Fun fact about me: I don't like kids. Yeah, sue me. This has been true in both my past and current life. That's also why I always made sure that every woman I was with was on the pill or that I had a pack of condoms in my inventory.
However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For instance, aside from three cases from my past life, I never had a problem with Yuki, our little maid friend, or my childhood friend, Sa-chan. Maybe it's because I knew them before regaining the memories of my former life, or because I was young myself, or some other strange case. Then there are Ayano, Noan, and Marin, who, although now 21, I met when she was in her first year of high school.
This means that not all kids are hated by me. But, damn, I'm not about to lead a bunch of them, like I did for this dance. If only I could stay strong and not crumble when Yuki asks me for something like that again...
Anyway, I was relaxing after a week of suffering on the stairs near our bonfire, unwinding after dancing with my little gremlin. Since this party wasn't on the regular school holiday list, Yuki had to stay and work to make it happen. She took advantage of the influence she gained last year as the school council president to ensure everything ran smoothly behind the scenes.
Sadly, all her efforts might be for nothing, as she has a health appointment scheduled for tomorrow with our grandfather. The truth is, her asthma is almost gone but not completely, so our family is concerned it could return if she doesn't get checked every two months.
While she was pouting about this, I made sure she would remember this day. The dance was set to continue from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., and I spent the first thirty minutes with her before she had to head home. I don't know where the visit is scheduled, but I do know she has to catch a flight somewhere, returning after two days.
Our adventure would begin after that. In any case, our evening together was joyful. We started by taking the masks I had made specifically for us; they resembled Venetian masks. We danced near the bonfire for fifteen minutes, then spent the rest of the time exploring the nearby stalls set up by other classes.
I then accompanied her to the car sent to pick her up, where she went with our little maid friend, Ayano-chan (yeah, a lot of people I know have the same name, thank god that using the Japanese suffixes helps distinguish them), who is now, well, not-so-little anymore.
Maybe it's an anime thing, but her fixation with being our maid has only grown over the years. Knowing that I took a university degree only reinforced that notion. The reason I haven't told her about my company or my identity as a light novel writer and artist is that, while she wants to be our maid, her family is too closely linked with our grandfather. I—no, we don't want to bring trouble to Ayano-chan because of this situation.
Anyway, after a pleasant conversation between the three of us, I waved them off, and here I am—just looking at the people here.
"Hello, Kuze-kun, can I sit here?"
While I was absent-minded, someone came nearby.
"Hi, Alya. Yes, you can."
After she sat down, we continued to sit in silence, a silence that wasn't awkward, as both of us were distracted by our thoughts.
"Kuze-kun, why have you worked so hard? Sorry, I know I don't have any right to know, but I'm curious..."
"Mmh... well, since you revealed yours, I guess it's right to reveal mine too, right? Well, it's because of someone."
"Someone... like a girlfriend?"
While many boys here might misunderstand her words as a sign that she's interested in them, I wasn't a 'boy.' I could read her well enough to know she was just curious.
"Actually, no. It's a friend. You see, I once lived nearby, and we spent a lot of time together. But after some family problems, I had to move—first to a nearby place, and then I had to go to Kyoto."
I didn't share much about my life, just enough to keep her interested. Also, Yuki asked me not to tell everyone about our sibling relationship and just to say we were childhood friends. Moreover, I had no intention of making public the fact that I have a degree and own a company.
I know I'm not one to live a life of hiding things, but if it were revealed to everyone, they would focus too much on me. The consequences of that would be significant, affecting the people I care about, like Yuki, my grandpa, and my friends from the Kitayama share house. I wonder how they are doing right now...
"Anyway, since I returned, this friend wanted to do something and told me about the dance, which is why I made sure it would be a great party. So, why isn't our solitary princess on the dance floor?"
"Please don't call me that. I don't like it."
"From what I know about you, it's because calling you a princess suggests that your achievements come from talent alone, ignoring the hard work behind it. Am I right?"
One more person was left speechless by my insight.
"Y-Yes... how did you know?"
I gave her my Smile™ before answering.
"I already told everyone. I'm strange."
She didn't like my answer and pouted for a bit.
We continued to make small talk. She was curious about the dance, so I talked about Japanese dancing culture in Kyoto. Soon, however, some visitors arrived.
"K-Kujou-san, would you like to dance with me?"
"Ah! Don't jump ahead! Alisa-san, I like you! Please dance with me!"
"Ah, you professed your love; that's cheating!"
Three guys who are in love, or at least have a crush on our Russian friend, were trying to express their feelings.
"I... I'm sorry... I'm not..."
While she is driven to work hard, she doesn't have the heart to directly reject them...
Now, it wouldn't be a problem since they would eventually stop bothering her, but she looked at me, pleading for help with her eyes.
Deciding what to do, while the three continued bickering among themselves, I took Alya's hand and led her to the bonfire.
"Sorry, guys. Tonight this one's mine. Let's go, Alya."
Without looking back, we made our way to the dance floor.
"Alya, you've already told me that you practiced dance, right?"
"Ah... Yes..."
"Then let's see what you can do... princess..."
Even though she was a bit hesitant, the challenge in my voice and the name "princess" were enough to lift her spirits.
"Ha... Haha, then it's on."
The rest of the party continued as many others admired our dancing skills. And I have to say, Alya is a great dancer.
//
[Dancing Lv 99->100]
[Dancing has reached the Max level. You've obtained the skill: Coreography]
[Luck 33->34]
//