Side Story 2, Earth – Makiko: The Perfect Triangle
Author: かっぱ同盟／友麻碧
Link: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3862be/
Translated by Gumihou
This is Oda Makiko.
Somehow, I ended up participating in the school festival, something which I never thought would ever happen in either of my life.
The plan was to live a trouble-free life, but in the end, I was lured into this mess by cheap sweets.
The Demon King me from my past life would be so horrified to learn of this.
For this year’s cultural festival, the Cultural Club Alliance planned a major project entitled ‘Where is My Kappa?’ Which would feature all sorts of exhibits, stalls and other Kappa-themed things.
We had been dragged into the various points of preparations for this project and had been so busy to the point that I almost forgot about Maydea during the hot summer months.
This summer vacation had been pretty fiery in many ways.
The President of the Film Club had poured his heart and soul into a film script and the main filming location was a mysterious swamp. [1] The plan was to film the majority of the scenes there, I think.
That said, although the script was supposedly ‘written with all their might’, it was still pretty nonsensical and basic at the same time. It was mostly about a group of people chasing a Kappa through the forest and eventually tap dancing together at the end. Well, I guess since the project was pretty crazy in the first place, it kind of fits the theme. It was worth [1] stewing in the hot swamp, to watch the Cultural Club boys attempt to tap dance in the forest. The scene was more hilarious than scary, but I think the filmmakers did something to make the scene surreal since they can’t actually reach the ‘horror’ level.
The original plan was to have Tooru appear as the main character in the movie, the Kappa, that is. However, this suggestion was roundly rejected by the girls. Apparently, it was ‘a great sin for Saiga-kun to be cast as a Kappa’. Moreover, Tooru himself flatly refused the role. In the end, Kuroki-senpai was the one to heroically shoulder the role, which was perfect. One thing I learned this summer was that despite his slightly high-strung attitude, Kuroki-senpai was actually a really hard-working person.
It was probably why so many people threw themselves into making such a crazy project a reality.
As for the technical aspects of filmmaking, [1] even an amateur like me was able to tell that this was above and beyond what normal people would do for filming. This was skilled work.
I was surprised to find myself looking forward to seeing the final product.
The menu planning by the Home Economics Club for the Japanese-style cafe was going quite well too. From what I could see, the end result would be a proper tea house-style matcha created by the Tea Ceremony Club coupled with desserts made by the Home Ec Club.
Yuri of the Confession Club had been assigned here.
“The Strawberry Daifuku is red on the inside when cut through. Although it is both a classic Japanese treat and visually pleasing to the eye… [2].”
“It doesn’t fit the Kappa theme, right? Well, how about a Kiwi Daifuku? [2] It matches the theme and is surprisingly tasty.”
“That’s so unconventional though…”
The gentle Home Economics Club President, Yano, was a slightly plump person whom everyone calls ‘mom’.
I think it’s the mommy-style bandana she wears on her head.
When I mentioned that I live alone, she would often pack up the leftovers neatly into a Tupperware for me to bring home.
Such a mommy thing to do, and I love her for it.
“Are you really going to make the entire menu items green?” I asked Yano-senpai.
Someone else answered from the door, “Of course!”
It was Kuroki-senpai. He had appeared wearing an overall that was splattered with pain. A refreshing shade of green, of course.
“Other colours may be used as an accent, but the base must absolutely be green!!”
“… …”
Woah, that person is kind of intense.
I get the feeling that I would recognise his energy no matter where he ended up. It was the first time I encountered someone with this much intensity and presence on Earth.
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“Look, look, Makiko-chan~ Look, it’s Haikara-san~”
“Woah… that’s so cute~”
Miyanaga of the Tailoring Club was in charge of making the costumes for the Japanese-style cafe. Miyanaga was also a fellow first-year student, just like me.
She had brought a hakama costume for inspection.
“I think it will suit you very well, Makiko-chan.”
Miyanaga-san was kind of fluffy [1], as in, she was a little out of touch with reality. The hakama she held out was thoroughly green, as per the theme, with a purple arrow feather pattern as trimming. The addition made the outfit more cute than tacky.
Even though I had been living in Japan ever since my reincarnation, I rarely had the opportunity to wear any kind of traditional Japanese clothes before. So, of course, I was interested.
I had only ever worn a yukata.
“Wow, it turned out really well,” I complimented.
“How does it look to someone who wears traditional clothes often?” Miyanaga asked Yuri.
Yuri leaned in for a closer look, before making the universal symbol of ‘okay’ with his fingers.
“The boys will be wearing proper tea ceremony kimonos from the Tea Ceremony Club. Yuri-san has kindly donated a lot,” said Miyanaga-san.
“Well, I do have plenty at home,” Yuri said with a gentle smile.
Miyanaga-san blushed. How adorable. I see that she is firmly on Team Yuri.
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Soon, the day of the Cultural Festival arrived. Time does fly by so quickly, doesn’t it?
I put on the hakama of the Japanese-style cafe.
“Kyaa~!! It looks so good~!” Maruyama-san shrieked.
Maruyama-san, with her red-rimmed glasses and bobbed hair, patted my shoulder. For some reason, she felt the need to keep stroking my hair and touching my clothes.
It was kind of puzzling.
“What about the boys?” I asked, hoping to divert her attention.
“Who cares about the boys!!? Beautiful girls are the most important~!”
“…Is that so?”
I don’t really get Maruyama-san’s sense of humour.
Still, it certainly sounded like the girls from the Tea Ceremony Club were having the time of their lives in dressing up the boys. Some of the girls came stumbling back into the room, looking a bit flustered. I had a bad feeling about this…
“Saiga-kun is so totally…”
“It’s a crime, a total crime!”
Well, I have some idea what had happened.
Among the boys who came into the room, there was one guy whose looks could really be described as a ‘crime’. Indeed, if handsomeness was a crime, he would have long since been thrown into jail.
Black hair really does look really good in these clothes.
“… …”
“You look excellent in a hakama,” I said. “Almost cute, I believe.”
“Shut up.”
It was my first time seeing Tooru in a Yukata, and I totally understand why the girls were swooning all over him.
I don’t really care about the boys gossiping about me. It was something I had long since stopped caring for a long time ago. Still, the final boss was the last to arrive.
I had heard that some of the girls had hatched a plan with Kuroki-senpai to make some of the boys crossdress and it looked like someone I know had been pulled into the mania. Dressed in a girl’s hakama, a fragile and pure beauty… appeared. It was Yuri Shizu-chan.
“What are you doing?” I asked, non-plus.
“Crossdressing.”
“Shizu-chan?”
Someone had even found a wig that was a match for his light-coloured hair. To be honest, he looked completely feminine. Slightly tall, but still super feminine.
Boys and girls could not help but stare at Shizu-chan. Tooru and I exchanged a look and shrugged.
But, then, the true final boss made their appearance (description of looks omitted).
“First-year student Yuri will participate in the Cross-dressing Contest event happening on the second day as part of the first round of representative battle. He will surely win in the name of the Kappa Alliance…”
“Why is Kuroki-senpai cross-dressing too?” I had to ask.
“I’m insurance!!”
“We don’t need an insurance like you!”
Ugh, the image is just too embarrassing, let’s pixel it out.
Anyway, I have to admire this guy for going all out, even putting his body image on the line.
“Oi, Oda and Saiga, you two will also be representing the Alliance in the coming battle.”
“What’s the battle?”
“A battle that will promote the exhibitions and pop-up store of the Cultural Clubs during this important appeal time. The first is the Cross-dressing Contest and the second is the Three-legged Obstacle Relay Race. You two will participate in that one.”
“Hahh…”
A Three-legged Obstacle Relay Race sounds kind of dangerous.
“By the way, our arch-enemy Vice-president is also participating in the Three-Legged Obstacle Relay Race to promote their Maid-Butler Cafe. I won’t tolerate us losing or going unnoticed. Be sure to make a bigger impact than the other team!”
“Wait, you mean winning isn’t enough?”
“Wait, you mean coming second is no good?”
“That’s right! Merely winning or coming second isn’t enough! Winning is just our way of proving a point! We must overwhelm the enemy in Kappa colours!”
“So, green?”
“Green!” [2]
Hahh…
Tooru and I have now been tasked with something troublesome. For some reason, we just couldn’t deny that fellow. He seemed to have some sort of strange power…
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The ‘Where is My Kappa?’ project turned out to be quite the hit, the quality of the projects and exhibitions drew a great crowd even on the first day of the festival. Well, with Tooru dressed in a yukata calling for customers [2] in the hallway, we soon received a long line of girls eager to come in. I was in charge of serving the customers in my hakama outfit while Yuri, in all of his feminine elegance, made tea.
It was a triangle of attack that was both overwhelming and captivating.
From the cafe, we encouraged visitors to see the haunted house-style exhibition room just next door, which led to the screening room where the student-made film entitled ‘Do You Our Kappa?’ was being shown. Everyone at the cafe received a stamp card that would allow them to receive something nice once they collected all the stamps from the various exhibits and stores.
“…Welcome.”
“Hey, aren’t you being too unenthusiastic, Oda-chan? What a shame when so many boys came here just to look at you.”
Indeed, I could feel the eyes staring at me.
Well, that’s only natural, considering how beautiful I am. However… I clenched my fist around the glass of Matcha Parfait meant for one of the customers.
“The job of handing out delicious food to other people is too frustrating.”
“Wait, so, you’re just… hangry?!”
The lunch rush had been incredibly busy. However, when we received word from our spies that our cafe/tea house had more visitors and longer lines than the enemy’s Maid Butler Cafe, it motivated us to work even harder.
“Of course, not only is our selection of food more delicious, but our interior decorations are more atmospheric and unusual. Not to mention, we have the ultimate customer-luring triangle formation.”
“The movie is well-received too. Everyone kept talking about the tap dancing scene.”
“The boys from the Cultural Club really gave it their all~”
“They have also given a lot to the mosquitoes of the forest too.”
“After that, people who were intrigued by Kappas went on to look at Hayami-kun’s exhibit.”
“As expected, Kuroki-senpai is incredible.”
Anyone listening in on the conversation between the girls in hakama would realise just how popular the Kappa exhibition was.
In fact, the exhibition was not only popular with the students. Parents, teachers and other young people began a whisper campaign through social media that attracted even more students from other schools. In fact, I believe the exhibition even attracted some industry talent seekers.
By the way, if you manage to collect all of the Kappa Project stamps, you get a large green Kappa sticker at the end. Lots of people ended up sticking this to their name tags, wallets, armbands and even their desks. By afternoon, the entire school looked like it was part of the Kappa Alliance project.
“The trio from the Confession Enthusiast Club did a great job. You can take a break now,” one of the seniors announced. Since none of us had taken a break yet, we hurried off to the break room [1].
In the break room, it looked like members of the Alliance had bought food from every stall at the Cultural Festival. My stomach growled as I stared at the spread before us.
“Wow—takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and… oh, shumai!”
“At least try blinking,” Tooru quipped.
However, I could not look away.
Shizu-chan took off his wig and sat down next to me, looking relieved for the break.
“It gets really hot under the wig,” [2] he sighed.
“You know, if the wig stays on your head too long, your scalp gets steamed up and you can develop scalp problems,” said Tooru casually.
“Eh?”
I ignored the boys’ banter as I split my disposable chopsticks and got started on the fried noodles covered in a rich sauce.
Well, you see, I was just too hungry to care about anything else. I couldn’t even bother with a proper Makiko-style gourmet report any more.
My mind was empty as I filled my stomach. Being a waitress was like an exercise of torture. How horrible it is to carry delicious-smelling food for others while hungry?
No matter how high the hourly wage, I could never get into the food and beverage industry.
“Oh? This is my first time trying Xiao Long Bao, the soup inside is amazing.”
“Was it from the dim sum stand just outside? Ah, it’s really good.”
Wait.
What was that?
“Hand that over!” I ordered.
“… …”
“Oho, sure~”
I secured the plate of Xiao Long Bao that Tooru and Yuri had been poking at and bit into one. The soup inside the thin dumpling had gone lukewarm but was still incredibly delicious.
And so, this was how I properly started my Cultural Festival experience. [1]
Let’s all enjoy the three days of the cultural festival together.
The catchphrase for the festival is, ‘Do you know our kappa?’
Great, isn’t it?
[Gumihou: This is actually kind of tricky to translate.]
[1] Add Maki’s little quips and characteristics
[2] Adjust detail
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