Osananajimi ga Zettai ni Makenai Love Comedy Volume 1 Chapter 3 part4

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The Treasure Chest and The Toolbox Part 4

With my body not in the best of conditions, I eventually ended up hailing a taxi to take me back home. I shared it with Kuroha who was there out of worry for me.

I decided to settle dinner by ordering delivery, and a concerned Kuroha said she would eat too. The two of us continued reading the plot Shirokusa wrote in the living room while waiting for the pizza to arrive.

"Is this supposed to mean that-" I began as Kuroha tilted her head to one side.

"Hmm, Kachi-san will accept your confession if you can put on a live performance surpassing Abe-senpai's?"

"I guess it really does look that way, huh…"

After all, the plot had the main character defeating senpai as a prerequisite. The hard part was if that was actually possible or not, but for her to say that she would accept my confession if I won… could that not sort of be considered as her giving me a half-confession as well?

"Wow∼∼, so that's how it is∼∼, I had no idea∼∼" I thought as my cheeks melted persistently.

"Could it be that Shirokusa actually likes me…? Like Abe might be lying or… that's right! She's being blackmailed by Abe, and only pretending to be his lover! That would explain why-"

"If that were true, Haru, would you then confess to Kachi-san? For real?"

"……"

To do that would also mean dissolving my phony lovers' relationship with Kuroha.

Kuroha was - mesmerising. By my own volition, my relationship with this person was in the process of transforming from admiration into something else.

-So, between the all-purpose toolbox and the treasure chest you desire, which will you choose?

That's right, I-

"Anyway Haru, this plot bothers me in a lot of areas."

"Hm? Where?"

Kuroha began explaining while sighing.

"First, there is the matter of how Kachi-san knows what Abe-senpai is going to do at the "Confession Festival". Aren't these things normally supposed to be a surprise?"

"… That's true."

The average year saw around one fearless hero who would arrange a short speech before his confession, then belt out his own self-written love song. Having participated actively in band, Abe could foreseeably call upon his fellow members to help him perform a song - in fact that was what he should do, if he was indeed doing a serious confession.

But if he was doing so the surprise had to be effective. This was information Shirokusa should not have known about.

"If things were as you said, Haru, and Kachi-san was for some reason being forced to date Abe-senpai, we could take this plot as a signal for you to go beat him up."

"Yeah, exactly!"

"However, if we assume she's on the same page as Abe-senpai, she could be making you confess in front of everyone only to flat out reject you, Haru. Honestly, this scenario seems a lot more likely."

"Eek…! That's too scary! I don't wanna be shamed in front of the entire school!"

"She'll plunge you into the deepest depths just as you're coming off the high of beating Abe-senpai - if that was truly her aim, it would be an interesting… I mean, incredibly nasty thing to do. I guess I should have expected no less from a novelist."

No, this isn't funny at all! I'll never be able to recover if that happened to me!

To be honest it wouldn't be strange for Abe to do something like that. But I still believed that Shirokusa wouldn't stoop to his level.

"W- well, I do believe that Shirokusa really used to be my fan, so she probably wouldn't do something so heartless…"

"Even if she had been a fan, that was all in the past, wasn't it? Abe-senpai could now be her top priority, you know? Isn't that what happens to all girls after they find a boyfriend?"

"Oof-"

Those were words with some destructive power. They were said so casually yet they just as easily bored a hole through my chest.

But it was also true that Kuroha was acting more calmly than I was. They were bitter, yet precious words I was thankful for.

"… Either way, Kuro, would you mind asking Abe's band members if that's really what they're planning to do? I'm a guy, so it seems like they would suspect me and wouldn't tell me if I was the one asking."

"That's true. Okay then. I'll help you ask around."

"Thanks. Don't forget about the song name too."

I read through the plot once again.

"If Abe is really singing, then this will be the best possible stage for our competition."

I had set a goal of beating Abe into submission, but finding something to compete in outside of sports that would allow me to do so clearly was extremely challenging.

Yet there would be nothing that could bring me more pleasure than if I managed to upstage Abe's live performance in order to charm Shirokusa. I would surely be able to make him admit defeat then.

"… Haru, do you still have that photo album from back then?"

"Why are you asking so suddenly?"

"The one from when you were still acting, Haru."

"I do, but why?"

"Could you please bring it here?"

"… Sure, I guess."

I went to my room on the second floor and retrieved the album off one of the bookshelves. Then I returned to the living room and handed it over to Kuroha.

"Thanks."

Kuroha flipped through the album wordlessly. Then at a certain page her hands stopped.

"-There."

The picture Kuroha pointed to was of me together with a boy whose face was half-covered by his long bangs.

"Ooh, how nostalgic! That's Shirou!"

"Shirou?"

"This dude was a shut-in, you know? He seemed to be my fan, and got his dad who was a sponsor to take me to see him a lot of times. But he was quiet and knowledgeable, and lent me his books and stuff too, so he was a good dude overall. He also said something about writing a story and wanting me to play the main character, I think. I was really looking forward to it back then. But of course then I retired, so I never got to see him again. I wonder if he's doing well. His hair was untidy, but his facial features were incredibly well-arranged, so perhaps he's a charming androgynous dude now."

"… I see, so that's how it is."

Kuroha gently closed the photo album.

"Eh? What was that all about?"

"Nothing, why?"

"… No way that was for nothing. For some reason I'm feeling really scared right now."

"… It's nothing, okay?"

It was the first time I had ever thought the word "nothing" could be so terrifying.

The conversation was basically over. From Kuroha came the overwhelming feeling that she would make me suffer in despair if I pursued the topic any further.

"-So Haru, are you going to carry on according to Kachi-san's plot?"

"Right. If I am, we first have to confirm whether Abe is doing his live performance. Also, it means Tetsuhiko won't have a role, so I have to get his acknowledgement as well. But well, if we manage to clear those two conditions, then honestly… I want to give it a go."

"Because Kachi-san might accept your confession?"

Kuroha's expression clouded. So that was what she wanted to know most, huh?

"I want to give it a shot because this plan looks interesting. It's the best plan for revenge."

"The girl you've been admiring all this time finally looks like she might turn around and look back at you too, but you're willing to just waste it all?"

"… Hey, Kuro, there's something I want to ask you," I said, making up my mind.

"-No, I don't wanna hear it."

Perhaps having sensed something, Kuroha abruptly turned her back to me.

"Then just listen to me from this position. I-"

"Ah-, Ah-, Ah-, Incoming transmission! Incoming transmission!"

"Kuroo… You really…"

Kuroha crouched and covered her ears with both her hands.

Her almost childish resistance was probably a result of her getting the wrong idea.

"I don't want this, Haru… You're still probably in love with Kachi-san anyway, so you're just going to say we should stop being fake lovers, right…? I already know…" Kuroha said in a tearful voice.

Her pitifulness made my chest tighten.

"Ooh, I knew you got the wrong idea."

I flicked the back of Kuroha's head with my finger.

"Ouch!"

"From now on after school Tetsuhiko and I are going to be practising at home, so I'd like for you to not come over for awhile, that's all. Also, I was going to say that I didn't want you to watch us train, and that we didn't need any help either."

Kuroha looked up with a timid expression.

"Is that supposed to mean that you want to show off to Kachi-san, so it would be a bother if I watched?"

"No. It's because you were against me performing in the first place. I'm pretty sure it'll be a horrible sight, and you'd stop me if you were watching. That's why Tetsuhiko alone is enough, that's all."

"… I see. Alright, I trust you, Haru," Kuroha said and smiled.

Seeing Kuroha's smiling face… this time I aimed a flick at her forehead instead.

"Ouch! Haru?! You've been hurting me since just-"

"You don't have to smile if you don't trust me, Kuro."

Kuroha was a good girl with the niceness of an honour student. She always considered her surroundings carefully and would lie if necessary.

But due to our long acquaintance, I knew. That right now Kuroha didn't trust me one bit, and was on the verge of tears.

"… You idiot."

Kuroha pressed her forehead against my chest and pounded my body countless times with her fists.

"You idiot! You idiot! You idiot!"

"… I really do make you worry all the time, huh?"

"That's why I'm saying you're an idiot!"

Kuroha did as she pleased for awhile, until she tired and let her arms dangle loosely to her sides before whispering.

"As I said before, I'm still opposed to you performing, Haru, but I'll give you some advice."

"Hm? What's that?"

"You can probably still act, Haru, as long as you pay attention to these two things."

"Two things…?"

My childhood friend who knew everything there was to know about me continued talking with her forehead still plastered against my chest.

"You can't act now because of the trauma from your mother's passing, but what you should do is to tell yourself that you're currently playing someone with that trauma, Haru."

"You mean I should make myself think I'm only acting as the person I usually am…?"

"Haru, you've said that when you act, you imagine yourself transforming, right? It was fine for you only to transform once when you were a kid, but I guess now that you're a high schooler, you need to have a second, further form to transform to… or something like that?"

"I see…!"

My problems were that I hadn't acted for awhile, and that I couldn't get my head into the roles I was meant to play. But if I thought about switching roles at this very instant, that lowered the psychological barriers for me significantly.

It was hard going from zero to one, but easier from one to two. There were many instances where the above applied.

"As for the other piece of advice-"

Kuroha lifted her head.

Without making a move to dry her own tear-stained cheeks, Kuroha caressed mine gently with a smile like the Virgin Mary's.

"Try thinking about who you're acting for. Once you've decided that, Haru, I'm sure you'll be able to overcome your trauma then."

"Who… I'm acting for…?"

"That's right. I mean, the reason why you became a child actor was because of your mom, right, Haru? Didn't you say how it wasn't fun at all for you at first when you entered the troupe?"

"I… did…?"

"Yes, you did. I remember."

Kuroha had a good memory. If she said so, it was only because I had forgotten.

"You continued because it made your mom happy when you performed well, then she was overjoyed too when you became famous, and so on. Maybe it's because of that that you can't act anymore if you're not doing it for someone, Haru. I think that was what happened too earlier on stage, when you ended up trying to perform for yourself and then lost to the trauma. Even so, it'll probably be fine if you do it for someone else. You just have that kind of self-sacrificing attitude, Haru."

Hearing that jogged my memory.

"Mom! How'd I do? Did I act well?"

"Yes, you did very well."

"Hehe, of course I did!"

That's right, I became a child actor because I wanted Mom to be happy. Prior to being told that I had completely forgotten.

Kuroha was really too amazing. To perceive things about me even I myself couldn't understand, and freely give advice even though it could mean she'd be rejected if things went well… she was really too good a person.

"Thanks, Kuro."

"No, don't mention it."

The doorbell rang. The pizza had arrived. Kuroha said "Coming!", and headed to the entrance at a trot.

As I gazed at her back, I came to a certain resolution.

Then ten days passed - and the day of the cultural festival arrived.

Chapter end