The play’s lead was a girl That meant only the girls were at risk here
Taking part in a play was not a big deal Students at this school would have to do that at some point no matter what year they were in And if it came to that they would obediently help with the props or spotlight They had enough courage to play the mother or police officer if they had to But they could not help but hesitate when it came to the lead
That meant memorizing more lines but something else was worse
The costume
Don’t we have someone who would look good in this
Sakae pulled out what he had been given
It was the play’s costume clothing and some props such as the cast for after the accident
This was why the lead was restricted to being a girl and not just a child
Since the same traffic safety play was done every year the costume was already decided
It was a dress with a large ribbon and a brand-new red child’s backpack That kind of lolita design was not something a girl Mutsuki’s age could wear This one felt like a punishment especially when compared to the 4 doing the props and spotlight Hmm A play sounds like fun but a kid’s backpack
Even ever-cheerful Saya looked unsure
You don’t need to worry about it Kurikara I’m not gonna ask you
Well these clothes are for an elementary school girl
So it’s way too small for-ow ow ow Don’t pinch Don’t pinch
Sakae fled as she pulled on the inside of his upper arm (a human weak point)
That’s not what I meant An elementary school size wouldn’t work with someone as tall as you
Oh I get it now Sorry sorry
God what a violent girl Whoever said someone with a round face has a round heart had no idea what they were-ow ow ow
Saya was really mad now so Sakae fled with her in pursuit
Mutsuki stared at the costumes and backpack left on his desk
(Yeah wearing this at our age would be a bit much)
He could not help but think that even though he was not at risk as a boy
There were two costumes the kindergarten version and the entrance ceremony version They were both meant for kids
The entrance ceremony one was not too bad It was a dress with finely folded frills adorning the neck sleeves and skirt With just the one ribbon it was not too fancy but it did have an elegant gothic lolita design However the kindergarten outfit was precisely that a kindergarten uniform It was a beige-ish yellow smock with short sleeves and a long skirt
It would be asking a lot for a girl their age to wear one even as a joke
And as Sakae had pointed out it was a small size so not just any girl would do
And just as he wondered who could wear it
Hey hey Mutsuki
Lucia poked at his back from the seat behind him
This is my first cultural festival but is putting on this play all we do
No There’s plenty more This just means we only need 5 people for the play our entire year is doing
The entire school took part in the cultural festival so how they participated differed between years
The elementary and middle school sections generally enjoyed the festival while the high school section ran the festival The younger you were the less work you had to do and the more you could walk around and have fun The older you were the more you had to run refreshment stands and stage productions Of course the clubs and individuals also had their own booths Then it doesn’t sound like there’s much we can do together
Lucia sounded disappointed but he leaned forward and rested his chin on
Mutsuki’s shoulder He seemed to want to do something in his first cultural festival but he also did not seem interested if it was not with Mutsuki
That was when their homeroom teacher checked the clock
Tomono it’s about time
And she instructed the class rep to get going
Sakae returned to the lectern so Saya who had been lightly pummeling him and everyone else returned to their seats
Okay I’ll gather everyone’s opinions Any volunteers to play the lead
He raised his hand Unsurprisingly no one else did
Okay that’s 0 volunteers Any recommendations
He continued just as everyone had expected
Personally I think we do have someone who’s perfect for this role
He scratched his chin like he had trouble saying it
He had seemed so worried before so Mutsuki tilted his head If they had someone
perfect for the role wasn’t it the class rep’s duty to ask them to do it
As he thought that Sakae suddenly looked his way
No not at Mutsuki but diagonally behind him
Everyone in the classroom naturally looked in the same direction Including
Mutsuki Lucia and Machina
The only one who did not was the person who had stared blankly out the window instead of taking part in the homeroom discussion
Eh What
When she noticed everyone focused on her she followed their gazes diagonally behind her but only found a window
After about 3 seconds she realized they were looking at her
Huh
She kicked her chair back and stood up
Me Y-you want me to play the lead
Sakae nodded Half the classmates looked like they had expected this and the other half looked like they thought it was a good idea
Jiyuuni would look good on the stage
Ange is cute
And more importantly I want to see Ange wearing a kiddie backpack
Ignoring Saya’s final comment they all praised the idea
She was so small that the costume size would not be an issue She might always look sullen but she had the perfect beauty for playing the lead role
Wha- Wait
Ange was simply confused
Since she naturally disliked humans and was far from sociable only Mutsuki and people like Saya would talk to her so she had never expected to be singled out here
Ah ha ha ha Go for it go for it It’s the perfect part for you
Lucia was immediately on board when he saw Ange looking so troubled
Katsue-sensei said nothing as a teacher but she secretly grinned at seeing her enemy in a situation like this The classroom’s consensus seemed to be settling on this answer
Sensing that Ange shouted angrily
Don’t even try with this nonsense Why should I have to do that
Ehh But I want to see you in a kiddie backpack
So do I
Being friends could be a problem at times like this so while the rest of the class withered in front of the angry girl Saya doubled down As did Lucia who just wanted to cause trouble for the angel I-I said
She was too strong-willed to just go with the flow but when the entire class was looking her way she had trouble looking them in the face and saying no
Her eyes wandered in search of escape but she found no one not even Mutsuki to take her side
Her eyes finally stopped on the seat in front of her
I-Ibekusa should do it
I bet she would be good at memorizing lines Ibekusa you do it
She tried to rope someone else into it
Machina looked taken aback at being dragged in as a scapegoat
But that selection surprised everyone else as well
Ibekusa
Ibekusa
Wow that would work too Machi-nyan in a kiddie backpack I so wanna see
that
Saya’s excitement spread through the classroom and everyone started thinking they wanted to see it too
Machina kept to herself so much that most of the class had never heard her speak
but since spring everyone had learned how good looking she was
That cute girl tended to blend into the background so what would happen if she stood on the stage Of course everyone wanted to see that
Machina seemed hesitant but she also seemed to sense what everyone wanted
She briefly looked Mutsuki in the eye While he did not say it out loud the look on his face clearly said he wanted to see it too
If no one else is suitable I can do it
She stood up just like Ange had
See That settles it Ibekusa will do it
Ange immediately sat back down
Now everyone in the class was looking Machina’s way
Mutsuki wondered if he should help her get out of this but he could not tell if the expressionless girl was opposed to this idea She did not seem intent on refusing so would this settle it