The Beautiful Girl Who Asked Me to Pretend to Be Her Boyfriend Didn’t Want to Break up With Me for Some Reason

Chapter 85: Preparation

The preparations for the school festival progressed day by day.

The roles for customer service and backstage duties were decided, and matching costumes had to be prepared accordingly.

The chosen costumes were the kind you’d find at a bargain store—cheap-looking and cosplay-like.

Since our budget was limited, we had to save as much money as possible.

Nagatsuki looked displeased, but in the end, she accepted it as unavoidable.

She probably had some knowledge and strong opinions about cosplay.

However, she couldn’t impose her preferences, so instead, she silently worked the sewing machine like a reliable worker.

As for the food, reservations had already been made.

Several types of frozen cakes—enough for 200 servings—were prepared, scheduled to be picked up on the day before the festival.

The same went for the tea and coffee.

Since we weren’t allowed to use cooking equipment at the festival, instant options were the only choice.

That said, if someone wanted high-quality taste, they could just go to a regular café.

After all, what we were doing was just a high school festival.

We had also prepared extra paper plates and cups, so there shouldn’t be any shortages.

If, by some chance, we ran out… someone would probably have to go buy more.

The decorations were also coming along, little by little.

At first, we aimed to create an atmosphere fitting for a maid and butler café, but it was harder than expected.

Using store-bought decorations was easy enough, but there were also things we had to make by hand.

One of the biggest challenges was the signboard announcing our class’s event.

We tried making one with the people who were always involved in the preparations, but it turned out pretty unimpressive.

Unfortunately, it seemed we lacked artistic and design skills.

Nagatsuki must have noticed, too, since she suggested, “Maybe we should ask someone from the art club for help.”

So, for the time being, we set that aside and focused on the interior setup.

Since we had plenty of reference photos, deciding on the layout didn’t take too long.

Making the place look the part was something we could handle ourselves.

Once the whole class got involved, we could get their input on whether it was good enough.

Things were gradually coming together, but—

“…Are we really gonna finish this in time?”

I paused my sewing, looking at the pile of materials as I muttered.

My job was mainly adjusting the fabric decorations.

Nagatsuki, having more experience, took on all the work related to clothing.

Even so, there was still quite a bit to do.

Since my sewing skills were only at a basic level, I was slow.

I was being careful to avoid mistakes, but that just made everything take longer.

“—Alright! Costume adjustments are done!”

Beside me, Nagatsuki stopped her sewing machine and stretched.

She was already done? That was way too fast.

Did she realize how many costumes there were?

“You’re seriously fast.”

“Well, yeah. I only had to make small fixes. You’ve made good progress, too, Kuwazome-kun. Since there are only a few left, we can split the work and finish soon.”

“That helps. I was starting to think I wouldn’t manage on my own.”

“I wouldn’t have finished everything alone either, so I’m grateful too.”

…Was that really true?

At her pace, she probably would’ve finished just fine.

“Okay, now that the costumes are done… Shirafuji-san, can I borrow you for a moment?”

Nagatsuki called out to Shirafuji, who had been working on decorations in another part of the room.

Noticing her voice, Shirafuji came over.

“What is it?”

“Since the costume adjustments are finished, can you try one on?”

Nagatsuki held up a maid outfit—not the long-skirted type that Shirafuji owned but a short-skirted, cosplay-style one.

I understood the reasoning.

Even if the costumes were adjusted, we wouldn’t know if they fit properly without trying them on.

And Nagatsuki had undoubtedly chosen Shirafuji because she would look good in it.

“…Here? Now?”

“If possible. It’ll help us check the overall atmosphere, and having a clearer image should make the rest of the work easier.”

Nagatsuki lined up reasonable arguments, trying to persuade the hesitant Shirafuji.

To be fair, she wasn’t wrong.

Seeing someone wear the maid outfit would help us figure out if the decorations matched the intended theme.

“And—”

Nagatsuki leaned in and whispered something in Shirafuji’s ear.

Shirafuji’s eyes widened slightly, and she seemed to think for a few moments.

After about thirty seconds, she let out a sigh.

“…Alright. If you need me to, I’ll do it.”

“Thanks, Shirafuji-san. —Alright, everyone, could you step out of the classroom for a bit? We’re having Shirafuji-san model the costume now that the adjustments are finished. If anyone else wants to try one on, let me know.”

“Ooh! I wanna do it!”

“Alright then, Hanaba-san, you too. Your costume is… this one.”

Hanaba was also given a maid outfit, and with that, the rest of us left the classroom, leaving the two of them behind.

—

Chapter 86: Two Maids

“We’ve changed.”

“You can come in now!”

After hearing the two voices from inside the classroom, the door opened.

Standing there were the two of them, now dressed in maid outfits.

Shirafuji looked slightly embarrassed, her eyes lowered.

Hanaba, on the other hand, had an excited expression, clearly enjoying herself as she showed off her outfit.

Both maid outfits were cosplay-style.

They were similar to apron dresses.

The tops had short sleeves, and the skirts reached just above the knees.

The frilled straps connected from the shoulders to the waist, forming large, wavy ruffles.

A ribbon tied in a bow at the chest stood out, while the black skirts fluttered underneath the white aprons.

Their heads were adorned with white frilled headbands, completing the look.

Their long, slender legs were covered in white knee-high socks, giving them an overall elegant appearance.

It was as if the maid outfits had been made specifically for them—both of them looked like perfect maids.

The classmates, both male and female, let out murmurs of admiration.

Since Shirafuji and Hanaba were both good-looking girls, everyone had expected them to suit the outfits, and they were right.

I had already seen Shirafuji in a different maid outfit before, so I wasn’t worried.

…Though, whether or not it’s normal to be used to seeing someone in a maid outfit is another question entirely.

My thoughts were the same as everyone else’s.

Both Shirafuji and Hanaba looked ridiculously good in them.

“What do you think? Does it suit me?”

Hanaba, striking a pose, asked with a grin.

Everyone immediately gave words of affirmation.

Hanaba smiled, clearly pleased.

“Even though it’s a cosplay-style one, it actually looks pretty good when you wear it. The fabric feels a little thin, though, and thinking about wearing this while serving customers feels kind of embarrassing.”

“I feel the same way as Kihane. I know it’s just a matter of getting used to it, but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s still just cosplay.”

“Sorry about that, but we’ll have to make do. If we got more high-quality outfits, they’d be more comfortable, but with this many people, we just don’t have the budget for that…”

“We get it, so don’t worry, Prez. Besides, isn’t this fine? It fits the vibe of a high school festival.”

As she spoke, Hanaba pinched the edge of her skirt and performed a small bow.

Was that supposed to be a curtsy?

With the short skirt, I was nervous something might be visible.

Hanaba probably knew exactly what she was doing, but as a guy, I just couldn’t tell.

Also, I’d appreciate it if she’d stop, since I had no idea where to look.

I wasn’t the only one—several other guys had also turned their eyes away.

“But… this maid outfit has a really cute design. Just adding frills and ribbons changes the whole atmosphere so much.”

Shirafuji murmured as she touched the fabric of her outfit.

The ones chosen for the festival were different from the maid outfit Shirafuji owned.

These were more about looking cute and casual—very cosplay-like.

They weren’t the classical, authentic type of maid uniforms.

Even from my perspective, the mood they gave off was completely different.

For someone actually wearing it, the contrast must have been even starker.

“Does that mean you’re more into classical maid outfits, Shirafuji-san?”

“If I had to choose, maybe. But I still think these are cute. I have a decent understanding of this kind of thing.”

If she had really hated it, Shirafuji would have refused outright from the start.

Of course, she probably also didn’t want to make unnecessary enemies, but…

At the end of the day, Shirafuji was pretty into otaku culture.

Even if she were asked to wear something as a joke, as long as it was part of the festival and had a proper reason behind it, she would accept it.

“Since the two of you seem comfortable in them, I think the outfits are fine. Now, let’s practice the movements. You two will be in charge of serving customers.”

“Understood.”

“Leave it to me!”

“Alright, let’s set up a table… Kuzome-kun, can you be the customer?”

“…Me?”

“Yes. Since this is the first practice, it’s easier for them if they start with someone they’re comfortable with.”

Nagatsuki had a point.

At least, I couldn’t think of a reason to disagree.

“Do you two know how to serve customers?”

“…If imitation is good enough, then yes.”

“I guess I’ll just wing it. Let’s give it a shot.”

Shirafuji answered hesitantly.

Hanaba, on the other hand, was as enthusiastic as ever.