"Alright everyone, stop staring." Atsuya Ayumi quickly stepped forward, trying to shield the standee.
Her face was burning red.
From the back row, Shouko secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, she hadn't caved in and agreed to his request back then — otherwise she'd be the one socially dead right now.
Still, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for Ayumi-chan… if only for a few seconds.
"Class Monitor, does Miyamura have some dirt on you?"
"Yeah, you even agreed to make a life-sized cutout for this!"
"Alright, enough chatter." Nobe raised her voice, silencing the crowd. "Miyamura, hurry up and open the next one. Everyone still has work to do."
"Mm…" Akira nodded, though he hesitated.
In the end, he sliced open the second cardboard box. After Ayumi's standee, the surprise wasn't as great — but gasps still filled the room.
"I get it now. That's why the Class Monitor agreed."
"Yeah, it all makes sense."
"Miyamura, not easy for you either, huh?"
Inside stood Akira himself — dressed in a butler's outfit to match Ayumi's maid attire. His expression was subdued, but a faint smile lingered as he held a delicate white teapot.
Beneath his figure was the same line of text.
"When this is over… can I take Miyamura's cutout back?" a voice spoke softly, but clear enough that everyone heard — except Shouko.
All eyes turned in disbelief toward the girl who had blurted it out.
"W-What are you looking at!? I was talking about the Class Monitor's, okay? I don't care about Miyamura's!"
Her face flushed as she quickly busied herself, pretending nothing had happened. But everyone knew she'd let her true feelings slip.
"This cutout can only be taken back by the person themselves, with their consent," Akira explained while tidying the cardboard. He and Ayumi had agreed on that from the start.
Clap clap clap.
"Alright, back to work. The sooner we finish, the sooner everyone can rest," Nobe announced.
The students nodded, returning to their tasks. Still, now and then, glances strayed toward the two cutouts by the wall.
"Akira, when the festival's over… can I have your cutout?" Shouko whispered as he returned to her side.
"No." He refused without hesitation.
He planned to destroy that thing the moment the festival ended.
"Oh…" Shouko pouted, turning back to her work.
But a few minutes later, she leaned in again. "What if I trade you two lap pillow tickets for it?"
"No." Akira pinched her cheek while refusing.
"Oh…" She huffed and went back.
Moments later, she snuck another glance around, then leaned close again. "Then… five lap pillow tickets and three massage tickets?"
"No." His eyes softened at her pitiful look, and he rubbed her head gently. "Besides, I still have twelve lap pillow tickets and five massage tickets you gave me that I haven't used yet."
"Hmph!" Shouko wrinkled her nose, swatted his hand away, and got back to work.
Five minutes later, just as she was about to try again, Takagi's calm voice rang in her ear.
"Shouko, can we finish working before you start bargaining?"
"O-Okay…" Shouko admitted quickly, embarrassed at being caught.
When cleanup was done, Nobe checked everything, left four students behind, and dismissed the rest.
Outside the school gate, Shouko walked with a few friends, then split off. The moment she spotted Akira, she marched up, aggressively shaking five fingers in front of him.
"Five lap pillow tickets, five massage tickets, and… and one kiss ticket! Trade?"
"Kiss ticket?" Akira smirked. "Where?"
"Cheek. Either one." Shouko waved grandly, but her burning ears betrayed her.
"Mm…" Akira pretended to think, then shook his head. "No, that's too much of a loss for me, Shouko."
He poked her puffed cheek.
"Then… two kiss tickets!" She raised two fingers hopefully.
But he only shook his head again.
"Hmph!"
Shouko pulled free of his hand and dashed ahead, fuming.
"I'm not talking to you anymore!"
The twilight sky deepened to blue ink at 4:47 p.m. Students coasted downhill on bicycles toward the railway crossing, their schoolbags bouncing in the baskets, charms clinking faintly against metal mesh.
Akira watched Shouko run ahead. But suddenly, she spun back, ran up to him, and grabbed his hand with a little laugh.
"Weren't you not talking to me anymore?"
"Hmph!" Shouko only snorted, refusing to answer.
"What were the conditions again?" Akira teased, resisting the urge to pinch her cheek.
"Five lap pillow tickets, five massage tickets, and two kiss tickets!" she declared proudly — sneakily adjusting the terms. His words earlier made her think he was ready to trade.
"Mm." Akira nodded calmly.
Shouko blinked, waiting. When he said nothing more, she finally asked, "Then what?"
"Then nothing. I was just asking. It's not like I'm actually going to trade with you." He fought to keep his lips from curving.
"… … …"
The silence stretched. Then, with a sudden mischievous grin, Shouko opened her mouth wide and bit his arm.
Only when he begged for mercy did she release him.
Still, she pulled out a tissue from her pocket and carefully dabbed at the teeth marks.
"The others stay the same, but if you raise the kiss tickets to five, I'll trade." Akira raised five fingers.
"Hmph…" Shouko turned her head.
"Last chance. Trade, or no deal."
"Trade!" she cried, slapping the arm she had just bitten.
Akira chuckled, pinched her cheek, and rubbed it fondly.
----------
Support me at patréon com/Lukas25