Chapter-8~The cultural festival~

[Makihara Taiga]

On the day of the cultural festival, at the entrance of the school gate, there was a large arch made by Kaeko-san. It is a masterpiece, about four meters high and beautifully decorated with paper flowers.

Many visitors entered the festival. It is probably due to the promotion that Mitsuri-san did through social media and the posters that Ai-san put up in the streets.

The highlight of the festival is the play starring Maihime-san. The festival has been made possible by the prolific work of Konoe R. Chika. And her charisma is only growing.

Meanwhile, Mitsuri-san and I were looking around the school. We were holding hands so tightly that everyone around us was jealous and envious. 

—Damn it. The president already has a boyfriend. 

—I must admit they look great together. 

Maybe it's because I've kept up appearances, but there's less hatred towards me since the first day. In fact, some kids see me as a hero; "The hero who fell in a dung heap and had the lowest grades in the whole school, but never gave up and won over the president." If you don't give up, your dreams will come true.

Even if I receive praise, I will not relax. My dream is to have a harem. I can't let my guard down until I achieve it.

I had bought Kaeko-san a Tengu mask at the art club booth, plus takoyaki and candy apples. Today I decided to treat her as thanks for last time's restaurant invite…

I made a lot of money through the internet the other day from Kaeko-san's photos, so I can afford all this.

I've experienced firsthand that single men in their 30s and 40s have a lot of money.

—Everyone come closer to me☆ I'll take a photo!

Mitsuri-san is taking selfies with students and fans outside the campus. She seems to be enjoying it a lot. It makes me very happy when I see her.

Suddenly, Mitsuri-san's eyes sparkled. Her gaze was fixed on the "Research and Divination Club" sign that was in her line of sight. She took my hand and led me to the said place.

—Come on, Taiga-kun, won't it be exciting to have your fortune told? I've heard rumors that this club is very accurate.

—Fortune telling?

—Yes. It's about our chemistry as a couple.

I'm so happy that my favorite person said something like that as a matter of course.

We entered the club room. The windows were covered with a dark curtain, and immediately the candles in the chandelier were lit. The fortune teller seated was wearing a black robe and a beaked hat, a very typical style for fortune tellers.

—Welcome. Ah, if it isn't the two members of Noblesse.

—Hi! I'd like you to read our love compatibility. What does it tell you?

—Tell me your date of birth.

Mitsuri-san froze. If you read her birth date, you'll know the result of her sisters as well. And since I have the target of a harem, I'm very curious to know.

Mitsuri-san gets a little anxious.

—Um, can't it be done in another way?

—Physiognomy is also possible.

Physiognomy will give her the same result as her sisters, so it's still not an option. And with a great sense of disappointment, she shakes her head as she says; "I'm sorry…"

—You can also use her first and last name.

—Yes, that one is perfect. Makihira Taiga and Konoe… Um, Konoe…

Mitsuri-san got stuck with her words. She can't say "Konoe L. Mitsuri", for if she does, she would be exposed. So, the fortune teller says;

—Konoe R. Chika, right? I will read your fortune.

She writes the name on a piece of paper and checks the number of strokes.

—Yes.

What will happen now? Mitsuri-san and I lean forward.

—The best of names, Makihara Taiga and Konoe R. Chika. There couldn't be a better combination.

The fortune teller smiles at Mitsuri-san.

—Congratulations, Konoe-san.

—Yes…

—Why are you disappointed?

The fortune teller was surprised and looked at me suspiciously.

—How can you be disappointed when you are so compatible… Are you being forced to have a relationship with him because he is in love with you?

That's very rude. Although it's true about my love and weakness for her. On the other hand, Mitsuri-san seems dissatisfied. And then, after a few moments, she typed into her phone the name "Konoe L. Mitsuri" and showed it to the fortune teller.

—I would also like to ask for a match between this name and Makihara Taiga.

—Konoe L. Mitsuri? Who is it?

—Well…

Mitsuri-san turned her head.

—The name of my daughter who will be born in the future?

—You and Makihara are thinking so far ahead?

The fortune teller was surprised, and predicted the compatibility between Konoe L. Mitsuri. And the result was…

—They have perfect compatibility.

—Yaay! I'm so happy!

Mitsuri-san hugs me, and the fortune teller is shocked. We must look like a couple who are very happy to be told about their future daughter.

Mitsuri-san was in a good mood when she came out of the Club room. She kept humming and walking briskly.

Suddenly, she reacted to something and stopped moving. After about ten seconds… She ran at high speed. I hurried to follow her, and the place where we arrived was in front of Noblesse's office. Inside was a quiet looking girl with her head down.

She looks at us and smiles with relief.

—Konoe-san, Makihara-san. My name is Saionji, and I'm from the astronomy club.

—Are there any problems? The president will solve it right away!

—Ah, president… You're so beautiful…

—Hi. My name is Saionji and I'm from the astronomy club.

The astronomy club, with euphoric charisma, offers us a brochure. On the cover it says; "The constellations that are visible from the Academy."

—Actually, we printed too many copies of the booklet. We originally printed 20 copies, but we expanded to the sum of 100… We are selling it in the club room, but we can't seem to sell enough. Can you help us find a way to sell them?

It seems to be a simple request. We must find a way to do it right. Mitsuri-san clasps her hands together and comes up with a great idea for the sale.

—How about if the person who buys five copies of this brochure gets to shake my hand?

—Then people wouldn't buy it for its contents.

Even though the brochures sell out, people would quickly get rid of them. If it were me, I would want people to read it and be interested in what I did.

—What if we increased the sales area?

—Where, Taiga-kun?

—At food stands or any other club that Noblesse has asked for help in the past. It's time to call in those favors.

We started contacting Misaki Horaiki's club, the girl who came to ask for help about a love relationship, the basketball club, and the drama club where Maihime-san will be performing.

They were all willing to help. I'm sure we can sell them. Besides…

—I'll be walking around promoting the brochure.

—Can you do that for me? Thank you very much!

Saionji-san from the astronomy club bows to me.

If I help sell the brochures, I might increase my popularity among the Konoe sisters. It's a win-win situation. This kind of "free service" will especially resonate with Ai-san.

After handing the brochures to Mitsuri-san and me, the astronomy club thanked us several times and left.

—Taiga-kun, you did a great job. I knew I could count on you.

Mitsuri-san leaned over my shoulder and looked at her phone.

—Ah! It's almost time for the play, I have to change my personality to Maihime and go!

She lightly kisses my cheek and leaves… This farewell is bad for my heart. I feel very happy.

Come to think of it, after I had left the Divination club… Mitsuri-san suddenly went silent and then ran straight here. Did she receive instructions wirelessly at that time? It was probably Chika-san.

Even so, how did Chika-san find out who was in trouble…? Due to the large number of people entering and leaving the academy, security cameras have been installed in various parts of the place just for the festival. This includes the place where the astronomy club was located.

Could it be Chika-san is watching the videos and giving instructions to Mitsuri-san? She is probably in the attic above the office. It means she's watching the whole school through the security cameras…

Well, I must work hard and make sure I look nice! I started organizing lines at the food stands, breaking up fights, picking up trash, and putting a sign around my neck where I advertise the astronomy club brochures.

I exercise every day with squats and jog 10 km. I can move as much as I want without feeling tired. I just kept doing one job after another…

But in a corner of the schoolyard, I came across something strange.

[Ai – The Fifth Sister]

I find myself walking with a lost child holding my hand. He kept crying and was nervous, but then his eyes lit up and he said;

—Ah, Mom.

He ran like a bullet and hugged his mother. Then he said goodbye to me.

—Thank you very much, bear-san.

I've been wearing a bear suit since the beginning of the day. So, no one can see my face. No problem if there is another "Konoe R. Chika" watching the place from the inside.

As soon as I separated from the mother and child, I heard a lot of applause coming from the gymnasium.

Ah, I see, Maihime's play has begun. This means that Konoe R. Chika is currently in front of the audience. The rest of us can't afford to be seen. Unless they are disguised like me.

—Chika-neesan, what's my next job?

Over the intercom, I asked Chika a question. She's in the office attic, watching through the security cameras for any trouble.

—The line of food stalls is… Organized. The disputes were resolved before I knew it….

—How is that possible?

—It's Taiga-kun. He's trying so hard, and he keeps solving one problem after another.

Then my whole body shuddered, I heard a familiar voice very close to me;

—The Astronomy Club's brochure "The constellations that are visible from the academy" is now on sale. How about a copy to read around your campfire?

He's the kind of guy who goes out of his way to help others. However, it was too early to be quiet. A few boys approached Taiga-kun. They looked a little uncomfortable.

—Makihara, sell me one.

—Hey… Um, forgive us for what happened that time.

Maybe it's Taiga-kun's classmates? The day he fell in the dung and almost died, instead of helping him, they laughed at him. Why do they want to apologize now?

—Ah, the dung… Now I remember.

Taiga-kun smiled and said;

—That doesn't matter now. Many things have happened to me, and I don't care about the past anymore.

—Makihara!

His classmates and I were impressed. He has a big heart to forgive other people's sins. How far does this boy intend to make me fall in love?

As I stared at him, I met his gaze, and… He comes here? Why?

—Hello

Taiga-kun bowed deeply to me.

—My name is Makihara Taiga of Noblesse. And I'd like to thank you for all the work you've done at the festival, including helping the lost children.

—No, no.

I replied with a different tone of voice. I'm wearing a costume, so I should sound muffled. I have to be careful not to put on my usual tone of voice.

—Are you a student at the school? Why are you wearing a costume?

—…

—It's okay if you don't want to answer.

Taiga-kun smiled and said;

—You remind me a lot of Ai-san.

My heart skipped a beat and I asked in fear.

—W-Who is that?

Taiga-kun, From the bottom of my heart, I love you.

—She's not only beautiful, but also kind and warm. Just being with Ai makes me feel happy.

—!!!!

I see… Taiga-kun praises me without realizing it's me. His destructive power is amazing! It's getting hot inside my costume!

I staggered, but Taiga-kun held me tightly.

—Are you okay?

His sweet voice is soothing to the ear. Taiga's beautiful face filled my vision. Oh, those eyes full of sincerity!

Right then and there, I realized how I felt. I like you very much, Taiga-kun. The moment I realized this, I felt so embarrassed that I ran away.

[Makihara Taiga]

I stared at the bear's back as it walked away. Ah, that's probably Ai-san. There's only one person on campus who can play the role of Konoe R. Chika. Maybe the suit will be a solution to this problem.

When I congratulated Ai, I could see that she was embarrassed even through her costume. It was cute. Besides, did the act of forgiving my classmates increase Ai-san's preference?

Of course, I'm not going to forgive them for the rest of my life. I was just playing my cards. Hmm?

Suddenly, I heard a buzzing sound. I looked up and saw five men looking like criminals, walking through the front door. They were wearing gold T-shirts and ratty pants, and they were walking menacingly around us.

They are heading for the gymnasium where Maihime-san is performing. It looks like they are planning to enter. I hurried to stand in front of the five of them, and gave them an affectionate smile.

—The show is already on, do you have a ticket?

—I don't have one.

—You can't get in if you don't have one.

—We're not here to see a play, we're here to destroy Konoe's stage. We will pay the debt we owe her from last year.

Now that I remember, at the committee meeting for the festival, Mitsuri-san mentioned that she was able to deal with a group of criminals by herself.

So, these guys came for revenge… Well, no matter what they try to do, I have to stand my ground.

—You can't go through-

Before I could finish the word, I felt a punch in my face. I had been hit by the leader of the group. After that same punch, I received one after another.

No matter what I have to go through, I will not allow these people to dare to enter. Besides, this is just another opportunity to gain sympathy among the Konoe sisters.

At that moment I remembered the words Maihime-san had said to me; "as long as I am performing, I have to do my best".

It would be very sad to see all her effort and training for the play go to waste because of a stupid revenge. I don't want her to feel the same way I do.

When I was fulfilling my dream of being able to play baseball in high school, I suffered a heartbreaking accident that broke my shoulder. Despite the damage I suffered, I worked hard to rehabilitate and get back to pitching. But that effort was in vain, all I could do was go back to my everyday life.

I will not allow the person I love to go through something like this. As I stood there, fist after fist went to my stomach, my nose, my chin.

Ugh. The pain I feel now is the equivalent of the dead ball I received by a professional pitcher… It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts… Hm?

—Stop it.

Just as he had the defense down, and the man was about to deliver his final blow…. His fist was stopped in mid-air.

And the person who stopped him was Kaeko-san.

Maihime-san is supposed to be playing the role of Konoe R. Chika right now. If Kaeko-san is here, people will realize that there is more than one Konoe R. Chika….

Although that wasn't the case. Since Kaeko-san was wearing a Tengu mask, could it be the same mask I bought for Mitsuri-san? And not to mention the fact that she wasn't wearing a wig either.

—What the hell do you think you're do-

One of the delinquents shouted.

But before he could finish his sentence. Kaeko-san swung an iron claw all over his face. The pressure was so strong that his face reflected such pain. Poor thing…

The remaining four men attacked Kaeko-san. But with impressive skill, she disposed of the men with a single move.

I had never seen someone use their body as a weapon. There was applause and admiration from the people around me, but suddenly…. Kaeko-san pulled me by the hand and carried me on her back, making us leave the place quickly.

—Thank you for your help… Hm, who are you?

—Uh…

After a pause, Kaeko-san said;

—The shining mask of justice. It was your courage in not giving in to the bad guys that brought me here.

No, you saw it on the security cameras. Security cameras have also been installed at the entrance of the gym. If so, one of the sisters would have seen it, and taken into account the possibility of Kaeko-san coming to my aid.

There are many ways for them to walk among people without being seen, like Ai-san's disguise. But I didn't think she would call herself that way.

I arrived at the infirmary and was greeted by a young nurse.

—Ay ay ay ay ay…

She was surprised at my condition, and when she saw how bad I was, she helped me sit on a chair, and disinfected the wounds on my face. Kaeko-san watches with her tengu mask on. It is a surreal scene.

In a pained voice she asked;

—Why didn't you fight back? I'm sure you could have stood up to that bully.

I was simply waiting for the right moment for it to be considered self-defense… I looked at Kaeko-san.

—If I, a member of Noblesse, came to use violence, surely the festival would be cancelled? Which would be a pity, since Konoe-san was trying too hard to make everything perfect.

Kaeko-san seemed to be impressed by my answer. With that, the school nurse starts to take off my jacket.

—Well, now I'm going to treat your body… Eeeehh?

When the old wounds were exposed, even the school nurse gasped at the horror visible on my body.

A long, thick scar crosses my right shoulder and upper arm, as if it had been sewn by a giant sewing machine. The flesh around it is ugly and deformed.

—T-That… Wound… And yet, you still didn't want to give up baseball, did you?

So that's what crossed Kaeko's mind… She quickly bent down and was sobbing. The mask's nose hits the ground while making a characteristic sound.

—Y-You are the man among men…!

—Why are you wearing a mask here?

The nurse asks very curiously.

Kaeko puts her handkerchief on her Tengu mask and wipes her tears while saying, "Makihara Taiga, your strength has pierced my heart."

The blue eyes behind the masks staring at me feverishly…

—I fell in love with you…

Then she put her hands on her face, which made no sense because she was wearing a mask, and ran away.

At this unexpected event, the nurse observes me and says:

—You have a stranger in love with you.

I think the same as you… Wait, this was better than I imagined! Kaeko-san's love level has gone up! Thanks a lot, you thugs!

Now I'm one step closer to my harem with the five sisters.

After the nurse treated my wounds, she prescribed some painkillers which apparently made me sleepy because of their strong effect. I was asleep in bed for about thirty minutes, and then…

—Taiga…

Maihime-san was in the infirmary. She came right after the play was over, still wearing Carmen's red dress.

I put on my glasses that I had left by the bed and I see Maihime-san, who looked more crestfallen than I've ever seen her.

—I-I heard what happened. You risked your body to save my work.

—I see.

—Why did you do it?

—I know how hard you've worked for this day.

I have an ulterior motive for wanting to create a harem, but those words are true.

—…!!!

Maihime-san's eyes filled with tears.

—Thank you, Taiga-kun.

I will never forget this cute smile. It's cute, since she doesn't usually smile like that.

—I'll give you a hug.

Maihime crawls under the sheets. Maybe it's the pills, but it feels good to be so close to her, her soft breasts squeezed up against my whole body. But the painkillers prevent me from staying awake. I need to experience more of this heavenly feeling.

[Chika – The big sister]

I, Konoe R. Chika, was looking around the school stalls. I have to do my best, Taiga-kun is injured and is resting in the infirmary, so I have to do my best.

Ai put in a lot of effort in the first half of the festival to keep everything in order. If something worse happens, like a fire, everything will fall apart. I can't afford to let my guard down.

I headed over to check out the yakisoba stands at the volleyball club…

—Oh, thank you for your hard work, President!

As I returned the greetings and checked on the fire,

—By the way, Chairwoman, are you dating that Makihara guy?

—That's not important.

—You don't have to act like that. You both went to read each other's fortunes, and Makihara stepped in between those bullies so the play wouldn't be ruined. You're in love with each other!

That was Mitsuri and Maihime. Not me… Kaeko and Ai also got involved with Taiga-kun. I'm the only one who…

I'm surprised to think about this. How much do I want to spend time with Taiga-kun?

I don't understand my feelings. The festival has also entered its climax, and the sun has set.

There's a bonfire in the schoolyard and many couples are around it. And there… Taiga-kun was sitting alone.

He's looking at something in his hand… Is it a vocabulary book? Is he still studying even now?

When I approached him, he quickly put away his book. Will he feel embarrassed about it?

—Taiga-kun, are you feeling well already?

—Yes

—What a relief…

I can't help but feel so relieved.

—You're still studying. Why are you working so hard?

—To become the doctor I want to be… And to be with you forever.

—!

To be part of Noblesse, you have to be one of the top three in school grades. So that's why… I can't believe all the love you're showing me. Next, Taiga-kun took out a pamphlet from his pocket.

"The constellations visible from the academy," that was the brochure he was trying to sell.

—I got it from the astronomy club. Would you like to observe the celestial bodies with me?

—Yes.

I'm very happy. Why do I feel that way? I'm sure I know. As soon as I realized it, I felt much better. I was able to put on a calm face and say:

—I know all the constellations I can see from here.

—Wow, it's not for nothing that you're one of the top five students in the country. I just bought this brochure.

When I laughed, Taiga-kun seemed to be fascinated.

—I've never seen Chika-san smile like that before. You are very attractive.

—I'm flattered.

I am repulsed from feeling ashamed. It's a bad habit of mine. I wondered if he was surprised, but Taiga-kun saw me playing with my hair, and for some reason he was happy.

It's very comforting to see his smile. And at the same time… I started to feel guilty.

I spent time with Taiga-kun looking at the stars and talking about many interesting topics. What happened at the festival, about the places we came from, our tastes… And when everything was going well, I asked him to wait for me here, and went back to the office.

As soon as I entered the attic, Kaeko, Mitsuri, Maihime and Ai gathered around. They all had a mixture of tiredness and a sense of accomplishment. Kaeko looks at me and says;

—Chika-neesan, it looks like you had a good time with Taiga-kun.

They were probably watching the video through the camera I was wearing. After looking at each other's faces, I said to them;

—I have a suggestion.

After hesitating for a while, I continued speaking.

—Why don't we stop lying to Taiga-kun?

There was a moment of silence.

Kaeko was the first to speak.

—Does that mean we're giving up the five personality act?

—Yes, I want to stop playing this role of five personalities in one… It's very painful for me to tell lies about us to Taiga-kun. He's a good, pure guy.

Again, everyone was silent. I think they all thought the same thing. We all looked at each other at the same time, and nodded our heads.

—It's decided then…

I wonder how Taiga-kun will react when he finds out that we've been lying to him. I'm scared. …Which one of us will he choose?

________________________

~To be continued~