Chapter 373: American-style Iaido
After checking the marathon route, the three of them returned to school.
At noon, the student council members went out together for lunch at the nearby shopping district.
In the afternoon, when the workload had eased, Sakurai Saki prepared to teach Shirogane Miyuki how to dance. Though Chika didn't really want to, she still tagged along.
Chika: (っ˃̣̣̥ -˂̣̣̥ς)
Inside the dance studio.
Fujiwara Chika looked at Shirogane Miyuki's stiff, zombie-like movements; her long eyelashes trembled slightly — she really couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Saki-kun, this is what you meant when you said, 'I've been teaching him for a week already, and we're more than halfway through'?"
Fujiwara Chika, how could you be this stupid?
When playing shooting games with Mega-ko and Saki-kun, this man named Sakurai Saki could even pull off the despicable act of "shooting someone's leg and then yelling, 'Enemy down!'" What can't he do?!
One shot to break the armor, two shots and half HP, three shots and just a sliver of life left.
Men when playing games — they're like demons drifting along the River Styx, water monkeys whose sole purpose is to drag others down with them!
Feeling a bit embarrassed by her words, Sakurai Saki admitted that he really couldn't teach this dance properly. There were only four days left until prom...
The deadline was close, Miyuki was exhausted — this was truly a critical, life-or-death moment!
If "Sherlock Chika" didn't come to the rescue, it'd be a total humiliation!
"I've already finished teaching all the steps of the waltz, but... that French exchange student who's supposed to dance with Shirogane — I honestly can't guess what dance they'll choose. Maybe, just to embarrass him, they'll request something obscure." Sakurai Saki sighed and released his hand from Shirogane Miyuki's waist.
Two guys dancing together did look rather odd.
But still tolerable.
After all, Sakurai Saki really couldn't bring himself to abandon this idiot Shirogane Miyuki.
Their friendship was starting to feel more like a father–son bond!
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine, we're best friends, right? How could I ever let you embarrass yourself?" Sakurai Saki patted the dejected Shirogane Miyuki on the shoulder.
Shirogane Miyuki's face showed deep emotion.
As the two were talking, Fujiwara Chika tilted her head — as if she'd just realized there was a blind spot in all this.
She asked, "President, why do you even have to learn to dance?"
"Because of the prom, of course. We're student council members — as hosts, we definitely can't leave early." Shirogane Miyuki replied matter-of-factly.
That's when Fujiwara Chika finally understood why it all felt strange.
Because Shirogane Miyuki seemed to think he only had one possible role — that of being invited to dance.
But taking the initiative first wasn't a bad option either.
"Miyuki-kun, you could invite a girl you know to be your dance partner. That way, you won't get pulled onto the floor by some stranger."
Hearing that, Shirogane Miyuki showed a thoughtful expression.
A dance partner, huh...
That's actually a good idea.
All he needed to do was invite a familiar girl to join the event with him. When the dance segment came, he could dance with her — and survive that part of the night unscathed!
But now came a huge problem!
"Who should I invite as my partner?"
Shirogane Miyuki thought for a while, then turned to Fujiwara Chika: "Secretary Fujiwara…"
"Sorry, that won't work, I can't do it." Fujiwara Chika wrapped her arms around Sakurai Saki's arm, speaking apologetically, "Miyuki-kun, you're a good person, but I think dancing with a guy would make Saki-kun unhappy."
Shirogane Miyuki — who had just been handed a "good guy card": (｡· v ·｡) ?
Secretary Fujiwara! Snap out of it!
Have you been mind broken by him or what?!
Well, whatever the nature of their relationship, Shirogane Miyuki couldn't possibly interfere.
So he didn't say anything more.
"Then, Secretary Fujiwara, who do you think I should invite?"
"...What about Kaguya-san?" Fujiwara Chika tilted her head, thought for a few seconds, then shook it, "No, better not."
She felt that Shinomiya Kaguya would definitely refuse.
Besides, the two of them weren't exactly close — private encounters between them were almost nonexistent.
In short: their relationship wasn't yet close enough.
"Umu." Shirogane Miyuki also didn't think Kaguya would agree.
Kaguya usually never talked to boys, nor did she have any physical contact with them. If he hadn't often seen her acting normally in the student council room, Shirogane Miyuki might have suspected she had androphobia.
"If you explain your reason, maybe Kaguya would agree. But Shirogane, don't you have a better option?" Sakurai Saki recalled the girl who was often bossed around by Shirogane Miyuki like a tool.
"Who? Do I even know someone like that?"
For a moment, Shirogane Miyuki was like a monk who hadn't attained enlightenment — totally confused.
"You mean Ryuju? Her family's yakuza, you know..." Shirogane Miyuki looked at Sakurai Saki uncertainly. "You think she even knows how to dance?"
Even if she actually did…
But if Ryuju Momo attended the prom, are you sure she wouldn't pull out a gun mid-event and unleash an American-style Iaido?
Come on, these days, the yakuza don't even use katanas anymore.
What era do you think this is? Traditional Iaido slash? No, try this 500 S&W Magnum — it's got quite the punch! — then she'd pull out a revolver and go "bang bang", firing two shots in a row!
"Ryuju-san?" The moment Fujiwara Chika heard the topic seemed to involve romance, she immediately perked up!
She leaned close to Sakurai Saki's ear and whispered, "What kind of relationship does she have with Miyuki-kun?"
"Probably the kind between a tsundere and a straight guy," Sakurai Saki leaned in and whispered back.
"Eh?"
Those two have some kind of romantic tension? Chika never expected that.
A yakuza maiden and an elite honor student forming a pair like that — that's absolutely ship-worthy!
"Sakurai, Ryuju and I are just normal friends. Don't talk nonsense."
Shirogane Miyuki had heard it.
Or rather — Sakurai hadn't even bothered to lower his voice in the first place.
Sakurai Saki couldn't be bothered to play matchmaker either. "Alright, fine. I haven't interacted much with Momo this year, so I don't really know what she's thinking. But she'd definitely be willing to help you. At least when it comes to dancing with you, you don't have to worry about her refusing."
"Alright then. I'll go ask her later."
Once his dance partner was decided, the number of steps that needed to be taught decreased considerably.
After another half hour of practice, as the two boys rehearsed the foxtrot, Fujiwara Chika suddenly spoke up:
"Wait a second, Saki-kun, wasn't the prom music already decided beforehand? Why are you two practicing the foxtrot?"
Both boys: "Huh?"
What?
"It's a waltz setlist — you two didn't know?"
"You never mentioned that."
The prom's playlist was handled by Secretary Fujiwara, who was well-versed in music — even Shirogane Miyuki wasn't aware of the details, let alone Sakurai Saki, the guy who always "dodged work."
"No wonder I thought it was weird when I heard you two talking earlier." Fujiwara Chika rubbed her temples and said tiredly, "Even if you're invited by that French exchange student, when it comes to valse, people usually only dance the waltz."
"Hearing you two talk about being made fun of already sounded off to me."
After all, not every student was good at dancing.
If the music chosen were too complicated, it would go against the original purpose of the prom — which was to socialize and make friends.
"Oh, so I don't have to invite Ryuju then?"
It felt a bit awkward to bother her for no reason.
Sakurai Saki: "I still think you should invite her."
Fujiwara Chika: "Miyuki-kun, if you graduate from university and still end up single, don't blame us for not helping you."
Shirogane: ∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ?
I really don't have any feelings for Ryuju — what the hell are you two even talking about?
(Note: This chapter... I feel like it's... confusing?... I guess it's because I don't know anything about prom...)
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