Chapter 6: “The School Festival: A Series of Mishaps?”

The early summer school festival, one of the three major events at Prefectural Natsuhama Central High School.

And finally, today—the day of the festival has arrived.

The extroverts might be buzzing with excitement since morning, caught up in the festive mood… but as for me, a loner otaku, I can barely choke down breakfast.

“…Sis, sorry. Can you eat the rest of my breakfast?”

“Huh, really? Lucky me!”

Handing over my entire breakfast to my sister, I head back to my room to change into my uniform.

It’s finally here… the school festival.

I’ve been practicing the role of Snow White for two weeks, and I’ve gotten somewhat used to it.

As for the lines, I’ve memorized them perfectly, so that’s not an issue…

“S-Simple as it is… I’m getting nervous.”

Even I can’t hide the tension creeping up on me.

For a loner otaku like me, who’s spent my entire life avoiding situations that make me nervous, performing in front of people is some serious pressure.

It’s a bit late for this, but was it really better to take on Snow White and risk public humiliation rather than refusing and getting ostracized by the class? Maybe being shunned would’ve been easier.

“But, no point regretting it now, right? Just get through the two performances and go home.”

Besides, the audience isn’t here for a cross-dressing guy like me. They’re coming for the ultra-busty Miyama, or Kuroki and Yuria in their male costumes.

So, I’m just the comic relief, ready to embarrass myself for a lifetime. No need to get nervous.

“Haah… I’m heading out.”

I grab my bag and leave the house after getting ready.

“Wait, huh?”

As I step out of the front door, I spot Kuroki and Yuria standing by the gate.

It seems the two of them are chatting while waiting for me.

Hold up. The play hasn’t even started yet, and I’m already getting a morning escort from two princes?

“…M-Morning, you two.”

“Morning, Ryouta-kun!”

“Yo, Ryouta. You’re a bit late today.”

Kuroki’s in an unusually good mood this morning, while Yuria’s as aloof as ever.

“I-It took me a while to get ready.”

“Ready? It’s the festival. You don’t need to pack textbooks or anything.”

“Now, now, Yuria? Ryouta-kun’s a boy, so he’s probably got his own stuff to deal with.”

Kuroki flashes a bright smile, covering for me.

The way she says it makes it sound like she thinks I was up to something shady this morning… but I’ll just ignore that.

“Just you two? Where’s Miyama?”

“Airi overslept. She’ll probably show up later.”

Oversleeping on a day like the school festival… that’s so Miyama.

“Hey, Ryouta-kun? Notice anything different about me today?”

“D-Different…?”

As I stare at Kuroki, she tucks a strand of her dangling hair behind her ear, giving me a seductive smile.

Her perfectly beautiful features are as stunning as always, and her straight black hair looks the same as usual…

“Look here. My lipstick.”

“Lipstick?”

Kuroki points to her lips as she speaks.

Oh, now that she mentions it… it does look a little red.

“Since I’ve got a kiss scene with you today, Ryouta-kun, I wore my favorite lipstick.”

“”What!?””

Yuria and I shout in unison, shocked.

“W-Wait, what are you saying—”

“Hold on, Rui! Are you seriously planning to actually kiss Ryouta!?”

“Hehe… just kidding, just kidding. The kiss scene will be staged like in rehearsals, only made to look like a kiss. I wore my favorite lipstick just to get in the mood. Geez, Yuria, you’re way too flustered.”

“R-Right, yeah.”

Kuroki smirks, teasing Yuria with a half-smile.

“Really, Rui. Sometimes you say stuff that’s so hard to tell if it’s true or not, I actually believed you. Also, Ryouta, weren’t you looking just a little excited there?”

“N-No way!”

“Hehe… what if Ryouta-kun actually wanted me to steal his first kiss?”

“As if! Forget that, let’s just head to school already.”

“Okaay!”

At my urging, we finally start walking toward school.

First kiss, huh…

If you count indirect kisses, Miyama was technically my first…

But there’s no way I’d say that out loud, so I keep my mouth shut.

“Man, I’m actually kinda pumped for the play. Your Snow White during rehearsals was pretty cute, Ryouta.”

“Right? Ryouta-kun, let’s take a two-shot once you’re in costume, okay?”

“No way in hell.”

Even as we walk to school, the real performance is steadily approaching.

☆☆

When we arrive at school, a colorful archway with “School Festival” written on it stands at the gate, and students are bustling through the hallways, preparing for the event.

It’s really starting to feel like the festival…

My class in first year ran a chocolate banana stall, but of course, as a loner otaku, I barely participated.

For loner otakus, the school festival usually means pretending to watch the plays in the gym while napping on a folding chair or hiding in an air-conditioned empty classroom to read.

That’s exactly how I spent last year’s festival, so I never could’ve imagined I’d be entrusted with such a major role this time.

And to top it off, I’m doing it alongside beautiful girls I never thought I’d have anything to do with…

“Everyone looks so busy. It really feels like a festival, huh?”

“Yeah, it does.”

“What did you do at last year’s festival, Ryouta-kun? Were you maybe hanging out with Tanaka-san?”

“Why the hell would Tanaka come up?”

“Come on, just tell me.”

Ugh… Kuroki’s being persistent, so I guess I’ll answer honestly.

“Nothing happened with Tanaka. My class was selling chocolate bananas, but I was such a loner that I didn’t even get put on the stall’s shift schedule. So, I just read light novels in an empty classroom.”

“What’s that? That’s like the ultimate loner otaku festival experience.”

Yeah, I’m a legit loner, okay?

“Hehe, that’s so you, Ryouta-kun.”

“Kuroki, you’re totally mocking me.”

“I’m not! Oh, and since you shared that embarrassing story, I’ll treat you to a little anecdote as a thank-you.”

“An anecdote?”

“So, at last year’s festival, Yuria wore a maid outfit, but her thighs were so thick that her panties—”

“Hey, Rui! Don’t you dare!”

Yuria frantically clamps her hand over Kuroki’s mouth.

Wait, what!? What about Yuria’s panties!?

Did they show or not!?

Spill it already, Kuroki!

☆☆

At this school’s festival, each class’s activities are broadly divided into three categories: plays, exhibitions, and stalls.

Exhibitions and stalls are typically held in the classrooms, while plays are performed in the gymnasium.

Including our class, five classes are putting on plays this year, and along with the drama club, these six groups will each perform once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

By the way, each performance is limited to 30 minutes. It feels surprisingly long when you’re acting.

“Wonder if our class has started preparing?”

“Probably. Our play’s the second one in the lineup, so we should hurry.”

Urged by Yuria, we quicken our pace and arrive at the classroom, where preparations for the play are already underway.

The culture club group in charge of costumes is doing final checks, the sports club members handling props are carrying sets to the gym, and the event committee’s Hino, along with the script and direction team of otaku girls, are discussing lighting equipment.

Seeing my usually goofy classmates unite and work so seriously puts a ton of pressure on me as the lead.

Oh man… I’m getting nervous all over again…

“Yo, you three!”

Suddenly, a voice calls out from behind—it’s Miyama.

“Airi, you’re late! It’s the big day, you know?”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Miyama apologizes, smoothing down her slightly messy bedhead.

Oversleeping even on the day of the festival… that’s Miyama for you.

“Anyway, Ryouta, Ryouta! The costume team we passed by earlier said they want you as Snow White and me as a dwarf to walk around the halls for promotion!”

“P-Promotion? Why don’t you, Kuroki, and Ichinose do it instead?”

“Hmm, apparently the prince costumes are expensive rentals, so they don’t want to use them outside the stage.”

“Huh? So Snow White and dwarf costumes are fine?”

“Yup! Our costumes are just cheap cosplay outfits from Don Quijote!”

[T/N: Don Quijote is a Japanese discount store chain. They provide a wide range of cheap products like groceries and clothing.]

Yeah, that’s the harsh reality of our class.

Since Kuroki and Yuria have hardcore fans in the class—guys and girls alike—most of the festival budget somehow went to their costumes.

Meanwhile, Snow White’s costume? Straight from Don Quijote…

“Alright, Ryouta, Airi—let’s go get changed!”

Dragged by Miyama, we reach the costume team, who’ve already moved to the gym, and they tell us to change in the restroom.

Changing into a cross-dressing outfit in the gym’s boys’ restroom—an act that already reeks of trouble just reading it—gives me a pinch of excitement, but I finish getting ready.

My leg hair was taken care of earlier by Yuria with depilatory cream, so that’s fine… but still, haah.

I look at my cross-dressed self in the mirror.

A cheap Snow White costume from Don Quijote.

The outfit is an A-line dress with a blue upper bodice, a round neckline, and a yellow skirt—classic Snow White. They also told me to wear a black wig and a red headband.

As a loner otaku who avoids the sun, my skin’s pale year-round, and I’m naturally slim, so I guess I could pass for a girl… kinda?

“…This is straight-up impossible.”

“Hey, Ryouta! I got the sign, so let’s go!”

Miyama’s voice echoes through the boys’ restroom.

If anyone else was in a stall, they’d probably jump at her voice alone.

Called out, I step out of the restroom and see Miyama in her dwarf cosplay.

She’s wearing a red hood and a fluffy white beard around her mouth.

With her mascot-like charm, she’s honestly pretty cute… but.

As my gaze moves downward, “cute” doesn’t cut it anymore.

The top button of her red jacket is barely holding on because of her massive bust, and her thick thighs make her short pants look skin-tight.

Those huge breasts and thighs…

This… this is way too voluptuous to call a dwarf. It’s so erotic it’d probably need an R17 rating to avoid complaints.

“I got the biggest size for this costume, but my chest is still so tight… It’s because my boobs are too big, right? They’re always causing trouble.”

Miyama glares at her own chest, scolding it.

No—Miyama’s massive bust isn’t at fault.

Miyama’s massive bust gives everyone “energy” (with a suggestive undertone), already a national treasure-class pair of huge assets.

All of Japan should worship and praise these glorious assets.

“Miyama… you’re perfect as is. No, get even bigger.”

“Huh? What’re you talking about?”

“Hey, hold up, you two! You forgot something!”

A girl from the props team jogs over and hands us two cardboard signs.

“Alright, walk around the school with these and promote the play!”

The cardboard signs have a messy scrawl: “Class 2-B’s Play [Gender-Swapped Snow White] at 10 AM in the Gym!”

“Let’s do this! Airi and Ryouta’s promotion will bring in tons of people!”

“Y-Yeah…”

With someone this erotic in the play, perverts are gonna show up in droves…

☆☆

After making the rounds through the school to promote the play, Miyama and I return to the gymnasium.

Inside, students are already busy with their respective tasks.

“We promoted it a ton, but I wonder if people will actually show up?”

Miyama stops at the gym entrance, letting out a sigh.

No matter how you look at it, the guys will definitely show up… to ogle Miyama’s massive bust.

Plus, Yuria’s fans will come in the morning, and Kuroki’s in the afternoon, so it’s bound to be a huge hit, no question.

And then there’s me, the creepy cross-dresser playing the fool… Seriously, what even is a main character?

“Ryouta, are you nervous or something?”

“N-Nervous?”

“Yeah. I mean, Airi and the rest are about to perform on stage soon, right?”

“Y-Yeah… I’m a little nervous, but it’s not like anyone’s watching me anyway, so… it’s not that bad. Haha.”

I say, laughing at myself.

But instead of laughing along, Miyama looks at me with an oddly serious expression.

“Airi’s nervous, you know…”

“Huh? You, Miyama?”

“Look…”

Miyama gently takes my right hand and places it near her chest—w-what!?

My hand rests near her left collarbone, with the base of my thumb and pinky brushing against her soft, ample bust.

What… incredible softness!

If I move my hand even slightly lower, I might just give in to impulse and start groping her massive bust!

“Airi’s heart… it’s pounding, right?”

Y-Yeah, it is… but my lower half is the one throbbing and twitching like crazy.

No, wait! If I keep touching her like this, someone’s gonna get the wrong idea!

Finally sensing the danger, I quickly pull my hand away.

“Normally, Airi… doesn’t get nervous or anything.”

“R-Really?”

“But when I thought about not wanting to mess up in front of you, Ryouta… I started getting nervous.”

“M-Me?”

I’m caught off guard by suddenly being brought up.

“Why me? I wouldn’t get mad or tease you if you messed up, you know?”

“I know, but…”

Miyama hesitates, as if something’s stuck in her throat.

“…So, when I went to your house the other day, I kinda realized something.”

“Yo! You two over there! It’s almost time to gather!”

As we’re talking at the gym entrance, Hino, dressed in a queen’s costume, calls out from the stage.

“G-Got it! We’re coming! …So, what happened at my house?”

“N-Nothing! Never mind!”

“Huh? But—”

“Airi just felt, like, super determined not to lose to you after going to your house! That’s all!”

Miyama blurts it out rapid-fire, her dwarf costume bouncing as she hurries toward the stage.

I don’t quite get it… Is she saying she’s fired up to compete with me or something?

“Ryouta!”

“Hm?”

Just as I’m about to follow Miyama, a voice calls from behind, and I turn around to see…

“…! Y-Yuria!”

It’s Yuria, dressed in a prince’s costume—white jacket, red pants, and black boots.

She’s ditched her usual gyaru makeup for a handsome, masculine look.

Her white jacket, embroidered with gold, has a high collar with red and gold stripes and gold shoulder decorations, and a red sash draped diagonally across her chest screams “prince.”

To look more masculine, Yuria’s tied her long hair into a single bundle over her right shoulder, and her thick thighs are squeezed into tight red skinny pants to make them look slimmer.

Looking her up and down, her thighs are still a bit plump, but compared to my usual self, Yuria’s like a hundred times more handsome…

“So… how do I look? Pretty cool, right?”

“You’re a hundred times cooler than the usual me. Like, we’re on completely different levels as living beings. I’m totally defeated in every way.”

“Tch, that much? For real? Sweet!”

Yuria grins, clearly delighted.

“Oh, and, uh, you’re kinda cute too, you know? With the red ribbon and all.”

“Huh?”

I don’t need this awkward, lovey-dovey couple-style forced complimenting…

“So, Snow White… shall we head to the stage together?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Urged by Yuria, we walk side by side toward the stage.

It’s finally… showtime.

Hino, who’s already on stage, approaches us.

“Izumiya, you…”

“What? If I look creepy, just say it—”

“I dunno, you’re kinda cute?”

Hino says it shyly, eyeing my cross-dressed self up and down.

Somehow… I get the feeling I’m about to get wrecked.

☆☆

After gathering on stage for final preparations, the Class 2-B crew sits on folding chairs lined up against the gym wall, waiting for the previous class’s play to finish.

I sit down, fidgeting with the unfamiliar dress skirt, and watch the stage.

The gym goes dark for a moment.

Then—the stage lights and the beams from the gym’s second floor illuminate the performers.

The first play, by Class 1-A, begins. Their performance is Rashomon.

It’s… really starting.

Until our turn comes, I feel like I’m barely alive.

Watching someone else’s play from the sidelines only makes my nerves worse.

I thought I’d calmed down a bit, but…

When it’s someone else’s play, 30 minutes fly by in a flash.

As the previous play nears its end, the festival committee ushers our class toward the stage wings.

Yuria, the prince, and Miyama, the dwarf, seem oddly calm, but I’m a nervous wreck, double-checking my lines over and over.

“Haah… my confidence is just draining away.”

I bet Shinji felt like this before getting in the Eva.

Just like Shinji was forced into an Eva he didn’t want to pilot, stuffed into a tight suit, I’m stuck playing a lead role I didn’t want, wearing a costume I’d rather not.

I might as well be Shinji at this point.

“Hehe, Ryouta-kun, you’re super nervous, huh?”

Kuroki, who’s somehow appeared beside me, peers into my face as she asks.

Kuroki Rui… the root of all this chaos.

She’s as beautiful as Rei Ayanami on the outside, but inside, she’s totally Gendo.

“What’s up?”

“N-Nothing. Just… if I mess up during the play, don’t you dare tease me.”

“Do I look like the kind of person who’d relentlessly mock someone’s mistakes?”

“I mean… the real Kuroki’s pretty calculating and kinda mean.”

“Ugh, I’m not mean though? I’m just a perfectionist, that’s all.”

I know she’s a perfectionist, but sometimes that perfectionism makes her a little mean.

“Once the play starts, it’ll probably feel like it’s over in no time. Still nervous?”

“Obviously! What do you take me for?”

I’m a loner otaku, a forever-virgin on a predetermined path!

“Huh? I thought the Ryouta-kun I know was way braver than that.”

“Wha—? M-Me?”

“I mean, you can talk normally with me, Yuria, and Airi, right?”

When she puts it like that… maybe I do have some guts.

But that’s mostly because I accidentally learned their secrets… not that I can say that.

“Not feeling confident? How about this: if the first play goes well, during the second one in the afternoon… I’ll give you a real kiss. Sound good?”

“Huh…………?”

Kuroki… a real kiss?

“D-Don’t say stupid stuff! Even now, you’re teasing me, a loner virgin otaku—”

“Alright, Class 2-B, get ready!”

A girl from the festival committee calls out to us in a hushed voice.

“W-What, it’s time already? Hey, Kuroki—”

“Hehe, I was kidding! Just thought it might distract you a bit.”

“W-What the hell…”

In the end, Kuroki teased me right up until the play started.

But… just a tiny bit, thanks to her teasing, I do feel a little lighter.

“…H-Hey, thanks, Kuroki.”

“You’re welcome.”

When I thank her honestly, she surprisingly accepts it just as honestly.

Man, she always throws me off my game…

As the previous play ends and they clear the stage, I step up.

When I take the stage, the overhead lights and the second-floor spotlights brighten, and a girl’s narration echoes through the gym.

“Once upon a time—in a castle in a certain kingdom, there lived a beautiful princess with fair skin named Snow White—”

Three spotlights from the second floor all shine on me, the Snow White.

It’s less blinding and more… hot.

The audience in the seats looks at my cross-dressed self with a mix of confusion and curiosity, staring intently.

Their gazes are a blend of bewilderment and expectation.

Ugh, fine, stare all you want… I’ve endured this far, ready to make this my ultimate black history.

My acting’s terrible, my delivery’s stiff, and my voice isn’t loud.

But I… I’m gonna see this through.

I’ll finish this and take back my peaceful daily life!

As the audience’s chatter quiets, I start delivering my lines.

“L-Living in the castle is the same old routine every day… but I want to meet my prince on a white horse someday!”

Saying lines like this in front of people is some serious embarrassment play.

But once the play starts, like Kuroki said, I feel surprisingly clear-headed.

All the anxiety and restlessness I felt before stepping on stage vanish, and my lines just flow out naturally.

I guess you really don’t get nervous once it starts…

After finishing the opening scene where Snow White lives peacefully, I exit to the wings during a scene transition.

Next is the familiar scene where the queen, Snow White’s stepmother, asks the mirror, “Who is the fairest of them all?”

The queen is played by Hino, and since Snow White isn’t in this scene, I get a moment to breathe.

Our class’s Snow White is divided into roughly six major scenes.

The early scenes: Snow White living peacefully and the queen questioning the mirror.

The middle scenes: the hunter, ordered by the queen to kill Snow White, lets her escape into the forest, and Snow White sneaks into the dwarfs’ house to live with them.

The climax in the final scenes: the queen visits the dwarfs’ house and feeds Snow White a poisoned apple, followed by the prince’s kiss to close the curtain.

So, four big scenes left.

Escape to the forest, meet the dwarfs, eat the apple and “die,” then just lie there like a NEET.

All I have to do is wait for the prince to kiss me, and it’s over.

After the queen’s scene, we move to the forest scene in the middle.

“The hunter, ordered by the queen to kill Snow White, brought her to the forest.”

With the narration signaling the scene change, we enter the part where the hunter lets Snow White escape.

I’m led onto the forest set by a sports club girl playing the hunter, who’s holding my hand.

“Oh, poor Snow White… I’ll tell the queen you’re dead, so please, escape into the forest.”

“Y-Yes…”

Once this scene where the hunter lets me escape is done, it’s time for “that guy” to show up…

Yep, there’s one person who, despite trying hard during rehearsals, was as bad at acting as me.

The seven dwarfs (all girls) appear from the wings.

Among them, standing proudly in the center is the bright red dwarf, Miyama Airi.

She’s got the red dwarf hood and a white beard around her mouth.

Even in the actual performance, the top button of her red jacket is undone, revealing a glimpse of her massive bust’s cleavage.

Even though the roles are gender-swapped, everything’s been pretty wholesome up to this point…

But now it’s like a gravure idol suddenly popping up on an educational show—totally out of place.

“Oh my, oh my? That beautiful outfit and refined face… could it be Ry—er, I mean, Snow White!? What a stroke of luck! Since you’re here, why don’t you stay at Air—er, I mean, our dwarf house and take it easy?”

Miyama Airi, aka the ultra-busty girl, remembers her lines but tilts her head at every tricky phrase, nearly messing up names in the process.

Even in the actual performance, she’s a total mess!

As the scene shifts to Snow White living in the dwarf house, I, as Snow White, sit in a chair while the seven dwarfs pamper me to no end.

“Snow White, dinner’s ready. Here, say ‘ahh’!”

“Snow White? I’ll give your shoulders a nice massage!”

“Snow White, let’s clean your ears too!”

In the original story, Snow White was the one doing the housework, but for some reason, the dwarf house has turned into a harem run by seven female dwarfs.

This part of the script always felt off to me… Why the heck did it turn into a harem?

“Snow White was living a carefree, luxurious life in the dwarf house. But one day, something happened.”

Finally, we reach the scene where Snow White eats the poisoned apple. Hino, playing the queen, enters the dwarf house wearing a black hood and hands Snow White the poisoned apple.

Alright, time to eat the apple and take a nap.

At that moment—I catch a glimpse of Yuria waiting in the wings.

Unlike her usual cold stare, Yuria’s eyes are sharp and intense, fixed on me.

Those eyes, which once said she’d “take this seriously,” hold something different from her usual demeanor.

“Here, eat this.”

As Snow White, I take the poisoned apple from the queen, disguised as an old woman in black.

“This is a thank-you for helping me. Come on, young lady, try the apple.”

Here comes the climax.

Once I eat this, all I have to do is lie in bed.

“…!”

I mime eating the apple, then clutch my throat, stagger, and collapse onto the bed.

The bed, made of gym mats and cardboard, is sweaty… no, it’s downright foul. My nose is about to give up.

“Kuhihi! Snow White is deadddd! Now I’m the fairest in the laaaaaand! UUURYIIIIIIIIIII!”

Hino’s queen delivers a chillingly convincing performance before exiting the stage.

I close my eyes on the bed, my vision pitch-black, waiting for the prince’s kiss. Hurry up, Yuria!

“I let my horse guide me to this forest, but to think there’d be a house here.”

The moment I wish for Yuria to hurry, the sound of boots echoes across the stage.

Cheers erupt from the audience.

Does Yuria have that many female fans…?

Normally, Yuria’s a thick-thighed gyaru with a sharp personality, but she’s got a caring, big-sister vibe.

That must resonate with a lot of girls.

“A house full of oddly small furniture… Oh? A beautiful woman, right here…”

Yuria’s voice and footsteps grow closer as she leans over to look at my face.

“She’s not breathing? I need to perform CPR, fast!”

In my pitch-black vision, Yuria’s perfume hits me strongly, and I can tell she’s right in front of me.

Maybe I’ll open my eyes just a little… huh?

Yuria’s face is right there.

Maybe it’s the hot stage lights, but her forehead’s sweaty, and her glossy, near-tearful eyes are locked on me.

“Ryouta… sorry, keep your eyes closed.”

Noticing my slightly open eyes, Yuria whispers and slowly brings her face closer.

The audience erupts in cheers from Yuria’s fans.

It’s staged so the audience can’t tell if it’s a real kiss or not—a Schrödinger’s kiss, if you will.

“…!”

Yuria’s breath tickles the tip of my nose.

She’s… awfully close.

During rehearsals, we faked the kiss and moved on to the next line quickly, but…

“…I.”

“?”

“I thought I had plenty of guts. But when I saw your face, Ryouta… I realized I couldn’t do something this sneaky.”

S-Sneaky? Huh? What’s she talking about?

Unable to speak with my eyes closed, all I can do is listen to Yuria’s words.

I’m not sure what she means—maybe it’s just her talking to herself?

Then, suddenly—a soft sensation brushes my cheek.

It’s slightly moist, soft, and… no way!

“…!!”

The shock makes me bolt upright from the bed.

My cheek… that sensation just now.

No mistake… it was a kiss, right?

“Awake, my princess?”

Yuria flashes a casual smile, acting like nothing happened.

Still reeling from the kiss on my cheek, I’m completely thrown off.

Yuria’s lips… t-t-touched my cheek!?

The moment her lips made contact, I felt her body heat at zero distance, her ticklish breath, her smooth skin.

Even if it was just my cheek, for me, it’s as intense as a kiss on the lips. In the middle of the play, all I can think about is Yuria’s lips.

Her lips were so damn soft!

For a loner virgin otaku like me, even a cheek kiss is too much stimulation. My blood’s rushing from my whole body to my lower half, but thankfully, the skirt hides the bulge.

If I were the prince in tight skinny pants, the obvious bulge would’ve socially killed me… Close call.

“How do you feel?”

“Uh, ah!”

Crap, crap, my line’s next.

“P-Prince! Thank you. Your kiss woke me up.”

I keep acting, still dazed from the kiss.

Forget nerves—I can’t think about anything but Yuria’s lips.

“I swear to love you forever, grateful for this fateful meeting.”

With my final line, the morning performance comes to a close.

☆☆

With the morning play over, we have free time until the afternoon performance.

The cast changes back into uniforms and heads out to enjoy the festival.

Naturally, I change back into my uniform in the restroom.

Haah… I don’t want to embarrass myself anymore, but just one more performance to endure.

After changing, I step out of the gym restroom and find Kuroki and Miyama waiting outside.

“Welcome back, Ryouta-kun. Good work!”

“Ryouta, you were amazing!”

“Y-Yeah… thanks.”

To me, it’s just a black history moment, so I can’t exactly rejoice…

“Oh, Ryouta-kun, Tanaka-san said she really wants you to visit her maid café later.”

“Yeah, whatever. Where’s Ichinose?”

“Yuria’s behind the gym, doing a photo session with her fans. Airi wants to take pics with her too, but there are so many fans!”

“I see.”

Come to think of it, right after the play, Yuria was practically kidnapped by a group of girls and dragged off somewhere.

She still hasn’t come back…

“Ryouta, Ryouta! Since Yuria’s gonna take a while, let’s hit up Kanade-chan’s maid café first!”

“Uh… I need to drop off my Snow White costume, so can you guys go ahead? I’ll catch up soon.”

“Got it! Alright, Rui-chan, let’s go!”

“Okay. Hurry up and join us, Ryouta-kun!”

Kuroki and Miyama head into the school building together.

I drop off the costume at the designated spot and wait for Yuria by the side of the gym.

After a while, a group of girls—probably Yuria’s fans—comes from behind the gym and passes by me.

“Hey, isn’t that guy Snow White?”

“You’re right! Hey, can we take a picture?”

The group points at me and starts approaching.

Oh no… Seriously? I already humiliated myself in the play, and if they take pics and spread them on SNS, I’m done for.

“Hold up, that’s a no-go. Ryouta’s not cool with photos.”

Yuria, already in her uniform, steps between me and the girls.

She’s apparently changed, carrying the prince costume over her arm and holding the boots.

“My pics are totally fine for SNS, but Ryouta’s shy, so lay off, okay?”

“Y-Yes! Sorry!”

After Yuria’s warning, the understanding fans quickly leave.

“…Geez, Ryouta, you were totally eating it up.”

“How’d you get that from this?”

“I mean, you looked kinda smug, surrounded by girls.”

“Well, maybe… a little?”

“‘A little,’ my ass. God, this is so you.”

Yuria sighs, exasperated.

What’s that supposed to mean?

“But you were pretty good during the play. Your acting’s gotten smoother, and it was reassuring to watch. Thanks to that, I could go all out too.”

“…Really?”

“I was so nervous before going on stage. Everyone said my glare was intense before I went out.”

Yeah, Yuria’s eyes in the wings were sharp—almost fierce.

“And… about the kiss I gave you, Ryouta…”

“…!”

Yuria suddenly brings up the touchy subject.

“I-It’s, like, a reward? You were trying so hard but looked nervous, so I thought I’d tease you a bit?”

“That’s… what it was?”

“Yeah, yeah! So, it didn’t mean anything weird… but, like, weren’t you kinda happy I kissed you?”

T-That’s a tough question.

For a loner virgin otaku like me, it’s not about being happy or not…

“I mean, I’ve never been kissed before, so… I was just straight-up thrilled.”

“H-Huh? T-Thrilled!? What’re you saying!?”

“I’m just being honest—”

“Ugh, I’m never doing it again!”

I don’t know why, but I seem to have pissed Yuria off. But her ad-libbed kiss started this… Why’s she so mad?

“Hey, Yuria, everyone’s heading to Tanaka’s maid café. Wanna go?”

“M-Maid café? Maid café… huh.”

“What? You don’t like them?”

“It’s not that I hate them, but… I’ve got some bad memories with maid outfits.”

“Bad memories?”

“You know what Rui started to say when we were walking to school?”

Wait… the cosplay café incident everyone called a tragic event!?

“Tell me more!!”

“What’s with that reaction…… I-I don’t really wanna talk about it, but fine.”

Yuria sighs and starts explaining.

“So, last year at the cosplay café, I was supposed to wear a maid outfit. But the cosplay maid dress I bought online had a really short skirt… and my thighs are kinda thick, right?”

They’re not just kinda thick.

Yuria’s thighs are undeniably the thickest and sexiest in this school.

“I’d already bought it, and returning it was a hassle, so I wore it on the festival day. But my thighs were, like, way too prominent. The strict old lady teacher said it was too sexually provocative, so I was the only one banned from cosplaying and had to serve in plain gym clothes… It was the worst.”

“I see.”

Now it all makes sense…

So, Yuria’s thighs require an R rating, huh?

“By the way, could you wear that maid outfit again sometime?”

“You think I would?”

“Ah, nevermind. Please forgive me.”

Her glare is downright murderous, and I apologize immediately. Scary!

“Well… I get where you’re coming from, Ryouta. If you come over to my place sometime… I might wear it for you, just a little.”

“I’m coming.”

“Ugh, that instant reply is creepy.”

☆☆

And so, the afternoon performance arrived.

Once again, I’ve become Snow White…

Looking at my cross-dressed self in the restroom mirror for the second time today, I’m starting to get used to it, which only fuels my self-loathing.

Well, after this one last performance, I’ll never have to cross-dress again. Hang in there, me.

As I step out of the boys’ restroom, a pitch-black silhouette emerges from the girls’ restroom next door…!

“Oh? Aren’t you Snow White?”

A black knight, clad in jet-black court attire, steps forward, boots clacking.

A long sword hangs at their waist, and a black cape flutters as they turn toward me.

An almost too-perfect, refined face, small and delicate.

Their straight black hair is tied back in a single bundle, with the bangs swept up.

Thick brows and a piercing gaze that seems to see through everything make my spine shiver.

This… this is Kuroki Rui’s prince costume.

It’s a stark contrast to Yuria’s white prince outfit.

“Hehe, Ryouta-kun, you’re way too shocked.”

“I mean… your face and figure are just too perfect. Of course I’m shocked.”

Kuroki’s naturally slim waist and thighs make her look shockingly natural in male attire.

This is the perfect superhuman—Kuroki Rui.

“Come on, Ryouta-kun, let’s get going.”

“Y-Yeah.”

The gym’s theater stage has moved into the afternoon session, and the second Snow White performance is about to begin.

Since it’s the second time, I’m not as nervous as I was initially.

“Yo, Ryouta.”

As I’m taking deep breaths in the wings, Yuria calls out from behind.

“How’s it going? Nervous?”

“I-I’m fine. It’s the second time, after all.”

“Really? Cool, but… hey, look over there.”

“Hm?”

Following Yuria’s pointing finger, I see Miyama in the opposite wing, waving enthusiastically at us.

“Miyama’s so carefree…”

“Sure, but I bet even Airi’s nervous deep down.”

“You think?”

“Yeah. I mean, Airi always freaks out when she gets called on in class.”

I think that’s just because she doesn’t know the answers.

“Airi and Rui are both trying hard, so you’ve gotta give it your all for this last one, Ryouta.”

“…Y-Yeah.”

It’s fine. The first Snow White performance went perfectly—no flubbed lines.

I just need to do it the same way. Nothing to fear.

“Next up is Class 2-B’s gender-swapped Snow White.”

The announcer’s voice rings out, and I focus on the stage.

“Yuria… I’m heading out.”

“Yeah, break a leg.”

I step onto the stage and move to the center.

Maybe it’s the confidence from the first performance or getting used to cross-dressing, but my walk feels more natural.

“Once upon a time—in a castle in a certain kingdom, there lived a beautiful princess with fair skin named Snow White—”

Just like the first time, three spotlights from the second floor shine on me, Snow White.

The lights that bothered me so much before barely register now.

The audience is way bigger than in the morning.

The seats are packed, with some students even standing.

This must be the Kuroki Rui effect…

Using Yuria as the prince in the morning to spread word-of-mouth, then bringing out the school’s most popular girl, Kuroki Rui, in the afternoon.

That’s how they drew this crowd… I get why they wanted a double cast.

The pressure’s intense, but I feel oddly calm.

The success of the first performance has boosted my confidence.

Alright… I’ve got this.

“Living in the castle is the same old routine every day, but I want to meet my prince on a white horse someday.”

I’m probably delivering the line more calmly than the first time.

Feeling my growth, I finish the opening two scenes and move into the forest scene in the middle.

“The hunter, ordered by the queen to kill Snow White, brought her to the forest.”

“Oh, poor Snow White… I’ll tell the queen you’re dead, so please, escape into the forest.”

“Yes…”

Snow White wanders the forest, and next comes the scene where she encounters Miyama and the dwarfs.

I glance at the wings, and Miyama gives a small nod.

“Oh my, oh my? That beautiful—”

It was the moment Miyama and the other six dwarfs stepped onto the stage.

A pop sound rang out, followed by the clatter of plastic rolling across the stage.

It was probably too quiet for the audience to hear, but everyone on stage froze, instantly realizing what had happened.

“Uh… so—”

Yes—Miyama’s red dwarf jacket had lost its second-top button, which went flying.

What the hell, Miyama!?

We’d been worried her massive bust would overwhelm the costume, but to think it’d reach its limit now…

Her top button was already unfastened due to her size, and now, losing the second button left her chest so exposed that her cleavage was fully visible.

Normally hidden by her uniform, her pale, jiggly bust and a glimpse of her white, floral-patterned bra were now in plain sight up close.

Her cleavage even showed faint veins, making it outrageously, ridiculously, insanely erotic.

Thank god I’m in a skirt today. If I were in pants, I’d be socially dead.

Even Miyama’s face is beet red—matching her costume perfectly.

Normally, I’d welcome a lucky pervert moment, but… I actually feel bad for her.

This isn’t a busty dwarf anymore; it’s straight-up an exhibitionist.

Glancing at the audience, they’re clearly struggling to hide their shock.

I want to help her, but to keep the play going, there’s nothing I can do.

“T-That beautiful outfit and refined face—Snow White, right? What a stroke of luck! Since you’re here, stay at our dwarf house and take it easy!”

Miyama’s voice is completely flat from embarrassment, but her determination to keep acting gives off a mysterious professionalism.

As usual, Snow White enters the harem scene, but Miyama, mortified, covers her chest with her arms while massaging my shoulders.

“Ryouta… don’t stare at Airi’s boobs too much.”

Miyama whispers from behind as she massages my shoulders.

Sorry, no matter what you say, I’m looking. Yup.

Thanks to Miyama’s effort, the harem scene somehow pulls through.

“Snow White-sama, we’re off to work. Please look after the house.”

“Understood… Everyone, take care.”

My exchange with the dwarfs wraps up, and the scene shifts to the climax.

“Excuse me. I’ve got a slight injury. Could you help me?”

Hino’s queen enters the dwarf house.

As usual, the queen, played by Hino, hands me the poisoned apple.

Once I eat this… it’s just the final scene.

In the wings, Kuroki watches me with a faint smile.

I don’t know what’s going through her mind, but… all I can do is fall asleep.

I pretend to bite the apple, stagger, and lie on the bed, closing my eyes.

“Kuhihi! Snow White is deaddddd! My poisoned apple is the best in the worlddddd!”

Did her line change from the first performance?

As Hino’s queen exits, the sound of boots approaches.

Clack, clack, the footsteps draw near.

“””””WUOOOOOOH!!!””””

A heavy wave of cheers from the audience reaches the stage.

Even with my eyes closed, her presence is undeniable.

At long last, Kuroki Rui takes the stage.

“Hmph… I let my horse guide me to this forest, but to think there’d be a house here.”

Her acting, flawless even during rehearsals, shines through.

Kuroki is completely immersed in her role.

This is the acting of Kuroki, who always strives for perfection…

Even with my eyes closed, I’m overwhelmed.

Compared to my acting, it’s night and day…

The rest of the performance… I’ll be fine, right?

I can’t help but worry about keeping up with the prince-Snow White exchange.

I don’t have the confidence to match Kuroki Rui’s acting ability…

“Oh? A beautiful woman, right here.”

In my pitch-black vision, the clack of boots grows closer.

She’s… here.

My heartbeat quickens.

It’s less nervousness and more a burning impatience.

After the kiss, it’s my turn to act.

“What!? She’s not breathing! Quick, I need to perform CPR!”

I can sense Kuroki’s scent closing in.

A crisp, refreshing fruity fragrance.

I crack my eyes open just a bit.

Kuroki… is perfectly faking the kiss.

Her face is close, but her lips are clearly apart from mine.

The audience is screaming, but surely everyone realizes it’s just a fake kiss.

Yes, it’s just a pretend kiss.

Someone who always demands perfection like her wouldn’t break character for something like this.

That’s the kind of perfection she aims for.

Kuroki’s face pulls away.

At the same time, I sit up.

“…Awake, my princess?”

Kuroki… as expected, the perfectionist is fully in character.

If that’s the case, I have to match her perfection.

“P-Prince, thank you. Your kiss woke me—”

That’s when it happened.

As I’m delivering my line, the stage lights suddenly go dark.

“Huh…?”

Shocked by the unexpected blackout, I stop mid-line.

This definitely isn’t part of the staging.

Glancing at the wings, even in the darkness, I can tell the stage crew is scrambling in a panic.

Maybe the breaker tripped, or someone made a mistake… I don’t know the cause, but for now, it’s probably best to wait until the lights come back.

“Kuroki, let’s wait until the lights return.”

I whisper to Kuroki, who’s right in front of me, but she doesn’t respond.

Well, it’s Kuroki, so she’s probably calmly assessing the situation. No need to worry.

After waiting a bit, the stage lights gradually flicker back on, illuminating the stage once more.

The audience, which had been buzzing with confusion, quiets down as the light returns.

Looks like it’s fine now. Let’s reset and try again.

“P-Prince, thank you. Your kiss woke me up.”

“…………”

Hm? Kuroki…?

Normally, Kuroki would respond to my line with, “No thanks are necessary. I was simply drawn to your radiant beauty,” leading into the final engagement scene. But for some reason, she’s just standing there by the bed.

…No way, did she forget her line?

No, hold on. It’s Kuroki Rui we’re talking about. Forgetting a line? That’s… impossible.

Looking closely, I notice sweat trickling down her forehead.

Her resolute expression shows no trace of confusion, but to me, standing right here, she looks… troubled.

Still, because Kuroki Rui is always so perfect, I can’t tell if she forgot her line or if this is some kind of acting choice.

But… if Kuroki really did forget her next line, the only option is for me, standing here with her, to feed her the line.

The question is how to do it.

I could whisper it so only she hears, but the stage is so close to the audience that even a whisper might be overheard, and then it’d be obvious to everyone that “Kuroki forgot her line.”

That would risk hurting the perfectionist Kuroki Rui’s pride.

Then maybe I could ad-lib to cover and keep the scene going… No, that won’t work either.

If Kuroki’s panicking, an ad-lib might just make her more flustered.

First, I need to calm her down and get the story back on track with the script.

In that case, it’s all or nothing… I’ve got to take action.

In this situation, there’s only one way to pass her the line at the closest distance without the audience hearing.

Steeling myself, I slowly rise from the bed, reach for Kuroki’s shoulder, and push her down onto the bed.

Then, as if about to kiss her, I bring my face close while using my long wig like a curtain to shield our faces from the wings.

As expected, cheers erupt from both the audience and the wings.

Good. This way, neither the audience nor our classmates will know Kuroki forgot her line.

They’ll just think I improvised and pushed her down on a whim.

“Ryouta… kun?”

With our faces so close they’re almost touching, I look at Kuroki without a hint of embarrassment.

“Kuroki, listen. Your next line is, ‘No thanks are necessary. I was simply drawn to your radiant beauty.’ When you get up, just act with your usual confidence. For the sake of your perfection, got it?”

“My… yeah.”

Kuroki gives a soft smile and starts to get up on her own, so I step back and face her as she stands.

Now we can finally move into the last engagement scene.

For a moment, I wasn’t sure how it’d turn out, but we made it work.

“Hehe, to receive such a passionate kiss from the princess… I couldn’t be happier.”

…Huh? Wait, what’s that line!? We didn’t kiss!

Kuroki’s kiss comment, now back in her groove, sends the audience into a frenzy.

Hold on, hold on! The princess pushing down the prince didn’t happen in the morning performance, so this totally makes it seem like we actually kissed!

I glance at the wings and see Yuria and Miyama glaring at me with furrowed brows.

Oh man, I’m in for it after this.

“No thanks are necessary for saving you. I was simply drawn to your radiant beauty.”

But Kuroki’s fully recovered.

It’s as if her earlier flub was part of the act… Well, if it means no one thinks she forgot her line, I guess it doesn’t matter.

“I swear to love you forever, grateful for this fateful meeting.”

With that final line in the engagement scene, the play finally ends.

☆☆

No need to go into detail about what happened after the play ended.

The girls in my class teased me with, “Izumiya-kun, so bold!” while the guys hurled insults like, “Screw you!” and “Don’t get cocky!”… It was a mess.

Plus, Yuria told me, “After you change, you’re explaining everything in detail later.” Aaagh, terrifying.

But no one mentioned Kuroki forgetting her line. That means her perfection was preserved.

If all I got was some verbal abuse, that’s a small price to pay.

I return the Snow White costume to the class’s costume team and head toward the gym entrance where Yuria and the others are supposedly waiting.

“Hey, sorry to keep you guys—huh?”

Feeling awkward, I reach the gym entrance, only to find Kuroki waiting there alone.

Already back in her uniform, Kuroki gives a small smile and walks toward me.

“I told Yuria and Airi to wait on the rooftop. You and I will grab some food, and we’ll have a little wrap party up there.”

“What’s that about…? Guess we’d better hurry and buy something.”

As I start to walk, Kuroki gently grabs my hand to stop me.

“Ryouta-kun, let’s make a quick stop at the classroom to talk.”

☆☆

Since our Class 2-B is holding the play in the gym, our classroom is locked, but Kuroki, being the class president, has the key.

“W-Why do we need to talk in the classroom?”

“…………”

“Hey, Kuroki.”

Ignoring me, Kuroki unlocks the door and steps inside.

With no choice, I follow her into the classroom.

Kuroki sits at her desk, so I take my usual seat to her left.

“So, what’s this about?”

“You already know.”

“W-Well, I can kinda guess.”

“Hehe. Well, first… thanks for saving me, Ryouta-kun.”

Kuroki looks straight at me, her words filled with gratitude.

“So… you did forget your line?”

“Who knows?”

“Who knows!? D-Do you have any idea how much I panicked in that moment?”

“Hehe, but… really, thank you, Ryouta-kun.”

Her thanks are so sincere that I decide not to press further.

If it was intentional acting, she probably wouldn’t be this grateful.

“I keep getting saved by you, Ryouta-kun.”

“Keep? You mean like that time in second-year junior high at the graduation ceremony?”

“You knew? Oh, did Tanaka-san from the broadcast club tell you?”

“Something like that. You forgot the speech you were supposed to read as the student representative, right? But I collapsed from feeling sick, so the ceremony was interrupted, and someone brought you the script.”

“Yup, exactly.”

It was surprising to think that even the always-perfect Kuroki Rui made such a rare mistake, and even more shocking that I’d unconsciously helped her.

“I was student council president, but I was so swamped with club activities that I barely had time to review the speech. When I realized the script wasn’t in my uniform pocket, I was devastated. I thought all the perfection I’d built up would crumble in front of everyone… I’d never been so panicked.”

Even Kuroki gets flustered sometimes, huh?

“But thanks to you, I was saved. The perfect me exists today because of you, Ryouta-kun. If I’d failed and lost my confidence back then, I might not be who I am now.”

“…Kuroki.”

“So, thank you for that time too, Ryouta-kun.”

“…I-It’s! It’s not like I did it on purpose.”

Her gratitude and pure smile make me blush.

“There’s that tsundere side.”

“I’m not a tsundere!”

Kuroki giggles as I protest.

Geez, what part of me is tsundere?

“But that’s not the only time you saved me, you know.”

“Huh? I don’t recall anything else…”

“Right? Because the other time… was back in elementary school.”

“E-Elementary school? We went to different schools!”

“True, but… think back. Remember the ‘cat’ story I told you about?”

The cat story… Oh, yeah, Kuroki mentioned she used to have a cat… Wait.

“You mean the story about losing your cat at the multi-story parking lot near the station in the next town?”

“Yup. You were oddly unresponsive when I brought it up before, so I didn’t mention it, but… the boy who saved my cat was you, Ryouta-kun.”

“Huh… Wait, wha—me!?”

The boy from Kuroki’s cat rescue story was me!?

My brain can’t keep up, and I don’t have any memory of it.

Sure, I used to go to the next town a lot for my parents’ errands back in elementary school, but… did that happen?

“I don’t remember at all… but now that you mention it, maybe it rings a faint bell… or maybe not…”

“Hey, Ryouta-kun, didn’t you have a habit in elementary school of forgetting to take off your name tag after school when you went out to play?”

“Wha…! How’d you know that?”

Like Kuroki said, I had a bad habit in elementary school of forgetting to remove my chest name tag, often heading out to play with it still on.

I got scolded by my homeroom teacher and parents for it all the time.

But for her to know that…

“So, you’re saying the boy who saved the cat had my name on his name tag?”

“Yup. It was clearly written: ‘Izumiya Ryouta,’ in hiragana.”

The truth isn’t certain, but with all the circumstantial evidence, it seems I really was the one who helped.

To think she caught and memorized the name on the name tag in that split second… Kuroki’s memory is unreal.

“Back then, I was so panicked, practically crying because I’d let my cat escape. But you caught it, and I was saved…”

Kuroki recalls the memory fondly, giving me a gentle look.

“I never imagined that years later, in junior high, I’d be saved again by that same ‘Izumiya Ryouta.’”

To think a loner like me saved the great Kuroki Rui not once but twice… Even if I didn’t realize it, past me was pulling off some serious heroics.

That rescue led to now…

“Wait, something’s off. You knew my name before we even started junior high, right? Then why didn’t you talk to me until our second year of high school?”

“W-Well… there was always the chance it was someone with the same name, and back then, I was still a maiden at heart, not quite perfect in ‘that’ sense.”

That’s the most incomprehensible thing Kuroki Rui has ever said. What does ‘that’ even mean?

Well, it’s not like I was dying to be talked to, so whatever.

“Alright! That’s the end of my trip down memory lane!”

“The end, huh?”

“But now you understand what I meant when I said, ‘I need you to stay perfect,’ right? I feel like as long as I’m with you, Ryouta-kun… I can keep being my perfect self forever. Always, eternally, for life…”

F-For life…? This is—

“So, Ryouta-kun… I want you to stay by my side from now on, okay?”

“H-Huh? By your side…?”

W-Wait, is this… a love confession!?

Does she mean… dating Kuroki!?

N-No, hold on!

Sure, I’d be thrilled to date an ultra-gorgeous girl like Kuroki, but jumping into a relationship like this is… I’m not mentally prepared!

“Ryouta-kun…”

Kuroki murmurs, slowly bringing her face closer to my ear.

Her sweet breath brushes against my skin at such close range.

My earlobe feels so hot, I know it’s bright red without looking.

This distance… it’s definitely a kiss!

After that “stay by my side” love confession, a bold kiss.

It’s all happening so fast my brain can’t keep up, but it means Kuroki’s feelings are that strongly directed at me. To think she cares about me that much…

If even a loner otaku like me is pushed this far by Kuroki Rui, I’ve got no choice but to steel myself.

Alright, Kuroki… I’ll accept your feelings with everything I’ve got!

I awkwardly purse my lips and close my eyes, and Kuroki leans even closer…!

“This year’s student council president election—if I get elected, I want you to be my vice president.”

“…Huh?”

Expecting a kiss, my head reels as Kuroki whispers her request in my ear.

“M-Me… v-vice president of the student council!?”

I’ve got a feeling something outrageous is about to start.