Chapter 71

「Uhm, senpai.」

Inside the classroom of the student council’s bazaar where junk was lined up, Kouhai-chan turned her face towards me as if she just remembered something.

「What?」

「Will you come to school tomorrow?」

「There’s no way I will.」

In terms of school, the students should come to one of the two-days of school festival periods.

Why bother to come for two days? This area was safe so it was all good, but I didn’t want to force myself into those chaotic areas. Seriously.

「Ehh…」

Kouhai-chan puffed out her mouth.

「Isn’t it fine, senpai? You haven’t looked around, right?」

「I already looked at the art club.」

Rather, just walking in the other place was dangerous.

「But I haven’t looked around.」

「You’re currently looking at the bazaar, though?」

「But this place is boring.」

「Then why do you come?」

After hitting the desk, I raised my hands next to my face, making a weird pose.

「Anyway, senpai. Go to school tomorrow as well.」

「Eh」

「At 10 o’clock in the morning. The meeting time will be at the station. Do you understand?」

＃　＃　＃

With that, I was wearing my uniform on Sunday, waiting for the train to arrive at the station near my house.

「Good morning~」

Compared to our usual time, it was much later. But it was still morning, so「Good morning」should be valid.

「Ou, morning.」

Kouhai-chan who was wearing the usual duffle coat seemed like she was even more excited than usual for some reason.

「It’s the cultural festival!」

「You went there yesterday, right?」

「But I didn’t look around.」

「Hey, I’ll tell you again just in case, but it’s total chaos.」

「Chaos?」

Right. Our school’s cultural festival is chaos.

I didn’t know anything at all last year and thought of looking around once, but I ended up jostled here and there.

「Yeah, chaos.」

「I don’t understand, but isn’t that interesting?」

Yeah. She was this kind of person, huh.

「Then, let’s go now, senpai.」

We got into the train, heading to the school.

＊　＊　＊

At the school gate we passed yesterday, the words “Culture Festival” were widely displayed.

「Senpai♪」

Since there was no reply, I looked behind, and there was senpai who was walking very slowly with a heavy atmosphere around him.

「Hey, do I really have to go no matter what?」

「Are you thinking of making me go alone?」

「I don’t want to go. You want to go. Well, I’ll wait here, wishing you good luck.」

Does he not want to go that much?

But, I want to go with senpai together.

「No way.」

That’s why I took his hand――there’s no way I could do that, I was too embarrassed, so I decided to pull his bag he had hanging on his shoulder.

I only went to the art club and student council bazaar yesterday. I look forward to it.

＃　＃　＃

I was pulled by Kouhai-chan, making me enter the demonic cultural festival again this year.

…Uhn.

It was interesting to see each club have a booth that wouldn’t miss their target prey again this year. I can only say that.

In the brass band club, I was pulled into「Indirect Kiss! Musical Instrument Experience Society」, in the quiz study club, I was trapped in a room where I couldn’t go out before answering ten questions with other people (we had to answer it at the same time together), in the manga study club, I got involved in the「Let’s Experience Manga’s Scene!」… What is this? What love comedy does this comes from, oi!

Well, it might turn out better than last year. My companion was Kouhai-chan. It was hard because I used to go around alone. I didn’t even want to remember it anymore.

After receiving the「cultural festival」baptism the second time, Kouhai-chan turned towards me in the hallway.

「By the way, senpai, are you hungry?」

Looking at the clock, it was already the afternoon, exactly 1 PM.

「I certainly am.」

「『Today’s question.』Senpai, what do you want to eat?」

「All right, let’s go out from the school for now.」

If we go to the station, we will find McD, beef bowl, and ramen.

I can go to a peaceful place. Good job!

「Eh?」

「I’m fine with anywhere near the station.」

「No way.」

「Ha?」

Kouhai-chan didn’t look like she was going to move out, keeping her eyes on me.

Ehhh?

「『Today’s question』. Where does Kouhai-chan want to eat?」

「Aren’t there stalls here?」

Why does she realize that kind of thing, seriously.

Well, that’s certainly true. There are several stalls from the stall section of the cultural festival executive committee.

「Don’t wanna.」

「Yes. Then, let’s go.」

Hey. I felt like my will had been completely ignored recently.

There were three stalls outside the school building on the ground side. I could see a little smoke from there.

「It’s here, right?」

No matter how chaotic this cultural festival was, I would try to believe that the stalls were at least decent and sellable.

Kouhai-chan read the sign of the stalls.

「Russian takoyaki, ice cream tempura, pickles…」

「Ahh. It’s chaos.」

「That’s right. Then, senpai, which one do you want to eat?」

What the heck is with the pickles? Who was the one coming up with the idea of selling pickles at a cultural festival?

「Uhm, do we still have the option to go to the station now…？」

「Hey there! You shouldn’t ignore our stalls since you already came here, right? You’re already in the cultural festival anyway! You can only experience this now, you know!」

My words was intercepted by a standoffish guy who was holding a cardboard sign.

「My recommendation is the Russian takoyaki. Isn’t it also cold today? Both of you can eat hot takoyaki, while feeding each other!」

What a good sales talk. But it’s not like we will feed each other, okay.

Anyway, the “Russian” should mean “Russian Roulette”, right? What do they even put inside?

While thinking about how to get out of this situation, there was a voice from behind.

「Then, we will take that.」

Kouhai-chan stretched her small fair-skinned hand and gave 500 yen coin to the guy.

「Girlfriend-san, thank you! A plate of takoyaki, please!」

She bought it.

「Girlfriend, eh?」

「What does he even mean?」

＊　＊　＊

I unconsciously bought it. Eight pieces of Russian takoyaki.

There were two toothpicks given conscientiously.

「Now then, senpai.」

There were chairs in front of the stalls where we could sit down.

I was sitting while facing senpai.

「Let’s eat.」

I took one of the toothpicks and stabbed one of the takoyakis lined up side by side.

And then, I passed the toothpick to senpai.

「I wonder if we can be full just by eating this.」

「Do you want to order another plate?」

「Nope.」

Now, now. What kind of ingredients did they use in this Russian takoyaki?

「Right, ahn~」

「Eh?」

It’s not like I didn’t feel the gazes around us, but I decided to continue without minding them.

「Please eat it quickly.」

It’s not like I never fed you food before, right?

「No, it should be hot, right?」

「It will be alright, come on.」

Senpai seemed like he was considering something.

「I got it. I’ll eat it. So open your mouth as well. Ahhn」

「He, haik his?」(Eh, like this?)

「Heh heh.」(Yes yes.)

And then. There were hot… not really, but it was a warm Russian takoyaki in both of our mouths.

「So spicy!」

「Uwahh, it’s sweet.」

＃　＃　＃

Both of our reaction was the opposite.

They were completely not the reaction someone will make after eating takoyaki.

It was simply too spicy for me. Not wasabi spiciness, but mustards spiciness.

Ah, so spicy. Give me water.

It might be saved by the surrounding takoyaki dough that remained. The area where the sauce was mixed with the crispy dough was tasty and delicious. But then, the spiciness had reversed all of them completely.

「Mine is mustard. So spicy… What about Kouhai-chan?」

「This is chocolate, huh.」

Kouhai-chan added, while making a weird face.

「The sweetness and saltiness are mixing together, how complicated.」