After the day-long sports day finished, the final event of the festival — the after-party — was about to begin.
After-party attendance was optional, and some students were going home, but most were staying.
I was currently being escorted toward the gym by Reona and Riona, both holding my arms.
“Trying to escape silently — predictable.”
“Ryouya breaking the promise warrants another penalty.”
“I am not trying to escape — I was getting a drink.”
“Suspicious.”
“Disappearing without saying anything counts as guilty.”
“That was on me, but it was not intentional.”
Yes — I was not running. I’d run out of drinks during the sports day and was going to the vending machine after the closing ceremony.
That move had been read as escape attempt. I had thought escaping was pointless, and that assessment was, apparently, correct.
“If you try to run again I don’t know what we’ll do.”
“That ends badly for you.”
“O-okay, please stop looking at me like that.”
The two of them were giving me predator-eyeing-prey looks. Running has consequences, understood.
”…So part one is in the gym?”
“Yeah, part one in the gym, then part two moves to the schoolyard.”
Reona was visibly excited. Was she actually going to do the confession contest? I’d tried to ask several times since the rumor started; I never managed it.
“Hey — Reona—”
“Yeah?”
”…Never mind, forget it.”
I almost asked, but no. I lacked the courage. I’d been brave enough to rescue them from the stabbing — but I couldn’t ask this. Why.
“It’s already this full, and the event hasn’t started.”
“Everyone was looking forward to the after-party. Of course.”
“Let’s get up front.”
“The front is already taken — no.”
“It’s fine. I had a friend save us spots.”
She’d planned ahead. Having friends helps in moments like this. When I forget my textbook, I get nothing — envy.
Continuing to be escorted across the gym, I noticed the light music club setting up on stage.
Right — the after-party opens with a light-music-club band performance. The band members all looked like youth-of-the-month.
If I am Mob Character B, they are main characters. They’d probably dance with significant others around the campfire in part two and after-party, then continue the romance privately afterward. My right hand is my girlfriend. Infuriating.
“Can the normies in this room please all explode at once.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I was lamenting the unfairness of the world.”
“So Ryouya.”
The two of them gave me exasperated looks. Would I ever get a turn at this?