Osananajimi ga Zettai ni Makenai Love Comedy Volume 1 Chapter 4 part5

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Our first love revenge was complete Part 5

The "Confession Festival" on that day was embraced in a unique atmosphere.

"From 3-A… Takenaka Kanae-san! I've liked you ever since we became executive committee members for the sports festival together as first-years! Please go out with me!"

"OOOooooh!"

As in previous years, boys straddling the thin line between bravery and recklessness each took their turns to make an appearance. They were also accompanied by an appropriate level of excitement.

But everyone knew the main event lay waiting at the end.

-Abe Mitsuru.

The son of a famous actor and an up-and-coming one himself, who had made his debut in television drama. If Hozumino High School ever ran a popularity poll he would be a clear first place amongst the boys. Because everyone knew he was participating in the "Confession Festival".

Students making their confessions after his might have been overshadowed… or so the student council took into consideration and shifted him to the back of the order.

It was generally known who he was going to confess to.

-Kachi Shirokusa.

The beauty of this beautiful Akutami award-winning high school girl author who also appeared on television was also known to all.

There were rumours that the two of them were already dating. Yet Abe had thus far refused to comment.

"Abe hasn't said a word, so why is he suddenly making an appearance in the 'Confession Festival' now?"

"Apparently he just couldn't say anything because of something to do with his agency. But they won't be able to sweep it under the rug anymore if he says it at the 'Confession Festival'. It seems like he's planning to expose everything at one go, forcing them to accept it because then they won't be able to retract it."

"If you're gonna reveal everything then do it with a bang, huh? That's pretty tough, man. That's a real guy right there. Sick."

Before realising that story had spread.

Just as couples who got together made the news if they were celebrities, the excitement was naturally greater for a pair of famous personalities. Thus somewhere along the way the anticipation had swollen up and intensified, with everyone abuzz unanimously speculating over how Abe would carry out his confession.

"And now, last but not least - number eleven, from 3-A, Abe Mitsuru's confession."

There was a microphone placed right smack in the centre of the stage in the gym. The venue's lights brought illumination from above, with spotlights concentrated onto where the mic stood as if to emphasise the primacy of the person making his confession.

It was there where Abe appeared.

"Ky! Abe-senpai--!"

"Nuuuu! Conphesh to me inshteadddddd!"

Between the shrieking mixed with cheering, the energy in the venue immediately leapt up a notch.

Abe was full of calmness and composure. He gave his usual princely smile, waving in response to the cheers. A reaction truly befitting a celebrity.

"Thank you, this is Abe."

Abe spoke into the mic, setting off another round of screams and cheering.

He waited patiently for silence, speaking again only when the noise had died down into a murmur.

"I'm not great at talking, so I might not be able to properly express how I feel… so instead I'm going to do that by singing and dancing."

There was a flurry of activity backstage when Abe raised his hand. A guitarist, bassist and drummer appeared each carrying their own instruments, setting themselves up in a flash.

"A brilliant display of skill by the enemy."

A location further behind the rear of the stage: two people whispered to each other in a place untouched by the light.

"I'm only going to make him show us more of what he's got from here on out, Tetsuhiko."

"Well I suppose you're right, Sueharu."

It was widely known that Abe performed in a band. But you would probably not have attended one of his previous live performances unless you had been a fan of a certain degree. That might have been the reason that the enthusiasm in the venue increased further, sending high-pitched shouts of encouragement flying.

Abe and his supporting cast communicated through their eyes, and he nodded upon receiving the "ok" signal.

"Thanks for waiting. It seems like we've finished preparing, so I'd like you to listen to this song I'm about to sing."

Abe turned his gaze onto the rest of the arena, hovering over a girl sitting in the foremost row.

"-Kachi, Shirokuschan."

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Delirious screaming echoed within the gym.

"This song is for you. The song I'm going to sing is Acid Snake's… 'Child Star'."

Acid Snake was at present recognised as the number one selling rock band. Their breakout hit which had released seven years ago had been the aforementioned "Child Star".

"Child Star" had originally been the name of a drama series, with the song functioning as its ending. It had been the "child actor prodigy" Maru Sueharu who had mesmerised viewers by dancing along to the song, transforming "Child Star" into a monster series with a viewership of over thirty percent.

With idol, hip hop and anisongs all selling with ease at present, it was refreshing to see a dance number selling all out on the "coolness of rock". It was a famous song which had already been performed twice in "Confession Festivals" past, for while it was not a love song per se, it conveyed the emotions of a boy striving to achieve his dreams, the latter being easily equated to getting the girl he liked.

"The scribbles in that notebook

Are still there to stay

I still remember the promise

That we made that day"

"Wow…"

Everyone could tell in an instant. That Abe's voice comfortably fell within the realm of "good" ones.

"Abe-senpaaaaai!!"

The pupils of the girls who had fallen for Abe had already turned heart-shaped. In their eyes and contrary to his earlier proclamation, Abe's overwhelming charm seemed to have transformed the song from one for Kachi Shirokusa into one for them instead.

The girls who felt that way were not to be blamed. As he stood on stage bathing in the spotlights, the already handsome Abe seemed to shine three times more brightly than usual.

"Shit, he's good at dancing too…"

The male students who looked on jealously had no choice but to admit it for themselves as well. The melody of "Child Star" was intense, with its dance even more so. The latter called for you to jump and leap, stop and spin. All those things had to be done nimbly without leaving the vicinity of the mic. Naturally there were times when you had to catch your breath as well, but still you had to carry on singing.

The workload was originally meant to be divided, with a rock band in charge of the song and a child actor prodigy doing the dance. Due to the simple fact that no one had even presumed that both could be done simultaneously, trying to both dance and sing at the same time could be said to be like playing on Oni difficulty.

Abe's singing and dancing were easy to appreciate. One could feel the training that had gone into the fluidity of his movements.

Kachi Shirokusa, who had been bestowed that song and dance - simply stared motionlessly at Abe.

Her features were a little stiff, with no hint of mirth. Her face seemed to have turned a little red, but with the amount of lighting one could not be sure. There were looks of envy coming from the girls surrounding her, but she seemed not to care in the slightest.

The song enveloped the venue as the first stanza came to a close.

"… That two-faced senpai's actually pretty good, huh?"

Backstage: as the good time Charlie with the tecoloured hair - the despicable half of the dumbspicable duo, Kai Tetsuhiko, whispered so, the dumb half of the dumbspicable duo, Maru Sueharu, softly replied.

"… He is."

"A strong enemy then. Do you think you can win?"

At Tetsuhiko's words Sueharu snorted a laugh through his nose, before he turned away and gave a thumbs-up.

"-Easily."

So Sueharu whispered before breaking out into a run towards where the spotlights were concentrated in the centre of the stage.

For a moment Tetsuhiko caught a glimpse of a smile rich with confidence - and eyes full of spirit which only looked forward.

He wiped off the sweat which followed his brow.

"Holy shit… You're kidding me… For him to look cool… That's impossible…"

The transformation was already complete.

It had already been this way during practice. When Sueharu transformed everything changed.

The air about him was different. His movements were different. The way he looked was different.

But perhaps because this was the real thing, his presence was one… no, two sizes larger than before.

Right now that guy wasn't Sueharu. He had transformed into something more heroic.

It was impossible not to think that way.

"For me to get so excited by just looking at him… Something fishy's definitely going on!"

He had an almost unfair amount of talent and charisma. While Tetsuhiko clicked his tongue at that he also couldn't keep his jaw from softening.

"Hm…?"

"What's this guy doing…? An intrusion…?"

"Isn't that Maru from 2-B? Is he joining in…?"

The venue was caught unprepared the instant that Sueharu appeared.

There were many who suspected something fishy had occurred, but there was no way anyone would actually stop him while the performance was still going on. The band members playing also panicked as they wondered what was happening, but they accepted it was a planned action after being cued by their leader Abe to continue.

The interlude ended and the song entered its second stanza.

In response both Abe and Sueharu projected their voices simultaneously into the mic.

"That crying voice from the other side

Still echoes all the time

The sacred words you gave to me

Are still etched into my mind"

The atmosphere was being remade-

"Huh?"

"Eh…?"

"Whose voice was that just now?"

The gym was swallowed in shock and amazement.

Abe's singing was great. It probably within the top flight amongst the entire school.

But in just an instant everybody knew.

-That this was the real thing. Abe was good, but a fake.

Sueharu's way of singing imitated that of the original artist, Acid Snake.

But in that respect Abe was the same. It could even be said that Abe was better at extending his vocal range at the higher end and reverberating his voice at the lower end of the spectrum.

Yet there was a difference. It wasn't about whose singing was better or worse. The difference lay in if it reached the heart.

Sueharu, who had distinguished himself after only a single bar of the song - turned his back onto the audience.

The ending of the drama also began with this pose. From that position he would turn back around in an instant, monopolising the audience's attention.

That overwhelming presence and form - would now, after seven years had since gone by, reenact the legendary dance before their very eyes.

"Hey, the hell is this… Is he smooth or what?!"

"He's too good, man… Abe-senpai's good too, but he's not keeping up at all…"

"Isn't this the real… wait, is Maru - Maru-chan?"

"Huh?! For real?! That idiot?!"

"I mean, this dance - it's the real thing no matter how you look at it, right?!"

The students who couldn't accept the huge discrepancy between this and how he usually was, couldn't reject what was happening before their eyes either. Having been shown the real thing, they had no choice but to believe it.

"Heheh, now this is what I'm talking about. This is what I used to watch."

Backstage, Tetsuhiko dug into his nose with his index finger.

He reminisced about the ten days they had spent in intensive training. At the start Sueharu had thrown up and passed out multiple times. Tetsuhiko had prepared a vomit bucket, and used a damp cloth to slap Sueharu on the head and force him awake whenever he collapsed.

But never once did Sueharu complain.

His movements gradually changed. They became sharper. His trembling stopped.

But when practice concluded yesterday he had still clearly fallen short of how he had looked in the footage from back then.

But now he had surpassed not only how he had performed in practice, but even what he had achieved in the past.

"What the hell… so you cando it after all! If you can do it then do it from the start, dumbass! Don't I look like an idiot for worrying now?!"

He was stronger because it was the real thing. He shone brighter because he was on stage. So this was the quirk of a man once known as a child actor prodigy.

"Damn, what a show off - I knew your talent hadn't run out at all!"

Abe, who sparkled so brightly - looked dim standing next to Sueharu.

The way they looked hadn't changed. Abe looked handsome, Sueharu ordinary.

But splendor and presence weren't things which were determined by one's appearance.

"Suu…chan…"

Tears fell from Shirokusa's eyes, who sat in the foremost row gazing at the stage.

Days of young love, and the disappointment and sadness which came after. And in spite of that the unrelenting days of hard work which followed.

They surged around within her, turning into the tears which fell.

"Weren't you - not supposed to be able to act anymore?"

During a break in the song Abe called out to Sueharu as they stood on stage.

"You were supposed to have experienced terrible trauma. So how-"

"You know, Senpai,"

Sueharu wiped the sweat off his forehead and smiled invincibly.

"-When you're trying to look cool in front of the girl you like, who cares about trauma?"

Abe held his breath, then understood.

True, only too true-

Abe whispered to no one in particular as he quietly left the stage. He only motioned at the band members to play on, before leaving without a sound.

By that time no one looked at Abe. All their eyes were on Sueharu.

"You were the real thing indeed, Maru Sueharu-kun."

Abe looked back only once before disappearing backstage with a sunny expression on his face.

The song ended and the gym thundered with applause.

The enthusiasm and happiness of the audience conveyed themselves clearly.

"… I made it back."

I yielded myself to the pounding of my heart, experiencing a huge amount of relief and self-satisfaction.

"That perfect rendition was brought to you by the Entertainment Appreciation Society! It was performed by Maru Sueharu, from class 2-B!"

Tetsuhiko seized the microphone from the MC and gave an opportunistic introduction at precisely the right moment. I swear, he was second to none when it came to jobs like these.

"… But for that matter, I'm sure you all could tell from watching that this was no imitation, but the real deal, huh?! Did you all see that song and dance, seven long years in the making?! All this and all that were just preparation for what's about to come next! In other words, things are just getting started! Act Two of the Entertainment Appreciation Society's performance starts now! The reason for why we've stolen Abe-paisen's stage is - and I say this although I'm sure you all already know, right? Maru Sueharu's confessionnnnnn!"

That guy Tetsuhiko had really fanned the flames. Things had so far gone according to plan, but the gym had returned to silence, pregnant with anticipation.

What I was about to do was difficult, but I had made up my mind - so I had to do it.

I put my mouth closer to the mic.

"-Kachi Shirokussan."

"Y- Yes!"

Shirokusa's voice came in high in her extreme anxiety. It was a rare occurrence for someone who sold herself as aloof.

"Oh, right. Sorry, let me say that again… Shiro."

"… Suu-chan."

Shirokusa opened her eyes and regained her composure, giving a little nod.

"I-

I could see Shirokusa swallow her saliva.

I took in a deep breath and spoke slowly.

"-liked you."

"Eh…?"

There were feelings I wanted to share with her. But I had absolutely no confidence in doing so by word of mouth alone.

That's why I had strived so desperately.

It was to show that I could resurrect myself as an actor, and crush Abe completely, that I had arrived at this stage.

As a stage this place lacked nothing. It was here, with everyone's eyes fixed on me, that my words held greater weight and power.

"I liked you, that's why I was so shocked when I heard the rumours that you and Abe-senpai had started dating. The reasons for why I made it back on stage weren't very noble. I did it out of resistance against Abe-senpai, but to put it more bluntly, I did it out of a desire to get my revenge against the both of you. But I discovered something in the process. Something far more important to me."

I turned my gaze laterally. To another girl in the front row about ten people to the left of Shirokusa.

"-Shida Kuroha!"

I breathed in as much air as my lungs would allow, then let it all out as loud as I could in one go.

"I love yooooooooooooooooou!"

The audience covered their ears at the static I produced.

But my emotion was at a peak after giving my confession!

Now that I had said this much I could no longer stop. Turned into a runaway express train I spilled all my overflowing emotions at one shot onto the floor.

"I've finally realised that you've been by my side all this time! I was saved because you were there for me! I'm sorry for all the trouble that I've caused you! I might continue to cause you trouble from now on, but you're the person that I need!"

All attention shifted to Kuroha.

Tetsuhiko handed the mic over to Kuroha, who had been listening intently with her hands together in front of her chest.

Kuroha took the mic with both hands and looked up to where I was standing on stage.

Her cute, cat-like eyes were wide open. I hadn't realised until recently how cute Kuroha actually was.

But things were different now. I had rejected Kuroha's confession, and had since experienced what life felt like without her by my side. I had felt for myself the happiness of receiving her outspoken affection, freely given, and hearing her say that she liked me.

It was Kuroha who had given me the best advice during my battle with my trauma. It was also Kuroha who had showed me the most concern.

I had been infatuated with Shirokusa. But no more. Getting revenge no longer mattered.

It was - Kuroha who I was now attracted to.

"-Kuro, I love you! Please go out with me!"

Kuroha broke into a grin larger than any I had ever seen previously from her, and replied clearly into the mic.

"-No."

"………………………………………………………………………………………………..What?"

My gaze swam for a bit in my confusion - before I tried asking Kuroha again.

"You're… not going to go out with me?"

"-No."

"… For real?"

"For real real."

"…………………………"

"…………………………"

I asked her once again through hand signals if she wouldn't date me, at which Kuroha made a cross with her hands.

Trying to compose my feelings I took in a deep breath - and grabbed my head.

"Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!"

-Our first love revenge was complete.

For a brief instant Kuroha made a face saying "Gotcha!", but nobody apart from her knew.

Chapter end