonder if Hibari’s gonna show up…”
I looked at the giant musical hall with its flat roof, standing near the staff entrance as I looked at my phone. Today was it—the day of the contest. Way before the trouble happened yesterday, we agreed to meet up here at 11 am. I arrived earlier than we agreed, waiting for her with my casual men’s haircut. That said, I still did not know if Hibari would even come here or not. After all, we have not been in contact since we split up in front of her flat. Maybe she had her phone taken away when she tried to protest…I couldn’t help but worry.
‘Did Hibari-san get there yet…?’
The message that now reached me came from Amamiya-san, actually. As she promised, she was sitting at home, waiting to watch the stream, now sending me a worried message. She’s such an angel, so she deserves the truth.
‘Not yet. Haven’t heard from her, either.’
‘How long until you’re supposed to meet?’
‘I got here 30 minutes early, so maybe about five more. Maybe I should’ve gone to pick her up at her flat instead…’
‘J-Just wait for a bit longer. If she won’t show up, you can try and get her.’
‘I’ll do just that.’
More and more people appeared in front of the entrance, as the participants began entering the hall. I was starting to feel anxious, when I heard someone calling my name with “Harema-senpai!” as a shadow ran toward me. Her black hair shone like a gem beneath the sunlight.
“I’m so sorry for getting here late. My smartphone broke so I had no means of contacting you…”
It was Hibari, wearing a casual outfit with a Boston bag hanging down her shoulder. Other than that, she carried a case on her back.
“Thank god you’re here. Did you manage to convince your parents?”
“Half-half, I’d say.”
What…does that mean, exactly? Apparently, her parents were shocked to hear Hibari argue back at her parents, and her mother especially was furious. A big fight broke out, and the smartphone got smashed on the ground, completely useless from that point on. It all sounded a lot worse than I anticipated…but it appears Hibari at least managed to convey her own feelings.
“With their stubborn feelings and old-fashioned eyes, they probably don’t understand the appeal and cuteness of lolita fashion. But since they are clearly clueless, it falls on their own daughter to educate them…so I said.”
“O-Oh dear…”
A gut punch right at your own parents, huh? Now that’s the Venomous Shrouded Princess I know.
“It got so close I was worried my mother would slap me across the face, but my father stopped her and sided with me.”
Seems like her father is the savior in this situation. I kind of feel bad having to deal with such a fierce wife, but apparently, he pushed her back and said “After all, she had to swallow it down all this time…” which worked quite well against her mother.
“For now, I got permission to participate in today’s contest. But what comes after, they still have to decide.”
“So that means…your mother’s gonna watch the stream?”
“Yes. That’s why failure is not an option,” she spoke with a determined tone.
That said, her expression seemed stiff, probably from all the pressure knowing that her mother was watching. However, if she were to act the same way on stage, her performance would suffer. My experience as hikari told me this would be dangerous at this rate. And so, I tapped her on the shoulder.
“Failure is very much an option. In this contest, you fight with cuteness. Even if you lose, you just have to look cute.”
“And there’s your weird logic again.”
“It works with hikari, and it comes up on the next exam.”
Hibari sighed and her shoulders dropped. For starters, she’d have to stand on that stage, show off her outfit, and enjoy the moment.
“I’m counting on your support then, Senpai.”
“Right on!”
I grabbed Hibari’s heavy Boston bag and told Amamiya-san that things had been resolved. Once done, we headed inside the venue.
“And that will be all from me, and I will now let the talents speak for themselves to show us a wonderful contest!” said the gorgeous judge Butterfly Hatakeyama-san in her introductory speech, declaring the beginning of the final round.
More and more participants appeared on the stage, all of them effectively being Hibari’s rivals. Meanwhile, we stood in the waiting room, watching their performances as I commented.
“Look at that number 13, she’s not half bad, right? That Eastern lolita style with a Japanese dance…The kimono-style top with the skirt…!”
“I bet she’ll be popular with the viewers.”
“But you’re not gonna lose, Hibari! Next up, number 14…! Oh man, she’s pretty good, too! She’s going the classic and elegant route…A skirt down to her ankles, together with a cameo brooch on her blouse…She went with a musical performance, but she’s a pretty good singer, and the classical lolita dress looks great on her!”
“I’m sure the judges will love her.”
“It’s no wonder they managed to pass the first round of eliminations. But you’re not gonna lose! You’ll win this, Hibari!”
“Harema-senpai.”
“What’s up?”
“You’re too noisy,” Hibari glared at me with a cold gaze.
Feeling defeated, I apologized to her despite being the older person. I was just trying to analyze the opponent, but I guess I got too heated. The other participants had already mentally prepared themselves, sitting down in their completed dress to wait for their turn. Hibari’s turn was the third last, and she wore a lolita dress completely different from the black version we used for the first round, instead going with a snow-white lolita dress. Even the mask that would hide her face changed from black to white. She wore a pure-white blouse with sleeves like a princess dress, adding a head accessory consisting of white roses. Around her neck, she had a choker with green as a standout color that made her look like the fairy of the forest. Now if she just keeps her harsh tone in check, she might really go through as a fairy. The same kind of fairy as hikari. Now is just the question if she can pull off her performance…
“Number 20! Please follow me backstage!”
“Yes…I’m heading out, Senpai.”
Called by one of the staff who came to the waiting room, Hibari grabbed her violin case and stood up. Her show for the main stage…was to play the violin. She had been learning it from a young age, even winning awards. And the violin she had wasn’t a rental, either. She’s been playing it for many years now.
“Thinking about it, I started playing the violin because I was forced to have the same hobby as my mother. I wasn’t even given the choice to try out something else, nor could I ever complain if I disliked it.”
“I see…”
“Though, I didn’t hate learning an instrument in the end, and I guess it did come in handy today,” Hibari caressed the case once before leaving the room. “And since she forced me to go along with her hobby, it’s time to switch up the roles,” she said with no bad intentions, yet with full confidence.
I simply nodded with a “Yeah” and stepped out of the hallway with her. The side of the stage was dimly lit, not a sound being made. Every performance lasted about 15 minutes, the girl before Hibari had just started.
“Oh, so she’s going with that, huh?”
A Chinese-themed lolita doing karate, huh…? The clothes are easy to move in, and it looks like the judges are big fans of it, while the viewers at home have something to enjoy. Out of all the girls, some were also hiding their faces like Hibari did. The five judges sitting next to the stage all wore their own type of lolita fashion, too. It showed just how deep this world could go. It’s like Butterfly Hatakeyama-san was the Demon Lord with her four Generals. As I was observing the surroundings, the karate girl’s turn ended, meaning that it was now Hibari’s chance to shine on the stage.
“Almost there.”
“Yeah.”
“…Coming this far, I do feel quite a bit nervous,” Hibari tightly put her lips together as she held the violin in her hands.
She’s going to be the center of attention of thousands of people, so who could blame her for being nervous? I gently placed my hands on both her shoulders, making sure not to create wrinkles on her outfit. I then looked directly into her eyes.
“Listen up, Hibari. This is my final piece of advice for you. For the next few minutes, you have to think that ‘You are the cutest in the whole world’.”
“The cutest…in the world?”
“Cuteness is a superpower that makes you invincible. You can chant it over and over. Chant it and feel proud. If you do that, you’ll be able to pull out 100% of your potential!”
Cuteness isn’t just your outer appearance. It’s the confidence you emit. Once Amamiya-san becomes more confident, she’ll be even cuter. It’s some kind of magic you put on yourself. And even better, the spell works on both girls and cross-dressing boys! All she had to do was think she’s cute, and it’ll work.
“Cuteness…is magic…” Hibari repeated my words and then sighed. “This is exactly why I…”
But for some reason, she didn’t continue and just looked up at me for a moment.
“So then…”
“Hm?”
“Will you…cast a spell on me?”
“Me? Why?”
I didn’t understand what she meant.
“I know that, in your eyes, Amamiya-senpai is the cutest, and you are undoubtedly the second in line.”
“H-Hey now…”
That makes me sound like I’m a narcissist. I mean, it’s true that Amamiya-san is the cutest, and that hikari comes right after!
“Just kidding. I respect that confidence of yours.”
“R-Right…”
“That said…Just once. Just this once, please call me the cutest. That alone…will give me all the support I need.”
As the faint light came from the stage, lighting her up from behind, she showed me a both warm but also lonely smile, making her look almost angelic. When we first met, I never thought I’d get to see such an expression from her. At the same time, applause came from the stage. The performance of the previous contestant had ended, as she now answered questions from the judges. Hibari’s shoulders quivered faintly. It was about to become serious, and so I figured I should cast a special magic spell just for her.
“Don’t worry, Hibari. Right now, you are the cutest girl in the world.”
“…Okay.”
“Also, make sure to smile. That’ll make you even cuter. Go out there and be confident!”
“I’m heading out.”
At the same time, the announcer’s voice rang out.
“Next participant…Cumulonimbus Cloud-san, please!”
Putting on the head accessory, Hibari ascended the stage. When she appeared wearing a white lolita dress, the judges were already invested, but she remained calm just as we practiced. She maintained a mysterious beauty that must have even reached the viewers at home. And then, she readied her violin, beginning to play the song she called “Fairy’s Dance.” I had no idea about the music whatsoever, but I could tell it was beautifully played. I don’t know if that was thanks to the magic I cast on her, or simply because of her own talent, but she absolutely nailed the performance. Butterfly Hatakeyama-san seemed infatuated, screaming “She’s depicting such a refined worldview! Truly excellent!” in excitement.
“All right, good…!”
Now she just had to answer the judges’ questions and she’d be good. However, she then proceeded to do something even I didn’t expect.
“Before that, please let me remove this.”
So she said while giving one of the staff members her violin, taking off the mask she had worn this whole time.
“Huh?! F-For real?!”
I was bewildered. The whole stream, as well as the audience in the venue, could see her natural beauty. Of course, we did put some makeup on her eyes, but other than that, this is pretty much her natural face. Let alone her parents at home, even the guys from the school who happen to watch this stream can all see this. And yet, she kept the mask in one hand, raising her face. Her expression showed unwavering determination.
“Oh my! Even her true face is quite excellent! Now before we end your performance, please tell everyone how you feel about this contest,” Butterfly Hatakeyama-san asked.
“…Up to this point, I was never able to do what I loved, simply tied down by my environment or the eyes of other people. I could never show my passion, or what I considered to be cute. However…” During brief silence, Hibari dropped her eyes.
She then raised her gaze, looking around the venue. Her particular ashen-gray eyes seemed almost translucent because of the lights shining down on her.
“When I decided to participate in this contest, I received a lot of help from two seniors of mine. Especially the one who called me cute…He is like a savior of mine.”
“Hibari…”
That must be…about me, right? Surely, the majority of people listening to this must think that it was referring to a fellow lolita fan. But still, savior? That’s a bit embarrassing…Either way, showing such an appreciation not in front of the person in question but in front of such a mass of people, this kind of boldness is something I’d expect from none other than Hibari.
“And to repay them for their help, I want to achieve great results within this contest.”
Accompanied by a loud wave of applause and cheers, Hibari stepped off the stage on the opposite end. Over on my side, the next candidate had already lined up, so I had to make a move. I’d like to congratulate her for the successful performance, but she’s going to get changed now. Then again, I’ve still got time until my meeting with Amamiya-san, so I’m just gonna catch her once she’s done changing and then be on my way. And with that decision made, I walked over to the changing room. On the way, I grabbed my smartphone and checked the responses on social media.
‘Watching the lolita models right now. Number 20 was hella cute!’
‘Both her performance and outfit were stunning.’
‘I think I’m going to vote for Cumulonimbus Cloud-san.’
‘I don’t know who to vote for!’
And so on. Seems like Hibari’s gonna get plenty of votes. Roughly at the same time, I got another message from Amamiya-san.
‘I just watched Hibari-san’s performance with my family! It was so gourd! Both Kasumi and Mio seemed to have developed an interest in lolita fashion! And Arare called her like a real fairy! Rei-kun said that I should also try that wind of outfit, but I think it worked out well because it was Hibari-san bearing it…!’
Or so she said, gushing about the outfit and the performance. There are still a few typos in there, but that’s honestly just a cute bonus at this point.
‘Also, I just left my house, so…’
“Yeah, I’ll be on my way in a second…Okay, send.”
I stopped in the hallway and typed up a response. With all the participants having finished their performances, there would now be a short break, followed by a surprise event, and then the announcement of the results. I don’t know just what kind of surprise they were thinking of.
“I didn’t write any typos, right…Hm?”
I was checking my message when I heard a flabbergasted “Huh?!” voice from across the corner. This voice sounded familiar, so I stopped in my tracks.
“The event is about to begin! And yet, she still hasn’t made it here…?!”
I stuck to the wall without taking the corner, listening to the situation unfold. Standing there was a certain middle school student—No, a mature woman looking fairly young with the name Kokoro-san, currently on the phone. She even had a young face despite her age. However, that still brings up the question as to why she is here. Maybe because CandyCandy is sponsoring the event…?
“Now that it’s come to this, we need a replacement…But finding a replacement for Rainbow Hanako? A model that would set the whole venue ablaze…?”
The name that left Kokoro-san’s mouth was the very name of a colleague—Rainbow Hanako. She’s part of the super-popular FlirtyCute agency, also known by its full name Flirtatiously Cute. There’s even a so-called “Hana-chan Fashion” among the middle school girls of today. That said, she can be a bit selfish at times…which earned her quite the fame in the industry. I’ve worked with her a few times, but I hear the agency and manager had their hands full. And it seems like Rainbow Hanako’s back at it again. Worst of all, Kokoro-san happened to look my way at the worst moment, making our eyes meet.
“Ah! You! Kouki-kun?! You’re Kouki-kun, right?!”
“Y-Yes?”
“Perfect timing, really!”
She must have hung up her call as she came running over with a bright grin on her face. I could instinctively tell that I would regret not running away on the spot.
“Why are you even here? This feels like a miracle!”
“Well, a friend of mine participated in the contest…What about you?”
“I’m an old friend of Butterfly Hatakeyama-san! Did you wonder how her makeup and hairstyle looked so gorgeous today? Well, it was all because I did it!”
It was kind of surprising, but also not really. She’s a veteran, so people obviously know her. And apparently, she was tasked with handling the event in between.
“We were going to use the event time to show off Candy in the Candy PINK!’s new lolita fashion, and the president even worked on a new dress, too. All is PR, you know?”
“Yeah, for the new branch store, right?”
“Exactly! However, the model, Rainbow Hanako, doesn’t like the outfits she was supposed to wear…She’s not even here in the first place!” She stomped on the ground in anger. “What a selfish girl! I guess I really made the wrong choice when I agreed to take her after the agency pushed her!”
Originally, the plan was to use models who had previously worked with CandyCandy, such as hikari, but the agency that Rainbow belongs to seemed so desperate that they simply begged for them to supply a model. And after Kokoro-san reluctantly agreed, this is the result, huh? That Rainbow Hanako is absolutely wasting her popularity. But leaving that aside, I obviously knew what Kokoro-san would ask of me next.
“So you’re telling me to jump in for Rainbow Hanako…”
“I’m sure the president’s gonna give us her permission, and I’ll handle all the messy business! The clothes should fit you, too. It has to be you! Please!”
“Erm…I’m sorry, I can’t.”
“Whaaat?! Why?!”
I mean, Aamiya-san is waiting for me. I feel bad for betraying her hope, but I don’t have time to jump in for someone else.
“Can’t you reconsider…?”
“Not happening.”
“So cold! Not even willing to negotiate?! Do you have important plans after this or something?!”
“Actually, yes. I’m going to meet with Amamiya-san, so…”
“With Shizuku-chan?! Gosh, then say that sooner! I don’t wanna get you away from your date!” She said and dropped her shoulders in defeat.
But it’s not a date though…right? Hearing that word, I could feel the depths of my chest becoming somewhat itchy.
‘Um…’
There, a reluctant and cute voice came from my smartphone. Undoubtedly, it was Amamiya-san.
“Wh-Why are we on a call…?!” I panicked and checked my phone, but it seemed like I had accidentally pressed the call button instead of sending the message.
And as a result, she must have heard my entire conversation with Amamiya-san.
‘S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to listen in, but I also lost my chance to speak up, so…’
“N-No, this is my fault! Don’t worry about it!”
‘So, well…I was actually asking if you can’t jump in for that model, Harema-kun.’
“Huh…?!”
I raised the volume of my phone to ensure I could hear her voice properly. And since Kokoro-san slapped me on the arm, telling me “I wanna listen to what she’s saying!” I reluctantly put my phone on speaker.
‘I feel bad for just barging into this whole mess, but…I also think that Harema-kun…No, hikari-san is the only one who can fix this mess now.’
“B-But…I already pushed back our promise, so…”
Before I ran into Kokoro-san, Amamiya-san had mentioned she had already left her home. I can’t just make her wait for me outside. And yet, no matter what may happen, Amamiya-san remained an angel.
‘I’m really happy you care about our promise so much…But as your fan, I would love to see you on stage, and I want to support you…Not to mention Kokoro-san’s dilemma, too! Don’t worry about me. I can wait for you as long as it takes!’ She pleaded. ‘Of course, as long as you’re okay with that!’
In the end, she still respects my own wishes. Ah, such a fatal wound caused by cuteness and respect…Even Kokoro-san was getting emotional, witnessing the existence of such an angel, and I even struggled to hold back the tears. Now that she said that, I would sully hikari’s honor if I didn’t take up this job.
“Okay, I’ll take care of it.”
The first one who reacted to my answer was Kokoro-san, jumping up while screaming “Heck yeah!” as her braided blonde side tail swayed left and right.
“Thanks! Thanks so much, Shizuku-chan! Once he’s done, I’ll send him off your way! And let me dress you up too sometime!”
‘S-Sure, as long as you’re not too busy…’
“Also, if you’re interested in doing your model debut with hikari by your side, just call the number on the business card I gave you the other day!”
‘I…I will think about it.’
Oh? That answer seems mighty different from what she said at first. Not too long ago, she would vehemently decline whenever someone asked her to work as a model. I guess this shows her growth in confidence. Thanks to that, Kokoro-san’s excitement also rose.
“Good, good! I can hardly wait! I’ll make you so cute you’ll be able to stand your ground against hikari!
What an idiot she is. Amamiya-san is already a million times cuter than me. Kokoro-san now started calling around, informing the staff about the change of plans. She knows how to work her stuff, all right. Before I hung up, I told Amamiya-san “I’ll head over once I’m done!”
‘Yeah! I’ll be waiting. There is something…I have to tell you no matter what.’
I wasn’t even given any time to chew on those words as Kokoro-san grabbed my arm.
“Now, now, it’s time to get changed, Harema-kun! You gotta be ready immediately! And I’m going to turn you into the cutest lolita girl!”
“I’m putting my trust in your skill.”
Without much room to argue, I was brought to the changing room that originally should have been used by Rainbow Hanako. The lolita outfit pushed into my face had frills all over, designed as a one-piece, with white and red as its basic colors. What stood out the most were the small wings attached to my back. Even the gloves and shoes had small feathers attached to them. The mini hat supposed to be worn on one’s head also had heart-shaped feathers growing from it. Seems like wings and hearts seem to be the main motif here. And it’s very fitting for a brand like CandyCandy. Compared to the Alice-type outfit or what Hibari went with, this was on a whole different level.
“Cute, right?”
“I…guess so.”
“The chairman said that you’d nail wearing this outfit, so the makeup’s gonna turn you into a loveable girl.”
Well, deep down I’m still an introverted boy, but hikari would be able to wear this without fault. And I only heard about this a bit later from Kokoro-san, but it seems like Rainbow Hanako wants to break free from this kind of cute outfit.
“She wants to take the mature and handsome girl route when it comes to fashion.”
“Oh? That’s the complete opposite.”
I’m guessing she wanted to do this for a while, but the agency kept pushing her in a certain direction. It’s not entirely unheard of. However, I don’t agree with just skipping out on work entirely for that reason.
“Well, let’s leave that kiddie aside for now!”
“You’re clearly taking this personally, aren’t you?”
“You can go get changed, Kouki-kun! I’ll take care of your hair and makeup after. And I just asked the assistant to bring over your wig, too!”
Kokoro-san seemed a lot more excited than usual as she continued to change me into hikari. And honestly, I don’t dislike this feeling of being reborn.
“All right, perfect!”
Shortly after, when I looked in the mirror, I was greeted by a beauty that could make even a crying girl fall for her. The long-haired wig was equipped with curls, arranged in a fluffy way to make it seem more voluptuous. My lips were colored in a strong rouge red, emphasizing my natural cuteness, and fitting with the red tone of the outfit. When I tried to smile in front of the mirror, I almost scared myself. I was just so cute, you know?
“The perfect…lovable lolita girl…”
As I was once again gushing over myself, Kokoro-san didn’t retort like Mikage usually would and instead said “Even I’m impressed!”
“And by the way, you don’t have to do anything as a performance when you’re standing on stage. The event was supposed to show off the model and outfit.”
“So like a regular fashion show?”
“Exactly! Just be there and charm everyone.”
“That’s what I’m good at.”
“I appreciate your confidence! Oh yeah, did I ever tell you the theme of the outfit?”
That was a first for me, so I shook my head. In response, Kokoro-san pretended to be an idol and created a heart with both her hands.
“Namely…A cupid too adorable to exist!”
“A cupid… I see.”
That’s why it had all these hearts and wings. And it’s quite fitting. If Amamiya-san is an angel, then hikari is a goddess. But wait a second, wasn’t Cupid the Goddess of Beauty Venus’ son? If he’s a cross-dressing boy, then I’m absolutely perfect for the role.
“Though actually, I guess you’d be the one getting help from Cupid, I guess?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Oh geez, you get it, right? Just think about the cupid’s role!” Kokoro-san poked her fingers into the wings.
Her grinning is crazy. It reminds me of Mikage.
“I’m talking about Shizuku-chan, duh! You must have realized it by now, right? Though, I guess there’s no need for a cupid if you’re dating already. You’re meeting after this, right?”
“Huh? No, it’s not a date…And why did you even bring up Amamiya-san?”
“Wha…”
Seeing that I was dead serious, Kokoro-san switched from her cutesy-teasing mode. And then, with a volume I didn’t expect from her, she screamed.
“Are you kidding me?! You’re still not dating?!”
Ahh, my ears are ringing…
“Oh god…Are you for real, Kouki-kun? Or hikari? Whatever, I can’t believe you.”
“Can you not look at me with such utter disgust in your eyes?”
“Aren’t you a bit too dense when it comes to your feelings? Or is this just a side effect of your ‘I am the cutest’ sickness? I knew about it, but man it seems like a real severe case. I feel bad for Shizuku-chan…”
“What is even your issue right now…?”
I struggled to understand what she was talking about, slowly getting aggravated. Although such an expression was also pretty cute…Well, this is the exact sickness she was talking about.
“Being dense is, if you take it to the extreme, a sin, you know? Maybe it’d be better to just be reborn and do a re-spec. Want me to help?”
“Why are you raising your hand like you’re seriously suggesting this?!”
“Just kidding. Wouldn’t want you to miss out on the event!”
Does that mean I’ll get murdered by Kokoro-san after the event time is over…?
“We don’t have much time, so let me get straight to the point. How do you feel about Shizuku-chan?”
“She’s the cutest girl in the whole world.”
“What do you feel when you see her smile?”
“I want to protect her for the rest of my life.”
“What if she suddenly started crying?”
“Then I would start crying too…But first, I’ll ask for the reason and try to cheer her up. And if someone makes her cry, I’ll beat them up.”
“Oh dear, how manly. So if you could, would you like to always be with her?”
“Always be with her…”
I stood in front of the mirror, observing myself, as hikari, in the mirror. Whenever I’m with Amamiya-san, all these unfamiliar emotions start to grow within me, it genuinely confuses me a lot of times. But it wasn’t anything unpleasant. Instead, it was a rather refreshing experience. I never once imagined I would find someone who appeared cuter in my eyes than hikari. I want to watch that cuteness from up close. So of course, my answer is—
“…Yeah, I’m sure being together with her forever is its own kind of happiness.”
“Oh gosh…! And you still haven’t realized?! This is like one of the seven world wonders! You big dummy! Big, big, dummy!”
Her emotions seemed rather unstable.
“If I wasn’t taking care of your hair and makeup, I’d beat you over the head with a slipper.”
So after a fist, it’s the slippers, huh?
“Anyway, I gave you plenty of hints! This is as far as I’ll take you! I gotta clean up the tools, so you are on your way to the stage!”
“You’re suddenly so cold…”
“I’m genuinely thankful you decided to help out, Mr. Dense! No, excuse me, you’re Mrs. Dense right now! Either way, rock that stage!”
I got pushed out of the changing room. What was that about? I had no idea, but I rushed over to the stage. On the way, all the staff members gave me three separate looks when they saw my candy-colored hair.
“Wait, hold on…hikari?! Why are you here?!”
“Was she scheduled to participate or something?!”
“I’ve never seen her in the flesh. She’s way too cute!”
“I can see wings…So she really is an angel that descended from the heavens…”
Being showered in attention felt great. You can praise me more. Praise my cute self.
“Hm? Harema-senpai?”
“Oh, Hibari?”
I made my way toward the stage when Hibari walked toward me. I praised her for her successful stage performance, to which she responded by slightly blushing and averting her face.
“W-Were you listening to my speech?”
“Yeah. Thanks for holding hikari in such high regard!”
“…I wonder, were you ever told that you should probably die once to cure that denseness of yours?”
“How did you know?!”
In fact, he was told exactly that not even a while ago. Seeing me shaken like that, Hibari gave me a cold gaze.
“Whatever…I was just trying my luck, really. Also, why are you even wearing these clothes?”
“Well, a lot happened…”
I briefly explained what had previously transpired.
“That…is exactly how you tend to get roped up in all sorts of messes.”
“It’s how hikari came into existence after all…”
“You’re a goody-two-shoes, Senpai.”
“Well…Amamiya-san asked me to help out, so there’s that.”
If she of all people asks me, I can’t possibly decline. When I indulged in Amamiya-san’s kindness, Hibari gave me a dubious gaze.
“Seriously, whenever Amamiya-senpai is involved, you’re showing exactly what the saying ‘Love is blind’ is all about.”
“Love…?”
That word caught my attention. The way she phrased it made it almost sound as if I’m in love with Amamiya-san.
“You seem confused. Please don’t show me that kind of dumbfounded expression while looking like hikari. It ruins my image.”
“Y-You’re saying I’m behaving in an unbefitting way of being an unparalleled beauty…? Wait, that’s not important!”
“You’re not telling me…that you aren’t aware of it, right? For real?” Hibari’s eyes shot open to the point I worried they might pop out of her head, saying the exact same thing that Kokoro-san did.
Something about me being aware or not…But I was just confused, having reached brain capacity.
“You’re joking, right? That just makes me the loser who gave you the final push…But you’re both important people to me…Seriously, why did it have to be some cross-dressing nobody…”
“H-Hibari…?”
She started mumbling to herself, only to suddenly sigh like she had given up on humanity. I gotta say, she’s really opened up compared to how she was before.
“Senpai…I really don’t like to do this, but I will give you the answer you’re looking for. By giving you a push, it will help me repay the favor I owe Amamiya-senpai.”
“O-Okay?”
Feeling an odd sense of pressure from Hibari, I just nodded before I could even understand the meaning. She then blinked once, moving her long eyelashes, as she continued.
“Let me get straight to the point.” She didn’t even pause. “You like Amamiya-senpai, right? In a romantic sense, and not just as friends.”
“Romantic…”
“The emotion you feel toward Amamiya-senpai is what other people would call love. And you’re not going to tell me you’re some AI or android who is trying to learn about human emotions, right?”
“What kind of example is that…? I-I mean…”
I’d rather not have had this conversation right before heading out on stage, not to mention while looking like a cupid. And now that I think about it…I haven’t even had my first love yet, right? Mikage mentioned that his first love was his homeroom teacher back in elementary school. But when I was that age, I was already a dress-up doll for Misora-neesan, being told that I was the cutest in the whole world. And my parents were jumping on that bandwagon, too. I could never see another girl as cute, thus not falling in love. This only got worse when I debuted as hikari, so I guess this issue had been growing since I was a young child…Also, isn’t all of this basically just Misora-neesan’s fault?! It absolutely is. Thanks to that, the very concept of love is like a hazy lump of confusion locked away deep inside of me. And since I could only give vague responses, Hibari’s look began to get more and more aggravated.
“You’re really starting to annoy me. If you hadn’t been wearing a cute lolita outfit, I would have probably whacked you across the face with a dull object.”
“A-At least keep it limited to your fist like Kokoro-san!”
Or your slippers!
“Who is this Kokoro-san? Anyway, love is what you feel when you want to go out with a person, or maybe get married in the future…”
“Married?!”
“Shut up. Listen to me until I’m done,” Hibari hissed at me.
When I heard that word, it made me think of Amamiya-san in her apron, warming up my chest.
“Should I make it even clearer so that you’ll actually understand it?”
“P-Please do.”
“Being in love means that you want to spend the rest of your life with that person.”
This overlaps with what Kokoro-san told me earlier. What did I respond to? That being with her forever would be its own kind of happiness…Oh, I see now. So I’m in love with Amamiya-san. Now that I had made the connection, it all fell into place rather easily. My affection, my romantic feelings for Amamiya-san, took shape into something clear. To think I wouldn’t have realized without Kokoro-san’s hint and Hibari giving me the answer…I can’t blame them for being angry at me. However, I’m no longer the unaware dense bastard.
“Thanks, Hibari. I feel a lot more refreshed now.”
“You’re welcome. So…are you going to confess?”
“Well, what else is there to do for me?”
Even at this very moment, I wanted to run off and tell her how I felt. Of course, I’m terrified just thinking about what her answer might be, but nothing could start if I don’t tell her about my feelings.
“Amamiya-san is, unlike a fake cupid like me, more of an angel. There’s plenty of a chance she’ll reject me, and I don’t want to burden her with my feelings…”
“No, that won’t happen. There’s no way she would reject you.”
“There’s plenty of a chance, right? At this point, she’s one of the Four Great Beauties of our school, with great looks and a great personality, and the fact that she’s not very talented in sports makes her look cute, too. There’s a good chance she’s already set her eyes on another guy…Ah…I can’t…Just thinking about it hurts…!”
Being played around by these feelings I wasn’t used to, I crouched down. My wings flapped lifelessly. Of course, even this sight of hikari was absolutely adorable. It’s what I’ve practiced over the years. And yet, Hibari just looked at me with a cold gaze, telling me to stand up. I feel like she’s a lot harsher with me than Kokoro-san was. But when I stood up, her strict expression melted away into something a lot warmer.
“I think it would be better if you stopped this kind of unbefitting act. When you’re not confident, you’re just a loner boy who doesn’t stand out.”
“You really know where to hurt me…”
“So just be confident in yourself. Why not confess to Amamiya-senpai? That way, I could put an end to this, too.”
Why would she need to put an end to something? A doubt popped up in my mind, but I just nodded it off. Once I’m done with this performance, I will go see Amamiya-san…and confess to her. And that’s decided!
“All right, now I’m pumped. I’m off to the stage.”
“It’s about time, yes. I will return to the changing room and watch your performance. And be sure not to mess it up with Amamiya-san.”
“Yeah. Let me know once the results are out.”
And then, we separated. I felt like I heard Hibari mumble something behind me, but she spoke too quietly for me to pick it up. That said, I didn’t have enough time to ask, so I quickly rushed ahead. Entering the back of the stage, the staff waiting there was shocked to see my arrival, but quickly recovered and explained everything to me. However in the end, it was exactly as Kokoro-san had explained to me. I just have to show off myself and the dress.
“Now then, it’s time for our special event! Let us call our surprise guest…right now!”
I didn’t know if the announcer even knew about the change of plans. Either way, I let my hair flutter as I stepped on stage. With a solid step, but not too fast, I walked up to the middle of the stage, sending the baffled judges a win. I then turned around to strike a pose, showing off my wings as the cupid. Adding some more poses, I showed off the details of the outfit. And then, I smiled with all my heart while thinking of Amamiya-san—It seems like I’m in love with you, so wait for me, Amamiya-san.
Side H – Hibari’s Two Secrets
I actually have two secrets. First, contrary to everyone’s image of me being stiff, always angry, and never interested in anything, I adore anything that is cute. Lolita fashion absolutely strikes my fancy. The first time I saw this kind of fashion, it was like the world around me lit up with colors.
“Cute…They look like princesses.”
I think that’s what I muttered when I first saw a girl wearing those kinds of clothes. From that point on, it didn’t take me long to reach Candy in the Candy PINK! and tried to buy my first outfit. Since my mother is very strict and won’t let me have much freedom to enjoy my life, the built-up frustration inside of me was healed by wearing all those cute outfits. At first, I was satisfied just looking. I knew that it wouldn’t look good on me. Even so, the desire to try it at least once wouldn’t let me rest easily. I wanted to walk around wearing one of those outfits and be seen by other people. Thinking back on it, I think I always admired princesses. I read lots of picture books with princesses, always asking my parents to watch movies with beautiful princesses in them.
“You really love princesses, Kyouka.”
“Yeah! I wanna be a princess when I grow up!”
“I’m sure you can do that.”
…Oh yeah, I did have these kinds of conversations with my mother at one point. But the more she rose up the ranks in her job, the more she became the way she is right now. When we went to a theme park at one point, my mother and I would both wear princess dresses and take pictures. My father praised us for it, and my mother seemed to be enjoying herself, too. A part of me…wishes we could go back to how we were back then. My mother must have forgotten about those photos by now, I can just tell. And I could just barely convince her to let me participate in this contest. Since I always had to hide what I consider cute, I worked my hardest and made it to the final stage…but when my mother found out and denied everything, I felt like the world around me had turned pitch-black. I thought I could ever wear cute clothes again. Nor stand on stage. Yet the ones who helped me get up again…were Amamiya-senpai and Harema-senpai. Especially Harema-senpai’s words…
“I have confidence in my looks. Be it my parents, the people who don’t like me, or some random guy I don’t even know, they can deny it as much as they want, but my confidence will not waver.”
These words really stuck with me…Though I guess they were hikari’s words? Really, Harema-senpai is a weird person. On the surface, she’s the cutest girl known to the world, but he still is weird. And of course, I can’t deny that cuteness. She’s the woman I always admired. And it’s not just hikari. Harema-senpai himself is weird. He gave me affirmation for everything I love, not pushing any weird image on me. He helped me make it this far in the contest, and he kept on pushing my back. I’ve never met a boy like him before. This glimmer he had whenever he dressed up as hikari, and this genuine kindness when he was just himself…When I realized that, it might have been too late already.
*
“I really had to take the role of the friend giving him a push…” Walking down the hallway in front of the changing room, I muttered while gazing at my feet.
It was still cloudy outside, probably close to raining any second now. After dressing into his regular outfit, Harema-senpai dashed out of the venue, and I was forced to see him off with saddened feelings. The event he offered to help out with was a resounding success. I watched him on the TV in the changing room, and it was as overwhelming as one would have expected. His smile was bottomless, bewitching everybody who watched. But that smile…was probably meant for only one single person out there. And I knew just who he was laughing for.
“Seeing that, there’s no way I have a chance…”
Not only that, I even made him realize how he felt. With how dense he is, I worried he might not even have any human emotions at all. And although I’m happy I could repay the favor, I do feel a bit of regret at the same time. If I hadn’t helped him realize, I might have had a chance still…Yeah, not. It’s not like me to think about this stuff. My second secret…is that my love for Harema-senpai was destined to end one-sided. I should have known that, in his eyes, Amamiya-senpai is the cutest girl, but I still couldn’t stop these feelings. And to be honest, even I have to admit that she is incredibly cute, and a part of me is still happy for him, but still…
“That said, that magic is mine alone.”
The magic spell he had cast on me before my performance…At that moment, he called me the cutest girl in the world. And despite everything I said, my heart hasn’t fully given up yet, so I’m just going to hang on to that for a while longer.
“Oh, they’re going to announce the results soon.”
I looked outside the window. Harema-senpai had long disappeared. And I didn’t even have to guess as to what he was doing right now. Instead, I decided to focus on the announcement of the results, wiping the tears from my eyes. I’ve always been a bit of a crybaby, after all.
“All right…”
For the announcement of the results, all participants will be standing on the stage once more, with the camera filming for the stream. And I can’t be seen crying there. I slapped my cheeks and forced myself to smile. Because that is what makes me look even cuter. Isn’t that right, Senpai?
CClaw Translations 