Beauty With a Brat (The Suzuhara Family 1) ✅

Chapter Ten, Part Two

November 5th, 2028

3:06. That's the time?

He was so weary that his vision was starting to swim. Ink smeared his fingers on both hands, and his breathing was unsteady. Piles of crinkled wads of paper littered the floor behind him. But he was happy with the three neat pages that rested on the desk before him.

Wataru swallowed hard, and nearly coughed because his throat was so dry. But he thumped a fist on his neck and nodded triumphantly. "I got it."

~*~

The first year students at Yukinaga were just as busy as the first year students at Shirahime as the Culture Festival entered its second day. Homeroom 1-1 had a western-style breakfast buffet; homeroom 1-2 had a fukubukuro stand; homeroom 1-3 had a tea and cake shoppe; homeroom 1-4 had a curry shoppe; homeroom 1-5 had a Korean corn dog stand; and homeroom 1-6 had an international board game parlor.

Wataru and Homare were allowed to take a 45-minute break at 13:00, with the understanding that they had to be promptly back. Wataru didn't like the black café uniforms Yuto Kumori had designed and commissioned for homeroom 1-3 (and he strongly suspected Kumori got his measurements wrong on purpose) but he dealt with it. It was only for a few hours, and Kumori was stuck doing the fashion show with the Fashion Club anyway.

I'm already under a lot of stress today. I don't need more.

"Aww!" Homare groaned as they exited homeroom 1-2. "Look at this, Wataru! I spent 5,000 yen on this fukubukuro, and it had ladies perfume in it!"

"You could give it to Ikeda," Wataru said, idly looking into his own 5,000 fukubukuro bag. Hmm...it looks like a gift card. I think?

"Tami, doesn't like this brand! Why would they give me a prize for girls?!" Homare turned around and stormed back into the classroom. "Can I trade this?!" he asked the closest student, Tadashi Enatsu.

"Please go to our Q&A Table if you have any questions," Enatsu told him cheerfully, pointing to a desk in front of the windows.

Wataru followed Homare to the "Q&A Table" where one lone student was seated. "I—" Homare began, but then immediately stopped talking.

"Hello Yoshinaga," Asato Nakajima greeted them with a smile. "Is there a concern you have with your fukubukuro?"

Homare sputtered for a few moments. Confused, Wataru stepped forward to stand at Homare's side. "His fukubukuro has girl's perfume in it," he said. "Can he trade—"

"It's fine!" Homare exclaimed, grabbing Wataru in a headlock to silence him. "Everything's fine! I have no complaints, Nakajima!"

"Ah...okay," Nakajima said in confusion. "Is there anything—"

"No, it's fine!" Homare hurried back towards the door, dragging Wataru with him. Wataru saw several students from homeroom 1-2 burst into laughter as they left.

"Oi, what's wrong with you?!" Wataru snapped, pulling out of his arms.

"Those bastards!" Homare hissed, glaring towards homeroom 1-2. "They put Nakajima at that station on purpose, didn't they?! That way no one could complain about their fukubukuro if HE'S there!"