Chapter 121
Afterparty
The second day of the school festival .
When I arrived at school Fujimoto called out to me .
“What are you going to do after school today?”
“What is this about?”
“They’re inviting voluntary girls and boys to a dance on the school grounds later . ”
Aah . That’s right, after cleanup is done with, that is supposed to happen . I didn’t talk to anyone about it, so I completely forgot .
Dance…
If it was with Hiiragi-chan… No, that’s not possible . I thought about it for a second, but there were too many people .
During the school festival season, inviting a person of the opposite gender with the line of, “Would you please dance with me,” was equivalent to a confession . That’s why, dancing boldly as a male and female pair caused them to be recognized as couples or becoming couples . In other words, it was more and more of an impossibility .
“Uhhh… I’ll probably leave once cleanup is done . ”
“Hmm~ . Is that so? Well, I guess nothing good comes out of staying anyways, let’s go home . ”
Fujimoto was satisfied with my answer as he patted me on the shoulder .
Once the homeroom teacher takes attendance, we’ll be free to do what we want . Those doing cafes or those running stores made their preparations, while there were also couples that just hung out .
For today, I didn’t have a shift at the café, so I had a lot of free time . Preparations have been in progress since yesterday as well .
Once I arrived at the home economics room, the other three people were already there . In order to meet the 11:00 opening time, I should start preparing the rice .
Both Hiiragi-chan and Kanata seemed to have finished making the curry yesterday and let it rest until today . They were just in the middle of warming it up and doing final checks .
“N-Nii-san… today, once you’re done with the store, what are you doing?”
“What am I doing… Well, I’ll go around eating what I didn’t get to eat yesterday… Since there are like band or theatre performances running the gym, I’ll probably check some of those out as well . ”
“Hmmm? Sana also has ones she wants to see, so we can watch it together just for you . ”
“Isn’t it fine if we go around separately?”
“Ah, is that so! Fine, go watch alone!”
What is she getting mad over?
Sana frowned as she fumed from her nose .
Hiiragi-chan was laughing .
“Ii-san, do you have any plans? The school festival goes until 4:00, right?”
“… I don’t have any . ”
“That’s a relief . Then, why don’t we go around the stores together . ”
“S-sensei as well…?”
“Is it not alright for me to come along?”
“It’s… fine…”
Sana made a complicated expression while frowning .
“Fufufu . Thank you, Sanchan . ”
“I-it’s not something… you need to be grateful for…”
It didn’t seem like Natsumi-chan was coming today, and so the four of us from the home economics club were going to enjoy the festival together .
Sponsored Content
Once plates, spoons, and other utensils were prepared, all that was left was carrying it to the home economics club space .
“Let’s work hard today as well! Let’s goooo ♪”
Hiiragi-chan happily cheered alone .
“““…”””
We only looked at her with a serious face .
“Why are you guys not doing it!? Let’s cheer together!”
Our expressions seemed to make her feel embarrassed .
“Sensei, if you don’t say it beforehand, we can’t go along with it . ”
“Eh? Ah, I see . S-sorry . I was too excited . Ummm, once again…”
Hiiragi-chan’s face was red as she coughed and once again spoke .
“Let’s work hard today as well!”
“““Let’s goooo!”””
The second day started just like that .
The store wasn’t open until 11:00 . However, even before the opening time, starving high school students had already quickly formed a line . Since we were able to complete our preparations quickly, we decided to open shop, and the curry vanished almost instantly . There were returning customers from yesterday, people who heard about it from friends, and even people who decided to try it out after seeing the line .
“The Sanada family curry has no blind spots!”
“You’re being noisy!”
Her curry was more popular than yesterday, and so Sana was much more excited .
It was the same flavoring as yesterday, but it was selling the same as Hiiragi-chan’s and Kanata’s… As expected, is it the price and what was written on the board?
[Mildly Sweet Curry by 1E Sanada Sana — 500 yen]
“I guess it’s nice that you don’t have to experience that miserable state from yesterday?”
“It has to be because of what Nii-san wrote yesterday . ”
I think it also has to do with the price you set yesterday though .
“I just thought that there were people who were bad with spiciness but still wanted to eat curry . ”
“It’s Sanadkun’s victory for grasping that perspective . For people who don’t like spicy food, a curry that they’ve never eaten before might be worried . ”
“… Good job, Onii-chan”
Being called Onii-chan by Kanata somehow feels a bit weird .
Starting from the left, it’s spicy, medium, and mild… I think being able to differentiate like that is a good thing .
Without even 2 hours passing after the store opened, we were completely sold out . The store closed quite early .
“Huge victory!”
Sana’s eyes were sparkling with happiness .
“Next time, Sana will make it for you at home . ”
“Okay, okay . Just how much confidence do you have?”
We put on a sign that said, [Thank you for coming, but we’re sold out], and immediately began withdrawing to the home economics room .
“Cleanup starts at 4:00 and ends at 5:00 . Let’s wash the dishes at that time . ”
In a teacher-like way, Hiiragi-chan made her announcement .
Sponsored Content
It’s not even 1:00 yet, and so we have quite a bit of free time . Just as planned, we decided to go around the school grounds and visit the stalls .
“…”
With a ghost-like expression and restless motions, Fujimoto looked this way, as if he wanted some friends . As such, we let him into our party .
“Chan-Sana, what do you want to eat now? Your Paisen will treat you to something!” [1]
“Umm… it’s okay… I have some allowance, so it’s fine…”
After turning energetic, Fujimoto failed in baiting Sana . She was already wary of him, and ended up hiding behind me like I was her shield .
“Nii-san, who is that person?”
“The person who sits next to me . ”
“Heeey, at least call me a friend, a close friend!”
“He seems to take pride as if saying, “We’re normally really close,” Nii-san . Besides, he’s acting overly familiar with you . ”
The excited Fujimoto seemed to be very unpopular with the home economics club .
“Ah, Senpaaai . ”
Rei-chan came running over while weaving her way through the crowd .
“I came!”
“Welcome!”
“Are you guys getting lunch soon? Can I join?”
“Yeah . That’s okay . ”
In this way, the child time-leaper was also added into our merry band of friends .
We excitedly made our way around the stalls . We split takoyaki among all of us and visited the exhibits being displayed by classes within the school . Yesterday was quite busy, but today was enjoyable .
“Senpaaaai . I want to eat shaved ice!”
“How about you let Onii-chan buy it for you?”
When Fujimoto forced himself in, Rei-chan furrowed her eyebrows .
“No, but when someone younger than me tells me to call them Onii-chan… A second-year high school is way too much of a kid, it rather makes me not want to be treated to something . ”
Rei-chan, that was quite sharp . And so, once again, Fujimoto failed in baiting someone .
“S-Sanada… Sanada… I was called a kid… by a fourth-grader…”
“Umm, well, Rei-chan acts like she’s significantly older than she really is . ”
“For me, a calm and able man like Senpai is perfect . ”
Rei-chan hugged my waist with quite a bit of force .
“We’re both the same age… why does everybody think Sanada is different…?”
“Don’t mind it, Fujimoto . ”
“Umm, you know—”
Sana walked closer .
“I’ve thought this for a whiiiiilllleee now, but stop clinging to Nii-san!”
“Isn’t it fine? I haven’t seen him in a while . You’re always with him as his little sister . Can’t you rent Senpai out for a little bit?”
Sponsored Content
“Use more polite language towards someone who’s older than you, elementary schooler . ”
“If that’s the case, I’ll return those words right back!”
“Stop calling him Senpai as well!”
“This has nothing to do with how I call Senpai, right?”
Muuuuuu, the two people started glaring at each other . Hiiragi-chan was looking at them with a smile . It reminded me of the phrase, fights can only happen between people of the same level .
“Their mental level is really on a different level from us . ”
Our party moved to the gym, where we watched various performances of theatre and the band . During all of that, time passed and it quickly became 4:00 .
“Senpai, I’ll come again!”
“Be careful on the way home, okay?”
“Yeah!”
While waving, Rei-chan left on a small kid bike .
“That kid comes to our house sometimes . She’s a stalker, a complete stalker . ”
Breathing hard through her nose, Sana was in quite a bad mood .
The announcer from the school declared that the school festival was over, and so it now became cleanup time . After that is over, we return to classrooms and have homeroom .
“Sanada… Thank you… for considering me as one of your comrades…”
Fujimoto said something that a warrior might say as their last words . It seems he was purified from being able to interact with some girls today .
“Girls are… precious…”
“White Fujimoto…”
Once homeroom ended, White Fujimoto left to go home before the dance party started .
“Now then, where is Hiiragi-chan?”
I did send her a text, but there wasn’t a response . It’s probably because she normally leaves it on her desk in the staff room while she’s at school . She’s quite serious in weird places .
The infirmary, the home economics room, I slowly went around the different rooms one by one . She wasn’t in any of them .
A text came from Sana, but it probably isn’t a big deal .
When I arrived at the world history materials room, my beloved girlfriend was looking out the window .
“I found you . ”
“You found me . ”
She smiled cutely .
Outside was slightly dark, only dimly lit by some of the lights that weren’t taken down yet .
“What are you looking at?”
“Just at the students that went out into the school grounds . I just thought that they were really enjoying their youths . ”
“It seems that you were being considerate of Sana today . Thank you . ”
When I said that, Hiiragi-chan tilted her head with a blank face .
“Didn’t you say that we would all go around together in our free time?”
“Aaaah . That’s what you mean . I just wanted to get closer to her . ”
Now that I think about it, Hiiragi-chan reacted positively to everything Sana said she wanted to do . That was even the case when we went around the stalls .
“Also… it somehow feels like I’m being selfish and keeping all of your youth to myself . ”
“I don’t mind that at all . ”
It’s the second time after all .
“That’s nice if that were the case . I sometimes think that if I were a high school student as well, then I wouldn’t have to worry about any of this . ”
Outside, the festival committee members were using a loudspeaker to give directions before the dance . In a slightly bad quality, the sound of music came flowing out of some speakers .
“Everyone looks like they’re having fun . ”
“Haruksan, would you like to dance together…? Will you dance with me…?”
Inviting someone like this, is kind of embarrassing…
“Eh? Right here? Isn’t it a little cramped?”
“I-it’s fine . It’s only us here after all . ”
“Ahahaha . Okay . Let’s do it… Do you know how?”
“Just a little . ”
“Then, I’ll leave you to lead . ”
Hiiragi-chan came to my side and held my hand . We took a step .
“Seiji-kun, you’re quite good . ”
“That’s a relief…”
I was drawn in by the feel of Hiiragi-chan’s soft hands and the smell of her hair, until my hip hit the corner of a desk .
“Ow . ”
“That’s why I said it was cramped… Fu, fufu… Ahaha… . ”
“You don’t need to laugh that much . ”
While apologizing, Hiiragi-chan wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes .
“Thanks for inviting me, I was really happy . ”
“You’re welcome . ”
She let go of one of my hands, and spun around on the spot .
“Over here, you insert in a kiss . ”
“Was it really like that?”
“Why don’t we do that?”
Due to Hiiragi-chan inserting in her own arrangements, we ended up kissing each other almost one time every minute .
“Fufufufu, this is weird… Ahahaha . ”
“Don’t say that as the person who changed it herself . ”
Being influenced by Hiiragi-chan, I also laughed .
In this way, my second time having my second year school festival, was a little bit busy, but a fulfilling two days .
TN:
This may be obvious, but in this case both the phrases Sanchan and Senpai were reversed . Paisen is often used in a humorous and friendly way, so I believe that reversing Sanchan is probably meant in the same way as well .