OreShura: Volume 4 Chapter 11

#11: The Beauty Contest Pageant is Mayhem

I ran all the way back to the second beach.

Because I got lost on the way back, I wasted a lot of time. When I checked my phone as I ran, I realized it was already 4:32 PM, which meant the contest started two minutes ago. Originally, I wanted to talk to Masuzu before it all started.

"Eh……!?"

When I finally reached the beach, it was so packed that it didn't look anything like yesterday. These must have been spectators for the event. The stage next to the beach kiosk seemed really far away.

You've got to be kidding me......

It'd take a lot of effort to get close to the stage, right?

As I tried to push my way through the crowd, a nearby speaker began to broadcast music very loudly.

My surroundings filled with the sound of applause.

The large screen to my right displayed the image of the stage.

Saeko-san in a T-shirt, was holding a microphone. Judging by how her eyes seemed to be squinting like slits, she must have been in ｢weak mode｣.

"Let's have it—what everyone's been waiting for ~ ｢Use your Love Points to Water the Summer ❤ ｢OreDere｣ Beauty Pagent ｣, will now begin~"

Afterwards, Saeko-san waved on screen, and the sound of the applause and cheers amplified.

Since this was an event at the beach in the countryside, I didn't think it would be so many people—who knew the turnout would be so great?

They really have no problem with it?

"Uh—it's rather bothersome to make opening marks ~ so I'm just going to introduce the participants~"

Saeko-san's careless and weak mode really matched. Just like this, she narrated the event.

"First is the entry number one, Harusaki Chiwa ~ high school first year ~"

What, it's Chiwa already?

The screen showed the figure of Chiwa in a bathing suit as she stepped onto the stage from the side.

At this moment, the audience very welcomely cheered, ｢Ohh!｣ ｢How short~｣ ｢So cute—!｣ ｢Just like a chihuahua!｣. I felt like the most of the cheers came from women.

—Hey Chiwa, how do you feel now that others say you're cute?

I was as happy as if I was being praised myself, and it made be feel rather embarrassed.

But Chiwa—she still looked quite nervous. Although it wasn't as extreme as the time when we practiced confessions, but her expression was very tight and her movements were shaking.

"Well then, Chiwa-chan. Please introduce yourself to our audience—"

"O-Ohkay!"

Chiwa's voice cracked when she answered, and with a flushed face she faced the audience.

"I-I'm Harusaki Chiwa! Ah, um—high school first year! In the past I practiced kendo! I really like sinewy diaphragm meat and beef intestines. I've also recently started to read Shoujo manga….. and that's it?"

I thought she was going to talk about the things she likes to eat, but I didn't expect her to mix internal organs with shoujo manga in her introduction.

"Next—let's please ask Chiwa-chan to demonstrate her dere ~"

Now was it.

This was the selling point of this competition, and the theme.

"Chiwa-chan, first of all, is the person who you love at this venue?"

"Ah, yes, I think so."

"What kind of person is that boy~? "

Damn! Saeko-san must be secretly laughing. Her snickers are way to exaggerated.

What made you so happy, you bastard?

"Ah—um...... Well, how should I put it? He's obstinately serious."

"Eh? Not your average kind of serious?"

"You could say he's not flexible, loves to worry about things, or is clumsy. Ah—for example, when deciding to buy lightly flavored or strongly flavored curry seasoning packs, he has to ponder about it carefully. Just ask for a sample!"

"Ahahaha, that really is obstinately serious—"

The audience also resounded with laughter.

"I wasn't that worried about it that time! W-W-When I was buying it, weren't you the one who rushed ahead and threw it in the basket? Correct yourselfffffffffff!"

I tried to yell from where I stood, but the sound didn't reach the stage.

"But, with him so obstinately serious like that, it makes me feel like I can't leave him no matter what. And since we've been together since we were little, we even know each other's sizes!"

"Eh? He's your childhood friend?"

"Yes! He's as cute as a little brother!"

The audience again roared with laughter.

Damn! No matter how you look at it, it's more like you're the ｢little sister｣! If this crowd of people saw me, they'd definitely agree!

"Also, he has a lot of nicknames! For example, ｢Women's Toilet Overdrive｣ and ｢Shining bald devil｣? And then there's also ｢Anti-platonic love｣!"

Aaaahh.

Aah.

Enough, enough. Ahhhhhhh.

I'm never coming with this girl to Funase again……

But if they're not revealing my name, I guess it's okay.

"But, even if Ei-kun's like that."

She said it! She said, ｢Ei-kun｣!

……But since it's a nickname, I guess I'm still safe?

"Ah, when I say Ei-kun, I actually mean Kidou Eita."

"Why do you want to corner me?!"

I couldn't help but shout, attracting raised eyebrows from the audience around me. Damn, this is basically like a confession to me ｢Kidou Eita｣.

"Even if Ei-kun is like that, he's actually a really, really considerate person. I'm always receiving Eita's help, but I can never do anything for him. Not only that, but I always give him trouble, feel jealous about him, and I feel like―I really am a useless girl."

Chiwa lowered her tone.

The audience that had been so rowdy earlier also became quiet.

"Ei-kun has really really done way too much for me. I really don't know what I should do that's good? What's right? ……How should I say it? Although I really want to show you my dere, in truth—how do I put it…… I can only say ｢thank you｣......"

Chiwa looked up towards the sky, and then once again faced forward,

"Although I'm this kind of person, I'm going to train my maiden traits in our club activities, and I'm going to become more and more considerate—and I hope I can be a childhood friend and a girl worthy of you! I've always really really wanted to thank you! Ei-kun! I love you!"

Chiwa lowered her head and bowed.

Then her entire face turned red, and she dashed and disappeared off the side of the stage.

The applause from the audience was the loudest today, and it truly was great applause.

"Ffff......"

Chiwa, this girl. In the end, what she said wasn't bad at all.

This way, there's no way I can be angry at her......

♦

The screen once again displayed Saeko-san.

It was about five o'clock in the evening, and the wind was rather chilly. However, the audience just kept growing. I don't know much about beauty pageants, but did they really gather this many people? Was Saeko-san's company actually really influential?

"Next up ~ entry number two, Akishino Himeka-san, please enter the stage!"

Huh, next was Hime? The people from our club were going continuously.

"Akishino-chan? Akishino-chan?"

This was strange.

Saeko-san called a few times, but Hime still didn't appear.

It couldn't be—was she so nervous that she couldn't come out?

No, that was possible.

With such an unexpectedly large audience gathered under the stage, if it were me in the same situation, I'd be intimidated. Hime was never good at this kind of thing, so if she became petrified at the last moment.

Maybe she is at the side of the stage right now, shaking by herself.

When I thought that, I suddenly felt pity……

"Eita, will you hold me?"

"Yeah, if I were with her right now and held her……. what?!"

I looked back, and there was Hime wearing a swimsuit right next to me.

She tightly gripped my arm and trembled.

"W-What is it, Hime? Why are you here?"

"......Hold me......"

Hime rattled and shook, and held tightly to my arm.

It looked like she was scared, so she fled.

Conscious of the fact that guys around me were looking at me like, ｢why is this guy so popular?｣, I tightly wrapped myself around Hime's shoulders.

"Hime, are you nervous?"

"I can't do it. I can't be like Chihuahua."

Hime's delicate shoulders were helplessly quivering, and it nearly made my own body start to shake.

"That's not true. You can do it."

I took out my cellphone, and showed the ｢Jien-Otsu｣ phone strap to her,

"You're a member of the maiden's club, too? Right?"

"......"

Hime's body still did not stop trembling. But really, if I said a few things, I could probably solve it without Hime running away.

A thought flashed through my head:

—Wouldn't it be nice to run away?

If she forfeited from the beauty pageant, it wasn't a big deal. That stuff about becoming a bride if someone takes first place, Saeko-san wasn't being serious. Also, I didn't intend to follow up with it.

"Hey, Hime, if you're so afraid......"

When I was in the middle of sentence—

"Hey, Himecchi! Come out—!"

I looked back at the sudden big roar, and the big screen showed the ｢devil disciplinary committee member's｣ figure. Her expression was sharply grave, which didn't match the cute bikini she was wearing. Also, I didn't know what she was looking straight into the camera.

"After all, you're the one who works the hardest in our club. If you run away at the last moment, all of your efforts from before will be wasted, and as your master I can't let this happen!"

Huh! Quite expected of Ai-chan, she's very attached to her apprentice.

Since she gambled on going this far already, I couldn't give up yet.

"Eita, what should I do?"

Hime seemed to feel something, and leaned against my body.

"Well......"

What was the opposite of fear?

Un-fear? No, not that. Happiness? Peace? Love?

Ah, it's ｢love｣.

"Right, Hime. Use ｢love｣ to cover up your ｢fear｣. What do you love the most?"

"Eita."

"Oh, wow."

She replied immediately. Basically, I just got another confession.

"Okay, okay, I get it! Then say you like me ten times!"

"??? I don't really understand."

Hime tilted her head, confused. Why do you pick this moment to return to normal?

I felt a rush of heat rising to my cheeks, and I said,

"I-It's….. just think it's the same as a black magic incantation! Summon the elements and words of your favorite things that you've stored to fill your energy source, vreoooommmm—! "

Although I didn't understand that last part myself, but—

"I understand."

Hime nodded. Quite expected of my past (universe) girlfriend, she's quite connected to my soul.

"Can I begin to chant now?"

"Oh, anytime is fine."

Hime immediately extended her arms and wrapped them around my back.

—Hug!

"Oh......!"

In between my chest and Hime's chests, there was, uh—

......Squeeze.

Soft.

Not good.

Ah.

Errrrr.

I've always felt.

How should I put it?

Even though I've noticed ever since I saw Hime wear a swimsuit.

Even though I felt that if I said it out loud, it would cause a pimple.

Even though it's probably bad to look at a girl like Hime this way……. and so forth.

B-B-But, I should probably say it?

Hime. Has. Very. Large—

"I love you."

This was a sudden attack.

Its destructive power was amazing.

Her sweet and slightly hoarse voice, the temperature of her snow white skin, and the softness of how close she was.

"Eita, I love you."

This time, the voice was very clear.

"Ever since I've met Eita, I've changed a lot. I love you."

Where our skin came into contact, I could feel Hime's warmth.

"I can now say hello to my classmates. I love you."

All of a sudden, my entire body heated up.

"I've also made three friends. I love you."

Every time Hime moved, I felt a tingling sensation in my head.

"I used to think I'd never be able to come to the sea my entire life. I love you."

That was no big deal.

"I want to be Eita's number one, but if I'm rejected, then I'm alright with being number two. I love you."

What did she mean by first or second? Wasn't Hime just Hime?

"Even if I became third or less, as long as Eita smiles for me occasionally, I'll be happy. I love you."

Even there wasn't such thing as a third, if it's just a smile I can do that any time.

"Even if Eita starts to hate me, the person I love the most will always be Eita."

............

Was it ten times yet?

I only respond once.

I hugged Hime as tightly as I could, and whispered softly,

"Of course I'll never hate you."

"……I'm happy."

Hime also tightly hugged me as she responded.

We were like a scene from a movie.

I was infatuated by the atmosphere, and almost forgot what the purpose of this was…… Oh right, I wanted to encourage Hime to go on stage.

"Hime, you're not scared anymore, right?"

"I'm not."

"Well, then go!"

And then I noticed.

I didn't know when, but the jam-packed shoulder-to-shoulder crowd had pulled away from us. Hime and I were precisely the center of an empty circle approximately five meters in radius.

The people next to us were instead staff members carrying cameras, as swell as Saeko-san who held a microphone.

The camera lens were locked onto Hime and me.

I looked back at the big screen, and saw a closeup of Hime and me hugging each other like lovers.

The audience near us were staring at us.

Spectators in the distance were fixated on the screen.

"Hey, Eita."

"......Hello."

I gently raised my hand to Saeko-san.

"Did you happen to catch - everything - from -before?"

"Yup. Because wasn't that the doll-haired girl's demonstration of her dere?"

"OH……"

It seemed like even without going on the stage, Hime's part was already over.

For Hime, this must have been the best outcome.

But for me, this was the worst outcome.

To make things worse, much much worse, there were two shadows that crept close to me.

"Hey, Ei-kun, what are you doing? H-H-Hey, what are you doing?"

Despite having just given such a moving speech, the veins in this childhood friend's temple seemed to burst.

"Ta-kun, hey, Ta-kun? Even though I said I didn't mind what you do with Himecchi, I never said you could hug each other. H-H-Hey! I - never - said - so—!"

Despite having just demonstrated such consideration for her apprentice, this fiancée was now holding clenched fists.

"Hahahaha......"

Well—

Okay, okay—

Even though we were missing a person, I'm going to shout this anyways.

"Too much mayhem between my ex-girlfriend, childhood friend, and fiancée!"

---

Translator's Notes and References

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