"—It’s the Student Council!!"
Nee-chan and her merry band of companions were introduced with a fanfare that ramped up the anticipation to the absolute limit. The blackout curtain, which had been suspended by stage machinery, was suddenly hoisted to the ceiling, revealing them all at once.
"……Whoa……"
The first thing that jumped into my eyes was a brilliant, pure white wedding dress. Perhaps because I was seeing it in person, its luxury and sparkle far surpassed anything I’d seen in a TV drama; I could really feel the Fashion Club’s dedication. Or wait, was that outfit even made by the Fashion Club?
Flanking that mass of white were four handsome guys. Taking advantage of their height, they were dressed in various white outfits—suits, tuxedos, and tailcoats—standing tall and showing off their glamour. On one side, the Student Council President, Yuuki-senpai, maintained a cool demeanor, while on the other, Hanawa-senpai wore a faint smile as the two of them held Nee-chan’s hands.
"W-Wow……!"
"She’s beautiful……! Wataru, look……!"
"Ah, yeah…… I’m looking."
Ashida and Natsukawa were in a state of high excitement. Natsukawa was even tugging and shaking my arm as if she were celebrating the appearance of her favorite idol. That was strange…… I thought I’d thoroughly explained Nee-chan’s gorilla-like nature to her.
To a third party, she might be someone to admire, but what kind of face was I supposed to make when seeing my own biological sister—who wasn't even an adult yet—in a wedding dress? I guess this was what they called "complex emotions."
"W-What an incredible turn of events……!"
You can say that again.
"Sajou Kaede-san, the sole female member of the Student Council, known as the Queen of Kouetsu! She has stripped every thorn from the beautiful rose, and now! She is transforming into the Goddess of Kouetsu! Her serene eyes are fixed straight ahead toward the end of the venue…… Is she unable to even see the four handsome men flanking her!?"
MC Kurahashi, who had maintained a high-tension yet expressionless persona until now, was delivering the commentary with visible emotion. I didn't think I could ever understand why her eyes were wide with such intensity.
At the end of her gaze, Nee-chan—reaching the finish line of life ten years earlier than I’d imagined—was looking slightly upward with a blank expression. I’m sure to some people, she looked like a cool beauty. However, what really deserved attention was her mouth. I could see it! It was twitching at a terrifying speed!
'I. WAS. TRICKED.'
"Ugh……!"
It looked as though those words were written vertically on Nee-chan’s face in dark marker.
Usually, I’d be shouting "serves you right" to clear away my daily resentment, but this time, I couldn't help but feel sympathetic. An involuntary groan escaped my lips, and I had to cover my mouth. Her real face, hidden beneath that thick makeup, was surely bright red from shame and rage. Those K4 guys really did it now…… If she got in a bad mood, I was the one who was going to suffer for it at home.
"Oh, look at this! Hanawa-senpai runs his hand through his hair with an Archaic Smile! And a wink! The screams from the audience won't stop! It's fan service! Fan service! Huwaah……!"
Don't "huwaah" me.
It seemed even MC Kurahashi, whose selling point was her stoic face, had finally reached her limit. She’d just shown the face of a smitten girl in front of a vast majority of the students; once this was over, I was sure she’d be flailing her legs on her bed at home. At least to me, she was far cuter than Nee-chan.
"Wataru! Wataru! Your sister is so pretty!"
You’re prettier.
The words almost came out as a reflex, but the impact of her shaking my sleeve back and forth meant they wouldn't have reached Natsukawa anyway. Man, this was great. It was rare to see Natsukawa so excited. You can keep shaking me all you want.
That said, the fact that the object of Natsukawa’s envy and excitement was Nee-chan felt a bit complicated. I never thought the day would come when I’d feel jealous of my sister. That woman just surpassed all my years of effort in an instant. I wish she’d just intimidated everyone with the eyes of an Overlord while wearing that outfit. Honestly, I think that would have been a hit, too.
"…………Hmm?"
On both sides of the stage, the other performers who had walked the runway were happily clapping for the five members of the Student Council.
Among them, I saw a blonde figure looking down at the floor. Because the other performers were excited and smiling, she stood out even more. Come to think of it, for the Young Lady, Nee-chan was something like a rival in love. Though Nee-chan didn't seem to intend it that way. Well, I suppose it wouldn't feel great to see the guy you’re in love with becoming part of another woman’s reverse harem.
Her appearance, which was the polar opposite of how she looked while walking the stage, somehow weighed on my mind.
◆
What on earth was I just shown?
That was the primary emotion at the forefront of my mind after the Fashion Show ended. Even though the Young Lady was happily chosen for the Grand Prize, Nee-chan and her merry band of companions took all the glory. I guess that just showed how much everyone enjoyed that content. Seeing how reluctant Nee-chan looked, I bet this was a plot by the K4.
"It would have been nice if we could have voted for the Student Council, too."
"But that performance felt like cheating……"
"Well, I suppose it’s part of making memories."
The quality was clearly biased, and while only girls had participated, the Student Council alone had four handsome guys appear. How loathsome. Even from a production standpoint, it felt like they were being considered separately from the Fashion Show the Young Lady had walked in. Like an exhibition match. In the end, as long as the audience enjoyed it, I guess it was fine.
"Wait, is the Closing Ceremony starting soon? Should we just stay here?"
"Eh, it's starting in just a bit! That was fast."
"We have to do the tidying up first."
"Pfft…… 'tidying up'?"
"W-What?"
"Like you're putting your toys away. Sooo cuuuute!"
"T-This is just a habit from always telling Airi to do it……!"
Yeah, she was cute.
Watching Natsukawa huffing while Ashida ran away was healing. This would give me the strength to handle the cleanup work after the Closing Ceremony. Unlike yesterday, there hadn't been any exhausting factors today. I wondered if this was what it felt like to go on a date—though I guessed having two girls with me was a fairly rare case.
"Oh, it's Kei."
"Ah! Kawaicchi!"
Other members of the Volleyball Club entered the Gymnasium. It seemed the other students were also starting to gather in the gym one after another. Seeing Ashida jump and high-five a girl was a rare sight. Well, Kawai was about the same height as me.
"Ashida got taken away."
"I-It's fine……"
"She’s weak to handsome girls. Like Shinomiya-senpai."
A slightly dejected Natsukawa walked over despondently. It seemed the damage from Ashida being casually snatched away by Kawai was significant. She couldn't hide her agitation. I could kind of understand that feeling.
Natsukawa sat down behind me as I sat sideways on a pipe chair.
"It really was different from our middle school Cultural Festival. It felt so packed."
"True…… though that made it a lot of work."
"I wonder what I was doing back in middle school……"
"I haven't forgotten, you know. You led a bunch of bored boys around and followed me."
"I truly have no memory of that……"
"Geez……"
Once she said it, a faint, distant memory finally surfaced. I didn’t want to remember it, and there were many things I’d forgotten. It was like the discarded skin of a molt. It wasn't something worth keeping precious. I only needed to keep the fact that I was drowned in love and delirious with fever in my heart. I honestly thought it was a miracle I could sit in front of Natsukawa now after going through that era of tofu-like reasoning.
"……Did you enjoy yourself?"
Asking something like that at the very end was a sign of my lack of confidence. But as a guy, you can’t help but be curious about what the girl you’re interested in thought. If she suddenly said "it was boring" right now…… haha. I’d just give up on the 3D world.
"Yeah……"
"……!"
I was caught off guard.
Perhaps as punishment for asking such a boorish question, my eyes were drawn to Natsukawa’s smile as she looked down with such affectionate eyes. I’d forgotten what an incredible beauty Natsukawa was. It had become so natural that it had somehow slipped from my mind.
"…………"
"! W-What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
A mysterious charm made me stare even when I knew better. An enigmatic force made it impossible to look away even if I tried. I bet protagonists in manga who desperately resist being controlled by an enemy felt exactly like this. It felt as if the paralysis finally broke once Natsukawa noticed me. I hurriedly made an excuse as I turned my head away.
"N-No. It was good, you know, all sorts of things—except for the very end."
"What are you saying? It was great. Your sister in a wedding dress."
"Natsukawa, you wouldn't understand the feeling of having your own relative put on display in front of a crowd like that."
"But she was beautiful."
Ugh…… no use. As I thought, that final stunt by Nee-chan was too intense. It was definitely going to show up in my dreams tonight. I wouldn't be able to look Nee-chan in the eye for a while. That magic power of hers, which crushed the sweet-and-sour atmosphere with Natsukawa in an instant, was terrifying.
More than anything, it was frustrating that the impact of it outweighed my memories with Natsukawa. I’d have to properly reflect on the day tonight, or else my only memory of the Cultural Festival would be that.
"Sigh…… geez. If only it had been someone else."
"Now, don't say things like that."
"I guess so."
What if it had been Shinomiya-senpai, for instance? This was rude of me, but she was number one on my "Likely to have a delayed marriage" ranking, so seeing her in a wedding dress might have significantly changed my impression of her. Ah, no, if I could choose anyone……
"—If I had to choose, I’d have rather seen you in one, Natsukawa."
"……! ……"
Marriage was called a milestone in life, and in a sense, it could be called life's goal. If that were the case, maybe seeing Natsukawa being led around by some handsome guy would have allowed me to reach a conclusion on various things within myself. Even in the sense of looking for a new love.
"How about next year?"
"……I-I won't—I won't do it!"
"……?"
In my line of sight, just as the girls from the Volleyball Club started getting excited about a height contest, the announcement for the entire student body to assemble was broadcast.