Chapter 8 | August 13^th

(In Anastasia’s Case)

 

It took a bit of time, but the evening shower finally let up just past five in the afternoon.

The rain clouds parted, the setting sun peeked through the gaps, and the foot traffic, which had dwindled, began to trickle back.

“Alright, alright! Looks like we can finally do some business now, huh?”

The student council president—who’d literally had her plans dampened by the shower and had been grumbling about her bad luck (though, to be fair, Arisa and I had been ordering stuff pretty often, so she couldn’t have been that bored)—rolled up her sleeves and leaned forward eagerly.

“If the rain had kept up, even I’d have been at a loss. But now? I can see us hitting our quota! Alright—time to grill, sell, and rake it in!”

“…I’ve been thinking this for a while now. And I’ve said it before too.”

“Hm?”

“President-san, you’re really fired up this time, huh?”

“You bet! I’m a festival girl through and through!”

Rolling up her sleeves and flexing a surprisingly pale bicep,

“A ton of people gathering, making noise, and having fun all day—it’s just great, no logic needed. If I can help make it happen and have fun doing it, even better. If I could be born during a festival and die during one, there’d be no greater happiness in this world.”

“Haha, you really love festivals, don’t you, President-san?”

“Yup! I mean, I’m the one who kicked off this whole plan in the first place. If I don’t take the lead, no one’s gonna follow. Showing my back to my subordinates and setting an example—that’s what a leader’s supposed to do.”

“Fumu fumu, as expected of President-san. So cool!”

“Which is why the date’s getting pushed back.”

Wielding a knife and skewers to prep more food, President-san said it so casually.

“Eh? Pushed back?”

“Your date with me, I mean. By the schedule, it should’ve been my turn right now, but oh well. Business comes first this time—I’ll pass.”

That was a bit of an unexpected twist.

If I thought about it calmly, it wasn’t a big deal, but I couldn’t help panicking a little.

“W-Wait, but is that okay, President-san? Giving up your turn so easily like that?”

“Oh ho, listen to you! It’s like you’re totally convinced everyone’s dying to go on a date with you no matter what, huh?”

“Ah—no, that’s not what I meant!”

“Like I’ve always said,”

President-san grinned, clearly enjoying my reaction.

“I wanna win you over with my own charm. Nabbing you through some assigned ‘right’ wouldn’t be any fun. I’ll leave that kinda thing to the shy underlings.”

“Ha, haa. I see.”

“Plus, the shop’s my top priority right now. I wanna make up for the time we lost in the rain, and that means the main firepower—me—can’t step away. …Well, once the festival peak dies down, I might get a breather. If that happens, spending some quiet time with you then wouldn’t be half bad.”

Oh, right. That makes sense.

That’s just how she is, isn’t it? She’s got this weirdly strong sense of responsibility—always putting herself second to focus on the bigger picture. That’s probably why she can lead a bunch of quirky subordinates as the student council president at a prestigious academy.

“So, we’re bumping it up.”

President-san clapped me on the shoulder and turned around.

“Oi, Vice President! You heard all that, right? Your turn’s up!”

“…You’re as pushy as ever, aren’t you?”

Nasuhara-san, who’d been chatting up customers with flair, turned with an expressionless yet slightly exasperated look.

“It’s all about your own convenience, with zero regard for anyone else’s. Being told it’s my turn doesn’t mean I can just pop up and say, ‘Yes, here I am.’ Comedy’s a delicate art, you know.”

“Kakka, my bad! True, your comedy might need some prep and rituals—like a shaman purifying themselves before a divine rite. Gotta follow the steps, right?”

What’s she talking about? No way that’s true, I thought to myself, but they kept going without me.

“If you want, you can even take a long date. I’ll give you my share—double the time compared to the others, and during the shop’s busiest hours. Not a bad deal, huh?”

“Like I just said, that’s all based on your convenience, President. For my convenience, it’s nothing but a hassle.”

Hearing that, Akiko immediately raised her hand with a “Then I’ll do it!” but got ignored by everyone. Nasuhara-san put a hand to her chin, thinking it over.

It didn’t take her long to decide.

“Fine. I’ll accept the proposal. …Akki.”

“Yeah?”

“You heard it. Let’s go.”

Once she made up her mind, she moved fast.

Untying the sash of her yukata, grabbing her pochette with her stuff, she strode out of the tent.

“What are you dawdling for, Akki? I don’t like slowpokes.”

“Ah, yeah, sorry—hold on a sec!”

I hurriedly chased after Nasuhara-san, who was already speed-walking ahead.

By the time I caught up to her side, we’d already blended into the crowd along the shrine path.

With the summer festival’s peak hours approaching, the shrine grounds were steadily filling with more people. The air, cooled by the evening rain, brushed against my cheeks, and the chilly sensation felt nice.

“Uh, so where should we go first, Nasuhara-san?”

“…”

“How about some food to start? You’ve been working nonstop, so you’ve probably only managed to sneak a bite or two. There’s this great takoyaki stall I know—wanna check it out?”

“…”

“Or maybe something sweet instead? Sugar turns into energy fast, so if you’re hungry, that might be better.”

“…”

“No, wait, that’s not it. If you’re tired from working, rest should come first, right? Okay, leave it to me—I know a good spot. It’s perfect for relaxing, and the view’s amazing too.”

“…”

“Uh… Nasuhara-san?”

I kept following the vice president, who was silently marching ahead. Where was she even going? And she hadn’t said a word—was she in a bad mood? She’d objected to this date starting against her wishes, so maybe she was unhappy with the situation.

Wait, hold on—what did Nasuhara-san even think about this whole rotation date thing? Everyone else seemed thrilled to go out with me (which I’m grateful for), but she hadn’t really commented or shown her stance on it. Sure, she was the one who first suggested the rotation, but…

“Your stomach must be full, right?”

“Eh?”

“Your brocon little sister, Gin-Gin, and Arisa-san. You went on dates with all three, and you probably ate something each time, so there’s no way you’re hungry right now. Am I wrong?”

“Ah—no.”

She was spot on. Truth be told, my appetite was pretty satisfied. With Akiko and Ginbei, we’d hopped from stall to stall eating, and with Arisa, I’d been snacking on yakitori the whole time. No way I could be hungry now.

“Going out to eat with you in that state wouldn’t be fun, Akki. And I’ve eaten plenty myself, so don’t worry about it.”

“But you’ve only managed to nibble here and there, right?”

“Not at all. I ate a ton while dealing with customers.”

“While… dealing with customers?”

“The customers who liked my banter treated me to all sorts of food. I’ve eaten so much I almost want to loosen my yukata’s obi.”

Whoa. That’s how it went down?

Treating her like that while she’s serving them—kinda feels like a hostess club, I couldn’t help but think.

“But that’s a good thing, right? If they liked you that much. Honestly, I was a little worried you’d feel out of place this time, Nasuhara-san.”

“Hmph. When I get serious, this is nothing. I had guys swooning over my charm, begging me to let them treat me. I boosted the stall’s sales quite a bit. In terms of contribution, I’m probably number one among us, no?”

“You’re totally a hostess with that approach.”

“If they’d had a bottle of champagne, I could’ve milked them for even more.”

I agree, but a prestigious high schooler doing hostess work would definitely be a problem.

“And there’s one more important thing.”

Nasuhara-san kept walking briskly.

“By getting treated by customers, I fueled up during work. There’s a big implication in that.”

“Uh, what do you mean?”

“Because this time, for me, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime stage. I’m strongly asserting here that I had a profound plan—stocking up on nutrients beforehand to prepare for the main event—so I can smugly brag later that everything went according to my design.”

“I-I see.”

Was she that excited for this date with me? If so, I’d better step up and meet her expectations.

“That aside, Nasuhara-san.”

“What is it?”

“Where are we headed? It feels like we’ve been wandering aimlessly for a while now.”

“…”

She went quiet again.

No, worse—her pace picked up even more, almost like she was jogging.

“Uh…”

“There’s something I need to tell you, Akki.”

Suddenly, Nasuhara-san spoke over her shoulder.

A little quickly,

“I’m actually really bad with sudden situations.”

“Haa.”

“Being out with you at this time wasn’t in my plans. So I’m walking around like this to buy time while I figure out what to do next.”

I didn’t quite get what she meant. Wait, seriously? Now? It was all too obvious. Though, to be fair, I rarely understood her perfectly anyway.

But now that she mentioned it, the back of her neck looked faintly red. Could just be the setting sun, though.

Hmm.

That’s kinda unexpected.

And about the date itself—she didn’t seem against it, at least. That was a bit of a relief. I’d feel bad otherwise.

“I’ve got a plan.”

Nasuhara-san said to me as I let out a sigh of relief.

“This plan should work. I’d say it’s the best, the optimal, and the only strategy, without hesitation.”

“Heh. Sounds like you’re confident.”

“Of course. I’ve never had a moment of doubt in my life—I’m always brimming with certainty.”

“That’s some serious confidence—though I’d love to just praise you for it. So what’s this plan about?”

“Obviously, it’s about how to make this sudden date time meaningful. I’ve been meticulously plotting it out in my head. Heh, with this much mental simulation, I can confidently say there’s no chance of failure.”

“…Saying that kinda proves you’re not confident, but I won’t point that out. So, according to your plan, what are we doing next?”

“We keep walking. Same route, same speed, just wandering aimlessly. Chatting it up like this is the most meaningful way for us to spend our time right now.”

“…”

Is that really the result of all that thinking?

I thought it, but swallowed it down.

“Man, though,”

Time to change the subject.

If chatting was the best option, I’d go all out and keep her company as much as I could.

“Now that I think about it, this is a first, huh?”

“A first what?”

“Going out with just you, I mean.”

I’d gone on dates with Akiko, Ginbei, and Arisa in a row, but with those three, I’d actually hung out one-on-one before. Akiko’s my little sister, so that’s a given. Arisa’s practically a sister too, so same deal. Ginbei’s been my best friend for years, so even if it wasn’t a “date,” we’d gone out together plenty of times.

But with Nasuhara-san, I hadn’t had that experience. Oh, and President-san too, I guess.

“So, yeah, it’s different from the others—I’m kinda nervous. Like, what should I say or do?”

“You’re saying something weird, Akki. You and I have spent time alone together tons of times if you look back.”

“Well, yeah, that’s true. It’s happened a lot.”

“Like when you caught a cold and were bedridden, Akki. I nursed you devotedly by your side.”

“Yeah, that happened. I’d question how ‘devoted’ it was, though. And whether that nursing actually helped my condition is another story.”

“Or when we were cleaning the dorm, you and I ended up sweeping the garden alone together.”

“Nostalgic, huh? Though I remember you napping the whole time and not doing much cleaning.”

“Or that time at the suburban shopping mall where you and I had a fateful encounter. That was the moment ‘Ana and Akki’ etched its legend into history, right?”

“That wasn’t us going out together. We just happened to run into each other there.”

“Anyway,”

Nasuhara-san forcefully pulled the conversation back.

“With all that time spent alone together, whether this is our ‘first date’ or not is a trivial detail. You could even say we’re practically a married couple.”

“No, that’s definitely an overstatement. Like, the biggest overstatement ever.”

“A husband-and-wife comedy duo would be nice too.”

“What are we even talking about anymore?”

“What I’m trying to say is, there’s no need to be nervous just because it’s our first date.”

“…Yeah, that might be true. Finally something I can agree with. Being nervous would ruin the fun, huh?”

“Though, to be honest, I’ve been so nervous my heart’s about to leap out of my throat.”

“Wait, so you are nervous!?”

I couldn’t help but go full-on tsukkomi mode.

Note: Tsukkomi (突っ込み): The “straight man” in Japanese comedy duos like manzai. The tsukkomi reacts to the “boke” (the funny, goofy one) with sharp, snappy comebacks—sometimes even a playful smack—to point out their silliness. Think of it as the voice of reason losing it over the chaos!

Man, she’s such a contrarian—she loves flipping the script like this!

“I’ve been so nervous I keep blurting out weird stuff.”

“You being weird is nothing new! You’ve been full-throttle weird since the day we met!”

“And to confess even more, I’m so nervous right now I’m desperately holding back from wetting myself.”

“Stop it! You’re supposed to be a beautiful girl character! You’ve got fans at school and beyond—don’t ruin their dreams! And isn’t it usually the opposite—nerves make it harder to go!?”

“If it comes to that, Akki, could you change my diaper for me? With your own hands?”

“And now an even bigger bombshell! You wear diapers!? Tell me that’s a lie! Please say it’s a lie!”

“Diapers are great. They cut out all the time you’d spend going to the bathroom—a significant chunk of life. In emergencies, you don’t have to hunt for a restroom, and even if you cross that final line, you’re spared the humiliation of being laughed at. With all these perks, don’t you think diapers deserve more appreciation?”

“Wait, that’s actually kinda logical!? Now that you mention it, the benefits are huge!”

“And while I’m terrible at housework, I’m also bad at changing my underwear. So diapers have been a real lifesaver for me.”

“No, diapers need changing too! Don’t talk like you barely ever change them—it’s a bad look!”

“You’re so noisy. If you keep being this intolerant of my quirks, I’ll upgrade my current bear-print panties to black silk lace ones. Heh, it’s like a modern-day straw millionaire story.”

“I don’t even know where to start tsukkomi-ing anymore, but there’s that favorite gag of yours again! Wait, you’re wearing panties!? And if you’re really rocking bear-print ones, I kinda wanna see them now!”

What are we even talking about?

Somehow, when I talk to her, I always get dragged along like this. I know I’m more of a tsukkomi than a boke, but she’s the only one who makes me tsukkomi this hard from the gut.

“—Alright. Not a bad condition.”

Seeing me grimace, Nasuhara-san nodded with satisfaction.

“At this rate, you’re plenty qualified. I’m relieved too.”

“? What’re you talking about?”

“Even I felt a tiny bit stiff at first, but it’s loosening up nicely. If we’re both like this, we can definitely bring out our full potential.”

“No, sorry. What’re you talking about?”

Ignoring my question, Nasuhara-san said, “This way,” and changed direction.

She headed up the path toward the mountain peak, weaving through stalls and crowds. I’d been up and down this area tons of times, so I knew it well. This route led to the shrine’s main hall—the heart of the festival.

The clock ticked on, the setting sun turned into a full sunset, painting the area in fiery crimson and the eastern sky in deep indigo. The closer we got to the peak, the more yukatas and happi coats we saw, signaling that the festival’s climax was near.

“Hey, Nasuhara-san.”

“What is it?”

“Stomachs aside, what about goldfish scooping, shooting galleries, or ring toss? It’s a summer festival—don’t you wanna try those?”

“No problem. Compared to what’s waiting for us, those are nothing special.”

“…I’m starting to get a bad feeling. What’s waiting for us?”

As usual, she didn’t answer and kept heading straight into the crowd, toward the festival’s core.

Soon enough, we reached the front of the main hall.

Like a major regional shrine, this area was especially spacious within the grounds. Huge camphor and oak trees dotted the space, with carefully laid gravel underfoot. Normally, it’d have that sacred vibe, but now it was overtaken by the festive energy of a special day. Personally, I preferred this lively version over the stiff everyday one.

“Ah.”

Oh, right. There was one thing worth noting.

This shrine had a proper kagura stage. It’s where shrine maidens perform dances to honor the gods—a feature you only see at higher-ranking shrines.

Looking over, it seemed like some event was planned today. Rows of folding chairs were set up, along with multiple lights. It’s a festival, after all, and with this scale, it made sense.

“Pretty impressive stage, huh? It could seat a small theater’s worth of people.”

“Yes, it’s quite nice. It’s got a refined feel, and it’s well-equipped to offer entertainment to the gods.”

“Wonder when it starts?”

“Hmm, maybe an hour and a half from now?”

“Heh, you know a lot.”

Chatting like that, Nasuhara-san pushed through the crowd toward the stage.

As we got closer, I realized it was more legit than I’d thought. The lighting looked expensive, the staff setting up moved like pros, and I even spotted what looked like a TV crew’s camera, with a director-type barking orders to assistants.

“What’s going on? Are they broadcasting this or something?”

“Yes, they are. Nationwide.”

“For real? That’s wild! Is this place’s kagura that famous? Never heard of it, but with this many people, maybe it’s not surprising.”

“It’s live, by the way.”

“Ehhh?”

“And nationwide.”

“Oooooh?”

Crazy! How much hype is there for this…? For such a big festival, I should’ve at least heard of it, but I hadn’t. Guess I need to study up.

“This way, Akki.”

I was marveling at it all, following Nasuhara-san, but… huh? Something’s off. The pro-looking staff were bowing low when they saw her face. What’s that about?

“Uh, are they your acquaintances or something, Nasuhara-san?”

“Something like that.”

“Wow, impressive.”

Having connections even here—talk about a wide network. No offense, but this is a rural backwater! Normally, it’d be total away turf. Maybe the Nasuhara family has a summer villa nearby and she’s been coming here to escape the heat? She is the heiress of Nasuhara Heavy Industries, after all—her life’s hardly ordinary.

I was pretty impressed, but the real shock was yet to come.

Nasuhara-san boldly strode into what looked like a backstage waiting room behind the stage.

Not only that, she plopped down on a leather sofa that seemed hastily set up and started drinking water from a decanter on the table. At that point, I knew this wasn’t normal.

“…Uh, Nasuhara-san?”

“I’ll announce the details of our date.”

Crossing her legs leisurely, she spoke like she was reading tomorrow’s class schedule.

She said:

“Today, here at Otowa-yama Shrine, the comedy duo ‘Ana and Akki’ will make its grand debut. That’s my request for our date today.”

…

…………

………………

“Huh?”

“Today, here at Otowa-yama Shrine, the comedy duo ‘Ana and Akki’ will make its grand debut. That’s my request for our date today.”

“No, you don’t need to repeat it word-for-word. I don’t wanna understand, but I heard you clear enough.”

“Good. Then I’m counting on you.”

“No, no, no, no!”

Hold up a sec.

What’s going on here?

Why are we debuting as a comedy duo right now?

Isn’t this supposed to be the shrine’s kagura stage?

“Kagura, as the name suggests,”

Nasuhara-san said calmly,

“is meant to entertain the gods. Shrine maidens dancing and playing music are just part of that. Us performing comedy and offering it up doesn’t stray from kagura’s purpose at all.”

“Yeah, sure, but… logically, yeah, but—”

“As you know, Nasuhara Heavy Industries is a global company with connections everywhere. Naturally, we’ve got ties to the big shots in this area, and with enough money, negotiations were a breeze. This shrine’s been struggling to fund a major renovation coming up, apparently.”

“No, I’m not asking about the political or adult behind-the-scenes stuff!”

“Don’t worry. It’ll be a talk show, not manzai, so we don’t need prepped routines or scripts. Just show the usual you and me.”

“Wait, hold on. If anything, a talk show’s worse—doing a polished manzai routine would’ve been less pressure! You’re saying we’re going on stage totally unprepared, right?”

“Oh, and we’ll plug ‘Shirahama’ during the talk show. That was the whole point of roping you into this duo, right? For publicity.”

“Yeah, I agreed, but not for a legit stage like this! I meant it as a casual thing at the beach house! You can’t just spring this on me—my heart’s not ready—”

“I had a hunch that if I didn’t push this through forcefully, you’d keep putting off our promise with excuses about being busy.”

“Ugh… that hits a weak spot…!”

“No need to worry. Legends often start like this. Ten, twenty years from now, you’ll look back fondly. ‘If Nasuhara-san hadn’t forced that setup, the legendary comedy duo that shone in history might never have been born. So it’s no surprise that from that moment, I started feeling immense gratitude toward her. And it was only natural that, in my eyes, she went from just a work or life companion to a woman—a potential romantic partner.’ Something like that.”

“That’s an awfully specific and bold imagination!”

“We could even cash in on a memoir later. Royalties galore.”

“I’m a little ashamed I perked up at ‘royalties galore,’ but I know the industry’s not that sweet! Only a handful make it big—most writers are struggling!”

“That’s an awfully specific and bold imagination.”

“Haha, just your imagination—what’re you saying!?”

“By the way, I prepared costumes for the stage. Here they are.”

“Oh, let’s see… huh, a purple lamé suit, gold tie, and matching shoes? Yep, this’d definitely steal the show—like I’d wear this! What’s with this ‘did you time-travel from decades ago?’ manzai vibe!? You talk about making history, but this is totally out of date!”

Panicking and tsukkomi-ing hard, it hit me.

Oh, that’s it. When Nasuhara-san said her ‘plans got messed up,’ this is what she meant. She probably planned to hit the stage right after our date started. President-san bumping up the schedule threw her off… close call! One wrong step, and we’d have been doing this talk show totally blind. Man, that was close—wait, no time to relax! This is still crazy! A nationwide live broadcast with no rehearsal—amateur me on stage is lethal-level insane!

Ugh, geez.

How’d it come to this?

“Damn it. Fine, I give up.”

Throwing my hands up in surrender,

“I’m in too deep now—like eating poison and the plate too, or reaping what I sowed. Alright, I’ll do it. I’ll give it my all.”

“You’ll agree to it?”

“Yeah, I’ll agree. The debut of ‘Ana and Akki’—I’ll take it on with everything I’ve got.”

I didn’t think I had the kind of talent Nasuhara-san sometimes hinted at, but I’m a guy. I’d step up and do my best, no matter how outmatched.

“Good. I’m glad.”

With that,

my new blonde vice president partner gave a faint smile.

Seeing that expression, my exasperated mood started to clear up.

So unfair.

When she makes that face, it feels like I can forgive everything.

All the impossible demands, all the chaos she drags me into—it all feels okay.

If even I feel that way, her devotees must be over the moon. Like receiving a divine oracle, they’d probably follow her every word without question, turning to her like sunflowers to the sun.

Yare yare.

Meeting her was my fate’s downfall, I guess. If I’m gonna blame anyone, it’s the gods.

Like I said earlier, I’m in too deep, poison and plate, reaping what I sowed. All I can do now is brace myself—

“Oh, one more thing.”

As I steeled myself, Nasuhara-san added,

“There’s something else I need to tell you, so don’t freak out.”

“Hm?”

I tensed for a split second at her words, but only for a moment.

I quickly shrugged it off, puffing out my chest.

“Okay, okay. Hit me with anything now. No matter what crazy demand you throw, I’ll catch it full-on. Getting shocked by you over and over’s a matter of pride now.”

“You don’t need to brace yourself that much.”

Nasuhara-san told a blatant lie.

That fact became clear right after, but I had no way of knowing then.

“It’s not a big deal. I just wanted to put my enthusiasm—or my statement of intent—for this debut into concrete words.”

“Fumu fumu, got it. Go ahead and say it then. I’m in a ‘bring it on’ mood now. I’ll just nod and say ‘Yes, is that so?’ to whatever you throw.”

“Then I’ll take you up on that.”

…Looking back later, it seems I still hadn’t fully grasped who Nasuhara Anastasia was at this point.

Totally deadpan, contrarian, tricky, and only ever throwing curveballs.

Yep.

This is exactly when she’d drop a massive bomb—

“If this debut stage goes well,”

“If it goes well?”

To me, asking back,

Nasuhara-san bowed slightly, like she did once before, and said calmly:

“Then, please go out with me with marriage in mind.”