I Was Reincarnated as a Mob in a Completed School Rom-Com Manga, and When I Tried My Best to Cheer Up the Broken Losing Heroines, I Realized I Had Surpassed the Original Story - 35

Chapter 35: Rehearsal

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Once noon had passed, we began rehearsals on the gymnasium stage, which served as our venue. Having been the first to finish changing into her costume, Chadani-san came over to where I was waiting in the wing.

“Kurosaki-kun, how do I look…? I really don’t look weird, right…?”

She seemed unsettled and fidgety, maybe still bothered by what happened earlier. Her stage costume was generally unified in a plain brown color, but the kemomimi ears sprouting from the headband and the tail extending from her waist stimulated the kink I had been hiding.

“No, it really suits you a lot. It matches your hair color perfectly, and, like… It feels packed with Chadani-san’s hidden charm. To put it mildly—super cute… I think…”

This wasn’t flattery or an attempt to please her. It was my honest, unmistakable feeling. It shone precisely because it was paired with her cute, bashful demeanor—an outrageously perfect marriage, an ideal combination.

“You’re praising me way too much… And your intentions are obvious. Even if you butter me up like that, I’m not going to be happy…!”

Chadani-san denied it with her face bright red. Her cuteness made me unexpectedly want to start oshikatsu for her.

I’ll secretly buy some merch later.

“I’m looking forward to the actual performance…”

“Yes… I’ll do my best for you, Kurosaki-kun…”

Just as Chadani-san mumbled those soft words, the rest of the members—who had finished getting ready—came rushing in like a flood.

“Onii-chan, look, look! Doesn’t Moe look like a real idol〜!?”

From the back of her jet-black, devil-like costume, demon-ish wings were sprouting.

“Th-that’s… Uh, it suits your personality, I guess…?”

“Mmmh, what’s that supposed to mean〜!?”

Then, pushing her way forward past Moe—who puffed out her cheeks in a sulk—Nazuna leaned in toward me.

“K-Kazuto-kun, how about mine…?”

Her passionate red costume had a deeply plunging neckline, showing off a dangerously emphasized cleavage. It made me worry whether something like this was really acceptable for a high school cultural festival. Compared to the others, it also seemed to have way more frills. That Kirari… The level of effort she put into only Nazuna’s costume was on a completely different scale.

“I-it really suits you. Like in a good way… It’s kind of sexy too…”

“—!!”

When I accidentally voiced my honest feelings, Nazuna froze for a moment, then pressed her hands to her cheeks.

“If it’s to Kazuto-kun’s liking, then I’m happy…”

“Okay, we don’t have much time left, so let’s start the rehearsal—!”

Taking the lead, Kirari called out “Thanks in advance—!” to the staff and ran toward the center of the stage. Watching everyone in their colorful outfits follow after her, I savored the joy of seeing something we had created slowly taking shape, as well as a slightly premature sense of accomplishment.

After finishing rehearsal, everyone finally started showing nervousness, reviewing their choreography in the wing until the very last moment. I, meanwhile, was summoned by the only person who wasn’t nervous at all—Kirari—and dragged to the back of the gym. Kirari was dressed in a costume clearly inspired by a bee—yellow and black colors, feelers, and wings as accessories. Seeing her outside rather than indoors made her look even more bee-like, enough that I almost laughed.

“Hey, Kazuto, am I cute…?”

“Wh-what’s with you all of a sudden…?”

The heavy mood surrounding Kirari made the air feel thinner.

“In my past life, no one ever called me cute… When I put on Kirari’s mask in this world, I feel like I’m acting as an anime character… I don’t know, maybe it’s kind of like cosplaying? So I started worrying a little…Like about whether it’s really okay for me to be the center of that group…”

Even Kirari had moments where she was having her own struggles like this. Seeing this human side of her, I came to like her even more… As a person, of course.

“You’re cute. Definitely cute. You’re not even losing to the heroines of Amakoi. And honestly, who besides Kirari could be the center of that group? Your performance is definitely the number one. I guarantee it!”

“Really…?”

“If I’m lying, you can stab me with that stinger, alright?”

“Hehe, my poison’s really strong, you know〜?”

She shook the stinger on her butt as she smiled brightly. It seemed she had returned to her usual self. The moment we returned to the gymnasium, Konno-san suddenly appeared again and grabbed my arm, dragging me away.

“W-wait, two days in a row!?”

And for some reason, she marched me all the way to the restroom entrance.

“Kurosaki-kun…”

Still facing away from me, Konno-san spoke in a weak voice.

“What is it…?”

“Wh-wh-what should I do… I’m s-so nervous I think I’m gonna die…”

When she turned only her head toward me, trembling violently, her eyes had lost all light, and cold sweat poured down her forehead like a waterfall.

“H-here, use this!”

So her sweat wouldn’t fall onto her Lolita dress—with its butterfly-wing pattern—I handed her my handkerchief. And then an unrelated thought crossed my mind. If the costume concepts were going to be this wildly inconsistent, why hadn’t Konno-san’s ninja request been approved? Was this, too, Kirari’s preference at work?

“Th-thanks…”

“To ease your nerves, start with deep breaths… Okay, inhale—exhale—”

She breathed in and out, suu—haa, but her complexion didn’t improve at all. The time was now 2:30 p.m., and we had hit today’s biggest crisis right before the performance began.

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