COTE : Is Talent Everything? (Rewrite)-Chapter 114 - 110: Love Letter

The lively after-school preparations for the approaching cultural festival were in full swing when Kinoshita announced that the costumes for customer service had arrived.

The girls reacted with excited squeals, while the boys voiced their anticipation. It was only natural for their hearts to race at the thought of seeing the girls in an unusual getup.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun, come here for a sec!"

Since I was also participating in customer service, I was supposed to wear a kimono like the girls. I was about to check out the costumes when Kinoshita grabbed my arm and pulled me to a corner of the classroom.

"What's up?"

"You're the only guy in our class doing customer service, so I thought, why not make you look extra cool? Right?"

"Fufu, I'll lend a hand as well, Kinoshita-san."

Kinoshita, armed with wax and makeup tools, was joined by Kaneda, who smirked confidently. I hadn't expected Kaneda to be the one handling my hair and styling, but there he was.

Then I noticed—our surroundings were enclosed by makeshift blackout curtains.

"I wanna see everyone's reactions! Let's surprise them with a total makeover!"

"Incidentally, the curtains are to preserve the element of surprise."

"...I was planning to do customer service looking the same as usual, though."

"Ehh?! But Hikigaya-kun, you've got good features—it's just your sharp eyes that ruin it! What a waste!"

Even if she said that, I had zero experience with hairstyling or makeup.

"By the way, this is also Ryūen's orders. In other words... you understand, right?"

"...So I don't have the right to refuse, huh?"

Kaneda's words sealed my fate as I reluctantly surrendered to the two of them.

What followed was a void of time. Hair styling, light makeup—I endured it all by zoning out. This kind of thing was honestly beyond me.

Once they finished, Kinoshita and Kaneda's hands finally stopped. I snapped back to reality and saw them staring at me in shock.

"Mhm, mhm! You look super cool, Hikigaya-kun!"

"If you say so."

"Hmm..."

While Kinoshita showered me with praise, Kaneda still seemed unsatisfied. He disappeared behind the curtains for a moment before returning with something in hand.

"Hikigaya-san. Could you try these on?"

"Glasses?"

"Yes. They're purely for fashion, though."

At this point, putting on glasses was nothing.

I took them from Kaneda and put them on. It was my first time wearing glasses, so I couldn't really tell if they suited me.

"How do I look?"

When I turned to face them, their expressions morphed into sheer astonishment.

"Wha—so h-handsome... no way..."

"Your sharp eyes are hidden... you look like a proper Yamato Nadeshiko now..."

Yamato Nadeshiko was a term used for women, but... their reactions were clearly different from before.

"Hikigaya-kun, you have to wear this for the festival! There's no other option!!"

"R-Really?"

"If you wear a kimono with this, it'll be insane! Like, seriously... insane!!"

Kinoshita's excitement left her speechless, so Kaneda stepped in and suggested I try on the kimono. Naturally, Kinoshita had to wait outside the curtains while I changed.

The kimono I wore was black—simple, but undeniably cool from a guy's perspective. Thankfully, I'd researched how to tie the obi beforehand. After tightening it, Kaneda gave me the all-clear.

"But seriously, showing up in front of everyone like this is kinda..."

"Don't worry. The reactions once you step out will speak for themselves."

Outside the curtains, nearly the entire class had gathered, except for those absent due to club activities. From beyond the fabric, I could hear Nishino trying to calm someone down: "Hiyori, relax a little, will you?" That only made me more reluctant to step out.

"...Guess I have no choice."

Throwing a tantrum wouldn't change anything. Steeling myself, I stepped out from behind the curtains.

The first thing I saw were the girls, also dressed in kimonos. The moment their eyes landed on me, the room erupted with the same reactions as Kinoshita's.

"W-Wha—dude, you look way too good?!"

"No way, Hikigaya! I'm a guy, but I might fall for you!"

"L-Leader... you're insane..."

The first to speak were Ishizaki, Komiya, and Tokitō. Then, one after another, the girls blushed and squealed. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was extremely embarrassing.

"Do I really look that good?"

"Not just good—it's shocking. Though, Hikigaya, you had decent features to begin with. This just polished them further. Even your sharp eyes are hidden by the glasses."

Unlike the rest of the class, Katsuragi analyzed my appearance calmly. But I couldn't really feel whether I suited the look or not. After all, it was me we were talking about.

"I guess I do..."

"Hah? You actually think you don't look good?"

Ibuki, who happened to be nearby, responded to my muttering.

"Nah, it's just hard to judge myself."

"Whatever... You look good, so relax."

With that, Ibuki quickly walked away. She probably hadn't meant to be nearby—maybe she'd come over just to compliment me.

"H-H-Handsome... s-so... h-hands..."

"Calm down. Also, your face is way too red. You sick or something?"

Surrounded by classmates, I spotted Hiyori staring at me blankly from a distance. Her face was beet red—so much so that Nishino was fretting over her. I called out and approached her. After all, her opinion was the one I wanted most.

"Look, Hikigaya's here."

"Hiyori, I want your opinion. Do I look good?"

"...Ah... u-uh..."

Standing right in front of her, she trembled, her eyes locked onto me. Her cheeks, red as ripe apples, were irresistibly alluring—I could've stared forever.

"W-Wait... t-too much... c-can't..."

It was rare to see Hiyori so flustered she dropped polite speech.

"Do I not look good?"

"Y-You do... b-but... t-too handsome... c-can't handle it..."

"I see. Good, then."

Her childish, stumbling words were unbearably cute. Satisfied, I took a step back, and Hiyori immediately covered her face with her hands.

"...You seem like the type who'd crumble under pressure, but you're pretty bold when you want to be, huh?"

"Ah... Speaking of which, aren't you and Nishino trying yours on?"

Nishino and Hiyori (who still refused to look at me) were in their usual uniforms. I'd been looking forward to seeing them, but...

"Why would I cosplay before the actual event? The festival's enough, right?"

"Then what about me?"

"You're different."

I wasn't sure why I was the only one being oppressed, but there was no point arguing. It felt unfair, though.

"Hey, Kaneda, how much can we sell his photos for?"

"Hmm... 1,000. A two-shot could go for 2,000, maybe."

"Heh. Throw in some options, and we'll make a killing."

Ryūen and Kaneda were scheming in the corner, but I had no choice but to accept it.

......

After changing out of the kimono and undoing my hair, I was about to head home when I spotted two students passing by the hallway outside the classroom.

"What would you like for dinner, Hachiman-kun? I'll make anything you like."

Since Hiyori—who was staying at my place for the next two days, taking over from Amanaze—was walking home with me, I hesitated before answering.

"Hachiman-kun?"

"Hiyori, there's somewhere I need to stop by. Can you go ahead without me?"

"Eh? That's fine, but..."

"Sorry. Oh, for dinner, I'd like curry. The ingredients should already be at my place. Got it?"

"Of course. But please come back soon, okay? I'll be lonely."

Nodding, I left the classroom to follow the two I'd just seen. They couldn't have gone far. Spotting them turning at the end of the hallway, I quickened my pace.

"Huh? What's wrong, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Do you need something?"

The two—Ichinese and Horikita—noticed me and stopped.

"Ichinese, I have a favor to ask."

"From me?"

"Yeah. It's about this."

From my bag, I pulled out an envelope.

A heart-shaped sticker sealed it shut.

"Is this...?"

"A love letter."

"Wha—"

For a moment, Horikita seemed unable to process the words, letting out a shocked gasp. Ichinese, too, stared at me in disbelief.

I'd phrased that poorly. The way I'd said it made it sound like I was the one sending it to her.

"Sorry, that came out wrong. I need you to give this to Nanase-senpai."

"Eh?! T-To Nanase-senpai...?! W-W-Wait, does that mean...?!"

"...My bad, still not clear. A friend asked me to pass this to Nanase-senpai."

"Ah... I see."

Ichinese's expression didn't change, but her eyes dimmed slightly. Why did she seem disappointed? Was it my fault?

"But if it's a love letter, wouldn't it be better to deliver it directly? And even if I don't do it, you could easily give it to Nanase-senpai yourself, right?"

"My friend just wanted their feelings to reach him. I could deliver it, but I have something urgent today. Problem is, they want it delivered today. Can you help?"

Bowing my head, Ichinese flusteredly urged me to straighten up.

"If that's the case, of course! I'll make sure Nanase-senpai gets it!"

Without a hint of reluctance, Ichinese agreed with a smile. I'd expected her to hesitate, but her kindness knew no bounds. Maybe too kind.

"Thanks. But there's one more issue."

"An issue?"

"The love letter doesn't have a name on it."

Meaning neither the deliverer nor the recipient would know who sent it.

"Ahh, I see. That does make it a bit awkward..."

Even if I said it was from someone else, there was a non-zero chance Nanase might assume it was from Ichinese.

"So, could you ask another student council member to deliver it? Maybe a male one? It has to be today."

After a brief pause, Ichinese nodded.

"Got it. It'd be sad if their courage went to waste, after all."

"Thanks, Ichinese."

Her willingness to consider the feelings of a stranger was nothing short of saintly.

"What's going on...? How can this be a coincidence...?"

Horikita, who'd stayed quiet until now, grew increasingly agitated as she listened. Her suspicious glare suggested she'd seen someone else do the exact same thing.

"You. Explain this."

"Horikita-san?"

"What are you talking about?"

Tilting my head in confusion, Horikita frowned.

"...Yesterday, someone asked me to do the exact same thing. An anonymous love letter for Nanase-senpai."

"What a crazy coincidence. Two people doing the same thing at the same time?"

"A coincidence, huh? I find that hard to believe."

"Even if you say that, I don't know anything."

No matter how much she doubted me, I wouldn't budge. But Horikita wouldn't accept that. Maybe I should add one more thing.

"Even if this is part of some scheme of mine, I promise it won't harm you or Ichinese's class. I'll even put it in writing if you want."

A written contract would force me to comply.

Horikita knew that. Sure, this "coincidence" was unbelievable, but the idea that I was behind it was even less likely. A third party manipulating me was the more plausible explanation.

"If you're offering a contract, I suppose it's harmless."

"Glad you understand."

"I won't pry further. Even if I did, I doubt you'd tell me anything relevant."

Having convinced herself, Horikita turned to leave with Ichinese—

"...Most people wouldn't pat someone's head at a time like this."

"That's why I'm doing it."

Horikita's hair was always impeccably smooth. She clearly took good care of it.

"Ahaha. You two get along well, huh?"

Watching me pat Horikita's head, Ichinese forced a strained smile and looked away.

Well, patting a classmate's—let alone Horikita's—head would naturally make people assume we were close.

"Believe me. This really is just a favor. It has nothing to do with you or Horikita."

"I said I'd stop doubting you. Really, so paranoid."

Glancing up at me, she smiled faintly before turning away. "We're running out of time. Let's go, Ichinese-san," she said, heading for the student council room.

Her quick shift was impressive, but I kept that thought to myself. Saying it out loud might summon a certain compass.

......

Returning to my room, the aroma of curry filled the air. Hiyori must've finished cooking. Footsteps approached from the living room toward the entrance.

The door opened, and Hiyori greeted me. The moment I saw her, I froze.

"Ah, how do I look? I wasn't sure if it suited me, so I tried it on..."

Blushing slightly, Hiyori stood before me in a kimono. The earthy brown outfit, reminiscent of traditional Japanese style, suited her perfectly. Even the decorative hair clip accentuated her charm.

"It looks great. You really suit traditional wear."

"Really? I'm so glad. I wanted you to be the first to see it. Oh, dinner's ready."

Beaming, Hiyori smiled softly before returning to the living room, likely to finish preparing the meal.

They say seeing a close female friend in unfamiliar attire makes her seem more attractive, but...

"...Hot."

The first time I'd ever used that word.

Knowing Hiyori's usual disheveled appearance, her pristine kimono felt unbearably alluring. It couldn't be helped.

After devouring the curry she'd made (just as I'd requested), we settled into our usual alone time. Still in her kimono, Hiyori must've planned to change later.

"I found a mystery novel I think you'd like. Want to read it?"

"...Sure."

"Here you go. Tell me what you think later."

Even though nothing had changed, her different outfit was distracting.

Pressed against my shoulder as she read, Hiyori looked as content as ever.

"..."

While skimming the novel, I stole a glance at her. The vulnerable nape of her neck caught my eye. Entranced by her defenseless, pale skin, I stared until Hiyori noticed and tilted her head, smiling. Did she really not realize how I was looking at her?

"...Hiyori."

"? What is it?"

"Can I have a taste?"

"?? The curry? I made extra, but if you're that hungry..."

She'd misunderstood.

Leaning closer, I pressed my lips to her exposed neck, leaving a red mark as I sucked gently. Pulling back, Hiyori's face turned scarlet, her entire body stiffening. Trembling, she stared at me, utterly lost.

"Ah... eh?"

"Satisfied."

"...S-Satisfied...?"

"Yeah."

"...I s-see..."

Still unable to process what had happened, Hiyori numbly returned to her novel.

"......Eek?!"

Trembling so violently she could barely hold the book, Hiyori was clearly overwhelmed by embarrassment, desperately trying to hide her face.

......

November 12th, Friday.

The day before the cultural festival at Advanced Nurturing High School, the student council conducted a dress rehearsal—a crucial test run for the main event.

"To think I'd pass through these gates again..."

Standing imposingly before the school gates, clad in the Advanced Nurturing High uniform, was Horikita Manabu.

The rehearsal day was reserved for invited alumni, particularly former student council members. The school couldn't mix guests and graduates during the actual festival.

"It seems the other council members aren't here."

Assuming they, like Tachibana, had prior commitments, Manabu prepared to enter with his invitation in hand.

But—

"You there—intruder! This school is currently closed to outsiders! Leave at once!"

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"Intruder? Where...?"

The guard's shout made Manabu glance around in confusion.

"You! What are you doing, dressed so suspiciously?!"

Never in his wildest dreams had Manabu imagined that he—wearing thick sunglasses, a black mask, and a low-pulled cap—would be mistaken for a trespasser.

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