Chapter 245: My Life... is Over

Standing behind the cheering section of the other Shuchiin students' families and friends, Utaha watched her boyfriend with a mix of helplessness and doting affection.

At the moment, Miyahito and Tooru were holding up cheering signs (and inciting a large group of Shuchiin students), noisily hyping up the crowd to demand an encore from Miyuki and Kaguya, who had just finished singing on stage.

"Sigh..." Letting out a small sigh at her boyfriend, who was terrible at reading the room but loved to play around, Utaha muttered to herself, "Good grief, he's making such a fuss that Miyuki-nii can't get off the stage. Isn't he afraid Kei-chan will tattle to Ayase?"

Completely lacking the self-awareness that she was exactly the same as Miyahito—having thought it was fun and egging Kaguya and Miyuki on to sing a passionate duet—the corners of Utaha's lips curled into a schadenfreude smile as she playfully watched Miyahito, who had successfully whipped the atmosphere into a frenzy.

Maybe I should add a little fuel to the fire?

Just then.

"Are you... Miyahito-kun's girlfriend?"

Hearing the familiar, highly distinct voice from behind her, Utaha subconsciously turned her head to look.

"Uncle Shirogane." Utaha smiled and greeted the man standing behind her, who was holding a rather expensive-looking DSLR camera. She shifted slightly to make room for him.

After all, she was standing in the absolute best spot for photography. She had just sneakily snapped a few photos of Miyahito at his most boisterous, capturing the exact smile she loved the most while he wasn't looking.

"Long time no see, Uncle Shirogane," Utaha said with a gentle smile. "Kei-chan was just telling me last night that she wasn't sure if you'd be able to make it today."

"Well." Shirogane's father glanced at Utaha, raised his camera, and aimed the lens at his son on stage, and then at the girl who was supposedly his crush. Click. He gently pressed the shutter button.

"Since my work schedule is quite flexible, and I happen to be free right now, I thought I'd come see how that brat Miyuki is doing." He paused, adding with a deadpan expression, "I'm actually surprised he didn't go off-key while singing. Did the sun rise from the west today?"

Hearing Uncle Shirogane's ruthless roasting, which didn't spare his son a single ounce of dignity, the corners of Utaha's mouth twitched involuntarily.

Sure enough, Miyahito was right.

With Uncle Shirogane talking like this, it was no wonder Miyuki-nii constantly wanted to lecture his 'unemployed' and 'unpresentable' father...

Phew... Luckily, my dad is a lawyer. And Miyahito, well, everything is just fine.

Completely oblivious to the young girl's inner thoughts, Shirogane's father noticed his son had already stepped off the stage to prepare for the upcoming Soran Bushi dance. He turned to Utaha and asked,

"The performance is over. Would you like to come rest in the parents' section with me? Or..."

"No need to trouble you, Uncle," Utaha politely declined. Her wine-red eyes, curved into gentle crescents, reflected Miyahito, who was walking toward her with his arm around Tooru's shoulder, laughing heartily. "I'll just stay with Miyahito."

Seeing this, Shirogane's father didn't press the matter. He simply nodded and walked away.

Just as he left.

"My, you're all sweaty." With a gaze so tender it could drown a person, the corners of Utaha's lips curled upward as she raised the handkerchief in her hand. While softly complaining, she gently wiped the beads of sweat from Miyahito's forehead.

"You don't even know how to wipe your own sweat. You look like a slob."

"Hehe, isn't that why I have you?" Miyahito grinned, using a shamelessly wheedling tone. "My girlfriend has super strict standards for me. She definitely wouldn't let me be a slob."

"Then could you please take care of yourself, Mr. Miyahito?"

"But I don't believe I can do it myself. I only believe in you, Miss Utaha."

"....."

Suddenly.

"I'm right here, you know." Watching the interaction between his best friend and his girlfriend, Tooru—who was still single and currently being force-fed a sickeningly sweet dose of PDA—spoke with a completely deadpan expression to the couple, who were practically hugging.

"Oh my." Before Miyahito could say a word, Utaha feigned surprise and looked at Tooru. "Ishikawa-kun was still here?"

A sword plunged deep into Tooru's heart.

"I'm so sorry, we accidentally didn't notice you."

Another sword pierced his heart.

After ruthlessly adding a few more holes to Tooru's already 'battered' heart, Utaha withdrew her gaze and looked at Miyahito with a bright, smiling face.

Just as she was about to tell her boyfriend that she wouldn't stick around for the rest of the commotion.

"Huh? Utaha-chan, Miyahito-kun, and Ishikawa-kun, hello!"

Hearing this energetic voice call their names, the three of them subconsciously looked in the direction it came from.

"Chika-senpai." "Chika-senpai." "Fujiwara-senpai."

Utaha, Miyahito, and Tooru greeted the approaching Chika in unison.

"What a coincidence." With her usual gentle smile, her normally loose pink hair now tied up high, giving her a more sporty and energetic vibe than her usual quiet self, Chika clasped her hands behind her back. She looked with keen interest at the items at the boys' feet and said with a grin,

"Miyahito-kun, Tooru-kun, is that the surprise you prepared for Ishigami-kun?"

"That's right." Nodding proudly, Miyahito and Tooru exchanged a mysterious glance before turning to Chika, whose expression showed she already knew, and grinned with a hint of ill intent.

"A surprise that will definitely shock Yu to his core!"

"Hohoho."

Chika narrowed her eyes, mimicking Miyahito's mischievous grin as she leaned in close to the two boys, whispering her plans with them.

Watching the senior's face light up with dangerous excitement, and her boyfriend and classmate gradually slipping into full-blown villain mode, Utaha silently prayed in her heart for Ishigami Yu, who was about to face a cruel reality.

Ishigami-kun's heart should be able to take it... Yeah, he just needs to survive the sheer cringe.

In short, just one sentence.

Hopefully, he survives.

.....

Head bowed, looking down at the Shuchiin girls' uniform he was forced to wear, Ishigami Yu was starting to regret joining the cheer squad.

Sure, he wasn't the only one cross-dressing today... but he never expected, nor could he comprehend,

how the pink-haired, seemingly cheerful and carefree vice-captain senior, and the rugged, macho-looking captain senior... how could these two people come up with the idea of making the cheer squad members wear the opposite gender's uniform for the dance performance?

And this terrible idea was actually approved by every single cheer squad member except him.

For the straight-laced Ishigami Yu, the embarrassment was enough to make him want to dig a three-bedroom apartment into the ground with his toes.

Of course, if it were just a simple performance in front of his schoolmates, or even some parents, Yu wouldn't have been so resistant.

After all, never mind his classmates' attitudes, the parents didn't know him and wouldn't care anyway.

But unfortunately.

Among the people present today were not just Shuchiin students, teachers, and parents.

There were also his two merciless, and somewhat self-aware, frenemies... If those two saw him in this outfit.

A dark history! And the kind that makes you want to die just thinking about it!

However.

Ishigami Yu, who was praying they wouldn't show up, saw his wish ultimately shattered.

Because.

"Oh oh! Yu, you're actually this cute when you dress up?!"

"Unbelievable. Seeing how gloomy he usually is, he actually has some potential when dressed up like this."

It's over.

My life... is over.