Chapter 9: Challenge and Change

Monday after school, in the audiovisual room.

Kotori, rigid with nerves, bowed to Kuroda and the band members at Akira’s prompting. “P-Please take care of me…!”

They responded with, “Yo, we’re counting on you.” “That singing was insane.” “Let’s make something awesome.” Kotori immediately panicked and hid behind Akira.

The group let out wry chuckles. Given their height difference, Kotori wasn’t exactly hidden.

In the end, Kotori had agreed to take on the vocalist role for the cosplay band performance, as Yagi had suggested at karaoke.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t hesitated.

She couldn’t say yes to Yagi right away, and even when Kuroda and the band members earnestly asked her multiple times, she just floundered.

But then Akira said, “Let’s do it together!”

That wiped out any option of refusing.

Still, it wasn’t like she didn’t feel embarrassed or regretful about agreeing.

After karaoke, she’d even asked Takumi for a routine intense enough to make her moan, just to overwrite those feelings. Takumi had checked if she was sure, offering to help her back out if needed.

His concern was valid.

Even now, she was gripped by anxiety—could she really handle being the vocalist? One slip, and she felt like her legs might give out.

As she fretted, Kuroda cleared his throat with a “Ahem” and addressed the group. “Alright, time’s tight, so let’s do a run-through first.”

The other members responded with “Yo!” or “Sweet!” and started prepping their instruments. Akira stepped away from Kotori’s side to head to the keyboard.

Feeling a bit uneasy about being left alone, Kotori had no choice but to accept it. She let out a small “Phew” to steady herself and glanced around.

The audiovisual prep room was filled with instruments, and everyone was getting ready with their respective gear.

Before coming here, Akira had mentioned that using the audiovisual room for band practice required filling out tedious paperwork for approval. Apparently, Yagi, the mastermind behind it all, had handled every detail.

Sure, she was a troublesome senpai with her overly touchy-feely antics, but her meticulous planning and passion for the event were genuinely admirable. As a fellow enthusiast, Kotori wanted to support her.

Soon, preparations were complete, and Kuroda signaled to the group. “Everyone ready?”

As the others nodded, Kotori positioned herself appropriately, gripping the mic.

Amid the tap-tap-tap of drumsticks, she took a deep breath, staring at the lyrics on her phone screen.

Her heart pounded like it might burst. She stole a glance at Akira, who was humming and fiddling with the keyboard.

It was because of Akira that she’d managed to sing in front of everyone at karaoke yesterday. And with fewer people here now, she told herself it’d be fine.

The song began.

“—♪”

““““—!””””

Focusing solely on singing, she made it through the run-through and let out a big “Phew.”

Was that okay? Her heart was still racing.

As the performance ended, Akira’s bright voice rang out. “Woo, that was great! Well, I messed up a few times, but still!”

“Same here. Screwed up a bunch. Playing alone and syncing with a vocalist are totally different beasts,” Kuroda said with a wry smile, nodding in agreement. Other members chimed in, “Totally get that!” “I got ahead of myself a few times too,” sparking laughter.

The vibe was relaxed, but all Kotori heard were comments about mistakes—mistakes tied to her as the vocalist. Had she messed up somehow? Her stomach twisted, and she started to panic.

Noticing her distress, Akira spoke up gently. “Nabata-san, you were perfect! Your singing’s so good, we’re just saying we gotta step up our game to match!”

The others nodded, a bit sheepish. “Yeah, we gotta bring our A-game.” “But it’s got me fired up!”

Kuroda clapped his hands sharply to refocus the group. “Alright, let’s keep practicing. This time, focus on what we can improve.”

“Okay!” “Got it!” “Hell yeah!” “…Mhm.”

Everyone’s expressions turned serious, and they dove back into practice.

Each time a song ended, they discussed things like elongating certain notes or starting the sound earlier. Bit by bit, Kotori felt like she was becoming part of the group.

It was like that time long ago when she’d been pulled into a circle of friends, and her chest buzzed with excitement.

After about an hour, practice wrapped up.

The band members started packing up haphazardly, rushing off with, “Gotta get to my part-time job!” or “Ugh, I’ve got cram school, what a drag.”

Akira raised a hand. “I’ve got a student council thing to deal with, so I’ll swing by the Handicrafts Club after. See ya!”

Kotori watched Akira’s back as she left, letting out a quiet sigh.

Her chest still thrummed with the lingering heat of the moment, replaying the day.

A band with high school friends felt like a youth hurdle way too high, but maybe she could pull it off. If the event succeeded, she’d be a huge step closer to the person she wanted to be.

All thanks to Akira.

God, Akira was definitely someone to look up to.

Lost in thoughts of Akira, a wry chuckle came from beside her. “Man, everyone’s in such a rush today.”

“Huh? Oh…”

Kotori reflexively glanced over to see Kuroda shrugging.

Only then did she realize it was just the two of them in the audiovisual room.

Being alone with a senpai she barely knew made sweat bead on her back.

“By the way, you’re crazy good at singing. Do you do music or anything?”

“N-No, nothing like that…”

“Really? Natural talent, huh? Haha, we gotta step it up to match you.”

“Uh…”

Her nerves kicked her usual shyness into overdrive, slipping into her Ice Princess mode.

Kuroda gave an awkward look at her chilly response, and an uncomfortable silence fell.

“…”

She wanted to bolt.

But her communication skills weren’t leveled up enough to gracefully end the conversation.

As she mentally begged Kuroda to wrap things up, he dropped a bombshell. “So, uh, are you and Ikoma pretty close?”

“! N-No, not really… I want to be, though.”

“Oh, gotcha. Ikoma always seemed like the lone helper type, so I didn’t even know she had club members.”

“We, uh, kinda forced our way in. We’re on a trial period for the club.”

When it came to Akira, Kotori perked up instantly. Part of it was that Kuroda didn’t seem all that interested in her, which made it easier to talk.

He was surprised at first by her sudden chattiness, but the conversation flowed.

“Yeah, Ikoma’s something else. This is my first time getting her help, but she’s always putting in so much effort to keep everyone at ease.”

“Right! Like earlier, she totally helped me feel comfortable.”

“And the way she throws herself into everything? Makes you feel like you gotta keep up.”

“That’s what I admire so much! And how she’s all small and cute!”

“Y-Yeah… Ikoma’s pretty cute, huh?”

“I just wanna squeeze her!”

“I-I get the feeling, but…”

Kuroda’s cheeks flushed, and he looked away, embarrassed.

Seeing that, Kotori was convinced—he was an Akira stan, just like her.

They kept gushing about Akira after that.

◇◆◇

In the Handicrafts Club, everyone was laser-focused on costume-making.

Kotori’s sudden role as the band’s vocalist meant one less pair of hands and an extra costume to make, stretching their resources thin.

On top of that, the “Furīze” costume originally meant for Akira was deemed better suited for Kotori, the band’s star vocalist.

Akira was petite, while Kotori was noticeably taller, so adjustments were obviously needed.

The club members were in a frenzy.

But no one complained.

In fact, they were thrilled to make a new costume.

Yagi had even whipped up multiple patterns for a new character for Akira overnight. Her drive was unreal.

That led to a heated debate before work started about which to make. In the end, they unanimously picked an enemy character that had become an online meme.

The club’s morale was sky-high.

Takumi, too, was diligently working alongside them.

Honestly, he’d felt some—okay, considerable—hesitation about coming to the club today.

He’d been here plenty of times, but showing up without any close friends was daunting.

Kotori probably felt the same.

Even today, she’d looked pale as a ghost but still headed to the audiovisual room.

Lately, Kotori’s youth-conquering pace was relentless—almost like she was leaving him behind.

As her cooperator and longtime acquaintance, watching her change up close lit a fire under him. He couldn’t let himself fall short.

Luckily, his worries were unfounded. Stepping through the door felt normal.

Plus, watching the costumes come together before his eyes was genuinely fun.

Then, a club member working on props spoke up apologetically. “Hey, Hashio-kun, once you’re done with that, could you help finish this scale prop?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks! Your finishing touches always make stuff look so clean.”

“Really?”

Another member, working on costume accessories nearby, chimed in. “Oh, and when you’re done, could you help with these too? We’ve got a ton.”

“Got it.”

“Thanks!”

Takumi nodded immediately, agreeing.

Both members thanked him with smiles, but he looked away, embarrassed, and returned to his work.

He knew he was being curt. That attitude had pushed people away before.

But the Handicrafts Club members were used to him now and didn’t take it personally.

Knowing he was pulling his weight gave him a sense of being accepted as part of the team.

As he geared up to dive back in, the clubroom door opened, and a bright voice rang out. “I’m back!”

“…”

Akira bounded in, hand raised energetically, with Kotori trailing behind.

Seeing the two who’d been at band practice, Yagi let out an excited squeal. “Perfect! We’ve got the costumes to the fitting stage, so we need you both to try them on!”

“What, already!? That’s crazy fast!” Akira exclaimed.

“Well, we already had Ikoma-san’s measurements from before. Plus, I was so hyped up yesterday, I couldn’t stop!” Yagi let out a hearty laugh, and Akira could only give a wry smile.

All eyes naturally turned to Takumi, who flinched slightly, paused his work, and awkwardly stepped outside.

From the hallway, he heard the rustle of fabric and the club members’ excited squeals: “Nabata-san, your waist is so tiny!” “And your chest is pretty stacked!” “Got any secrets!?” Takumi let out a wry chuckle.

Even through her uniform, Kotori’s stunning figure was obvious. It clearly caught the girls’ attention too.

(Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen Kotori naked…)

It was odd, considering how many times they’d done their “routines.”

The sultry “Ah” and “Oh” sounds from Kotori, mixed with the club members’ increasingly hyped cheers, sparked weird images in his mind.

Was she that gorgeous? No, imagining stuff like that felt like a betrayal to Kotori.

As his villainous face grew grimmer, Yagi’s voice called out from the now-quiet room, “All good, come in!”

Shaking his head to banish the inappropriate thoughts, Takumi opened the door—and his eyes widened, breath catching in his throat.

“—!”

Kotori in an elf sorceress outfit and Akira in an enemy demon costume, complete with wigs, fake ears, and horns, looked like they’d stepped straight out of “Furīze”. Like characters ripped from the manga or anime.

Kotori twisted shyly in her elf sorceress garb, while Akira struck playful poses in her demon outfit. They weren’t quite true to the source material, but that only amplified their charm. Takumi swallowed hard.

Yagi turned to him with a smug grin. “Well? How’s it look!?”

“…Incredible.”

That was all he could manage, plain and simple.

The other members nodded, snorting with pride.

Akira looked herself over, letting out an impressed sigh. “Seriously, the quality’s insane. And you even made swords and staves we don’t need for the performance.”

“If we’re doing it, we’re going all out,” Yagi said. “Kids are probably super picky about that stuff.”

“Yeah, makes sense. But to get this far the day after? Wild.”

“It’s just the fitting stage, y’know. Look, the stitching’s still rough, so you can see underwear and stuff. Oho, Nabata-san, mint blue today, huh?”

“!?”

Kotori, clearly caught off guard, flushed bright red and hugged herself protectively. Takumi awkwardly turned his face away.

“Well, I didn’t actually see anything. Just caught a glimpse of the color when you were changing,” Yagi said with a casual shrug, teasing her further.

“~!” Kotori, teary-eyed, shot her a glare as the group let out warm chuckles.

After a moment, Yagi turned to Kotori and Akira with a slightly serious expression. “For the Hanabishi Festival, we made the costumes with some wiggle room so others can use them later, but is there anything that feels off? I wanna tweak things before the final stitching, so let me know. It’d help.”

Akira twisted her body, stretched lightly, and moved her legs to check the fit. “Hmm, the skirt’s hem might be too long for my height. Makes it look kinda frumpy.”

“Oh, true. The original was pretty short, wasn’t it? Got it, I’ll raise the hem. Nabata-san, anything for you?”

“N-No, I’m fine…”

“Really? We tailored it for Ikoma-san before, so maybe the chest feels tight or something?”

“!?” “Yagi-cchi…!”

Yagi’s crude comment made Kotori go pale, shaking her head furiously. Just then, Yagi swayed slightly.

Akira rushed to catch her, steadying her with a scolding look. “You okay…? Wait, those dark circles—are you telling me you haven’t slept!? It’s great to work hard, but if you collapse, it’s all for nothing!”

“Haha, busted, huh? Well, I’m the one who started this, so I gotta handle the tough stuff!” Yagi pulled away from Akira, flexing her arm with a playful smack, insisting she was fine.

But everyone looked at her skeptically. Even Takumi.

As the mastermind, Yagi was juggling event applications, securing band practice spaces, and other tedious tasks. On top of that, she worked until the final bell and continued at home.

They wanted her to rest, but Yagi refused to compromise on the costumes. Takumi and the others were amateurs when it came to sewing—Yagi was the expert, giving instructions while the rest followed. They were barely a step above novices.

It was obvious Yagi was overworked. But without sewing skills, they couldn’t just tell her to rely on them.

As everyone exchanged frustrated looks, Akira snapped her fingers with an idea. “Then lean on us more. Right?”

“Well, I mean…” Yagi hesitated.

“Hashio-kun’s super skilled, y’know. Why not let him handle the rest of the “Furīze” costumes?”

Akira shot Takumi a look, winking as if to say, You got this, right? Takumi nodded without hesitation. “Yagi-senpai, leave it to me.”

The words slipped out effortlessly, surprising even him.

For some reason, he flashed back to a moment when Acchan had pulled him along by the hand.

“I-I can help too… H-Hashio and I live close, so I can work on costumes at home,” Kotori added, clearly sharing his sentiment.

Inspired by them, the other members chimed in, “Leave the small accessories to me!” “I can handle hemming!” They all stepped up.

Yagi blinked in surprise, her eyes glistening slightly. “Guess I’ll take you up on that, then.”

The Handicrafts Club erupted with excitement.

Takumi and Kotori exchanged glances and grinned.

That evening, after dinner, as the night deepened, Takumi was in his room, pouring himself into the costume work he’d brought home.

Reaching a good stopping point, he let out a “Phew” and set the finished belt accessory on the floor. He snapped a photo with his phone and sent it to a group chat.

A quick glance at the time showed it was just past nine—not too late.

Anxiously watching the screen, he swallowed hard, hoping for a response.

Soon, Yagi replied: 《Nice, looks good! No issues from what I can see.》

Other members followed: 《Whoa, so fast!》《As expected of Hashio-kun, the GOAT!》《Show us the real thing tomorrow!》 Kotori sent a cat sticker with a thumbs-up.

Relieved, Takumi sighed. Looked like he’d nailed it.

The group chat was a last-minute creation for reporting costume progress at home and asking technical questions. Scrolling through, he saw one member with a sewing machine at home asking Yagi for tips. There were also pointers on fixing mistakes, plus casual banter—like Kotori saying, 《I love ojou-sama characters with a gap in their personality,》 sparking replies like, 《Totally get that, her costume’s so cute!》《Wanna make it, but it’d be a ton of work.》《Hashio-kun, help us out then!》《Welcome to the crafting hell!》

The chat might only last until the Hanabishi Festival.

But seeing himself naturally part of the group made him grin uncontrollably.

Kotori was probably the same. She sent a rare message: 《This is wild, Takumi. We’re actually chatting normally in the group.》

Takumi gave a wry smile.

Apparently, Kotori was in a chat group with the popular girls in class but couldn’t keep up with their topics, so she mostly lurked. She barely talked to people at school, and lately, it seemed they’d almost forgotten she was in the group.

《Yeah, it’s crazy. Feels like our youth level just shot up.》

《All thanks to Akira-senpai.》

Kotori was spot-on.

They’d barged in, forced their way into the club on a trial basis, and Akira had been looking out for them ever since.

And not just that—Takumi recalled the karaoke incident.

She’d noticed he wasn’t feeling well, checked on him, and saved him from those creeps.

They weren’t exactly welcome, yet she helped anyway.

Truly an Angel of Support.

Somewhere along the line, thinking about Akira made Takumi’s chest ache sweetly.

He didn’t know what this feeling was.

But it stirred something in him, and he typed out his frustration: 《Yeah, I’m so grateful to Akira-senpai. I wanna pay her back somehow…》

He wanted to do something for her.