Chapter 8

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Volume 2: The Demons Of The Hananomiya Family

Chapter 8: The Cross-Dressing Boy Gets Confessed To

“Well then, I’m going to sing a love song!”

“Yeah!!”

Shogo shook his tambourine while Hina began singing into the microphone.

Honoka, meanwhile, sat in the corner, trembling, with a cardboard box over her head.

For some reason, Tohru ordered ramen and ate it, his glasses fogging up.

Next to me, the class president growled softly at Hina, while the student council president sipped her orange juice, unconcerned.

The karaoke room had turned into a chaotic mess, not even resembling a group date anymore.

“…So far, so good… but it’s not smart to stay here too long.”

There was no telling when my cover might be blown. It seemed best to leave at the right moment.

“Hm?”

My phone vibrated, so I checked the screen.

“That was a close call earlier. Thanks to you understanding my intention, we managed to avoid trouble.”

I glanced subtly ahead and saw Hanako nodding slightly.

Smiling at her, I replied to the message.

“Really, I’m glad you were there, Hanako-san. I’m truly grateful that you figured out my secret.”

“In return, will you wear fake breasts and join the gravure photo shoot, Blue-Eyed One?”

“I’ll have to decline that… Besides, I already let you take those photos on the bed last time, didn’t I? That should have cleared the debt.”

“The photos on the bed were separate. This is a new deal.”

“…You greedy little house spirit.”

“Call me what you want. I need a lot of money. So—”

“Hey, Fuuma and Hanako, you two seem pretty close! I’ve noticed you’ve been exchanging glances for a while now, you know?”

Hina called out to us, holding her microphone.

We quickly put our phones away and cleared our throats.

“Is something wrong, bitch?”

“Not ‘Is something wrong?’ Why do you seem so chummy with Fuuma-kun? Are you by any chance after him too?”

“Not at all. Francesca doesn’t have romantic feelings for real people.”

“Really? You seemed awfully happy, smiling at him in a way you never do.”

“…I absolutely did not. I’ll kill you, bitch.”

Hanako glared at her with narrowed eyes, while Hina tilted her head in confusion.

Normally, when these two start fighting, Honoka would step in to mediate…but unfortunately, Honoka has turned into a cardboard person in the corner of the room.

As I pondered what to do, Hina turned her gaze toward me.

“Hey, can I sit next to you, Fuuma-kun? I want to talk to you more!”

“Huh?”

“Come on, can’t I?”

Hina leaned toward me, showing off her cleavage through the gap in her shirt.

T-This girl, when she sees me as Kaede Kisaragi, she’s just a good-natured, big-sister type friend… But when I’m a guy, she’s so pushy… Is she a predator?!

As I became increasingly flustered, I noticed Hanako frowning from the seat in front of me, her brows furrowed. When our eyes met, she even clicked her tongue. What the hell, that’s scary…

“N-No way! I won’t let you take the seat next to Yanagisawa-kun!”

“Wh-what, Class President?”

The Class President suddenly stood up and pointed a finger at Hina.

“Do you know how long I’ve been in love with Yanagisawa-kun?! It’s a billion years too soon for a newbie like you to sit next to him!”

“Huh? Class President?!

“Oh wow, she’s confessing her feelings in a very casual manner.”

“Well, I’ve always known that Makikusa liked Fuuma for a long time. It’s not really a surprise.”

As I panicked, the two people sitting at the back – Shogo and Tohru, muttered to each other calmly.

No, you two, stop her—she’s clearly out of control! You’re her long-time friends, aren’t you?!

“Wait, what? You’re a guy, and you like Fuuma-kun? For real?”

“Y-Yes, that’s right! The act of falling in love with someone has nothing to do with gender!! I love Fuuma Yanagisawa——”

Saying that, the Class President (Chairman) grabbed the microphone from Hina and shouted out loudly.

“I’ve loved Fuuma Yanagisawa ever since I first saw him in the second year of middle school!”

After the sound reverberated, the room fell silent.

The Class President was blushing furiously and breathing heavily.

“…The act of falling in love has nothing to do with gender…”

The one who murmured those words was Honoka, who had been sitting in the corner.

Suddenly, she stood up, ran to the Class Rep, and tightly clasped her hand.

“You’re absolutely right, Makikusa-san!!”

“Huh? W-What?”

“I was very impressed! I think it’s true that gender doesn’t matter when it comes to falling in love with someone!”

Honoka’s eyes sparkle brightly through the two holes in the cardboard box.

Seeing this, Hina cried out in surprise.

“Wait, Honoka! You’re holding a boy’s hand… Aren’t you scared?”

“Huh? A guy? Who?”

“Who? Well, Yukio Makikusa…?”

“Makikusa-san isn’t a guy. She’s a girl.”

“Whaaaaaat?!?!?!?”

Hina’s eyes widened in shock… but neither Hanako nor the Class President seemed particularly surprised.

Actually, the Class President’s disguise was so clearly feminine, so everyone except Hina seemed to have noticed it.

“——-Anyway! Hina Kasuga! Don’t go flirting with Yanagisawa-kun so casually! I’ve known him even during his troubled times! I know how deeply he was hurt when his father abandoned him! And I know how, even though he pretends not to care, he has such a kind heart that he can’t leave others in need!”

“W-Wait, Class Rep! What are you saying?!”

“Yanagisawa-kun!”

“Yes?!”

The Class Rep turned to face me, holding the microphone, her face as red as an apple.

“I’ve liked you for a long time! Please go out with me!”

——-Miyuki Makikusa.

The girl who had been seated next to me in the second year of middle school and always showed concern for me.

At that time, I had given up on becoming an actor and was in a state of self-destruction, where nothing mattered to me anymore.

I found talking to people burdensome, and I didn’t even have the energy to fight back when bullied and beaten.

During those days, she greeted me every morning from the seat beside mine.

“Good morning, Yanagisawa-kun… Hey, what’s wrong with that injury!? Let’s go to the nurse’s office!!”

“Yanagisawa-kun, did you know that the character for ‘person’ is formed by two people supporting each other? So, let’s be friends—hey, are you ignoring me again?!”

“Yanagisawa-kun! I tried making chocolate in home economics class today! Please try some!”

Even though I kept ignoring her, she continued to show me kindness with incredible patience.

She was the one who helped me get back on my feet when I was at my worst.

To me, Miyuki Makikusa is a important friend, just like Shougo and Tohru.

“…Class Rep.”

“Y-Yes!!”

“I’m sorry, I can’t return those feelings.”

“…I-I see…”

Ida’s face fell, and she looked down with a gloomy expression.

Then, she sat down and began crying loudly.

“Uh, uwaaaaaaaaah!! I knew it would happen, but it hurts so much to be rejected so easily!! Uwaaaaaaaah!!”

“Fu, Fuuma-kun! Then what about me? Can I be your girlfriend?”

“…You really have the nerve to confess in this situation, bitch…”

“Shut up, Hanako! So, what do you think, Fuuma-kun?!”

“Sorry, Kasuga-san. I have no intention of going out with you either.”

“Waaaaaaaaaah!! I got rejected too!!”

Now two girls were crying loudly in the karaoke room.

What is this…? It’s like I’ve made two girls cry…

As I stood there in a daze, I noticed Honoka staring at me through the holes in her cardboard box.

“…Voice…”

“Huh?”

I mumbled in response, but Honoka quickly averted her gaze and moved back to the corner of the room.

She mumbled something like “voice”, but… no way, she didn’t figure it out, right…?

As I stared at her, tilting my head in confusion, another voice suddenly rang out.

“…Enough already! Stop whining just because a guy rejected you! Hiccup!”

“Huh?”

The student council president, Sakurako Sakuragaoka, slammed her orange juice glass on the table and staggered to her feet, her face flushed.

She wobbled slightly as she spoke again.

“You girls have the freedom to love whoever you want! I, on the other hand, know that my parents will decide my marriage for me! I want to confess my feelings to someone I love too!”

“…Hey, wait a minute. Is the president… drunk? That was just orange juice, right?”

“There’s no alcohol in the drink bar, so Francesca thinks it’s just the atmosphere getting to her.”

“The atmosphere… seriously?”

“I want to fall in love too, dammit!”

With the President Sakuragaoka appearing to be drunk and both Hina and Class Rep sobbing, the karaoke room turned into something resembling hell.

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After that, as expected, the mixer (?) came to an end…and we all ended up going our separate ways in front of Sendai Station.

“Sniff, sniff, hiccup, heartbreak, it’s so painful…”

“I understand, Class President. Hina feels the same way… it’s really tough…”

“Kasuga-san, would you like to go partway home together? The Sendai Line, right?”

“Yeah, let’s go home together, Class President…”

For some reason, the Class President and Hina became friends and went home together.

After seeing the two of them off, Shogo and Tohru turned to me with smiles on their faces.

“Seriously, you’re still making girls cry, Fuuma. You should just settle for someone like the Class President. How high are your standards, anyway?”

“It’s just that dating someone I don’t love would only end up hurting her. I still don’t understand the feeling of love.”

“Is that how it is? I think it’s normal to date someone because they’re cute or sexy or whatever. You’re a bit too stiff, Fuuma.”

“Well, that’s true. It’s a fact that Fuuma’s views on romance are too rigid.”

“Shut up. Go home already, delinquents. I don’t want to hear about you getting picked up by the police.”

“Okay, okay. See you later, Fuuma. Get back to school soon.”

“Yeah, see you.”

After parting ways with them, I let out a sigh.

Then, Hanako came trotting over and murmured.

“Are you perhaps not interested in girls? Are you… gay?”

“Hanako-senpai? Could you stop saying weird things? I’m just a perfectly normal high school boy, you know?”

“Hina and that Class President are both quite high in terms of looks. What’s there to be dissatisfied about?”

“You’re saying the same thing as Shogo… I only date people I want to marry. I’m a one-person-for-life kind of guy.”

“…That’s heavy. That kind of statement is pretty off-putting…”

“Why!?”

“But… the person who is loved by you will surely be happy. There are so many people cheating in this world. Being with you would be reassuring.”

After saying that with a smile, Hanako started staring intently at my face.

“…This is the first time I’ve seen a man like you… you have a really beautiful face. Is it any wonder that you’re popular with girls…? Really, you’re quite the sinful person.”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing. Well then, I’m off. …Honoka, let’s go home.”

“Yes… grr…”

For some reason, Honoka growled at me and was then pulled away by Hanako, entering the station.

…For now, I somehow managed to avoid trouble.

It was a bit nerve-wracking, but anyway, I successfully finished the mixer without anyone discovering my true identity―――――――

“Ughhh…”

When I glanced behind me, I saw the President Sakuragaoka hunched over on the ground, looking sick.

I could see the pickup guys swarming around her.

“What’s up, are you drunk or something?”

“Hey, you’re super cute! Want us to take care of you? Okay?”

“T-Take care of me? Are you going to take me to a hospital or something…?”

“Yeah, a hospital, a hospital. Let’s go then?”

“Yes, p-please…”

After sighing deeply at the sight of the pickup guys trying to take the President Sakuragaoka away,

I stepped between the men and―――― grabbed the President’s arm and helped her up.

“Um, you’re… Yanagisawa-san…?”

“President Sakuragaoka, let me lend you my shoulder. Let’s go home. I’ll see you off.”

“Hold on a second, buddy. We were talking to this girl first, you know? Can you not cut in?”

“Cutting in or not, she’s my girlfriend. Excuse me.”

“G-Girlfriend!?”

The President, blushing and putting a hand on her cheek at the lie I told to make the pickup guys give up, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

I tilted my head at the President and then walked with her into the station.

“What line are you on, Senpai Sakuragaoka?”

“I-it’s the Senzan Line, but… my house is in Kita-Sendai.”

“Ah, we’re on the same line… What a coincidence. I’ll take you close to home then.”

“Ah, y-yes… thank you very much…”

With that, I continued walking through the station, lending my shoulder to the President.