Chapter 127: Cultural Festival ④

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Translator: Soafp

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With Airi leading the way, we climbed the stairs.

I wondered where this “place where no one would be around” was.

Without stopping, Airi kept heading upward.

“Airi, isn’t the rooftop supposed to be locked?”

Eventually, we reached the top of the staircase, where a door leading to the rooftop stood with a “No Entry” sign hanging on it.

Airi grabbed the doorknob and pressed her shoulder against the door.

“It is. But Ren-kun, haven’t you ever thought something was strange?”

“About what?”

“If the rooftop is supposed to be locked, then how did that scumbag manage to take those pictures up there?”

…Come to think of it, there really had been photos of Nagasawa-senpai and Yuzuki having s*x on what anyone could recognize as the school’s rooftop.

The awkwardness hadn’t completely disappeared, but perhaps because we’d managed to avoid the worst possible outcome, remembering it no longer made my chest tighten the way it had before.

“Now that you mention it… you’re right.”

“So I looked into it. It takes a bit of a trick, but if you put force on it like this—”

Keeping her weight against the door, Airi rattled the doorknob several times.

Then, with a click, the door opened with surprising ease.

“Like that. Looks like nobody’s maintained it properly, and the lock’s rusted.”

“So it’s one of those things only people in the know would know.”

“Exactly. An ordinary, diligent student would never find out. They wouldn’t even think about trying to get onto the rooftop.”

By Airi’s logic, that meant Nagasawa-senpai was neither ordinary nor diligent.

…Well, she wasn’t wrong.

We stepped onto the rooftop, and I closed the door behind us.

“There really isn’t anyone here.”

At my words, Airi curled the corner of her lips into a grin.

Then, lowering her gaze slightly, she sidled up next to me.

“I’m imitating Nodoka-san.”

“W-When have I ever done that!?” Nodoka protested.

“Every day.”

“N-Not every day!”

Airi let out a soft giggle.

Those two had really become close.

Living under the same roof and spending every day together—doing this and that—had deepened their bond even more than before.

Smiling faintly, I gently patted Airi’s head.

“Eeeh? Ren-sama, when I took you somewhere with no one around, you didn’t praise me!”

Kokoa pouted, puffing out her cheeks like a sulking child.

“Well, that time you suddenly dragged me into an alley without any explanation.”

“It’s basically the same thing!”

Not even close…

Still, why did she want my praise that badly?

Suddenly, Airi grabbed my free hand and pressed it against her butt.

“Oh my, Miyoko-san. So you want to be touched like this too?”

“Hyaa!? N-No! I-I think that’s a little too advanced for me!”

Kokoa’s face instantly turned bright red.

I’d never seen her this embarrassed before.

It was strangely refreshing.

Figuring that was enough teasing, I tried to pull my hand away from Airi’s butt—

“…Airi, could you loosen your grip a little?”

She had my hand firmly pinned in place.

It wouldn’t budge.

Had Airi always been this strong?

It honestly surprised me.

“You touch me and then try to run away? Even for a sadist, there are limits.”

“You were the one who made me touch you.”

“Close enough.”

“…”

Lately, Airi seemed to be getting more and more forceful, just like Nodoka.

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After finally calming Airi down, I turned toward Ayano-san.

As expected, she still looked bewildered.

Well, that was understandable.

…After all, she’d suddenly been brought somewhere secluded, only to watch us flirting right in front of her.

“Ayano-san.”

“Y-Yes…”

When I called her in a serious tone, she straightened her posture as if she understood.

What was it she wanted to tell me?

Whatever it was, it clearly wasn’t something trivial.

Just as I swallowed nervously—

“Thank you very much.”

Ayano suddenly bowed deeply.

“Eh?”

Before I could react, she continued.

“I thought I’d never escape that hell.”

She began telling us her story.

As she’d gotten older as an idol, she became increasingly desperate because no agency was willing to take her.

During that time, the company president began casually touching her and looking at her in unsettling ways. Blinded by desperation, she eventually ended up becoming his mistress.

“…I think the president probably knew too. That I wasn’t dating him because I liked him or anything.”

Which explained why, the moment the yakuza threatened him, he handed over the woman who meant nothing more than a physical relationship to him without a second thought.

Ayano, who had no idea what was happening, was sold off, drugged, and forced into a life no different from slavery.

“That wasn’t all. They threatened me, saying they could destroy Jirai-chan Syndrome whenever they wanted if I didn’t obey.”

If the group she’d struggled so hard to debut with fell apart, her dream of being an idol would truly be over.

They exploited even that fear.

That was why she had no choice but to become even more psychologically dependent on them.

(Her jealousy toward Kokoa-san must have started there.)

She was literally sacrificing her body to keep the group afloat.

Yet it was always Kokoa who received the fans’ love.

Even the manager, despite knowing nothing about the situation, unconsciously favored Kokoa over Ayano.

Ayano’s lips trembled slightly as she continued.

“If I’d stayed there… I’m sure my fate would’ve become even more tragic. Um… thank you so much for saving me, President Fukagawa.”

I couldn’t help wishing I’d realized what was happening sooner.

Even so, although I’d been late, I was truly glad I’d been able to save her.

Just then, Nodoka couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Pfft…!”

“S-Sorry. I know this is serious… but hearing ‘President Fukagawa’ just sounds kind of funny.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it? President Fukagawa,” Airi replied.

“Then that means Nodoka-san is really the president’s wife now!”

“And that would make me the president’s mistress.”

“Then I guess that makes me the president’s maid…”

Hearing their exchange, Ayano stared wide-eyed.

…To her, I probably looked like a really bizarre guy right about now.

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After leaving the rooftop, I looked around.

Most of the attractions were the usual things you’d see at a school festival, though a few stood out—like a life-sized human chess game.

Checking the time, I realized it was almost time to part ways with everyone and head to the gymnasium.

“I’ve got to head to the gym now.”

“Oh, it’s for your live performance, Ren-sama?”

“Yeah. I’ll make sure to show off everything Kokoa-sensei taught me.”

“Oh! That’s the spirit! Don’t disgrace my name!”

“Of course not.”

Naturally, I couldn’t reveal that Kokoa-san was actually my singing teacher.

After joking around a bit longer, I headed to the gym.

Takagi, who had arrived before me, spotted me immediately.

“Yo, there you are. Have fun on your date?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Tch… You say that like it’s nothing! That’s so irritating!”

The boy handling electric guitar behind Takagi clicked his tongue in obvious annoyance.

Just then, the club president approached with a small smile.

“Let’s have a blast today!”

“Yes. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

“Same here!”

She was already wearing the black mini dress that served as our stage costume.

I casually let my gaze drift toward the hem of her skirt.

From what I could see, there wasn’t any sign of spats peeking out underneath.

Still, if they were short enough, they might simply be hidden by the skirt, so I couldn’t be certain whether she was wearing any.

I quietly whispered into Takagi’s ear.

“Hey, ask the club president if she’s wearing spats.”

“Huh? Me?”

“So what, you expect me to ask? You’re closer to her than I am. You do it.”

“Hmm… Alright.”

The very next moment, however, Takagi crouched down directly in front of the club president’s skirt.

“President, are you wearing spats?”

…If he was going to ask that bluntly, why had he hesitated in the first place?