The second period Modern Society class turned into a self-study session, so we spent the time discussing our plans for the cultural festival.
Our female Executive Committee representative was the school’s top gyaru, Yuria Ichinose. On the other hand, the male representative was Yamato Hino—a total extrovert and a handsome guy with a personality perfectly suited for a leader.
"Alright, guys, let’s pick up the cultural festival talk! Last time we narrowed it down to a play or a cafe. Did everyone spend the weekend thinking about which one they want?"
Hino used his natural charisma to keep the conversation moving smoothly. Yuria, who hated talking to boys, devoted herself to a supporting role, silently writing notes on the blackboard whenever Hino prompted her.
So Yuria won't even open up to someone like Hino...
When I thought about it that way, maybe I really was something special.
In terms of looks, height, and social skills, I didn't come close to an extrovert like Hino. The only thing I could potentially beat him at was academics. But with nothing but grades to my name, I’d just be written off as a bookworm. There’s almost no way to climb the class hierarchy above the swarms of extroverts like that.
I was just a loner otaku who had always lived at the bottom of the social ladder... but right now, I felt like I was definitely on a higher stage than those extroverts.
I suppose I owed it all to that seat change—the one that put me right in the middle of Yuria, Airi, and Rui. Until recently, I’d felt nothing but awkwardness around the three of them, but after sharing our secrets, we’d become quite close. I had hated the new seating arrangement at first, but I guess it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
"Alright, I'm handing out slips of paper. Write down which one you want!"
While I was basking in my own little world of smug superiority, the voting process began before I knew it.
"Here, Ryouta. Your slip."
I took a palm-sized piece of blank paper from Airi, who sat in front of me, and immediately wrote "Play."
Once the slips were collected and the results tallied, Hino made the announcement.
"Okay, listen up! Our project for the cultural festival will be... a play!"
The classroom erupted in applause at Hino’s words.
Well, I figured it would turn out that way.
Airi and Rui looked at each other and shared a smile. Since Yuria had mentioned that a play would be less of a hassle, the two of them were likely just happy things went her way. One way or another, the friendship between those three was heartwarming to watch, even from the sidelines.
"Now that we’ve settled on a play, let's figure out what we’re actually performing. Anyone have any suggestions—"
A hand shot up from my right, cutting Hino off mid-sentence.
R-Rui...?
"Writing an original script would be a lot of work to prepare, so I think a classic would be better. For example... how about Snow White?"
Snow White? Seriously? As in the story about a high-maintenance girl who eats an apple, falls into a coma, and refuses to wake up unless some handsome prince kisses her?
Good grief, why of all things would she suggest a play with a kiss scene? Nobody’s going to come see a high school class play anyway, so something like Momotaro would have been fine.
"Oh! Snow White sounds great! Brilliant! Fantastic! What does everyone else think?" Hino asked, practically falling over himself to flatter Rui.
"Yeah, if Rui-chan says so, I'm for it too!"
"Me too, me too!"
"Works for me!"
"I want to be the one awakened by Rui-san's kiss!"
"Me too!"
"Count me in!"
Setting aside the creepier members of the class, almost everyone else nodded in agreement.
Was this the sheer influence of the "absolute existence" known as Rui Kuroki? If Rui Kuroki said right, it was right; if she said left, it was left. When the Class Representative and the most popular girl in school spoke, it became the consensus.
"Then it's decided! Snow White it is!"
Once again, the whole class broke into applause.
Since we have a once-in-a-millennium busty beauty like Airi Miyama in this class, we should've done a slightly suggestive play with her as the heroine...
While I was wishing for something that would never happen, the "heavy assets" in the seat in front of me leaned back toward my desk.
"Hey, hey, Ryouta! Since we're doing Snow White, let's play the roles of the dwarfs together!"
"Dwarfs? There's no way a 'dwarf' with your proportions could ever exist."
"Why not? Dwarfs are cute."
You're a giant... in one specific area, at least.
"Also—" Rui spoke up again. "It would be boring just to do a normal play, so I have a suggestion."
Another one? This was the perfectionist Rui we were talking about. She probably just wanted to play Snow White herself or something—
"The boys will play Snow White and the other female roles, and the girls will play the Prince and the men! How does that sound?"
...Huh?