Chapter 45: Preparations for Spring Festival are progressing quickly- the opening ceremony

The Spring Festival’s opening ceremony, the eve of the main event.

After coming down from the rooftop, I was put to work decorating the stage.

“Could you take this over there, please?”

“Are we done after moving all this?”

“No way! We’re not even halfway there! Next, we have to move the chairs!”

The stage was almost complete. The pre-festival celebration would be held here in two days. The stage was larger than I’d expected, and professionals were busy adjusting the lighting and sound. Seeing the stage, like a temporary building, rising from the empty school grounds was a novel experience.

‘It’s so hot…’ The late spring sun beat down on us, and I wiped the sweat from my brow as I helped the contractors. Most of the heavy lifting had been done, but there were still a few school supplies we had to move.

I noticed Aya climbing a ladder, her long silver braid shimmering in the sunlight. Even the beads of sweat trickling down her white blouse… she looked beautiful.

‘…No, now’s not the time to be thinking about that.’ I shook my head, focusing on organizing the boxes.

“Rina, could you hold this decoration for me?”

“Sure!” I hurried over to help Aya, who was perched precariously at the top of the ladder, trying to secure a decorative cloth for the stage.

‘Is it safe for her to be that high up…?’ I felt a pang of anxiety, but Aya, as always, was calm and collected. I stood at the bottom of the ladder, holding the decoration in place.

“Is this high enough?”

“Yes, I’ll secure it now.”

And as Aya reached out to fasten the decoration…

“Ah…!” she cried out, losing her footing.

“Aya…!” I instinctively reached out, but the sudden shift in weight made me lose my balance, and I fell backward. And then…

“…Huh?”

All I saw was… white.

“…”
“…” I squeezed my eyes shut, flustered. Aya was on top of me, her cool blue eyes… strangely…wavering.

‘Oh, this cursed protagonist’s lucky pervert event…’ But as the one who’d inadvertently taken the protagonist’s place, I had to accept this. This world seemed determined to throw me into these situations with Aya.

“Rina,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“I-I’m sorry!!”

“No… why are you apologizing…? Are you hurt?” She quickly stood up, brushing off my clothes, and I covered my face with my hands, my face burning.

‘Ugh… what just happened…?!’

Click.

…Huh?

“Hmm~ this looks like a good shot~”

I turned around, a shiver running down my spine, to see Mizuki holding her phone, a mischievous grin on her face.

“M-Mizuki?!”

“This picture’s pretty good, don’t you think?”

“Did you… did you just take a picture?!”

“Yep! Another couple photo for the collection~” she said, waving her phone.

My face burning, I lunged at her. “Mizuki! Delete it now!”

“Nope~!”

“Aya!! Say something!” I pleaded, looking at Aya, who was blushing and avoiding eye contact.

“…” Was I supposed to delete it myself?

“Mizuki!” Just then, Aya’s voice, colder than I’d ever heard it, cut through the air.

“Yes?”

“Delete that picture.”

Even Mizuki seemed to sense Aya’s anger. She turned the phone towards us, displaying the mortifying picture, then deleted it.

“Okay, okay~” She leaned closer and whispered, “But Rina, your face was so red.”

“…!!” She was too afraid to tease Aya, so she was picking on me… I covered my face again, mortified. Anyone would be embarrassed in that situation!

“Oh, Nakamura-san, the local politician, is coming today,” Mizuki said suddenly, resting her chin on her hand.

I wiped my face with a handkerchief, listening absently, but Aya, beside me, was still blushing faintly.

‘She must be embarrassed too…’ I glanced at her, and she quickly looked away, then turned back to me.

“Rina, your clothes are dirty.”

“Huh…?” I looked down. My uniform was covered in dust and sweat from the fall.

“…They are, aren’t they?” I tried to brush it off, but it was no use.

Aya’s eyes lit up, as if she’d just had an idea. “You can borrow my uniform.”

“W-What?!” I instinctively shook my head. Borrow Aya’s uniform?

But the problem was… the size. Aya, being of Northern European descent, was incredibly tall, 171cm. And I, presumably of pure Japanese descent and slightly below average height, was 153cm.

Even for boys, that was the difference between a middle schooler and a high schooler. And Aya’s blouse… it would be way too big, and her skirt wouldn’t even fit around my waist.

“Um… wouldn’t Aya’s uniform be too big?” I said cautiously.

Mizuki chuckled. “That’s true~ there’s quite a height difference~ but wouldn’t she be able to wear Aya-ring’s old uniform?”

Aya’s gaze flickered. Was she embarrassed? And then…

“I’ll ask my sister to bring it.”

“Huh?” I was stunned. What had she just said?

“I’ll ask my sister to bring my old middle school uniform.”

I wanted to protest, but Aya was already texting Reina-senpai.

“W-Wait, you’re contacting your sister?!”

“It’s the fastest way. She’s resting at home today,” Aya replied calmly, her fingers moving quickly across the screen, but her face, her slightly flushed ears, betrayed her composure. “It’s my old uniform, so it should fit you.”

My mind went blank. “Uh… w-what…?” I was speechless. Me, wearing Aya’s middle school uniform…? Mizuki grinned.

“Wow~! So Rina will be wearing Aya-ring’s middle school uniform? Hee hee~”

“D-Don’t say it like that!” I yelled at Mizuki, my face burning.

But then… I noticed Aya fiddling with her hair, as if trying to hide her ears. She was pretending to be calm, but… was she embarrassed?

But I had to be realistic. I didn’t have time to go home and change before meeting the VIPs. Borrowing Aya’s middle school uniform was the only option.

****

“Here.”

“Thank you, Onee-chan,” Aya said, taking the uniform from Reina-senpai, who had arrived by car. Reina-senpai nodded and glanced at me.

I tensed, but her gaze was gentle and kind.

‘…They really did reconcile.’ I’d expected some awkwardness, but the atmosphere between them seemed… normal. Reina-senpai smiled faintly. “Take care of it, Kurosawa-san.”

“Y-Yes… thank you,” I replied, bowing my head slightly.

Aya handed me the uniform. “Let’s go change. The locker room?”

“Okay.”

We arrived at the locker room, a place that had filled me with dread in the beginning, when the memories of my male self were still dominant. But with Rina’s memories resurfacing, it didn’t feel as awkward now.

Still… the thought of being naked in front of other girls… I sighed, looking at Aya’s middle school uniform in my hands.

“…” It felt… strange. I unfolded the uniform. It seemed like it would fit. It wasn’t as big as I’d feared.

“It’s my first-year uniform,” Aya explained quietly.

My mind went blank. ‘…So, I’m wearing Aya’s first-year middle school uniform…’ I clutched the uniform, taking a deep breath.

‘Calm down, Rina. There’s no other way.’ I had to change. I couldn’t meet the VIPs in my dirty, disheveled state. I started to undress.

Five minutes later, I looked at myself in the mirror, biting my lip. “Ugh…”

It suited me more than I’d expected. The shoulders fit perfectly, and the skirt length was just right. It was as if it had been tailored for Aya’s middle school self… but it fit me perfectly.

“Rina, are you done?” Aya’s voice called out softly from outside. She must have given me space, knowing I’d be embarrassed.

Hearing her voice made my mind go blank again. I was suddenly shy about going out there. But I couldn’t just hide in here forever. I took a deep breath and stepped out.

“Y-Yeah… I’m done!”

Aya looked at me. And then…

“…” She didn’t say anything, just stared at me, her blue eyes wide.

“A-Aya?” I fidgeted with the ribbon, a nervous laugh escaping my lips. I’d replaced the middle school’s red ribbon with my own. The name tag still read “Yukikawa Aya.”

Aya continued to stare at me, her gaze unwavering. ‘Why is she so quiet?!’ I wondered.

Just then, Mizuki appeared.

“Ooh~! Rina, you look so cute!”

“…R-Really?!”

“Yeah! You look like a real second-year middle schooler!”

“I-I’m not a second-year!” I quickly protested.

And then, Aya finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “…It suits you.”

“Huh?” Her words were so short, so simple, I didn’t understand at first. I looked at her again.

And then I saw it… her ears were bright red.

“…”
“…”

‘Ah, she’s…’ I realized. Aya couldn’t take her eyes off me. Even though she was embarrassed, I could sense… something else in her gaze.

‘…Really?!’

But why was my heart suddenly racing? I blushed, covering my cheeks with my hands, and took a step back. “A-Anyway! We have to go! We’re meeting the VIPs!”

“Right, let me just switch the name tags.” Aya removed the name tag from my dirty uniform and pinned it to the borrowed blouse. Her fingers brushed against my chest, and I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the contact.