CHAPTER-12: SCHOOL FESTIVAL AND FALLING-OUT....?

「Kuro, you're not getting a ghost or monster role, okay? (Or any other role inside the haunted house.)」said other classmates

*annoyed*「You know I won't harass anyone!!」said Kuro

「Well, about the costumes, is there anyone good at sewing?」said Nanami

* SILENCE *

「We don't have anyone from the crafts club in our class-」

「I'm not good at sewing, actually-」said Other classmates

「.........」Souta *glancing *

「Kudo-san, why don't you do it?」said Souta

「Huh!?」Yuri

「Yuri-chan, You're good at sewing?」said Hayami

「I'm not good, I like doing it, but I suck at it-」said Yuri *nervous*

「That reminds me. Yuri-san, you made more clothes than anyone else in home economics!」said Ino

「Everyone will help you out. How about it, Yuri-chan?」said Nanami

... Ater Classes ...

「Geez~~~!

Souta! Why did you say that in front of everyone!?」said Yuri

「But you ARE good a sewing, Yuri.The clothes you wore at The Summer Comiket were hand-made, right? Those were extremely good.」said Souta

「-Don't talk about that.」said Yuri *embarrassed*

「Well, that was surprising. I was helping sell the stuff at my sister's stall back then. I'd never imagined that the cosplayer who came over was one of my classmates.」said Souta

「I'd never have imagined that the vendor of my favorite circle was one of my classmates either.」said Yuri

「What's wrong with that? It's a chance to put your talent to use. It would be a waste to keep it secret. I think it would be great if other people got to see your work, too.」said Souta

「..........」*comfortable*

...................

「You made this, Yuri-chan? Amazing!」said Nanami

「We could buy ready-made costumes, but we'd be putting fake blood and stuff on it, so it feels like a waste.」said Yuri

「I suck at this kind of thing, so I'm envious of talented people like you, Yuri-chan.」said Hayami

「-You think this is considered a talent?」*pleased*

「Of course it is.」said Hayami

「Yeah~ (Without a doubt)」said Nanami

「........」*Satisfied* 

...................

「You think we'll have enough blackout curtains?」said Kuro

「This is why amateurs are so- *Sigh*

Making it dark is not the point here. That wouldn't be enough.」said Souta

「The charm of the haunted house or rather, panic-type entertainment like this, is how you can induce surprise from your audience or customers from a seemingly normal place. Of course ........... *blah* *blah*」Souta

「Ah, is that so? (I don't get it.) 

Then, I'll be leaving the pros to you. I'm not that interested in the haunted house anyway.」said Kuro

「Not interested? Be honest and say you're afraid of ghosts and ghost stories, Kuro.」said Ino

「Really?」said Hayami

「Wha- Don't say that in front of Kiyoko!!」said Kuro *embarrassed*

「I remembered. We went on a field trip to an amusement park back in the first semester, and Kuro wouldn't enter the haunted house no matter how much we insisted.」said Classmate

「Heh~」Hayami

「SORRY ABOUT THAT!! (Fine! I'm scared! Happy now!?)」said Kuro

*tap* *tap*

「Who?」said Kuro *annoyed*

* Someone with a ghost costume *

「heyaaaaa!?」Kuro

「I tried it on! Did it scare you? Did you wet yourself?」said Classmate

*ba-thump* *ba-thump*

「As if I will wet myself!!」said Kuro

.................

「I'll buy the drinks.」said Yuri

... at the vending machine ...

「Souta.」

「Heya!

..Isn't that great? Everyone's happy about your work, Yuri.」 said Sauta

「I think I'm happy that I could help everyone out. It was something I started because of my otaku hobbies, so I kept quiet about it because I thought everyone else would judge me for it, but-.

I guess there wasn't much of a reason to hide it in the first place.」said Yuri

「............」

「? Souta?」said Yuri

「I've simply-, Never felt so small in my entire life. Kind of a downer.」said souta

「?」

「I used to be the only one who knew your secret, right? I think I-.

-Felt a sense of superiority because of that.

Even though I kept saying you should " Tell the others about it"- In the end, I'm singly selfish.

Now that it's come down to it, I just got a little sad. sorry about that.

It's like when a series you follow suddenly gets all popular and hyped up, There's a part of your mind that wants to say "I've known about it way longer than the rest of you ", you know?」said Souta

「Yeah. I know how that feel.」said Yuri

「......」

「It's alright to tell them.」said Yuri

「Hm?」

「That you "know about it way longer than the rest".」said Yuri

「If I did, they'd find out we're dating, Yuri. 

If they knew you are dating an otaku, you'd be branded as one of us, you know?」said Souta

「Branded? I AM an otaku. Hiding that I'm an otaku somehow makes me feel a sense of distance from everyone. It made me a little sad, too.」said Yuri

..............

「Huh!?」Kuro *shocked*

「Really!?」 Hayami *surprised*

「Yup」Suota「

I'm sorry I couldn't say it earlier.」said Yuri

「Yuri-chan, since you are dating Igarashi-kun, does that means you like manga and anime, too?」said Hayami

*jolt*「Y-yeah. I'm what you call an otaku. Sorry, if you think less of me because of it-」said Yuri

「? Why would I? Some of the girls from my previous school liked anime, too.」said Hayami

「I think there are a lot of them here, too.」said Nanami

「See none of them mind. Remember what I said?」said Souta 

「Yeah. Thank goodness.」 Yuri

..................

「We've already finished our share for today.」said Hayami

「We'll go on ahead.」said Nanami

「Sure.Thanks」said Ino

「Take care.」said Nanami

「Yuri, I'll call you later.」said Souta

「-Yeah」Yuri

「........ So you do have a girlfriend.」said Kuro

「That's what I keep telling you. You don't believe me.」said Souta

「But you weren't interested in anything except 2D a while back.」said Kuro

「The way people think can change a lot more easily than you think.」 said Ino

「Yeah, I was like that back then. But when I spend time with her and talk to Yuri-. I couldn't help but think that it was nice having her around.Thinking back on it, fanboying all alone, made me feel pretty sad.」said Souta

「- It's like you're saying being single isn't a good thing.」said Kuro

「I never said that. It's simply that supply and demand matched Yuri and me. 

What I can't understand is why you're putting Hayami-san aside when you have a demand for her.」 said Souta

(GH!)

「Precisely. Even though you like Kiyoko-san.」 said Ino

「Why don't you give up? Everyone knows already.」said Souta

「(Give me the next nail!) I don't like her! (Next topic please!)」said Kuro

「Kuro, are you thinking that it's not cool to date or even just LIKE someone?」said Ino

*bullseye*「mgh!」

「It'd be acceptable if you were in elementary or something, but-. Grew up, will you?」said Ino 

「I don't want to date someone and become dependent on them or anything.」 said Kuro

「Dating does NOT equal dependence, you know?」said Souta

「Each and everyone has a reason. A reason why we choose to be with someone and date them.」 said Ino

「Then why do Kiyoko choose me? Don't she choose me because everyone else in the class was dating someone, and I just happened to be the only one single? If that's the case, then it didn't have to be me. anyone would have been fine.」said Kuro

「................」*gloomy*

「Okay, next.」said Kuro

* rattle *「-Hayami-san.」

*Jolt*

* * * * * *