Chapter 246: "Hideyoshi, Stop Joking—Your Sister Can't Be As Flat As You, Can She?"
.....
That logic actually holds up, doesn't it?
The crowd stared at Seito, absolutely dumbfounded. Well, strictly speaking, it was a haunted house, and scaring people senseless was sort of the whole point.
Mayor Kiru's eye twitched violently. He stared at Seito, practically vibrating with the urge to punch him into next week. This kid was infuriating!
"Fine! I'm leaving!"
Mayor Kiru had no intention of sticking around. He figured if he stayed a second longer, his poor heart might just give out. Without another word, he turned on his heel and beat a hasty retreat. The crowd parted, clearing a path for him as he stormed off.
"So, what do we do?" Chairwoman Minami Kazuko asked, casting a nervous glance at Seito.
"Hmm." Seito rested his chin in his hand, watching the Mayor's retreating back.
"Mayor!"
He shouted, but Mayor Kiru didn't look back. At this point, the mere sound of Seito's voice was enough to make his blood pressure skyrocket. But Seito didn't care about social cues. He shouted out, completely oblivious to the man's fury: "Mayor! What about these two officials?!"
Mayor Kiru froze. A vein pulsed in his forehead. This kid has no sense of sportsmanship! I'm trying to make a dignified exit here, can you let me finish it? He picked up his pace, practically sprinting away. He trusted Chairwoman Minami to handle the two unconscious officials; he just knew he couldn't stay here any longer!
"Why'd he leave?" Seito muttered, scratching his head. Isn't it perfectly reasonable for a haunted house to scare people until they faint?
"Hey, kid," a passerby asked, "is your haunted house really that terrifying?"
"Of course!" Seito flashed a brilliant, winning smile. "It's a guaranteed return on investment! Look, even the city leadership was scared senseless. Everyone is welcome to come and play!"
The crowd went into a frenzy.
"Let's go check out this haunted house!"
"I'm in!"
"Right, let's go. It must be legit if they fainted."
"Don't worry, my nerves of steel can handle it!"
As the crowd swarmed past them and surged into the teaching building, Seito turned to Chairwoman Minami. "Need a hand with anything else?"
"No, I'm good." Chairwoman Minami shook her head. Let Seito help? She wasn't that desperate! Besides, she had also manifested her own ability, so carrying a few people wasn't a problem.
Still... as the Chairwoman, she couldn't exactly do the heavy lifting herself. She glanced at a nearby third-year stall and pointed at a few students. "You guys, come here."
The students didn't hesitate, trotting over until they stood before her.
"Yes, Chairwoman Minami? What do you need?"
"Carry these folks to the infirmary." She pointed to the five unconscious officials.
"You got it!" The seniors grinned, effortlessly hoisting the officials onto their backs and heading toward the medical office.
"I'm gonna go wander around for a bit~" Seito crossed his arms. With so many people in Class 1-D having manifested their powers, he didn't need to micromanage things anymore. He decided to take a stroll through the festival.
The campus was alive with energy. People of all walks of life roamed the grounds. From the snack stalls run by the upperclassmen, the sounds of hawking, bargaining, and laughter wove together, creating a vibrant, bustling atmosphere. It was lively, dazzling, and the mouth-watering aromas drifting through the air were enough to keep anyone lingering.
Seito walked for a while before something caught his eye, and his expression turned mischievous.
Up ahead, a certain "Hideyoshi" was sitting in a short skirt, happily munching on takoyaki.
Wait, is Hideyoshi just giving up on hiding his gender now? Seito wondered. Why is he wearing a skirt? And when did he even get over here?
His eyes darted around, and a wicked grin spread across his face. If Hideyoshi is in the classroom, then this young lady sitting here must be Hideyoshi's twin sister, Yuko Kinoshita!
"Time for some fun~" With a plan in mind, Seito strode forward.
Meanwhile, "Yuko Kinoshita" (actually Hideyoshi's sister) was sitting on a bench by the street, popping takoyaki into her mouth.
"That brat Hideyoshi... he insisted on listening to Seito-kun. Why couldn't he just go to the playground and grab a bite?" Yuko grumbled to herself.
She was in the same grade as Seito, though she was in Class 1-C. Because she usually kept a low profile, almost no one outside her class knew who she was. Just a moment ago, when Seito announced that all first-years were supposed to be NPCs for the haunted house, she had decided to bail and grab some food instead. Surely with that many people, they don't need me, she had reasoned.
"Hideyoshi~"
Suddenly, an arm slung around her shoulders.
Yuko blinked and whipped her head around. She saw a handsome, white-haired guy looking down at her with a beaming smile. Before she could even get a word out, Seito leaned in and whispered into her ear: "You finally decided to wear a skirt, huh? Let's head to the restroom; we've got business to attend to."
Yuko: "???"
She froze, staring at Seito in utter disbelief. Skirt? Restroom? Business? Wait... is this what I think it is?! She felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. What on earth does my brother do with Seito on a daily basis?! And besides... If you're really going to do something like that, find Hideyoshi, don't drag me into it!
"Come on, let's go!" Without waiting for a response, Seito hauled her up and started dragging her toward the teaching building.
"Stop it! I'm not Hideyoshi! I'm his sister,
Yuko Kinoshita!" Yuko shrieked, shaking off his hand.
Seito stopped and looked her up and down. Then, he offered a bright, cheerful smile.
"Hideyoshi, stop joking. Your sister couldn't possibly be as flat as you, could she?"
"..."
CRACK.
Yuko Kinoshita turned to stone.
Seito's single comment had dealt a critical hit to her soul. She stood there, eyes glazed over, her brain stuck on a loop, repeating his words over and over:
Your sister couldn't be as flat as you...
Your sister couldn't be...
Your sister...
You...
....
Thank you for reading.