“I had a terrible time...”
“Me too...”
In the break area, Riran and I both had haggard faces.
Kotono and Noa were having a great time, spreading out the things they bought from the stalls like it was a party.
I don’t need that kind of hardcore horror. It’s scary. It’s a lifelong trauma.
Ah, fatigue is suddenly washing over me...
“Akito, can you even do the stage performance like this?”
“...Stage performance?”
“Yeah. The breakdancing one.”
“............”
“Eh, Oni-chan is going to breakdance?”
“I get to see Senpai’s dancing again! I’m going to watch!”
“I’m looking forward to it too. Do your best, Akito.”
“............”
“........................”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”
“““!?”””
Br... Break...! Sta...!?
I hurriedly checked my smartphone.
The current time was 13:15. Our slot was at 13:30.
This is bad, there’s only 15 minutes left! And I have a ton of messages from Ryūya!
“S-Sorry! It starts in 15 minutes! I’m going ahead, so you guys come at your own pace. See ya!”
“A-Akito!”
Bad bad bad bad bad bad! I haven't practiced at all today! Playing with Riran was so fun that I completely forgot!
I rushed in through the back of the gymnasium.
Then, my teammates looked at me with relieved faces.
“Sanada, are you okay?”
“Did you forget?”
“S-Sorry. I just lost track of time...”
“Hey, hey, Akito, there’s only about 10 minutes left, so change your clothes before making excuses. We really don’t have time.”
“I’m really sorry.”
I hurriedly took off my kimono and changed into the costume I had prepared for today.
It was street-style fashion in a slightly larger size. I put on a hat, and with 5 minutes left until the performance.
While I was doing some warm-up exercises, Ryūya called out, “Hey, Akito.”
“Kuonji is here. She’s at the very front.”
“Eh.”
Looking from the wings of the stage, she had indeed taken a spot at the front.
Next to her were Kotono and Noa, as well as Neika, Rion, and even Riza-san.
I told them I wanted them to come, but I didn’t expect the front row...
“............!”
Ah, she looked over here.
Riran gently made a fist in front of her chest and moved her mouth silently.
(Do. Your. Best.)
“............”
“Hey, hey, hey. Now you can’t afford to fail.”
“I had no intention of failing in the first place.”
“Oh? You’re pretty confident for someone who forgot the time.”
“Shut up.”
Ryūya smirked and thrust his fist toward me.
I bumped my fist against his and showed a smile.
Riran is cheering for me. There’s no way I’ll mess up.
“Alright, everyone gather up. Let’s do a huddle!”
We formed a circle at Ryūya’s command.
Everyone had faces showing a good mix of tension and relaxation.
But... no one said anything. Even Ryūya, who called for the huddle, remained silent.
“Hey, Ryūya?”
“...No, sorry. I formed the huddle to say something witty, but nothing is coming to mind at all.”
“Are you an idiot?”
“What!?”
No, he’s definitely a fool. What was he thinking?
“Even without saying anything witty, we’ve worked hard to get here. So, there’s only one thing left for us to do. Enjoy it. That’s all.”
“Oh... Sanada, not bad.”
“Right, let's enjoy it.”
“In things like this, the one who enjoys it most wins.”
My teammates nodded at my words.
Ryūya also nodded and bared his fangs with a grin.
“Then, as usual... the one who enjoys it wins! Let’s go!”
“““““OH!”””””
Immediately after, the song we were to dance to played throughout the gymnasium.
The mirror ball we had prepared reflected seven-colored lights, making it look just like a club venue.
『Next up is Class 1-5, Team Red! It’s breakdancing! Here they are!』
At the host’s signal, we ran and jumped onto the stage.
◆
The ten-minute stage performance ended safely.
Team dances. Solo highlights. Everything was exciting, but fortunately, the venue got really hyped up during my solo.
Ah— but even though I say all that, I was super nervous. I never want to do something this sudden again.
When I left the gymnasium, Riran and the others were waiting there.
“Akito, Akito Akito Akito Akito Akito Akito Akito Akito Akito Akito Akito Akito!”
“Gueh!”
Ri... Riran dove right into my solar plexus...!
“Akito, you were so cool! What was that, what was that!? You were spinning around so fast!”
“O-Oh, thanks...”
I get it, so it would be helpful if you’d move. Everyone is looking at us.
“I was watching, Boy. Good moves.”
“Yes. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.”
“As expected of Senpai! It’s been since middle school since I saw Akito-senpai’s breakdancing, but it’s still cool!”
“Akki, nice.”
“Oni-chan is surprisingly versatile. It feels like I’ll be compared to you when I enroll next year.”
D-Don’t say so much. I’m happy, but it’s embarrassing.
I pushed Riran off me and stood up.
Then, I heard high-pitched cheers from a distance.
“Look, look! That person from before!”
“Ah, the breakdancing guy!?”
“Isn’t that the guy from the wedding advertisement?”
“No way, I want an autograph!”
Eh... I-Is this bad?
A group of girls was heading this way.
T-This is...
“Ryūya, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Eh. Wait, Akito!?”
I took Riran’s hand and quickly left the spot.
If I get mobbed by a crowd like that, the school festival will be over right then and there.
In this case, running away is the best strategy...!