Chapter 50

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Volume 1: First Performance: A Tragic Love Story Of A Young Lady And Spring Cherry Blossoms

Chapter 50: The Cross-Dressing Boy Rides A Motorcycle With A Cool High School Girl

I led Suzuka Miyauchi to the deserted area behind the school building, took out my smartphone, and showed her the footage from the surveillance camera I had set up a few days ago.

The footage showed a female student with a side ponytail hairstyle, looking around nervously as she scribbled graffiti on Akane’s locker with a permanent marker.

The moment Suzuka Miyauchi saw the footage, her face turned pale, and she began to tremble.

“K-Kaede-sama… I… I…”

“For the past month, you’ve been writing slanderous graffiti on Tsukishiro-san’s shoe locker every day, haven’t you, Suzuka Miyauchi?”

As I lightly glared at her and spoke, Suzuka Miyauchi covered her face with both hands and started crying, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Yes, that’s right… I… I did it!”

“Why would you do something like that?”

“I couldn’t forgive Tsukishiro-san for speaking ill of you, Onee-sama… And I didn’t like her attitude of looking down on us students in the acting department… So I did it… [Sob], [Sob].”

“I wasn’t hurt at all by Tsukishiro-san’s words. I understand that you acted out of concern for me, but… interpreting my thoughts on your own and resorting to bullying is absolutely unforgivable. I deeply despise your actions.”

“Ugh, agh, ugh, waaahhhhhhh!!!!!!”

Suzuka Miyauchi began to cry out loudly.

I think the one who should be crying is Akane, the victim…

As I sighed in exasperation at her behavior, Suzuka Miyauchi suddenly looked up, her tear-stained red eyes fixing on me.

“I’m… I’m really sorry… I don’t even know how to apologize properly… [Sob].”

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to Tsukishiro-san. She’s the victim here.”

“Y-Yes, you’re right… [Sob]…”

“……”

But something feels off.

Considering she’s someone who would do something as cruel as pouring water on Akane, I expected her to be more malicious and heartless… But so far, Suzuka Miyauchi doesn’t seem like such an evil person.

There seems to be no lie in her words, as she sincerely admitted her guilt and apologized.

“Um… Umm, Onee-sama… I… I have a request to ask of you…”

As I was wrestling with the lingering discomfort in my mind, Suzuka Miyauchi spoke up, looking unusually serious.

Tilting my head in response to her demeanor, I asked, “A request, you say…?”

“Yes, actually…”

Then, she began to explain to me how this bullying incident had escalated.

Miyauchi and the other first-year students in the acting department had only started with some graffiti, but the more severe bullying of Akane was actually led by the second-year seniors in the acting department who were behind them.

These seniors had threatened them, making it impossible for them to leave the bullying group.

After recounting everything that had happened over the past month, Suzuka Miyauchi looked up at me with tearful eyes and quietly spoke.

“I know I’m not in a position to ask for this. I know it’s selfish. But… could you, with your power, help free my friends from those seniors’ group…? And of course, it would mean a lot if you could help Tsukishiro-san too. Because I’m sure those seniors will do something even worse to her――”

Just as she was about to say something, a buzzing sound came from the pocket of Miyauchi’s uniform.

After excusing herself, she took out her smartphone and looked at the screen.

Suddenly, fear spread across her face.

“Wh-What…?!”

“Is something wrong, Miyauchi-san?”

“W-What should we do…?! K-Kaede, Onee-sama!! This is bad!! T-Tsukishiro-san, Tsukishiro-san is…!!”

“Eh…?”

“The seniors have brought some male students from another school, and they’re going to bully Tsukishiro-san… Th-They’re going to do something like r*pe…! Onee-sama, wh-what should we do!! What should we do!!!!”

“W-What did you say…?! Hey, Miyauchi!! Where is this happening?! Where are they now?!”

“Hiyu!? At the vacant tenant in the arcade street near Sendai Station…! That’s what it said in the group chat on Rain!!”

“Damn it!!”

I rushed out towards the entrance and dashed outside.

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“Hah… hah… damn it!! Damn it!!”

I burst out of the entrance, kicking the ground, and raced down the slope at full speed.

This was my mistake.

Since I already had a lead on the culprits, I should have confronted them yesterday and warned them not to mess with Akane anymore.

Thinking that I could just gather evidence first was far too naive.

Regret came too late. I was disgusted with my own foolishness.

I was furious not only with the second-year acting students who had done such vile things but also with myself.

“Huh? Onee-sama? Why are you in such a hurry――――Waah?!”

I think I just passed by Honoka, but I couldn’t afford to worry about her right now.

The students on their way to school stared curiously as I ran down the hill, away from the school, but I couldn’t care less.

I had to get to them as fast as possible… or else Akane will…!!

[―――――Fuuma. I’ll make this next play really fun. I’ll give such a performance that you’ll forget all about your yips. So… you better come and watch!]

I remembered the look on her face when she said that as she left my house the other day.

She had waited for me in the entertainment world, even though I had become a rotten actor.

Even when she found out that I could no longer act, she said she’d wait forever with a smile.

That’s why I, too, wanted to give my all as Kaede Kisaragi in this upcoming play, even if I couldn’t perform like I used to.

And yet… and yet, how did things end up like this…!!

“Damn it!! Run faster!! You used to be better than this, Fuuma Yanagisawa!! The rival she acknowledged wasn’t someone who could only run this sluggishly!!”

I roared as I reached the bottom of the hill.

And then, just as I arrived at the main street, a jet-black mid-sized motorcycle suddenly appeared in front of me.

The rider, lifting the visor of their helmet, revealed their face.

“Kisaragi-san! Get on!”

“Huh? Ginjou-senpai…?! W-Whoa?!”

Ginjou-senpai tossed a helmet towards me, which I hurriedly caught.

Then, she gave a thumbs-up and pointed to her back.

“Hurry up!”

Though confused, I nodded at her, put on the helmet, and climbed onto the rear seat.

“Hold on tight to my waist! I’m going full throttle!”

With a loud roar, the jet-black motorcycle took off.

From what I could tell, the model was a V-Strom 250, a mid-sized bike capable of carrying two people.

I never would have imagined that Ginjou-senpai was a high school girl who rode motorcycles.

It suited her surprisingly well―――――not that this was the time to be thinking about such trivial things!!

“T-That’s right! Ginjou-senpai, please head towards the arcade street near Sendai Station! There’s a vacant tenant there, and Akane is…!!”

“I know! Hanako just contacted me!”

“Eh…? Hanako-san…?”

“Hanako got worried this morning and was watching over you from a distance. She overheard your conversation with Suzuka Miyauchi… and immediately contacted me, saying that Akane Tsukishiro might be in serious trouble.”

“I see… So that’s what happened…”

So, Hanako had secretly listened to my conversation with Suzuka Miyauchi.

And sensing the emergency, she contacted Ginjou-senpai.

I was too panicked to even think of asking for help, so her quick thinking was truly a lifesaver.

“Thank you so much, Ginjou-senpai. For helping me…!!”

“What are you saying? It’s only natural! I’m the most prominent senior at our school! If there’s a junior in trouble, I’ll help them no matter who they are!”

“Senpai…”

With a flash of white teeth, Ginjou Haruki glanced back at me.

Seriously, she’s not just a pretty face, she’s a genuinely good person.

If I were a girl, I would definitely be blushing right now.

“Heh, and besides… I’m in love with you. I’d do anything for you!”

“H-Huh?!”

Wait, in the middle of this emergency, why am I blushing?!

What is this… my heart is racing… what is this feeling!!!!

For a split second, I thought I wouldn’t mind being held by her!!!! [In a girlish tone]

I’m a guy, right? And yet, I’m blushing because of this handsome girl… Am I really developing feelings for someone of the same sex? I don’t have that kind of fetish―――――wait, no, Ginjou-senpai is a girl, so it’s fine, right?

Wait, no, isn’t it a problem? I’m a cross-dressing guy right now, so, uh? I don’t even understand anymore!!

As I was lost in confusion, the bike suddenly began to slow down.

Wondering what was going on, I looked ahead and saw several cars stuck in a traffic jam.

“!! A traffic jam at a time like this…!! How unlucky!!”

It seemed like the morning rush hour had caused the traffic on the main street to come to a standstill.

The motorcycle gradually slowed down as we approached the long line of cars.

I gritted my teeth in frustration at the sight.

“No way…!! At a time like this…!!”

Just as I was about to despair over our bad luck, my phone in my pocket started buzzing.

I pulled out my phone without even checking the caller ID and put it to my ear.

“I’m sorry! I’m in the middle of something―――――――”

“Turn right at the next intersection, into the alley.”

“Eh? Hanako-san…?”

“This is Francesca. If you take that alley, you’ll be able to bypass the traffic and reach the arcade street the fastest.”

“Huh? Wh-Why? Hanako-san, how do you know about our current situation――――”

“Just do it! Do you not care what happens to Tsukishiro-san?!”

“Y-Yes! Ginjou-senpai, can you weave through the traffic and make a right at the intersection ahead? Hanako-san said that would be a shortcut!!”

“!! Got it! We’re going!”

Passing between the cars, Ginjou-senpai headed for the intersection ahead.

Then, she turned into an empty alley, and the motorcycle continued to run smoothly.

I put my phone back to my ear and spoke to Hanako.

“Hanako-san, how did you know we were stuck in traffic?”

“I used the GPS function on the smartphone. Then I checked the traffic information and assessed the situation. This much is only natural for Francesca. I’m competent, after all. A competent vampire.”

“Hanako-san… thank you!”

“It’s Francesca. Now, I’ll guide you to Tsukishiro-san’s location. Blue-eyed one, make sure to relay this information to the lesbian. …Let’s make sure we save Tsukishiro-san together, Kisaragi-san.”

“Yes!!”

Moved by the reliability of both Ginjou-senpai and Hanako, I couldn’t help but feel tears welling up in my eyes.