Chapter 40: Volume 2 - CH 2.4

T/N: Now back to Yamato’s POV!

I had just picked up the scripts from the audio-visual room and was walking down the corridor back to the gym.

“WTH…”

I reflexively muttered this to myself as I encountered a bizarre creature. A monster with a curtain-like cloth wrapped around its body and a huge pumpkin on its head. The so-called jack-o-lantern was crouched in the corner of the corridor.

“Just because the festival has the Halloween theme, you’re getting on it way too early from the preparation stage,” I grumbled as I tried to walk past the jack-o-lantern, thinking it was some student’s prank.

It was right, then when a hand reached out from the curtain-like cloth and grabbed my leg.

“WHOA! WH-WH-What was that?!!”

I accidentally dropped the scripts I was holding in my hand, but the jack-o’-lantern right below me seemed to have used its pumpkin head as a helmet and was unfazed.

“Wuu..Wuuuu…”

But for some reason he(?) was emitting a painful moaning sound from inside his pumpkin head.

“Oh, hey… are you okay?” Somewhat concerned, I peered into the jack-o-lantern’s face.

Then he (I assumed it was a he) wriggled his hands and pulled off his signature pumpkin head. And out from inside came…

“…Namase?”

It was my classmate and Yuzu’s friend, Namase Keigo. For some reason, he had a wan and weary look on his face.

“Please listen to me, Izumi.”

“Hey, you don’t even bother to explain the situation first?”

Without even a preface whatsoever, even I would be so dumbfounded by his sudden appeal.

“This festival has been incredibly taxing for me.”

“You completely ignored my words. Hello? I didn’t expect you to reject my call at this point.”

Just what I could expect from Yuzu’s friends, they were all so brazen. But well, now he’d shoved his way through this way, it made me admire him on the contrary; so I decided to lend my ears.

“So what’s the big burden?”

When I went into listening mode, Namase looked even more exhausted and let out a sigh.

“Of course, it’s the social relations around me… You see, the festival is a couples event, right?

“You can say that…”

“In my clique… There’s just been havoc with people dumping and getting dumped, you know, right?”

“Uh-huh,” The faces of those involved in the love triangle resurfaced in my mind.

Then Namase got a faraway look in his eyes as he lamented, “Sota…he got invited by girls, right? Aki, then gets jittery, right? But she can’t exactly say anything about that, right? Sota is not that dumb, so he surely is aware of that, right? But because he just dumped Aki, he can’t say anything, can he? So I need to smooth things out, right? But while I wasn’t noticing, again Sota—”

“I got it, I got it!”

I could feel how nerve-racking this situation was for this guy, very much so.

“Um, it’s just, this is not something I can just spill out to anyone out there.”

Well, it was understandable how he wouldn’t want the topic of the people in his circle dumping and getting dumped being spread to outsiders.

“So, that was why when I, who knows the inside story, passed through here, so like a zombie, you just grabbed me over?”

“Oops, sorry. I finally found someone I could whine to, it just happened…” Having calmed down, Namase apologised for his behaviour.

“Well, I don’t really mind… Let’s put that aside, but what’s with your outfit?”

If he had spoken to me in a more normal way, I would have been able to deal with him calmly, but why did he have to add a bit of horror when he made his appearance?

“Oh, this? It’s a jack-o-lantern. On the day of the festival, all the students’ committee will be dressed up for Halloween. This is our costume.”

“…Gosh, I suppose it’s gonna be exciting, albeit in a different meaning.”

For a moment, I imagined a night parade of jack-o-lanterns flooding the school. I frowned, and Namase shook his head with a wry smile.

“No-no, regular students would be dressed up in a more relaxed cosplay. This is for the committee on patrol. This cosplay is meant to appear intimidating for maintaining security while keeping the concept alive.”

“Rather than Halloween, the concept is going along the Namahage line1.”

The pumpkin somewhat gave out an Akita vibe from it. Well, whatever.

“Ah… Namahage? For the halloween theme, isn’t that acceptable? I see,”

“No, don’t get carried away. I wasn’t giving you any ideas, was I?”

I frowned again as I imagined a school festival full of Namahage. The kids would be left crying.

“Anyway, when I was trying these on, my nervousness went away… You know, when people can’t see my face, it gives me a strange sense of security.” Namase held the pumpkin head with both hands and showed it off. “So I thought, why not take a break for a while?”

“For heaven’s sake, choose the right time and place.”

The pumpkin crouching in the corner of the corridor was already creepy, but when it suddenly started to move, it was almost like a B-grade horror film.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t spare a moment to look around…”

Apparently, he was seriously pushed to the edge of his limits.

“Um, I wonder if we should just keep our distance for a while? Until everyone settles down.”  In a serious tone of voice, these words came out of Namase’s mouth.

“If you guys separate now, you won’t ever return to how you used to be,” I unwittingly countered. “Once you put a distance, it’s not easy to return. While apart, each of you will find a new place to belong, and will stay rooted there. For me, that’s not necessarily a bad thing… But, if you want to make a fresh start, now is the time to do it.”

Hina and I were separated once and never returned to how we were. And the longer we were apart, the more normal it became for us not to be together, and this was how we ended up. At the end of the day, all that remained were questions, guilt, and an unfulfilled disconnection.

“Izumi…”

Namase’s eyes widened, perhaps surprised at my unexpectedly serious response. I felt a little embarrassed when I saw his eyes, so I started to pick up the scripts to hide my embarrassment.

“Well, it’s none of my business. Anyway, no more crouching down in the corridor, okay?”

I quickly gathered up all the scripts and walked away.

“…Yeah, thanks.”

The words that came from behind me sounded a little more cheerful, as though a weight had been lifted off his chest.