School Festival #2
School Festival #2
"What the hell did you do, you goddamn terrorist! Why should I have to take part in some talent show?!"
"Aaa— aaagh!"
Grabbing me by the collar, Ryu went berserk, hoisting me up and shaking me like mad. The bastard's strength is no joke. My body flapped around like a paper doll.
But to me, it was pure joy.
"I asked what the hell you were doing! Go cancel it this instant! A talent show—I have no intention of taking part in—"
Watching that bastard Ryu scream himself hoarse was just pure joy!
"Ryu. You want to cancel?"
"Of course I—"
"Then you go tell the instructor yourself."
"You started this, why should I—"
"I started it, but now it's your problem!"
"Gaaarrrgghh!"
Finally, Ryu let out a scream and hurled me away.
I, of course, landed lightly with a breakfall.
"Kekekekek!"
I laughed down at the howling Ryu.
"I said stop laughing, you wretched Taliban bastard...! I'll kill you, mark my words!"
"Ha! I've been hoping you would! The rankings are about to change! Time to drop to fifth place, Ryu!"
"Guuh! Gaaah! Aaaaarrgh!"
The moment I brought up the rankings his blood pressure must've shot right up, because he was clutching the back of his head and making noises like a duck.
This guy wasn't supposed to be like this, either. He used to look like some rich boy from a good family, but now he's practically a goose.
"Gah...! A duel, right now! This very day I'll teach that damn Taliban bastard some common sense! I'll shatter your heart to pieces!"
"Kuhahahaha! Bring it on!"
—Beep.
Message sent.
"You scum...! I'm talking to you and you dare look at your phone? Brace yourself!"
"But before that, Ryu. Why don't you check your phone too?"
"What?"
Ryu looked confused.
—Buzz.
My phone vibrated aggressively.
[A gift card has arrived!]
[A gift card has arrived!]
[A gift card has arrived!]
Behold. A miracle wrought by a single finger-point. The miracle of the loaves and fishes has manifested right here.
[Thanks!]
The patron responsible for this miracle was none other than Ryuna. The sheer joy dripping from the message alone—this lady had shot me gift cards!
The reason was nothing much!
I'd reported that I'd gotten Ryu signed up for the school talent show, that's why! Instantly, a thank-you note and gift cards came flying in!
"What on earth...?"
—Buzz.
At the same time, Ryu's phone rang.
Didn't even need to look.
Had to be from Ryuna.
"Hello. I'm at school, what's—"
Ryu answered the phone.
"...!"
Then bolted frantically out of the classroom.
"No, absolutely not! It's a mistake! I never once said I'd participate! You already told Mom and Dad?! It hasn't even been decided yet, I said!"
He vehemently yelled "It's not true" at his older sister, but the superhuman world isn't that soft, Ryu. If the instructor told you to do it, you're doing it.
"I anticipated this, naturally."
That Ryu would go berserk, I mean. I'd expected it from the start.
But I have the Ryuna direct hotline. What's the one step Ryuna would take upon learning her little brother's in the talent show?
"Absolute."
Now no matter how furious Ryu gets, he can't do a thing to me. Trembling in place and screaming "Taliban bastard" is the only option he's got.
All I have to do is look down from above his head and laugh and enjoy myself.
"Hoo-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
I'll look forward to watching Ryu's talent show on festival day. Already excited to see what that zero-social-skills bastard will end up doing.
"Seriously, Geun-cheol. Do you really like messing with Ryu that much?"
"You wouldn't get it. This joy... that punk Ryu needs to experience some suffering."
"Hopeless. Honestly."
The single greatest joy in the world is messing with a friend. Si-hoo, who couldn't understand that, just sighed. She simply doesn't know anything.
"Ooh, watashi no breakdancing dansu! I shall show you!"
"I can play the shamisen a bit, but... no place to get one, and Gopchang Man made things difficult."
"Might have to bust out the guitar."
The energy was starting to rise.
Classmates whose roles had been decided were chatting among themselves, steeling their resolve. Looking around, Leona and Yu-ri were huddled up whispering too—both had been pegged for dancing, so, what, were they thinking of doing a pair routine?
Anyway, while that was going on.
—Squeak.
The classroom door slid open and the Mage Class kids walked in.
"The heck?"
They just showed up?
"Ay! What's going on!"
When I asked, a male student answered.
"Ah! So this time, Mage Class and Warrior Class!"
"Warrior Class and Mage Class!"
"...A, duo thing? Looks like we pair up and perform a skill display! Out there on the training ground! Some kind of demonstration event, they said!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
After listening to the rough explanation, it turned out we weren't just dancing and singing. It was a kind of sports day... where students from each class pair up in duo format and showcase something by combining their abilities.
"What a hassle."
Do I need to grab someone and do it too? Well, if I have to I could just chuck Ahn Do-min around and it'd work. But there isn't much time, and it's probably not mandatory. Most likely it's just for kids who aren't doing singing, dancing, or martial arts displays, or anything at all.
"Uh, um... Geun-cheol..."
With an exceedingly familiar hunched-over posture, the Ma-O-Ha Duo slowly approached and stood before me.
"Ma-O-Ha!"
"D-Drop the 'Ma,' I keep saying... Um, so... Geun-cheol? You just heard the talk...?"
"Th-The talkk... I-I hearrrdd it..."
To imitate them I shook my whole body violently, made incomprehensible hand signs with both hands, and spoke with my eyes rolled back, which sent Ha-yul into outright terror and flailing denial.
"Don't do weird things...! That stuff is scary...!"
"Fine, fine. So what's up?"
"The... duo thing... m-me, me, with..."
Na-rang-deu cider.
"Kim Geun-cheol! What is going on here? Why on earth are you bothering a Mage Class student?"
At that moment Leona appeared. Wait, what?
"What do you mean! I'm not bothering anyone!"
"Didn't you just now? You were shaking all over, eyes rolled back, making incomprehensible hand signs! A typical Kim Geun-cheol bizarre-act harassment!!! I declare you guilty!!!"
With her arms crossed, Leona berated me as if passing judgment!
"G-G-Guil...! It's a misunderstanding! It was just a joke to lighten the mood! Right? Mae-o-baek-hae!"
"Uh, uhh... W-Well..."
"Get away from this suspicious man, Mage Class Park Ha-yul!"
"He, he wasn't really harassing me..."
"See! She says I wasn't!"
I almost died of unfairness!
"Hm, is that so?"
Her misunderstanding cleared up, and she nodded.
"Anyway, come here. Stop doing weird things and let's at least think about what to do for the festival."
"Fine. Hey, O-hun Ha-yul! I'm going!"
"Ah, aah... yeah..."
Let's go have a little festival talk with Leona, then. I looked over and saw Yu-ri with her forehead on the desk, clutching her own head.
"Hehehe, looks like Yu-ri's pretty nervous, huh?"
"Surprisingly, Woo Yu-ri seems to be weak to this kind of thing. Good heavens. I never thought Woo Yu-ri would be in a state like that."
"Perfect opportunity."
I could die laughing, honestly.
Anyway, guess we ought to do a little festival prep.
* * *
After school.
We'd planned to talk about festival stuff at a café or something, but that fell through because Woo Yu-ri tried to kill Kim Geun-cheol. Leona swallowed her disappointment and returned to her quarters.
"Hoo."
Back home, Leona thought back to the morning's events.
'A good-looking kid?'
The instructor had definitely said it'd be great if a good-looking kid got up and sang or danced. Leona considered that, as far as visuals went, she was top of the heap. Woo Yu-ri's looks were good too, but if you factored in combat power, Leona was stronger, so that was a win by decision.
'Kim Geun-cheol, too, well, he doesn't seem like it, but his visuals are decent in their own way.'
Objectively speaking, he wasn't bad. Thinking that, Leona pulled an iced tea from the fridge and poured it into a cup of ice.
"Hmph."
A laugh escaped her for no real reason.
'Going on about how he's so good at singing. Go ahead, let him sing, then. I'd like to hear it. That bizarre song of Kim Geun-cheol's. I'll be the judge.'
Lee Si-hoo had definitely said as much. That Kim Geun-cheol sang in a very bizarre way. That was probably an objective assessment, and yet the fact that he thought he was a good singer was truly infuriating.
That was Kim Geun-cheol for you.
'Anyway.'
This time around, she'd ended up with something to do for the festival. Which was dancing. Performing in front of the entire student body.
Sipping her iced tea, Leona went and stood before a full-length mirror.
'Is this... me?'
Leona stretched her hand toward the mirror.
'I'm pretty! So pretty! Kya! This is what you call visuals! Why, you're absolutely a noble young lady, a noble young lady!'
She shouted aloud and laughed.
'Your blood's just too blue!'
If you asked the mirror, it would surely say she was the most beautiful. She was overdoing it, but she actually was beautiful.
"Bewitching!"
—Crack!
Brimming with confidence, Leona struck a pose.
One hand to the back of her head. And the other hand on her hip.
It was a moderately struck pose, but the motion was imbued with superhuman power and the elegant etiquette she'd cultivated living as a noble young lady. Add her own visuals on top, and it was truly a painting. Artistic violence.
"Do try falling for my charms, Kim Geun-cheol."
What would Kim Geun-cheol think when he watched her dance? She knew perfectly well that, despite pretending otherwise, Kim Geun-cheol was an impish fellow.
"This here is my very own dance."
And so Leona danced before the full-length mirror, trying this and that movement, etching her own image into her eyes.
With this, stealing Kim Geun-cheol's gaze would be simple.
Lately, the Mage Class girls had been showing interest in Kim Geun-cheol, and there was a need to wash all of that away in one stroke.
"Brace yourself!"