NTR Kousuke

Chapter 57

Day 1, 12:55.

After watching the preliminary PR for the beauty contest, I head back to my class, 1-4.

How's the class hamburger shop doing?

...!

It's completely packed with customers!

Class girl: "One Big Nagase Burger set!"

※Even though it's just a double burger with a slice of tomato added for an extra 100 yen, these are selling like hotcakes. The bonus is a handshake, but...

Later, they changed it to a wink because disinfecting hands after every handshake was making them rough...?

Nagase: "..."

Snap.

Nagase-san closes both eyes with an expressionless face I've never seen before.

That... isn't a wink at all...

Boy: "It's Nagase-san's double wink!"

Double wink...

And looking at the sign, the price is 200 yen more than the double burger!

This class raised the price and started cutting corners!

I change back into my cooking uniform and return to the kitchen team.

Then, when I try to tell Nagase-san from the sales team that this is a bit much,

My friend Hiroshi closes his eyes and shakes his head.

Koji is staring off into the distance...?

I kind of get it.

It must have been really tough, huh?

I'll be gentle with her.

"Nagase-san, good work. I'm making burgers, want one?"

Nagase-san, abandoning her usual brightness, looks at me with dark, lifeless eyes devoid of highlights.

Nagase: "No more. I'm done with burgers! Are people here for the burgers or for me?! Just buy the regular burger silently, make sure the change is exact, and don't talk to me—!"

Kousuke: "...Want some takoyaki and okonomiyaki I bought earlier at the stalls?"

Nagase-san must have been hungry; she thanked me and started munching away.

She's really at her limit, huh? So I asked her best friend, the class rep, to take Nagase-san for a lunch break.

Nagase-san reluctantly goes along with her friend.

Nagase: "No! I wanna go with Kousuke-kun—!"

Poor thing... she's regressed to a childlike state...

Since I'm also on the organizing committee, I'll take responsibility while Nagase-san is away!

Around 2:30, Nagase-san comes back.

She's completely recovered.

Back to her usual sparkling, cheerful, and friendly expression!

With the first button of her uniform undone, her long legs on display in a slightly careless yet captivating, healthy kind of sexy way that mesmerizes the boys— the usual Nagase Aya.

Nagase: "Hehe, Kousuke-kun! Sorry for the wait, let's do our best together again!"

"...I'm gonna go eat lunch."

Nagase: "Huh? What? No way! We haven't interacted at all today!"

I don't need to interact with her...

I've got Yukari-san, after all...

I finish my shift and decide to have a late lunch.

☆ ☆ ☆

Since I missed the lunch rush, I was looking forward to the school cafeteria's special lunch event, but I guess it'll have to wait until tomorrow?

Well, there are plenty of stalls and mock shops, so I'll buy something to eat.

?: "Yakisoba..."

What should I get? I already gave away the takoyaki and okonomiyaki I bought earlier.

?: "...Yakisoba is tasty, you know?"

Ah! I heard the third-year classroom is selling kebabs!

I've never tried them before...

?: "Ko-su-ke-ku-n! Don't ig-nore me—!"

Eek!!

There stood Airi-senpai, looking completely different.

Wearing a tacky red happi coat with "basukebu" written in hiragana on the collar.

With a twisted headband and gym shorts, managing a yakisoba stall— the goddess of the basketball club...

Airi: "Sob, sob, sob, in the end, everyone forgot and no one came to help... I've been cooking yakisoba nonstop since morning..."

Even while shedding a few tears, Airi-senpai keeps cooking yakisoba.

The yakisoba she cooks sells as fast as she makes it.

...Isn't this making a huge profit for the club budget?

Airi-senpai, crying softly, looks incredibly endearing, and I can't understand why none of the basketball club members have come to help.

...Speaking of which, haven't they checked the shift schedule...?

Apparently, Airi-senpai printed out the shift schedule.

Airi: "...The teacher said they'd distribute it!"

"Senpai, I bet it's still sitting in the clubroom...?"

Airi: "What? I've been left alone since morning for such a reason?! I'm all sticky, shiny, and smelly!"

I stare intently at Airi-senpai...

Strangely, since the day I kissed Yukari-san, my fear of women has lessened a bit, and I'm not as scared anymore.

Airi: "What's wrong, Kousuke-kun?"

Airi-senpai fidgets a little.

But as the yakisoba finishes cooking... it sounds like a pun.

The yakisoba sells like hotcakes as soon as it's done.

She's been cooking yakisoba for everyone since morning, just to earn money for the club budget, right?

Her hair might be greasy, but her face is still glossy and beautiful.

And when I get closer, the delicious smell of yakisoba hits my empty stomach.

"Senpai... the yakisoba smells so good..."

Airi-senpai, flustered, starts fixing her hair and adjusting the hem of her clothes for some reason, but then she calms down with a composed expression.

Airi: "Kousuke-kun? After the culture festival, let's work on physical training, okay? Let's train your weaknesses— endurance and jumping power. Go beyond your limits like Yukari-chan, alright?"

The goddess of our club was in a bad mood.

You wouldn't know, right? This beautiful lady with a shiny face and the smell of yakisoba was last year's Miss First-Year, Tendou Airi-san.

I helped out at the yakisoba stall as long as time allowed.

By the way, the maid cafés in Class 5 and Class 6 are apparently packed with customers and in complete chaos!

Our Class 4 hamburger shop is just as busy, so I didn't even notice!

Is it thanks to Yukari-san and Satsuki's ability to draw in customers?

There were rumors that Nagase-san might participate too, but...

She declined, saying she's too busy.

The student council's general affairs must be pretty hectic too, huh.

And so, helping out alternately at the class hamburger shop and the club's yakisoba stall, the first day of the culture festival comes to an end.

It was a fun but busy day.

Tomorrow is finally the beauty contest main event.

At 12:00, just like today, in the courtyard event venue.

After the date outfit check, the final appeal in school uniforms, then the tally and presentation.

And with that, the culture festival moves into its second day.