The Story of Waking up With My Beautiful Childhood Friend and Realizing We Had Spent the Night Together - Chapter 43: No Matter How You Look at It, This Feels Totally Out of Place

Chapter 43: No Matter How You Look at It, This Feels Totally Out of Place

And just like that, the cultural festival planning meeting wrapped up.

At my part-time job, I was wiping down cups while letting out a big sigh.

“—Heh, a maid café? Sounds pretty good. Is Mizuki gonna wear the outfit too?”

“Um… yeah.”

From beside me, I could hear the manager and Mizuki chatting happily.

…Well, mostly just the manager sounded happy.

“Hmm, that’s fantastic! The only worry is the shop’s gonna get way past crowded and turn into total chaos.”

“Hahaha,” the manager laughed cheerfully.

…What’s this old guy getting so excited about? He’s not seriously planning to show up, is he?

“…So, about that.”

“Oh, you wanted to take some time off from your shifts, right? Of course that’s fine. My wife’s coming back from overseas soon anyway, so don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you.”

Mizuki gave a little bow. The manager nodded all magnanimous, like some understanding adult going “hmm, I get it.”

…But when I ask for time off before a test, he always makes a fuss.

“Hm? Oh, Iori-kun, something wrong?”

The manager noticed my grumpy stare and called out.

“Nah, nothing.”

“Huh? Haha, I see. So you just wanna keep Mizuki’s maid outfit all to yourself, don’t you?”

“…Huh?”

“I get it, I totally get it. With a girlfriend this pretty, of course you don’t wanna show her off to everyone.”

The old guy nodded with this smug grin on his face.

What the hell is this guy saying? I’m gonna yank out his beard.

“Is that true, Iori?”

Mizuki reacted to the manager’s teasing too. Her eyes narrowed a little, kinda playful.

“…It’s not like that.”

I’m not gonna get jealous over something that small anymore.

…Seriously, I’m not.

“You don’t have to hold back, y’know.”

“It’s fine. Everyone’s really looking forward to it, so just do your best.”

After saying that, Mizuki gave a tiny laugh for some reason. Like she was thinking “can’t be helped, huh?” No, it’s really not like that.

What’s actually making me gloomy isn’t that…

Watching us go back and forth, the manager laughed like “ah, youth.”

“Oh yeah, speaking of Hakuryu Academy’s cultural festival, they’ve got that thing, right? The Miss and Mister Contest. Is Mizuki entering?”

“…!”

“Ah, yeah.”

“Hoo… figured as much.”

The second I heard “Mister Contest,” I couldn’t help reacting. The manager stroked his chin and hummed thoughtfully.

“That’s pretty much a sure thing… heck, the other contestants are gonna feel kinda sorry for themselves.”

He looked at Mizuki and gave a wry smile.

He was right. Last time’s Miss Contest was brutal. The third-years who got all their votes stolen by a sudden first-year… their faces were kinda hard to forget.

I glanced sideways. My eyes met the beauty next to me. The previous Miss Contest winner tilted her head curiously at my suspicious look.

“…Hmm, but yeah. If Mizuki’s entering the Miss Contest…”

“!”

“Then her boyfriend—you—well, what are you gonna do?”

He turned to me with a grin. It sounded like he was being considerate, but I could see the glee he couldn’t quite hide.

This guy… don’t tell me he’s noticed.

“…”

“So how about it, our shop’s star guy? You gonna try entering the Mister Contest too?”

The manager leaned in, still grinning, peering at my face.

He really looks like he’s having fun. Can I smack him?

Why does he have to be so annoyingly sharp? I let out a resigned sigh.

“…Well, I am entering.”

“Ohh? Ohhh?”

I nodded reluctantly. The manager burst out laughing like it was the best news ever.

…This annoying, irritating vibe. He’s kinda like Renji in some ways.

While I was feeling fed up, I remembered the rest of that meeting.

“—Um, so our class’s event is… decided as a maid café.”

“Uwoooo!!”

“FOOO!!”

“Hey, settle down!”

Goto-kun, still red-faced, tried to get the class under control somehow.

“There’s still more to decide! The Miss and Mister Contest entrants!”

He slammed the lectern.

Miss Contest. Mister Contest.

Everyone finally snapped back to reality at the mention of the biggest event of the whole Hakuryu Festival.

“Well, I mean…”

“It’s pretty much already decided anyway.”

Two spots each for boys and girls.

Naturally, everyone’s eyes went straight to our class’s undisputed No. 1 and No. 2.

—Yukimura Mizuki and Kashiwagi Koto.

Goto-kun saw that and gave a bitter smile like “yeah, figured.”

“Normally we’d do self-nomination or recommendations, but… the result’s obvious. So, what do you think, Mizuki, Koto?”

Goto-kun asked, just to be safe.

Both of them answered.

“Yeah.”

“…I’ll do it.”

Mizuki nodded like she didn’t really care. Koto glanced at Mizuki for a split second, then kinda gave up and hung her head. Goto-kun let out a relieved breath when he saw that.

“Alright, thanks. So the girls are set. For the boys…”

—Yeah, that’s where the real problem started.

One spot was already Renji’s. Annoying as it was, with that guy’s stupidly good looks, it was only natural.

But the second spot…

“Hey hey, Koto, who do you think’s good?”

“Eh?! M-me?”

While the girls were judging the boys, Koto suddenly got picked and her shoulders jumped.

“Yeah yeah! Anyone? Someone decent in our class!”

“D-decent, huh…”

That’s a harsh way to put it, I thought, like it had nothing to do with me.

After swimming her eyes around for a bit, Koto eventually glanced at me kinda hesitantly.

In that instant, a wave of gross sweat poured out.

(No, wait—)

Why’s she looking at me there?

“Ah, so it’s Amano-kun after all~”

“Yeah, makes sense.”

The girls laughed loudly.

Like “yep, we knew it.”

“Well, but it’s fine, right? His face doesn’t lose to Miyama-kun at all.”

“Uh-huh, he could totally pull off the cute-type slot!”

…And so on, getting that oh-so-grateful review from the girls.

—The second entrant for the Mister Contest was pretty much forced on me.

“…”

“I see, so that’s how you ended up picked.”

After I finished explaining everything, the manager gave a wry smile and patted my slumped shoulder.

“But hey, it’s not bad. It just means the girls in your class think that highly of you. That’s our Iori-kun for you.”

“…It’s not like that. No matter how you look at it, I’m totally out of place.”

Mister Contest. The world of the chosen popular kids.

There’s no place for a gloomy guy like me.

Or maybe if I had the same presence as my childhood friend next to me… it’d be different.

But sadly, I’ve got neither.

I put the polished cup back on the shelf and let out a small sigh.

“Hmm, I wonder. You might actually do okay… but anyway, since both my employees are gonna be on stage for their big moment, I’ve gotta come watch no matter what. Mizuki, can I get one ticket… wait, make that two?”

“Yes.”

“…No, not ‘yes.’”

Don’t just nod. And don’t casually decide to come watch like it’s normal.

Ignoring my dissatisfaction, the manager clapped his hands.

“Alright, now that we’ve wrapped things up, you two can head out for today.”

“Eh…”

“Thank you.”

“No no, I’m really looking forward to the actual day.”

The manager forcefully ended the conversation, so I closed my mouth on the complaint I was about to make.

Then I headed to the changing room, switched out of my server uniform, and left the shop.

November was right around the corner. A chilly night breeze brushed against the back of my neck.

Mizuki walking beside me lightly pulled the front of her thin cardigan together.

Her side profile under the streetlights was just as beautiful as always.

“Iori.”

“…Hm?”

After we’d walked in silence for a while, Mizuki suddenly spoke up.

“Why didn’t you turn it down? The Mister Contest.”

Her voice was kinda flat as she asked.

What’s she bringing that up now for? I thought, but I reluctantly opened my mouth.

“It just wasn’t the kind of atmosphere where I could say no.”

“…I see.”

It was the truth. Even if I’d fought back right there, the outcome probably wouldn’t have changed.

When I answered, Mizuki stayed quiet for a bit, then suddenly looked at me. I stopped walking without thinking, caught by those jewel-like beautiful eyes.

“If you really hate it, Iori…”

She stopped walking too.

Her tall frame over 170 cm met my eyes almost at the same level.

“I’ll tell everyone for you.”

Her voice was gentle, almost a whisper.

“If I say it, it’ll be fine, I’m sure.”

And there was real confidence behind it.

She understood her own charm and charisma perfectly.

—If I say it, it’ll be fine.

(…Yeah, that’s probably true.)

If Mizuki said it, everything would work out.

Black could turn white. She could make anyone listen.

…Just like with Asahi that time.

“…I—”

Right when I started to speak—

“—Oh? Iori-kun?”

That familiar voice made me lose my words.

When I turned around, there stood a beautiful woman in her mid-thirties with a gentle aura.

She looked a little older than I remembered, but there was no way I could mistake her.

“…Tokiko-sensei?”

—The piano teacher I thought I’d never see again.