Chapter 185Surprise
Author's Note: May 18, 2022, some content has been added!
Along with the pop music I had heard before, the pink lights began to move in all directions, and the monitor screen on the stage was turned on.
There was the logo "KŌETSU FASHION COLLECTION" displayed on the screen. This must have cost a lot of money. As someone who experienced a lot of difficulties in the Cultural Festival Executive Committee, I was worried that there might be some mysterious backers on the management side.
"Wow...!"
"Excellent!"
Both Natsukawa and Ashida seemed excited by the realistic appearance of the event. Well... ...If everyone can enjoy this event, then I have nothing to worry about. Let's praise the dedication of the Fashion Club here.
A female senpai I've seen before, wearing a bow tie, appeared from the side of the stage carrying a brightly decorated microphone. She's a party MC, isn't she? I'm sure she's a member of the Broadcasting and Drama Club, and often appears as one of the MCs at the opening and closing ceremonies. I'm sure I'll see that senpai on television as an anchorwoman in a few years.
As the background music changed to the slow tempo "Zuncha, Zuncha", the lights returned to their normal color and focused on the senpai.
"'Fashion sense is determined by your face'. Let's put an end to that kind of curse. Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I am MC Kurahashi of Kōetsu High School's Broadcasting and Drama Club."
That's cool. She was the school radio announcer.
Kurahashi-paisen had a sharp look like a party MC and always maintained a blank expression on her face. I bet that's why she's so popular. Did they force that senpai to do that? I thought she was forced to do that, but the angle of her hand holding the microphone is probably like someone introducing a popular song. I think she's probably in a good mood inside....
'The Fashion Club in our high school get carried away by the ever-changing fashion trends. This fall, when I woke up in the morning and turned on the television, I saw a completely different fashion trend than last year. What does that mean? It's always us, high school girls, who create fashion trends. Can you adults keep up with today's fashion trends — at our pace?"
Isn't that the best buzz...?
The venue was filled with the sounds of an excited audience. On the other side of Natsukawa and Ashida, there was a girl standing some distance to my left saying, "Hooray!!" while jumping up and down. I was startled by her raised arm, and I backed away. It's like the girls' house, and I'm sure I'll only look bad if I jump up and down as much as she does... ...I think I'll just sit in silence while watching the event quietly.
After MC Kurahashi gave a speech, there was a brief explanation of the voting application and the background music started again. I think the competition is about to start.
'Alright, let's start with the first contestant, a student from the third-year. Last year, Takemoto Megumi wore an aggressive Chinese dress with bright hair color. This year, she wore a bold military uniform with short black hair and a long coat, a complete change from last year, when she gave the undeniable impression that she was a tall and bold girl!'
Is this a cosplay!?
A senpai who was the first contestant appeared on stage with a shameless and timid smile... ...and showed off her true self to the audience. You could tell from her graceful appearance that she was used to it. She must have performed at this stage last year. A video that looked like this senpai last year played on the monitor for a few seconds. Wow, Chinese dress! That's a Chinese dress!
"Oh, so that's what it looks like..."
"It's almost like Halloween. It is, isn't it, Sajocchi?"
"Eh? Oh, that's right."
"..."
Natsukawa lowered her gaze towards the floor and closed her mouth. Ashida mentioned Halloween — probably because of this emphasis on it coinciding with Natsukawa's birthday. There are all sorts of complications when an important day overlaps with your birthday... ...me too.
After that, a few more cosplay costumes followed, and then in the second half, this fashion show event, which was almost close to the original event, started under the name "Behold Female College Students! Private Outfit Specialty". I had the impression that college student events like this tended to feature costumes made from cheaper materials, but it didn't seem like it... ...I can see how serious this Fashion Club is.
"..."
"..."
When I suddenly turned my head to my right, I found both Natsukawa and Ashida looking mesmerized on the stage. Different from when the contestants were wearing cosplay costumes, they seemed interested in a different way. I've seen Natsukawa and Ashida in casual clothes, but they don't look like that. Maybe they're still learning. However, I can't say that, because I'm the type of person who buys trendy things randomly.
While I was watching Natsukawa's figure carefully so as not to get caught, MC Kurahashi began to introduce the next contestant.
'The next contestant is a first-year student, Shinonome-Claudine Marika! She's utilizing her distinctive features as a half-French, and she'll be challenging her senpai with her clothing materials! Will she be able to show off her true worth!'
"Oh, there she is!"
A name with a familiar mix of horizontal English alphabet letters. I immediately thought, 'Oh...! I'm sure I remember that name!', this feeling did make sense, there was no doubt because she was a young lady. I thought that she was indeed a Japanese-French, but at first I didn't know that it was a French name.
"Is she the girl you're rooting for, Sajocchi?"
"Well... ...Yeah. We're not strangers anymore. I'm interested in voting for her."
"...Mmm."
We've met and come face to face a few times. So far, she had the image of a proud, yet somewhat innocent young lady, but her appearance, which had a bit of Western blood in it, naturally made her a superior and perfect contestant. Although they were involved in match-setting and other things that could be considered negligent, I don't think they needed to do such things in the end.
"By the way, what kind of clothes are those—?"
I stared at the stage and was speechless.
The thing that caught my attention was her lustrous blonde hair.
It seemed to be wrapped in an aura, swaying with the direction of its owner's majestic steps and leaving particles of light in its wake. As I rubbed my eyelids to see if the mysterious sight was just an illusion, I realized that it was not a misunderstanding.
"...Hoh..."
Moments later, a logic began to form in my head. The light was a reflection of the lighting, and what looked like light particles were most likely dust particles flying through the air. I would realize the fact that she was helpless and reprimand myself for ruining it.
But even so, her demeanor, which turned all the elements around her into her charm, was something to be admired wholeheartedly and unconditionally.
Her long-sleeved off-white turtleneck shirt exposed only a little of her shoulders. The heels of her brown boots accentuated the length of her slender legs. The red updo used for her baggy shorts and newsboy cap stood out, but on top of that, her shiny blonde hair had a look that was hard to beat.
That's the moment when the word "cute" turns into the word "beautiful" - I think I've caught a glimpse of that.
"Wow...."
"That's amazing..."
Both Ashida and Natsukawa looked overwhelmed at the sight of the actual contestants. I was also worried about the reactions of the people around me, but strangely, my eyes were fixed on the mass of light particles on the stage.
—You're really good, young lady.
The performance was so good that I was very impressed. My heart beat further and faster, just like when I was first touched by Natsukawa's kindness. If I were to point out the difference between the two heartbeats it would not be in kindness, but in the hardness of the charm. He had shown the difference in his class with his authoritative presence, whether he was there or not. It must have been amazing to just walk around and convince you that it was a performance.
"...Oh, number 21, huh?"
"I don't think she needs that label..."
"If she doesn't wear the label, we won't know the participant number..."
A small presence that detracted from the serious young lady's charm. A round label with the number "21" written in large, solid black letters was stuck to the young lady's waist. Yeah, we can't vote for her if we don't know her number. The same was true for the senpai and other participants.
The young lady turned around, brushed the front of her waist-length blonde hair and stepped gracefully backstage. It was truly marvelous... ...By utilizing her charm from the start, I was sure that there was nothing unsuitable for the young lady to be charming if she wanted to. Even I, a boy, felt envious of her.
♦
After witnessing the culminating performances of the senpai-s, the young ladies and the Fashion Club who had perfected themselves, the room lighting and background music in the gymnasium hall changed to something more subdued. It seemed that this was the end of the contestants' performances.
'I'm sure the boys in this place must have been mesmerized by the attractive girls. I have some bad and disappointing news for you guys. Only one person out of these 30 contestants can be chosen as your favorite. For now, don't move. The decisive time for the contestants begins now.'
That's great, MC Kurahashi.
After giving a thumbs up in thanks for their satisfaction, the senpai-s and other contestants for the event appeared from both sides of the stage and lined up in order. I guess it's time for us to vote. You are unquestionable, young lady. You are the number one.
"As I expected, the girl Sajocchi chose is great. I'm impressed too."
"That's right, isn't it? I raised her. And it's not like I had to be her biggest fan."
"You didn't even raise her."
Natsukawa's accurate tsukkomi took me by surprise as I took out my smartphone. The moment I launched the designated app, the app screen would be switched to the screen where we could vote for the contestant. Does this app not display the contestant's name....? Um? If I recall, that young lady is number 21, right? If I make a mistake here, I might get scolded. I don't think she'll be able to identify it correctly.
To be honest, I chose number 21. Regardless of whether she asked me to choose it or not, the result is perfect. You deserve it because you did your best, Young Lady.
When I asked Natsukawa and Ashida, they seemed to vote for the young lady as well. It seems that a lot of them are rooting for her since they are also fellow first-year students. I wish I was also born as a half-Western boy... ...and had a name like, Sajou-Bouillabaisse Wataru. That's a very unique name, isn't it...? ...What's Bouillabaisse?
'Okay, the voting time is closed! We ask that you wait a moment while we count the votes!'
"I don't know anyone else like Rin-sama."
"I'm sure if she participates, she'll be wearing a boy's outfit. Like a head butler's outfit, for example. I can imagine the screams of the girls in my mind..."
"Stop that, you're making me want to watch her participate in the contest even more."
"I'll try to ask her to participate next time."
"Really!?"
"Yeah, I'm sure I can ask her to do that. Although the chances of her participating are slim."
"Who do you think Senpai is...?"
While we were talking about that, the background music got louder and the lighting on the stage got brighter. The contestants of the event began to come out from the backstage and line up on the stage in front of the audience. The blonde half-Japanese young lady stood out in the crowd. She seemed more satisfied with her appearance than the others, and put her hands on her hips with a satisfied look on her face. She must look like an adult until the end.
Then, the young lady started looking around the auditory for something or someone.
"That girl... ...She must have been looking for me!?"
"No, not you."
"No, not you."
It's okay if I have high expectations, right!?
Because I was looked at with white eyes by both of them, probably because I stood out, but I made eye contact with that young lady on stage. I was no stranger to her, so I gave her my thumbs up with a serious expression on my face.
"That girl had a 'Not you!' look on her face."
"No, she's just shy. I know that."
"No, you don't know that."
"Come to think of it... ...I remember her as a pretty mad girl..."
My best efforts to act tough were flatly rejected, and the young lady seemed to give up looking for someone and turned into a mannequin doll, staring straight at the front of the room.
'The vote count has now been completed. Then, let's move on! Next on the agenda is the announcement of the results!'
There was a lot of noise around us. I'm sure they were probably wondering who gave the best performance. The judging criteria are indeed different from a boy's point of view and a girl's point of view, and there's a possibility that votes will be scattered unexpectedly, unlike me who was just blinded by my eyes. Come on, young lady... ....Will she get first place?
'Kōetsu High School 49th Cultural Festival - Kōetsu Fashion Collection! Which girl will be this year's grand prize winner? Well, let's see! The result!'
The whole place went dark and the drums started beating. Above the gymnasium, the lighting crew began to work hard, moving the lights in a figure-eight pattern. There's something... ...that made me a little sad because of my social nature as a corporate person watching behind the scenes....
'The Grand Prize goes to – This girl!'
Bang, accompanied by the loud bang of the drums, all the lighting converged to form a single point of light. And who was at the end of it—?
'Contestant with Number 21! The grand prize was won by a first-year student! She's Shinonome-Claudine Marika!'
"Oh...!"
The sounds of cheering and clapping rang out from all over the room. Whistling fingers were heard from everywhere. I think everyone in the audience was satisfied with the result. I was so elated that I naturally joined in the clapping as well.
"I think she must have done her best."
"Are you guys going to participate next year too?"
"Eh, I'm not too sure about that... ...Aichi, go ahead, you go!"
"Eh...!? But I'm not tall enough... ...And I'm not really used to performing in front of people..."
"I'll collect a hundred votes for you guys if you participate."
"That's amazing, regardless of whether it's match-setting or not, she's the undisputed first place."
"Isn't that voting cheating...!?"
On the stage, the young lady was congratulated by the senpai-s on both sides. Normally, she would have sounded like "an insolent first-year student...", but she must have done her best. I'm sure it wasn't just the result, but there was a process that I couldn't understand.
The President of the Fashion Club appeared from behind a sleeve and handed the glass trophy to the young lady. I think she looked a little tearful. I don't know what her background is, but I'll go up to her and congratulate her later. I think she would show off and be proud of herself with a satisfied look on her face.
"No... ...I thought she was a poor, pitiful young lady — Eh?"
"Eh, what!?"
At that moment — the lighting in the gymnasium. was turned off. Suddenly it was just dark and there were sounds of unease that spread throughout the area. There was someone squeezing my right arm. Judging from that direction, there was only Natsukawa. I will protect you even if it costs me my life. Come on, one of you two, just call me!
'Oh! It got dark all of a sudden! What's going on!? I think the Deities at Kōetsu High School are complaining that they still don't want the event to end!'
Really? Deities?
We're shrouded in darkness because of the Deities. I think we're going to be stuck in this gymnasium. I think the game of death is about to begin. I've decided to give my life to protect Natsukawa. See you again in the next life.
—Joking aside, judging from MC Kurahashi's deliberate tone of voice, it shows that the surprise in the event's turn in the dark was planned from the beginning. I think, something like a live performance encore is underway and waiting for us. What kind of surprises were there in the fashion show...? ...Was it a celebrity appearance? A real model? Or an actress?
'There was lighting on the stage that was on! There's a black curtain covering some people! Who is behind the black curtain!?'
This was an amazing performance. The contestants lined up on stage rushed to retreat from the black curtain. People with big names must be waiting behind the black curtain. It would be a sin if they didn't show the silhouettes of those people. Can I raise the bar that high? Please don't give me that joke about the man in the yellow suit holding his hand in the shape of a gun.
'It's time to open that black curtain! These are the people who will be the final performers at this event today...!'
A successful comedian? Or AKB46!? Are they going to start the real live performances? This Cultural Festival is crazy! This is where the real event begins!
The tension is starting to reach its peak, man!
'─ These are the Student Council officials!'
Give me a break, dude!?
Author's Note: There it is.
TL Note: This is a map of the Akihabara area, famous for the idol group AKB48, which is parodied in this chapter as AKB46.
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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