After our eyes met and hers darted around for a moment, Natsukawa nibbled on a cat-shaped cookie. With the "Mr. Cat" stuffed into her mouth, she began to chew softly. I really wanted to film this. In fact, the hand in my pocket had already opened the camera app on my smartphone.
"……! ……!"
I must have been staring too much, because Natsukawa looked mortified. She covered her mouth with the tips of her fingers and turned her back to me. Yep, adorable. She always does that, making my heart throb. She was currently at the top of my personal rankings—number one on the trending charts.
Once she finished swallowing, Natsukawa spun around and marched toward me with heavy, rhythmic footsteps. She looked a bit grumpy. Uh-oh, was she actually mad?
"……"
"Waf!"
Without a word, she planted her palm right against my chest. I was so startled by the unexpected physical contact—even more than the force of the strike—that I let out a yelp like a puppy. Hey, watch where you’re touching!
"……I-It’s not like… I was slacking off or anything!"
"Eh…?"
"Someone from the Home Economics Club gave it to me when I asked if they were having any problems!"
She spoke as if she were making an excuse. Looking closely, I saw an enamel-like armband on her left arm with "Executive Committee" printed on it. A transceiver was hanging from her waist. She had mentioned she’d be on patrol during the Cultural Festival, so she must have been in the middle of her rounds. I see; as an official, she technically wasn't supposed to be walking around eating snacks.
"So, what was that hit for just now…?"
"That’s for… for that outfit, and for staring at me, and why are you alone… I don’t even know where to start with you!"
"I see."
Apparently, the attack was a physical manifestation of her various frustrations. I got it. If a guy wearing what looked like dog pajamas stared at me while I was eating, I’d have plenty of questions, too. If it were me, I’d turn him over to a Cultural Festival Executive Committee Member on the spot. Wait… am I technically being apprehended right now?
"What is this? Why are you dressed like this… what kind of dog is it even…?"
"Uh, I’m not sure about the breed… maybe a German Shepherd?"
"Liar."
Natsukawa looked up at me with a skeptical gaze, pinching the fabric of the pajamas—no, the kigurumi—here and there as if checking the quality of the brown fur and white belly. Come on, at least let me name a cool breed… it really might have been modeled after a shepherd, you know…
"……Why are you alone? I thought you were going around with Ichinose-san and those junior girls……"
"……? Oh, we’ve split up for a bit—Wait, oh crap!?"
"Kyaa!? W-What is it…?"
I’m an idiot! This was no time to be chatting idly with Natsukawa! I mean, this was vital for my soul's nourishment, but if I didn’t find Sasaki fast, there was no telling what Yuki-chan might do! I have to find him…!
"Natsukawa… uh, have you seen that guy? Have you seen Sasaki!?"
"Eh!? ……Wait, Sasaki-kun?"
I asked Natsukawa in a rush. There was a chance that Sasaki and the girl he was with were at the Home Economics Room. Judging by the fact that she’d received a cookie from them, Natsukawa had been in this area for a while, so she might have spotted them.
"Is something wrong with Sasaki-kun…?"
"It’s MK5!" (Note: Seriously five seconds before confinement!)
"Huh?"
"No, wait, uh…!"
Bad move! In my panic, I had communicated Sasaki’s crisis using a ridiculous abbreviation. There was no way she would understand that out of the blue. Regardless, I needed to know if Natsukawa knew where he was.
"S-Sasaki’s sister is here, and she’s searching for him."
"Oh, I see……"
I had to calm down; panicking wasn't going to help.
Natsukawa might have known that Sasaki was adored by his sister, but she probably didn't know the extent of Yuki-chan's extreme brocon tendencies. It would be cruel to drag Natsukawa into this by telling her that Yuki-chan might cause a scene right here and now. Above all, if a beauty of Natsukawa's caliber went looking for Sasaki, Yuki-chan’s aggression might be redirected toward her. That was far too risky.
"Sorry, I don’t think I’ve seen him……"
"I-I see……"
Don’t panic. I just had to look for him calmly.
The Cultural Festival was a special event. The girl with him might not just want a simple date; she might have steeled her resolve for a full confession. If their feelings were realized today, they could spend the second day of the festival as a couple. This could be, perhaps—
"Thanks, Natsukawa. I’m in a bit of a hurry, so I’ll be going."
"Ah, w-wait a second…!"
Just as I was about to run off, feeling a pang of regret at leaving her, Natsukawa stopped me. That made me so happy I could cry. I felt Sasaki’s priority level plummet in my mind.
When I turned around with an unintentional smirk, Natsukawa looked a bit flustered.
"That… that thing!"
"That thing…?"
"That outfit! Are you wearing it tomorrow, too?"
"No, definitely not."
Of course I wasn't. Who would willingly wear this half-baked dog costume for more than one day? Even if I were a handsome guy—which I’m not—there would be zero demand for me to keep wearing this. This was strictly for the gag.
"Then… j-just one picture!"
"Huh…? Wait, why are you taking out your phone? Excuse me, Ms. Executive Committee Member?"
Natsukawa approached me hurriedly while fiddling with her phone. Once she reached me, she stopped and began tapping the screen. Her face was a bit red—was she embarrassed? What was driving Natsukawa to go this far?
…Wait, was my first two-shot with Natsukawa going to be in this outfit? Seriously? What was this feeling of being simultaneously thrilled and repulsed? It felt like when you spend time setting your hair but don’t have enough time to get it right before leaving for school. Could I please have about three hours for a costume change?
"W-Well, okay. If you’re going that far, Natsukawa—"
"Stay right there!"
"Eh."
"Just stay right there!"
I froze and stood like a pole as I was told. As for Natsukawa, she didn’t even stand beside me; she simply pointed the camera lens at me from directly in front. Wait… Natsukawa-san? Isn't the positioning wrong? If you stay over there, I’m the only one in the shot.
Before I could keep up with the rapid turn of events—click. A moment later, she moved back a bit—click. Excuse me, this isn't what I signed up for.
Wait, she took them? She actually took them? Uh, just me? Not a photo together?
Just a solo shot of me transformed into a bizarre dog?
"Um—Natsukawa?"
"Yeah… okay. I got it."
"No… not 'I got it'… and didn't you take more than one?"
"Your whole body wasn't in the frame."
"Oh, okay."
I could only nod in response to her straightforward answer.
Wait, am I the one who's out of touch here? Don't girls usually take selfies with things like this to make them look "photogenic" or whatever? Don't they take a picture with a guy in a weird outfit, process it, warp the space around it, and then post it on social media? Though Natsukawa probably didn't need to do all that.
As I tilted my head in confusion, Natsukawa suddenly looked apologetic.
"Um, thank you… sorry, I know you’re in a hurry."
"No, well… I don’t really mind."
Alright, let's get back into character. This was the real deal. Let's strike a pose. Give me five seconds and I can pull off the best "cool" face in my history. I'm pretty sure the angle from the front-left was my best side. I spent a lot of time figuring that out back in middle school.
"Well, I have to get back to my patrol, so……"
"Eh, it’s over—wait, what?"
"See you later!"
Natsukawa quickly tucked away her phone and walked away, giving me a small wave. Gosh, she was incredibly cute. I wanted to take a picture of her—No, wait, seriously? It's over? No two-shot? What am I supposed to do with all this excitement? The roller coaster of my heart was stuck at the very top of the track.
"……………Eh?"
Focus. Search. Find Sasaki.