Chapter 37: Irl School Festival Event 1

"I'll be off now, mama."  I say, looking over my shoulder. My hand already on the handle.

"Hold on, Andy. Aren't you forgetting something?" Mom calls out, leaning against the wall with a subtle grin on her face.

My cheeks grow hot once I remember what she means. "O-Oh... Right..."  I let go of the handle and approach mom.

Ever since that fateful day, me and mom started a certain... practice, every time I'm about to leave for a rental date.

"Ah- Mmm~ Hmph-!"  I moan into mom's mouth. A small amount of saliva escaping me as her tongue stirs the insides of my mouth. The debauched sounds filling my head so much that I'm struggling to think clearly.

"Mmph?!" I gasp. Behind me, mom is fondling my ass with enough strength to make me squirm. Her fingers digging into my soft flesh.

Soon, her large hand lets go of my ass. But I know she's not done, not yet. After going through this several times, I instinctively brace myself. Puckering my ass.

Finally, her hand came down. Slapping my rear with enough power to leave a mark if it weren't for my jeans. After the hit, her digits grip my cheek, giving it several firm squeezes.

"Pah-!"  Mom pulls away. Setting me free at last. "Haa... Haah..."  I breathe. My head still muddled from the passionate exchange.

"I'll, be off now- Ah?!"  The moment I pulled away, my legs suddenly give out on me.

Mom's hands dart out, catching me before I could fall. "Easy there." she whispers in my ear, pulling me into her embrace. 

"T-Thank you..."  I mutter. And only now do I realize how hot I am. My body is practically burning in her arms.

'It was never this bad before...' I thought. At most I stumbled once or twice, but that was it.

'How embarrassing...'  Being held this isn't bad, but definitely embarrassing.

As for why we make out like this every time before a rental date, mom reasoned it's "just a way of saying goodbye,"  but I can't help but think otherwise. 'Maybe she's doing this to leave her mark. To remind me that I belong to her...'

.

.

Later, at X Highschool. 

Shortly after passing the school gates, one could see several students lined up at both sides. Each one from a different class, holding signs that advertise their respective class' attraction.

Though, as one would expect, it is not a favorable role. Having to stand out in the open while holding a sign, and calling out to strangers telling them to visit your class. So it isn't hard to imagine there are students who dread getting stuck with the job.

"Achoo! Damn it! Why are we holding a school festival in the middle of winter?!"  a student surnamed Watanabe vented outloud. Her dyed blonde hair makes her look like a generic delinquent. Meanwhile, her sign is roughly pressed against the hard ground below her as she rests her weight on it. 

Next to her is a girl with black bob hair, straight bangs, and comedically round glasses covering her eyes. Surnamed Nakamura. Holding her sign against her shoulder. "I heard it's because the author really wanted to do this event now instead of later..."

"Keh! Damn that stupid au-" 

"Excuse me." A voice called out to Watanabe before she could finish cussing me out.

"Hah?!"  With an angry look on her facce, she turned to the source of the voice. "What do you- want...."  But the moment she saw his face, her anger quickly subsided.

"Ah, is now a bad time? I guess I'll just ask someone else-"

"No, no! Now is a great time! Hahah!"  Watanabe said with a flustered smile on her face. And in just two seconds, she had performed a scan of the boy in front of her. 

"So...."  she shifts her weight, trying to look more confident. "What do you wanna ask? I know everything about this school." she says, placing her hand lightly on her chest. "Ah, but I don't know your Line ID. So if you could just fill that in-"

"Do you know where class 3-C is?"  Andy asks with a polite smile on his face, despite the blatant (and terrible) pickup attempt.¹Line is the standard messaging app in JP. They don't use phone numbers.

Crack-

That was the sound of Watanabe's confident facade cracking. "O-Oh, class 3-C, huh? That's, uh-"

"Hey, that's my class! Nii-san, I can guide you there if you- UGEH!" Before Nakamura could finish, Watanabe sent a swift kick to her side. Sending the glasses-wearing Nakamura away in a dramatic fall.

And without breaking a beat, Watanabe turned back to Andy with a smile on her face, pretending like she didn't just kick her friend. "Ha- Class 3-C is on the third floor! They're doing a cosplay cafe- They have a sign out front- You can't miss it!"  she said in one breath. 'Sorry, Nakamura! I'll treat you later!'

"I see. Thank you."  Andy bows his head to Watanabe. "Oh- You're welcome!"  she bows her head slightly in turn.

"So- uh, about your Line ID..."  Watanabe shot her shot for the second time. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't give you my number. My girlfriend might get jealous."  Andy calmly rejected her advance.

Kacraasshhh!

And that was the sound of Watanabe's confidence shattering into pieces. "O-Oh... That's fine!"  she says, forcing a smile on her face. 'Fuck me- Of course he already has a girlfriend! And one that isn't willing to share, too!'

"Ah, but since you helped me..." Andy opens his coat and reaches for his inner pocket. He then takes out a square-shaped item and hands it to Watanabe. "I won't be needing this anymore, so you can have it. I'm sure it will come in handy."  And what Andy gave to the delinquent-looking girl is a spare hand warmer he had kept in his inner coat pocket.

"Oh, uh, thanks."  Watanabe receives the gift with both hands. She looks down, staring at the hand warmer then back at Andy.

'It's warm.'  she thought. Though the warmth she feels isn't entirely from the hand warmer.

"Take care."  Andy says with a smile before leaving for the main building.

Watanabe quietly stared as Andy's back disappeared into the crowd. "..... I take back what I said. School festivals should always be held in winter."  she muttered to herself.

"And maybe the author was onto somethi-"

"Justice!" Nakamura yelled, appearing behind the awestruck Watanabe and wrapping her arms tightly around her neck. "Kack- Nakamura wait-"  Watanabe managed to say before getting dragged down by her friend.

.

.

'A cosplay cafe, huh? She didn't specify what kind of cosplay, though.'  I thought, recalling the details I received earlier. 'Maybe a maid and butler cafe? That's the most probable one.' 

Climbing the stairs, I finally arrive at the 3rd floor. Just like the previous ones, it is filled with visitors and students alike. Walking around, I start looking for Izumi's class. "3-C... 3-C.... Ah, there it is."  I say to myself, spotting the sign the girl from earlier mentioned. 

[Class 3-C's Random Cosplay Cafe! From butlers to anime characters, the possibilities are endless! See what we have inside!]  The sign read.

"A random cosplay cafe? That's... certainly a first."  I mutter to myself. 'This actually looks fun.'  A smile tugs at my lips as I imagine what highschool students in a reverse world could possibly cosplay as.

Though, at the entrance to the class, one can already see one of them. "Please visit 3-C's Random Cosplay Cafe! We promise you'll have a great time!'  A highschool boy dressed as an elf archer called out. Wearing a pair of brown leather shorts, a black shirt, and a dark green crop top hoodie over it. 

'He even has a blond wig and green contacts. Really going all out, huh.'  Seeing that, my expectations for the cafe rose to a higher level. 

Approaching the elf boy, I call out to him in turn. "Excuse me. Is there a table for one?" I ask with a smile. Catching my voice amidst the noisy hallway, the young elf turned to me. 

But before he opened his mouth, I noticed his eyes scanning me before going wide slightly. "Ah- Yes there are! There's one right over there!"  He gestured to one near the middle of the room. A circular table covered with a clean white cloth. While the chair is the same one they use in class.

But what caught my attention is the familiar back-view of violet-black hair. 'Found you, Izumi.'  I smirk, locking on to my target.

Stepping inside, I glance at the decorations. 'Red carpets, red curtains, balloons, ribbons... They did a good job decorating.'  I assessed. My respect for the students of class 3-C increased just from the decorations alone.

The servers, however, are a mixed bag. Fitting the "Random Cosplay" in the name, I can see a variety of cosplays.

A boy wearing a butler cosplay. 'Can't tell if it's low effort, or if he just really wanted to be a butler.'

A girl(?) cosplaying some sort of mech. 'How is she not bumping into people with that on?'

A girl wearing a Jotaro Jotara cosplay with a serious expression that matches the character.

'Is that a non-descript black lizard monster that bears a resemblance to the famous character Godzilla, but due to international copyright laws, the author cannot say it's Godzilla?'

Yep. It is.

As for Izumi herself, she's dressed as... 'Uh... Is that that suicidal dude from Bungou Stray Dogs? I think the male version is named Dazai, but I don't know what his female counterpart is called.' 

Scanning her outfit, I can see a long, sand-colored trench coat, a black vest over a white collared shirt, white pants, and dark brown shoes. Under the sleeves, her arms have been wrapped in bandages. 'Yeah, definitely a strange character.'

Disregarding Izumi's choice of cosplay, I continue sneaking up behind her. Controlling my steps to make as little noise as possible.

And unknowingly turning heads from both visitors and students.

"Whoa... Who is he? I don't remember anyone in our school having that hair color."  A female student visitor asked to her friend.

"The moment he sits down, I'm taking his order! And maybe his Line ID too."  One of the servers and Izumi's classmate resolved to herself.

"How can someone look both cute and handsome at the same time..?" A salarywoman muttered to herself.

"Hey! Stop staring at him!"  A jealous boyfriend called out to his girlfriend who is blatantly staring at Andy.

Unbeknownst to the person involved, several pairs of eyes are currently watching his every move.

"One crepe, a plate of pancakes, and two cups of tea. Got it. I'll be right back with your or- DER?!"  Izumi exclaimed. To her, a pair of arms she doesn't know suddenly wrapped themselves around her stomach. Followed by a breath, and a soft, but familiar voice. "I-zu-mi ♥"  I whisper into her ear.

"W-Who?!" Izumi frantically snapped to look at me. Her face hilariously red. "What do you mean "Who?" Is that how you should be greeting your boyfriend who came out to see you?" I say, pouting slightly. 

And in that moment, almost everyone in the room went quiet.

For two seconds.

""""HUHHH!??!""""  Several shocked voices erupted.

"He's Sato's boyfriend?!"

"No way!! How did she get a cute guy like that?!"

Bewildered voices echoed all around us, but I chose to ignore them. I have a role to play, after all. "So, aren't you going to greet your dear boyfriend, Izumi?" I ask almost teasingly. A smug smile decorating my lips.

Izumi stared for a couple seconds, processing what to do in that little head of hers. "R-Right! Thanks for coming, Hiroshi" she manages to say.

To avoid arousing suspicion, I agreed to use a fake name. And the one I went with is "Hiroshi Hashimoto." Or simply "Hiroshi."

"Mm~ Good. For your reward, you can have this." I tilt my head and press a kiss on the side of her head. "Chu~" With a little sound to emphasize it.

"""EHH?!?"""  Another round of bewildered noises echoed through the room.

But they're not the only ones who are shocked. 'D-Did he just kiss me...?'  Izumi thought, frozen stiff from the unexpected reward.

And it was at this moment that Izumi realized how much she underestimated the lengths Andy is willing to go for his rental dates.

'.... Maybe this was a bad idea...'

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