Chapter 87 - Top Secret and Thousand Blade Festival [4]

87. Top Secret and Thousand Blade Festival [4]

On the day of the Thousand Blade Festival.

The students of Year 1 Class A gathered in the classroom at 8:30am, thirty minutes before the opening, and were preparing to open the cafe.

As Tessa and the others started preparing the food, I changed into my cosplay costume in the men’s changing room.

「Let’s see, this hand goes here and…」

While looking at the memo at hand, I managed to dress up by myself.

A haori with a whitecap design on blue fabric.

A light gray hakama with certain elegance.

Black strapped Zori.

「This is a『Samurai Costume』huh…」

Samurai – A subclass of swordsmen identified in a country in the Far East; a minority group who practice unique swordsmanship.

They’re usually gentle and dislike conflict, but…

Beneath their smiles they hold fearsome fighting prowess, or so I’ve heard.

I finished putting on the samurai cosplay, and looked at my reflection in the dresser.

「As expected, it stands out a little.」

It was on the actual day that I suddenly became embarrassed.

However, I can’t quit now after all the preparations have been made.

「Fuu…」

I exhaled my breath loudly and calmed my heart.

(Yes, thinking about it carefully, it’s a『festival』today.)

Even if I stand out a little, people would just think『I guess there are things like these too』and move on. Especially because it’s a festival.

「Well, if I act confidently, I should be fine. Yes!」

I changed my mind set and returned to the classroom where everyone was waiting.

I walked down the hallway that was busy with opening preparations, and slowly opened the classroom door.

「A-Allen-kun! Wow, it looks good on you after all!」

「So cool! This is sure to be very popular!」

High-pitched cheers came from the girls.

「Eh… Ah, U-Un… Thank you.」

I’ve hardly ever been praised by others before. So I was at a loss as to what to say at a time like this.

Then, the back door of the classroom opened when I returned vague replies.

From there, Ria, dressed in her cosplay costume, walked in.

「T-This is…!」

「D-Dazzling… What destructive power!」

「Oh god, my chest… feels tight…」

While the boys were showing big reactions – without responding to the gazes on her, Ria walked up to me, and

「W-What do you think, Allen…?」

She showed off her cute cosplay, her cheeks dyed scarlet.

「……」

Maid clothes in black one-piece and white apron dress with frills.

It matched Ria’s beautiful blonde hair. A beautiful look, and she was very pretty to say the least.

「I-I think it’s very cute…」

「I-I see… T-Thank you…」

She laughed shyly.

(Ria’s maid clothes are certainly pretty.)

However, there was only one aspect I was worried about.

I shifted my gaze to the bottom part of the cosplay.

(I-It’s a little too short, isn’t it?)

Yes, Ria’s skirt length was very short.

If a slightly strong wind blows, you can see under it.

(It may not be good for me as a man to say this, but…)

I really had to point this out.

「T-That… Is that alright…?」

I said, pointing to her skirt modestly.

And then,

「Fufu, that part is alright… See?」

Suddenly, she began to lift both ends of her skirt.

「Ri-Ria…?!」

I hurriedly closed my eyes with both hands due to her unexpected behavior.

However, from the gaps of my fingers which occurred naturally, the inside of Ria’s skirt can be seen a little… It’s missing?

「Eh…?」

Looking closely, it was a miniskirt-style shorts where the inseam was sewn tightly.

「Allen is ecchi.」

「Eh, ah, no…. This is…」

I faltered back as Ria glared at me, and she laughed like a mischievous child.

「Fufu, I’m kidding. But were you surprised? They’re called “culotte skirts”! The girls told me,『This will definitely be alright!』.」

Saying that, she spun around in a circle.

Due to centrifugal force, the skirt was fluttering.

However, because the inseam was sewn firmly, the inside was not visible.

「Well, that’s good…」

I don’t feel good… when Ria is looked at with those kinds of gazes.

When I patted my chest with relief,

「Are you a little relieved?」

She said, peering into my face.

「Aa, I’m pretty relieved.」

「……Ehehe, I see. Thank you.」

「…? Why are you thanking me, Ria?」

「Fufu, I’m just a little happy.」

When we were talking about that, the back door opened vigorously.

The person who walken in from there was,

「Good morning, Allen.」

「Aa. Good morning, Rose…?!」

Bunny ear hairband.

White, round tail of a rabbit.

Black leotard with a lot of shoulder exposure.

Mesh stockings.

She was a splendid bunny girl who did the term justice.

「How is it, Allen? It suits me quite well, don’t you think?」

Rose asked, with an imposing air.

「Well, it certainly looks good on you, but… I-Is that really alright?」

「Nn? What do you mean?」

「How should I put this… Shoulder area, c-chest area and such…」

「This much is no big deal. It’s not that different from my casual wear.」

When she puts it like that… I suppose it’s not all that different…

Her plain clothes are where the chest area is completely exposed from the lower part of the chest to the stomach, and the bottoms are black low-rise pants which barely cover her legs.

…To be honest, it’s not all that different from what I’m looking at right now.

When I was convinced of it,

「Allen, that is… a samurai cosplay, right?」

「Hmm hmm, I see…」

「Yeah, it looks like it is.」

Ria and Rose stared at my cosplay from head to toe.

And,

「Un. Allen looks very cool! This costume looks very good on you!」

「There is sort of a grace to it. The fresh blue is very attractive.」

They praised my cosplay.

「Ahaha, thank you.」

While having such a pleasant talk, it was three minutes before the opening by the time we realised it.

Portable stove.

A set of cooking utensils.

Ingredients, tableware, decorations, etc – all preparations were ready.

Everyone in the class quietly shut their eyes and simulated the production movement in their mind.

「Hey, I’m a little nervous…」

「This tension is not bad…」

「Ahaha, that’s right.」

The three of us are in charge of the waiting service, and our job is to remember all the items on the menu.

I had finished memorizing it perfectly last night, so now I just have to wait for the time to put it to use.

After that, it was thirty seconds before the opening. An in-house broadcast rang out.

「Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! This is Director Leia Lasnode. In a short span of two weeks, you’ve done well to prepare this far! Now, all that’s left is to show the results! Well then, I declare the opening of the Thousand Blade Festival!」

The moment Leia-sensei announced the beginning of the Thousand Blade Festival, a loud cheer was heard from outside the classroom.

(W-What…?)

When I looked out the window, there were a tremendous number of people rushing into the academy building of Thousand Blade Academy.

「What a crowd…」

「It’s one of the Five Academy, Thousand Blade Academy, after all…」

The waves of people reminded me of the『God Street』in Drestia, the merchant city.

While doing so,

「Excuse me. Are you already open?」

The first customers visited the Cosplay Cafe of Year 1 Class A.

Three women at the same time.

「Yes, of course. In this cafe, you can designate one of the cosplayers as your waiter. Who would you like?」

Tessa, who was in charge of the reception, with a natural customer service smile, said the lines confidently.

(…! Way to go, Tessa!)

From his bold bearing, I could surmise his『additional efforts』.

And then,

「Well then… We’d like to go with『Allen-kun』.」

The three female guests pointed to a picture of me at the reception desk.

I went to welcome the customers, with a natural customer service smile which doesn’t fall behind Tessa’s.

「Thank you very much for visiting our cafe. Here, please come this way.」

I escorted them to their seats and,

「Have the orders, been decided?」

In a slow tone so as not to hurry, I gently listened to their orders.

「Uh… Honey toast and cafe latte, please.」

「As for me… egg sandwich and coffee.」

「Um… I’m a little hungry right now, so I’d like to have an omelette and a latte.」.

「Yes, certainly.」

I quickly took note of the order, repeated it correctly, confirmed that there was no mistake, and passed the order.

After that, I carried the orders that the person in charge of cooking prepared. The first task was completed succesfully.

(Yoshi Yoshi! As perfectly as I imagined it!)

I think I can complete this job calmly, there was a time when I thought that way.

After that,

「Allen-kun, you’ve got another four-people nomination!」

「Yes, I understand…!」

「Ria-san, you’ve got a nomination from one person!」

「Yes, I understand!」

「Allen-kun, this time you’ve got five-people nomination!」

「Yes, please wait a moment…!」

「Rose-san, it’s a nomination from one person.」

「Umu, understood.」

「Allen-kun, next is seven-people nomination!」

「Y-Yes…!」

For some reason, there were unusually many more nominations for me.

They were all groups of female customers. After escorting them to their seats, for some reason, they started talking about various stories and I had a hard time taking orders.

(Maybe this is a result of the women’s network…)

One female customer called another female customer and so on, and our cosplay cafe appeared like a women’s specialty shop.

For about three hours, I had to deal with the female customers who walked in one after another. Then, it was finally time for a shift change.

We’re in charge of the morning session, and are completely free in the afternoon.

After changing into our uniforms in the changing rooms, the three of us decided to look around the activities of other classes.

The first place we’re visiting has already been decided.

Of course, it is the special haunted house by the president and senpais.

「N-Nee, Allen…? Are you sure you want to go?」

「I-If you want to turn back, now is the time.」

「A-Ahaha. I already told the president that I’m coming.」

Even as nice as she is, the president is actually the type to hold grudges.

If I stood her up, it’ll become troublesome later.

(And above all, I’m also looking forward to it.)

According to the president, it seems to be at the quality where more than ten people fainted last year.

I’m actually looking forward to seeing what kind of gimmick it is.

Then we pushed our way through the crowd and arrived at the classroom of Year 2 Class A.

And what we saw there was,

「This is, quite well done…」

It was a huge haunted house that spanned three classrooms from Class A to Class C.

It no longer looked like a『classroom』.

Eerie ivys was crawling around on the black painted exterior.

There were claw marks here and there.

Dark red color which looked similar to blood was smeared everywhere.

(It’s a nice atmosphere…)

This might actually turn out to be good.

And then,

「「……」」

Ria and Rose held each other’s hand with ghastly-pale faces.

We haven’t even entered yet…

They seem to have reached their limits due to this eerie exterior alone.

「Naa, you two… If you’re afraid, just say it–」

「「I’m not afraid!」」

The two said in unison stubbornly as ever.

Their legs were trembling, and it was clear that they were putting up a strong front.

「Okay okay…」

I already know that they both hate losing and are unreasonably stubborn.

I just gave up on the persuasion.

「Excuse me, we three would like to enter, please.」

「Yes, thank you. Take care of your steps and enter inside.」

I paid the entrance fee at the reception, took the frightened Ria and Rose and set foot into the prided haunted house of the president and senpais.

「This is the reception. The target, Allen Rodore, has entered. President, I leave the rest to you.」

「This is Sie. Roger. Fufufu, you’re finally here. I’m finally going to get my revenge for all the things in the past, Allen-kun!」