let's have another entrance ceremony
Tomo/Yuki story from Cool-B May 2015
The magazine exclusive short stories continue! This one features Yuki, Tomo, Kuya, and Chiba, with hints of all the other characters. It also seems to hint at Tomo/Yuki, so that's how I'm classifying it. :3
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let's have another entrance ceremony
Text: Spray
Image: Higuri You
It was after school as usual.
Tomo had helped me finish the requested chores and when the two of us returned to the student council room, there was a red and white curtain spread across the inside of the room. Busily folding it was the vice president of the student council, Kuya-san, who noticing us, said "welcome back, student council president!" with a big smile.
"What are you doing with that?"
"Oh, I'm airing out the kohaku maku used for ceremonies." (more info: kohaku maku on Wikipedia)
"As usual, the student council is asked to do every chore," Tomo muttered in amazement.
It had been a little over two months since I had become student council president. Lots of things had happened, and we'd recovered many of the privileges of the student council. Unlike when we were known as gofers, now, we also participated in important discussions.
But, that was unrelated, and according to Tomo and Kuya-san, who was quick to work, it was because of me who "never turns down a request" that various requests poured in to the student council. Helping with the track club's measurements which I had just been doing was one, and airing out the kohaku maku was another.
I liked this state of affairs. It made me happy that everyone thought that "Asahina Yuki is a student council president who will do anything." Since that meant they relied on me, didn't it?
"Huh? Kuya-san, there's something on there."
"Yeah. I forgot to remove it after the entrance ceremony."
On a corner of the large kohaku maku there was a rose made of ribbon, attached with double-sided tape. As he removed it, Kuya-san looked like he remembered something.
"... Come to think of it, Yuki, you weren't here for the entrance ceremony."
"Yeah. It was due to circumstances at the time."
I had been late enrolling in the school due to personal circumstances, and because of that, I had become student council president. I wondered what my life would be like now if that hadn't happened. I had gotten so used to my school life as student council president that I couldn't really imagine it.
"Hey, Tomo. What was the BL School entrance ceremony like?"
"What was it like? Ordinary."
"But, it's BL School's entrance ceremony, right? There wasn't any special event or anything?"
"Dunno..." Tomo answered, yawning. He called it ordinary, even though I was asking because I hadn't experienced it and didn't know what it was like.
"Then, we'll hold an entrance ceremony for you!" Kuya-san cried out suddenly. His face shone as if he'd just thought of something interesting. And so, without giving us a chance to stop him, he flew out of the room carrying the kohaku maku.
"I wonder what Kuya-san is going to do?"
"Who knows. Something annoying again..." Tomo grumbled, but I was kind of excited. Just what was going to start up next?
~~~
The next day, 7 AM.
There was a forceful knock on the door even earlier than my alarm clock.
"Asahina, are you there?"
"Yes... I just woke up..."
Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I opened the door and suddenly Chiba-san entered. Even though we all shared the same dorm, I'd never had an upperclassman barge in so early like that.
"Did something happen?"
I was flustered, thinking it was an emergency, but Chiba-san had his usual demeanor and shook his head.
"There's nothing."
"Come again?"
"It's Joker-sama's orders. You stay on standby here for a while."
"No, wait a minute, standby..."
But, as if he was done speaking, Chiba-san locked the door and plunked himself down on the floor in front of it. Anyway, it seemed like he wasn't going to let me out. With that, no matter how much I asked, he wouldn't give me an explanation.
"Chiba-san, but I'm hungry."
"Bear it."
It couldn't be helped, so I restlessly began my morning routine. I showered, and as I finished dressing, my stomach growled loudly. Glancing at the clock, I confirmed that the hour hand showed eight, and Chiba-san finally stood up.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. It's time for breakfast."
~~~
However, there wasn't a single student in the dining hall.
"Where did everyone go?" I turned around to ask, but even Chiba-san had disappeared. What was this? Umm....
"Oh well!"
I was worried, but it didn't seem like an emergency, however, my stomach being empty was. I pressed my hands together in front of the prepared breakfast: two heaping servings of a curry-flavored omelette and griddle bread. (tr note: since it's Dora-chan, likely an Indian flatbread) The well-spiced bean soup stimulated my appetite. As I ate engrossed, Tomo came in, yawning.
"Hey, Tomo, after all, this is because of what we were talking about yesterday, isn't it?"
"I guess so."
I hadn't seen Kuya-san since he flew out of the room saying "we'll hold an entrance ceremony!" And incidentally, I hadn't seen Joker-san, who always talked to me at dinner, either. Those two didn't act as a set. Which meant it was probable.
"I guess Kuya-san got Joker-san involved."
"Well, it's something like that if Chiba-san is working. Though I don't know if he got dragged in or stuck his nose in," said Tomo, swallowing a mouthful of omelette.
"Oh."
"What?"
"Come to think of it, last night Joker-san was talking about an assembly this morning or something. It was annoying so I didn't really listen," Tomo said, and I sighed at him, appalled. Well, whatever, I shrugged, and Tomo stood up.
"Anyway, let's go to school."
~~~
"There really is no one here."
I had expected it, but after we left the dining hall and were on our way to the school, we hadn't seen any students. It was a strange mood, the two of us walking alone along the school route where there was always someone else.
I remembered when I had first come on the bus to this school.
Back then, I was expectant and nervous, and utterly excited. Thinking about things like going to a high school where I didn't know anyone, living at a dorm away from my parents, and that I was starting something I'd never experienced before, I imagined all sorts of things about how my life was going to be from then on.
But my real school life had been full of tumultuous days that far surpassed my imagination.
"... Hey, Yuki."
"What?"
"You're grinning and it's creepy."
"Huh!? Was I grinning?"
"You were. You were smiling like you were really happy. What about this situation is making you so happy?" he said in astonishment, but even Tomo looked a little amused. I was about to make a retort when I heard the faint sound of a guitar.
"Let's go!"
Urged by an impulsive feeling, I grabbed Tomo's hand and ran to the school gate.
We rounded the corner, and the moment we stepped into the courtyard that was overseen by the school building, we were hit by a wall of loud sound.
It was the school song, I realized when I saw everyone's faces.
Everyone was leaning out of the classroom windows and singing. Arata-san, Sonoda-san, Takato-san, faces I knew and faces I didn't know, they were all smiling and singing the BL School song at the top of their lungs. And not just students, I even saw Professor Ito and Professor Sakaki.
In the middle of the courtyard, Yagami was playing his guitar. That explosive sound shouldn't have matched the singing voices, but the strong unwavering sound strangely blended and rolled over us comfortably.
Everyone's voices enveloped us.
Tomo looked up at the school building windows in amazement and gave my hand a tight squeeze. If he hadn't, I felt like I would have been swallowed up by the sound.
"Welcome, new students!" Joker-san's clear voice reverberated when the song ended. "We have been eagerly awaiting your arrival!"
And along with clapping, everyone released confetti in unison.
It fluttered down on us just like a flurry of cherry blossoms. Like the cherry blossoms during the entrance ceremony I hadn't been able to see, they came down one after another without pause. At the welcoming voices all saying "congratulations on entering" and "welcome," suddenly, my vision blurred with tears.
"Thank you, everyone!" I shouted at the top of my lungs and waved, and everyone erupted into cheers.
I loved it. This school. Everyone. This was my school.
"We hope you'll love this school!"
At Kuya-san's cheerful voice, we nodded deeply.