The cultural festival exhibit of Class 1-A is a cosplay café.
The concept was simple yet likely popular: wear a butler or maid outfit and serve customers while dressed in it.
Class 1-A had a total of 28 students, perfectly split between boys and girls.
Among them, 18 chose butler outfits and 10 chose maid outfits.
Not a single boy opted for a maid outfit, but four girls selected butler outfits.
One of those four was Kayanoh Mina, touted by Tateyama as the class’s “delicacy.”
“…Wow.”
Miyauchi couldn’t help but gasp.
Standing in front of her was Kayanoh, dressed in a butler outfit.
In fact, when Kayanoh first said she would wear a butler outfit, Miyauchi had wondered why.
While she wasn’t sure if Kayanoh was truly the class’s delicacy as Tateyama claimed, it was undeniable that Kayanoh was the cutest girl Miyauchi had ever seen.
There were times when she seemed even cuter than a doll.
But a butler outfit?
Wasn’t that just way off?
It was natural to think that way.
But didn’t they say that the key to fashion is the face?
After seeing Kayanoh in the butler outfit, Miyauchi could only swallow hard.
Kayanoh’s soft brown hair flowing down her back matched the sleek black butler outfit beautifully, and her blue eyes contrasted with it, creating an air of mystery.
With her petite stature combining with the elongated design of the butler outfit, it made Miyauchi feel a strange sense of guilt.
Above all, Kayanoh’s inherent cold aura, mixed in, wiped away all of Miyauchi’s worries in an instant.
“Wow, you look amazing! You might even look better than most boys!”
Tateyama, watching alongside Miyauchi, seemed to have a similar thought as she continued to praise.
“…Is that so?”
But despite the compliments, Kayanoh appeared indifferent, as if she was used to it.
“Um… Is it alright for me to step outside now?”
“Oh, yes! It’ll be a while before everyone gathers, so please feel free to sit and rest anywhere.”
At Miyauchi’s response, Kayanoh turned her gaze away and checked her outfit.
“Ha….”
She let out a barely audible sigh and left the classroom without sitting down.
It was as if she was reluctant to stay in the classroom for even a moment longer.
“…Ah.”
Only then did Miyauchi realize.
For Kayanoh, who had probably suffered from her looks since childhood, a cosplay café that leveraged appearance might touch on some traumatic feelings.
‘Why didn’t I consider that?’
Thinking back, when deciding what to exhibit for the cultural festival, Kayanoh had indeed voted for a regular café instead of a cosplay café.
‘I should have picked up on that back then!’
With the café being the same, why was she against a cosplay café?
It was an easily understandable reason if she just thought for a moment.
‘Sorry, Kayanoh…’
Miyauchi bit her lip, swallowing her apology internally.
Of course, there was no one around to hear that silent apology.
★
If I had to choose between a boy’s outfit and a girl’s outfit, I’d definitely go for the boy’s one.
It was just more familiar and comfortable.
The reason I chose a butler outfit was of course because of that.
“Wow, you look amazing! You might even look better than most boys!”
Tateyama praised me after I switched to a butler outfit.
Well, of course. I’m undeniably a super cute girl.
Fashion’s perfection is all about the face.
Unless I intend to utterly ruin it, I can pull off just about any outfit.
“Uh, um… yes…”
But despite that, my mental state had reached its limit.
The furtive glances from Miyauchi and Tateyama’s admiring gaze were too overwhelming.
If there was only one of them, I might have managed since I’ve risen to the top of the social ladder, but with both, it was a complete struggle.
My heart raced violently, and my stomach churned with an uncomfortable twist.
Honestly, I felt like I might throw up, but I was gritting my teeth and holding on.
If not for my training from Koga and the broadcast, I would have definitely passed out by now….
Naturally, it seemed that there were no issues, as Miyauchi nodded quietly.
In that case!
“Um… is it okay for me to step outside now…?”
“Oh, yes! It’ll be a while before everyone gathers, so please feel free to sit and rest anywhere.”
As soon as Miyauchi granted me permission, I turned and stepped out of the classroom.
“Ha…”
The fresh air in the empty morning hallway.
I was alive….
★
I could endure a certain level of attention focused on me since I was somewhat used to it.
Given my looks, it was natural for people to glance my way.
If it hadn’t been tolerable, I probably would have refused to go to school outright.
However, when that attention turned into direct focus, symptoms began to show.
Even though I might manage one or two people looking at me, anything beyond that was impossible to handle.
“Whew.”
I had come to the now unused (old) science room.
Leading up to today, I had wandered around the school a little bit every time I returned home, all to search for this classroom.
After today’s events, I’d need to endure here until after school.
Sure, another person like me might show up, but that would be fine.
After all, a social outcast recognizes another.
Anyone brave enough to find their way to this room would likely see me sitting there and quietly retreat or head to the far corner away from me.
In other words, it would be a non-issue…!
Glancing at the clock, it was already 8 o’clock.
It was about time to head back to class.
Even though the (old) science room was tucked away, you could hear various voices bustling outside, indicating that it was finally the time of the cultural festival.
“Ugh….”
I stretched quietly and sighed.
A new trial was approaching.
I pondered how to deal with it; I was genuinely concerned.
The reason I always arrived at class first.
The later I got, the more attention I attracted when I walked in.
Not only did I dislike the atmosphere where everyone’s gaze rested on me, but I also found it uncomfortable when a newcomer realized I wasn’t the person they were looking for and they lost interest.
Especially when I had no friends in class, it felt like everyone turned their attention away from me all at once.
So, I’d rather be the first to arrive and pretend to sleep.
If I got there first, except for a brief glance from the second person to arrive, I wouldn’t feel much attention.
In high school, it was usually Miyauchi who came right after me, which helped me get used to it somewhat.
But now, I was in the (old) science room.
And it was time to head back to the classroom.
Which meant, if I returned to the classroom now, I would face the very situation I feared the most at school.
To put it metaphorically, it was like ordering chicken only for cola to arrive as Pepsi.
That was a serious issue.
“Whew….”
But I had vowed not to run away anymore.
“Ha…”
With that, I stood up, took a deep breath, then opened the sliding door of the (old) science room.
And slowly stepped into the bustling hallway.
★
I should’ve just cut class.
When I returned to the classroom, there wasn’t much of an issue.
Everyone was occupied changing into their butler and maid outfits, the door was wide open, and as they chatted about their outfits, few even glanced my way.
I caught a few fleeting glances, but it felt similar to usual.
But then came the real problem.
Our class’s exhibit was a cosplay café.
Miyauchi had personally made the desserts, and we were using some sourced from outside, while we would brew coffee or tea ourselves.
The way it worked was that when a guest arrived and made their order, the butler or maid would prepare it, then briefly chat with the customer.
Yeah.
I had to talk to the customers.
I was already nervous about preparing coffee or tea, but chatting too?
This had to be a punishment designed to obliterate the class’s outcasts.
School should be ashamed for allowing such a dreadful project….
Of course, there were ways to avoid serving.
I could handle the cash register, or play the mascot role at the entrance to attract customers.
But that would still require talking to strangers.
Especially in the mascot role, when the line lengthened or issues arose, I’d have to intervene.
So yeah… I was in a real bind here.
“Then let’s have Kayanoh take care of the customer service.”
“…Okay.”
You see, the world is just too cruel…
★
[The cultural festival at Shiodome High School has begun!]
As the announcement played, I found myself welcoming my very first cultural festival in high school.
And our class was absolutely buzzing with excitement.
It seemed my flyers had attracted far more attention than I’d expected, as classmates returning from surveys told me that we were the busiest among similar exhibits.
…This meant that those of us in charge of receiving customers, including me, barely got a moment’s rest.
Was this fortunate or unfortunate…?
“May I take your order?”
“Ah, uh, yes….”
My fourth customer ended up being a couple.
“Um, I, I am here to, uh, assist you, sir, ma’am….”
“Ah, yes. I’ll have coffee with a brownie, please.”
“I’d like coffee with a macaron, please….”
A couple, huh.
I wanted to unleash my anti-couple beam, but right now I was a butler serving them.
Hold it together, me.
I’m not looking to walk the path of carnage right now….
… If I didn’t have such thoughts, I might just crumble under pressure….
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