Chapter 53: The Cultural Festival Begins.
Every day was swallowed up in the hectic rush of preparing for the cultural festival.
Yet, once it actually started, it somehow felt fun, which is kind of mysterious.
Today, we managed to safely greet the start of the cultural festival.
With Yukari-san, from summer we've been dieting and filming the documentary,
With Nagase-san, we produced the class's burger shop for the festival,
With Airi-senpai, we prepared the basketball club's fried noodle food stall,
It's been crazy busy, but once today and tomorrow are over, things should finally calm down.
9:00, the cultural festival starts! Ours is open to the public on both days.
It's a ticket system, handed out to the students.
So most of the visitors are students' families or friends.
Sho can't come because his schedule overlaps. Well, it always ends up being early November.
Now then, our class.
Nagase: "1-4, let's bring the energy and go for it!"
""Ooooh!!""
Under Nagase-san's command, we split into the service team and the cooking team and got to work!
Our main menu is—
Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, teriyaki burgers, double burgers,
French fries and drinks.
And, Nagase-san's recommended Big Nagase Burger!
...Just adding a sliced tomato to a double burger makes it the Big Nagase Burger and costs 100 yen more, but it's selling like crazy, mostly to guys in our year.
Nagase: "Thank you!"
As a bonus, you get a handshake. Is this okay? Doesn't this kind of thing cross into adult business law territory?
Later, when her hands started getting rough from disinfecting after every handshake, we switched the bonus to a wink—and then a bunch of fools bought another Big Nagase Burger just to see her wink, so the shop got even busier.
By the way, Nagase-san can't wink very well. But the customers all rushed in saying, "That's what makes it great!"
I worked quietly and steadily on the cooking team.
The shifts change every hour, but first I'm going to the gymnasium to watch the film club's documentary. It should be showing right now!
By the way, since Nagase-san is essential for attracting customers, she walks around the school carrying the sign with a couple of boys as guards. She tried to pick me, but I turned her down. She was mad.
In the gymnasium, footage of Yukari-san back when she was overweight is projected on the big screen.
It's just starting.
The documentary begins with Yukari-san crying, monologuing that she wants to change herself.
Then, she talks about confessing to the boy she liked since middle school, getting rejected without hesitation, getting mocked by a pretty classmate for it, and how she wants to change... The scene shows her shedding tears.
See Chapter 16: Those Who Laugh, Those Who Are Laughed At.
The scene shifts—maybe it's in front of the school cafeteria?
Huh? This scene...?
?? "Ahahahahahahahahaha! You're with someone like this?"
The eyes are hidden, but... that's Satsuki, right?
Tanaka-kun?! You filmed this?!
?? "...Don't say such rude things."
I'm in the shot at an angle where I barely appear, just enough you could identify me!
That's why! They removed me from editing!
The mysterious beauty looks genuinely amused,
*Satsuki
?? "But! But! This girl is all flabby and fat! Always eating sweets? Never moving at all? Like, 'I just want you to see the real me!' Her brain and her food are both Happy Meals, right? How did she even confess? The boy who got confessed to is talking about it everywhere, you know? I know I shouldn't laugh! Ahahahahahaha!!"
*Satsuki
Tanaka-kun! The editing is sloppy! The eyes keep slipping and Satsuki's face is showing!
Anyone who knows her would recognize her instantly!
? "...She's way prettier than you..."
Did I... say something like that?
I think we got into a bit of an argument after that?
I feel like I might've said her name?
I'm glad they cut that out.
?? "...Just watch. Tomonaga-san is a wonderful woman. She'll definitely become beautiful, so just shut up and watch..."
*Kousuke
Huh. Did I really say something like that? That's the kind of comeback Sho would make...!
? "Hmph! I thought you at least had good taste, but I guess you're clueless? Go ahead and keep polishing that so-called raw gem that's never going to shine!"
After this, I told her something like, "Good luck with remedial classes!" but they cut that too.
Thank goodness.
And then, Yukari-san silently shed hot tears.
Tomonaga: "It's true, I am fat and the kind of girl who just goes with the flow. But to that extent? Did I really have to be told all that? I want to change! Lose weight! Become beautiful! I want to prove myself to that girl and all the ones who mocked me! I will change! I'll show you I can! Please help me! I'll do anything?!"
And then, the scene changes.
Running, running! Running! Running!
?? "Not done yet! Shuttle run, let's go!"
The eyes are hidden, so you'd never know it's Airi-senpai.
Compared to how sloppily Satsuki's eyes were hidden earlier, you can really feel Tanaka-kun's grudge.
A week passed.
Looking at the comparison footage, you think, "Did she lose some weight?"
Her comments are still totally drained, just exhausted. Kind of resentful.
Two weeks,
She looks thinner than last week.
Her comments are still painful to watch. The grudge hasn't gone away.
One month
You can tell she's getting slimmer.
Her comments now show gratitude to the people who helped her.
Maybe the audience is totally emotionally invested, because the gym falls silent, and you can feel people holding their breath during the weigh-in.
After summer break ends, there's an interview about going back to normal starting tomorrow.
Yukari-san is shown feeling both anxious and confident.
She's maybe still a little chubby, but definitely not "fat."
The whole room lets out a "Whoa!" of admiration.
I'm standing in the back watching, but no one is leaving partway through.
Two months,
There's no more overweight girl there.
She looks like she's struggling, but her comments are full of joy at changing and gratitude to those who helped.
Admiration fills the gym.
Amazing. You did great, Yukari-chan...!
The audience is so emotionally invested now, it's like they're all friends with her.
Even Tanaka-kun, who came over to stand next to me, nodded in satisfaction.
We really did our best, didn't we?
And now, the final weigh-in.
That was last week.
Yukari-san stands before the scale, holding her breath, nervous.
Steeling herself, she quietly steps onto the scale!
The needle swings wildly! Then, it shakes, gradually coming to a stop.
? "49.9kg!!"
My voice echoes out!
You see Yukari-san throwing herself into my arms!
I'm glad it was just from the back!
And then, Yukari-san gets mobbed.
I quietly ask Tanaka-kun next to me the question I've been wondering about all day.
"Did you ever figure out who grabbed Yukari-san's sideboob here?"
Tanaka: "Nope, I never figured it out?"
Personally, I kind of think it was Tanaka-kun... am I wrong?
*Correct answer: the criminal was Tanaka.*
And then, the final scene.
Yukari-san's big reveal, all done up with the perfect hairstyle and makeup in a white dress!
On the rooftop at dusk, there were scenes of Yukari-san sitting on a chair, leaning back, even lifting the hem of her dress a little while on the chair!
The audience, sighing, gazed at Yukari-san—who had emerged from her chrysalis like a butterfly—with eyes full of envy or admiration.
After watching her struggle and transform so beautifully with such emotional investment, of course you'd become a fan.
After this, there was a scene where she was made to lift the hem of her dress until her underwear nearly showed and announce her post-diet measurements, but that part was cut.
Actually, doesn't Tanaka-kun have that footage?
I look at Tanaka-kun, but he won't meet my eyes. He's definitely got it! I'm sure of it.
I have to confiscate it...
And then, still in her white dress, the final interview.
It was tough, painful, and exhausting, but the happiness of changing herself, the joy of becoming beautiful, gratitude to everyone, and especially to that one special person who supported her.
Just watching that interview, my chest with emotion.
I'm proud of her.
The last thing she said in the footage was thanks. That hits the audience right in the heart.
As the interview ends and she receives a bouquet, the credits roll over scenes of her crying and shaking hands with each and every person to express her gratitude.
Starring Yukari Tomonaga
Supporting role: Diet Support
Kousuke Saito
I'm proud to see my name next to Yukari-san's.
And so, the film club's one-hour masterpiece documentary ends on a high note.
During the festival, the film club keeps the documentary playing on endless loop in the clubroom.
Ah—! That was so much fun!
Yukari-chan got so beautiful!
That girl? She's amazing, right?
I want to meet her!
I can hear the comments.
Then someone says,
"Yukari Tomonaga is entering the beauty contest! Noon, in the courtyard! She should be in the pre-event appeal!"
"Class 1-6's food stall... maid café! Isn't Yukarin working there in a maid outfit?"
The crowd starts buzzing!
The customers all move at once!
Isn't this going to make Class 6's maid café super busy?
Plus, the noon pre-event PR for the beauty contest is going to get a ton of attention too?!
The school festival has only just begun!