The next day, with the event just around the corner, Takeuchi-kun was consumed by anxiety.

The location was Shibuya—or more precisely, the event venue near Omotesando. It was the pre-arranged meeting spot. The members of the Breakdance Club had gathered there right on time.

His panic arose upon witnessing the appearance of two particular members.

"Could it be... Nishino and Kousaka?"

The school's number one heartthrob stared at the two figures standing side by side.

In his line of sight stood the futsumen and the baritachi, both wearing wigs and dressed in women's clothing. Both of them had finished applying makeup, and their appearances were exactly as they had been the night before at Adam' bar.

Incidentally, the clothes they wore were gifts from Adam. Perhaps due to the influence of Nishino or Marquis, they had been provided with everything—wigs, makeup, clothes, and even accessories like bags and shoes.

"Sorry, Takeuchi-kun, were we late?"

"W-We're really sorry!"

The two apologized sincerely.

It was five minutes before their agreed meeting time, so they weren't actually late. However, when Nishino and Kousaka arrived, Rose, Gabriella, and Takeuchi-kun were already there. Nishino and Kousaka were the last to join the group.

"N-No, that's not the case..."

Takeuchi-kun hadn't realized who they were until they spoke to him. He had never imagined they would go to such lengths with their cross-dressing. He had assumed they would just wear wigs.

"Kousaka, did you happen to bring a makeup kit?"

"Y-Yes, I brought some!"

"...Seriously?"

"Um, i-is it weird? I mean, we're guys and yet..."

"Ah, no, sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Sorry for making you feel awkward, Takeuchi-senpai."

As a result, Takeuchi-kun was starting to panic.

At this rate, no matter what he did, he'd be the only one standing out.

Of course, he had prepared as well. The previous day, he had gone to a famous 24-hour discount store and picked out some fairly decent party goods, thinking that would be enough.

But Nishino and Kousaka had completely outdone him.

In stark contrast to Takeuchi-kun, Rose's smile deepened.

She was thrilled by the unexpected sight of Nishino's cross-dressing. His carefully shaved legs and the pale thighs, a testament to his being in no after-school clubs, were displayed to their utmost beneath the mini-skirt – a true feast for her eyes.

'I want to see Nishino-kun blush while holding up his skirt.' she thought.

'Ideally, he'd have a rock-hard erection.' another thought followed.

'I want to lick it...' The blonde lolita had revealed yet another of her eccentric fetishes.

"Nishino-kun, you're dressed quite wonderfully, aren't you?"

"I pulled some strings with Marquis's connections and somehow managed to pull it together."

"Oh?"

That guy actually did something useful for once.

Her opinion of Marquis improved—by a whole inch.

"I thought you looked rather displeased about it yesterday, though?"

"Personal feelings and club obligations are separate matters. If I'm doing this, I want to give it my all."

"My, how cool."

Meanwhile, standing quietly beside the lively group was Gabriella, dressed in gothic lolita attire. She glanced at Rose with a look that suggested she had something to say but held back upon seeing the futsumen nearby.

Her expression was clearly one of displeasure.

"U-Um, s-should we head inside the venue? I think there's a waiting room prepared..."

Kousaka fidgeted nervously.

His eyes darted toward the gleaming white nine-story building ahead. The upper floors were office spaces, but the underground hall was today's venue—a stage-equipped space spanning roughly 300 square meters, with a capacity of nearly 200.

By Tokyo standards, it was relatively small, but it had all the necessary facilities. Aside from dance events like this one, it was sometimes used for concerts by up-and-coming idols.

"By the way, Kousaka, where are we changing?"

Takeuchi-kun asked, subtly hinting at Rose and Gabriella's presence.

Even in his own moment of crisis, he was a man who never forgot to be considerate toward the opposite sex.

"Ah, about that—when I mentioned in advance that we'd have girls with us, they arranged a separate room for the ladies. So you two senpai can head there as you are. You should be able to change in the venue's waiting room."

Kousaka's eyes sparkled with admiration as he looked at the two girls.

Somehow, the two certifiably insane women had earned his respect as elite dancers.

"If that's the case, we're good to go. Let's head in."

Nishino announced, taking the lead as if it were his natural role.

Why the hell are you acting like the leader? Takeuchi-kun nearly blurted out.

Each member, harboring their own complex motives, began to move forward.

◆

The venue was already packed with people.

Among the crowd, Nishino and the others were led to one of the dressing rooms located in a corner of the floor. Since there were no other female participants, the small room was reserved exclusively for Tsunuma High's group.

Incidentally, Nishino and Kousaka were also together in this room.

This was because the staff member guiding them didn't realize the two were male. In fact, the staff had been completely distracted by Nishino's revealing outfit and exaggerated cleavage. It never occurred to him that those "assets" were fake. If Nishino kept his mouth shut, he could easily pass as a woman.

Rose's insistence on enjoying the sight of Futsumen changing also played a role, so no one made any move to kick them out. "To prevent unnecessary confusion, it's best if the crossdressed members don't change alongside the men," was her reasoning.

Naturally, Gabriella shot Nishino a resentful glare. However, she didn't voice any objections. The incident at the abandoned building must have had an effect. She remained docile in his presence.

As a result, the biggest victim of this situation was Takeuchi-kun.

He was the only one led to a different room.

There, surrounded by many male participants, he faced the inevitable task of changing into a cheerleader-like outfit. He had to wear a skirt, put on a wig, and slip into spats.

"......"

The heartthrob was in a dire predicament.

He had assumed Nishino and Kousaka would be with him, making the ordeal less awkward. With two good-looking guys and one futsumen around, he figured he wouldn't stand out too much.

But the two had gone off with the girls to another room.

Given the circumstances, dragging them back was impossible.

"......"

And so, Takeuchi-kun was left to endure a humiliating solo crossdressing session.

He opened his bag and checked the costume inside. It was overwhelmingly frilly and unabashedly pink. The blatantly feminine outfit, paired with the spats and wig tucked nearby, felt like forbidden artifacts to him in that moment.

Around him, other participants—presumably fellow competitors—were hurriedly preparing. But most were merely changing shirts, putting on hats, or applying tape under their pants. Nothing more.

Not a single soul was slipping into a skirt.

If the people around him had been lower-tier participants, Takeuchi-kun might have changed with confidence. He would've proudly shown off the physique he'd honed as a soccer player while boldly cross-dressing.

But instead, he was surrounded by bona fide breakdancers.

Their looks were above a certain standard.

As for physique, Takeuchi-kun was merely average in this room.

It was a world of extremely toned bodies with single-digit body fat percentages.

"What should I do...?"

Moreover, the issue of the quality of his cross-dressing was still unresolved.

Even though he was the number one heartthrob in his class, simply wearing women's clothes and a wig wouldn't make him pass as a woman. Since he was tall to begin with, he would inevitably stand out among the others.

He would end up looking like a handsome guy with long hair wearing women's clothes. Initially, he thought that would be fine. He figured that as long as he could support Rose and Gabriella and blend in with the others, it would be okay.

But then Nishino and Kousaka showed up, fully committed to their cross-dressing.

Now, he was the odd one out.

If things continued like this, whether he liked it or not, the group dynamic would be four girls plus one random cross-dressing dude.

"......"

Without a word, Takeuchi-kun quietly closed his bag.

Then, heading out from the changing room and into the hallway, he walked forward with determination.

His destination was the women's changing room where Nishino and the others were.

The journey there was nothing short of humiliating.

Because the floor wasn't particularly large, the narrow corridor was constantly bustling with people passing back and forth. As for the dressing room he was headed to—it had a blatant "Women Only" sign, strictly prohibiting men from entering.

Even sneaking in would be difficult.

So the handsome guy decided on a frontal assault.

"Hey, Kousaka, got a moment?"

He knocked on the door, calling out to the person presumably still changing inside.

It was a tactic only a handsome guy could pull off. The staff members passing by glanced at Takeuchi-kun's good looks, simply assumed he was part of the same team, and moved on without suspicion.

Before long, the door opened.

"What's up, Takeuchi-kun?"

"......"

The one who appeared was Gal Nishino.

Apparently, he had already finished changing and was wearing a frilly pink stage costume. The chest, padded to an exaggerated degree, was probably infuriating to Takeuchi-kun.

Moreover, it suited him perfectly, which was even more aggravating.

"Sorry, but can you call Kousaka for me?"

"Kousaka went to the organizers, saying he had something to take care of."

"...!"

Yet again, Takeuchi-kun was plagued by misfortune.

"W-Well, then Nishino will do. Sorry, but I need to borrow some makeup from Rose-chan. Could you pass on the message? Or, if you could just call her over, that'd be fine. Actually, just calling her over would be enough."

"That girl doesn't wear makeup, so I doubt she has any tools with her."

"Huh...?"

Why the hell do you even know that? The question flashed through Takeuchi-kun's mind. But right now, he was in a desperate situation, and there was no time to dwell on it.

Then, Nishino's next words were like a godsend in hell.

"If you don't mind using mine, I can bring it over..."

"A-Ah, that'll work. Sorry, just lend them to me for a bit."

"Everyone's already finished changing. Why don't you change here too, Takeuchi-kun?"

"No, I'll change in the restroom. Just lend me your makeup."

"Is that so? Alright."

If he could, Takeuchi-kun would've preferred to change calmly with the others. But in front of Rose and Gabriella, putting on makeup or wearing a skirt was something his pride simply wouldn't allow.

Thus, the only option for a cool guy like him was a restroom stall.

"Here it is. Everything's in this pouch."

Nishino returned quickly.

He held out a sparkly, glittery pouch, screaming 'gyaru' in every way. It was even a subtly expensive brand item. Probably the polar opposite of Takeuchi-kun's taste. But right now, to him, it was nothing less than a lifeline.

"Sorry, I'll borrow this for a bit."

"Yeah, go ahead."

Seen off by Gal Nishino, Takeuchi-kun quickly turned on his heel.

With the girly pouch in hand, the ikemen vanished into the men's restroom.

◆

After many twists and turns, the event finally started.

In front of the stage, nearly two hundred seats were lined up, every one filled with spectators. A few people could even be seen standing at the back. Considering this was a regional qualifier for the competition, the turnout was quite impressive.

A total of forty-two teams were participating. Each team would perform a showcase with a time limit of over three minutes but under five minutes. The plan for today was that the top four teams selected from these showcases would then engage in a dance battle to determine the final ranking.

"The level's pretty high this time..."

Kousaka muttered as he looked at the stage from the wings.

His gaze was unusually serious.

"Looks like we're up next." Nishino replied with an air of self-importance.

By now, half of the participating teams had already finished their showcases, and the event had reached its halfway point. The next to take the stage was none other than the Breakdance Club from Tsunuma High School, led by Kousaka.

"......"

Normally, Takeuchi-kun would've fired off a sharp retort like, "Why the hell are you acting like the leader?" at Nishino. But today, Takeuchi-kun was unusually quiet. The reason for that was none other than the way he looked at this very moment—the appearance he was forced to present in front of everyone.

Originally, Takeuchi-kun was a handsome man brimming with masculine charm.

Because of that, no matter how much he wore a wig and dressed in women's clothing, the raw masculinity radiating from within him couldn't be hidden. If Adam had been the one handling his makeup, maybe he could've pulled it off. Unfortunately, Takeuchi-kun's own makeup skills weren't exactly impressive.

His nervousness had led to an overly heavy application. He couldn't quite get used to the feel of the wig, and the amount of wax he used was off, leaving the ends of his hair sticking up awkwardly. Combined with his tall stature and broad shoulders, he looked unmistakably like a visual kei rocker.

Except for the pink cheerleader-like costume, he was absolutely nailing the look.

Originally, this should've been a tolerable level of cross-dressing for Takeuchi-kun—as long as Nishino and Kousaka were on the same level as him. The outcome he had envisioned was a "Beauty and the Beast" vibe: two beautiful girls and three cross-dressing guys, two of whom were ikemen.

But all of that was now a failed strategy.

"Takeuchi-kun, what's wrong? You seem a bit pale..."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just a little cold."

The frilly, cute costume was, without a doubt, the main source of his melancholy.

How can Nishino and Kousaka look so good in this? He wondered.

At this very moment, on this stage, the social hierarchy had undergone a rare reversal.

"This costume does make you a bit cold after all. If it's too much, why don't you wear something underneath? There's no need to push yourself to the point of getting sick. You're here as a helper, Takeuchi-kun. If you ruin your health, we'd feel bad about it," Nishino said kindly.

"......"

Takeuchi-kun never thought the day would come when Nishino would show concern for him. Moreover, in his current situation, the usual hierarchy where the futsumen was on top and the ikemen was below had been completely reversed. Perhaps he had come to realize the superiority of the female gender and the power of makeup.

"Looks like they're almost done?"

While they were busy chatting, the show steadily progressed. Following Rose's comment, everyone's eyes turned to the stage, where the dancers were just striking their final pose. Without missing a beat, applause erupted from the audience.

A moment later, the MC's voice came over the speakers.

『Next up: Tsunuma High School, Breakdance Club!』

"L-Let's go!"

Kousaka called out, oblivious to Takeuchi-kun's panic.

Having plenty of experience with events, he dashed confidently to the center of the stage without hesitation. Even when exposed to the audience in his cross-dressed appearance, he showed no sign of concern. Following the original plan, Nishino, Rose, and Gabriella trailed after him.

There was no way Takeuchi-kun could back out now.

He chased after them, hurrying from the side of the stage toward the center.

Almost instantly, voices rose from the audience.

"Eh, what's that? So cute!"

"Wait, aren't those foreigners?"

"Could they be elementary schoolers?"

"No way, didn't they just say they're from high school?"

"Tsunuma High School? Where's that?"

"Isn't there something weird mixed in?"

"That tall one—that's definitely a dude in drag, right?"

The ones drawing the most attention were Rose and Gabriella, followed by Takeuchi-kun. Kousaka and Nishino came next in the pecking order. With such a bizarre, mismatched group—like some sort of strange bento box—the audience was understandably puzzled. They wondered if the group could really dance.

By the way, their formation was as follows: Kousaka stood in the center, with Rose and Gabriella half a step behind him on either side. Slightly further back, also half a step down, Nishino and Takeuchi-kun lined up on the outer edges. Viewed from above, their arrangement resembled the shape of an arrowhead.

"......"

After confirming that everyone was in position, Kousaka turned his gaze toward the MC.

In response, the designated music began to play in the hall.

The Tsunuma High School Breakdance Club's performance had begun.

◆

In conclusion, Nishino and the others began dancing much better than they had imagined.

Following the instructions given by Kousaka beforehand, they performed various techniques in a predetermined order. Kousaka danced first, followed by Rose and Gabriella, and finally Nishino and Takeuchi-kun, with each performance flowing outward from the center, one beat behind the previous one.

Thanks to this, even though they were beginners in breakdancing, they managed to maintain the structure of their showcase after just a few days of practice. This was entirely thanks to the considerate planning of their junior, who had arranged things with Nishino and Takeuchi-kun's lack of skill in mind.

And unexpectedly, it was well-received.

The difficulty of the moves gradually increased. The audience, curious to see how far these oddballs could continue dancing, watched with anticipation. In response, the members of the Breakdance Club steadily met the their rising expectations.

The fact that there were female dancers also played a role. Although there were some imposters mixed in, at this point none of the audience had realized Nishino or Kousaka were cross-dressing. The excitement was in seeing how far these skirt-clad girls could dance.

In this context, Takeuchi-kun, who was openly cross-dressing, played a crucial role. Because he was clearly cross-dressing, he helped to conceal the fact that Nishino and Sakisaka were also cross-dressing. The audience likely thought that everyone except him was female.

However, not everything went smoothly.

The trouble started when they attempted the windmill technique.

"O-Oi! Isn't there something bulging in their crotch!?"

One of the audience members sitting in the front row suddenly shouted.

Every eye in the audience locked onto Kousaka's groin. At that very moment, Kousaka's legs, stretched straight, were spinning vigorously. With each spin, the skirt fluttered up, revealing the spats underneath. Naturally, the male anatomy was unmistakably present there.

"No way, it's really bulging!"

"Wait, is the one in the middle a dude too?!"

"Hey, isn't the one on the far left bulging as well?!"

"No, it's not bulging."

"It's not bulging, right?"

"No, if you look closely, it seems like it's bulging, or maybe not..."

"Hold on, are they all cross-dressing?"

"But the foreign girls don't look like they're bulging, right...?"

"Yeah, if they were, that'd be a scam!"

"I mean, I'd still be into it, though..."

"More importantly, isn't the one in the middle getting a little excited?"

The audience started chattering freely, throwing around all sorts of comments.

No matter how much you try to smooth things out with spats, when men and women dance side by side, the difference is obvious at a glance. Even with a supporter to hold everything in place, there are limits. Kousaka, for his part, wasn't exaggerating when he openly declared himself a "top" Even in his normal state, he was packing something the size of a fried shrimp.

As a result, even some of the audience members who had been watching the stage with a bored expression began to pay attention. 'Just who was a man and who was a woman?' They began to stare intently at the now-visible crotches.

"The ones on the ends and the one in the middle are guys, right?"

"No way! That gal-looking one was kinda my type too..."

"But the foreign girls are legit, and they're amazing!"

"Right? Their shoulders are really flexible."

"The big guy on the far right feels like such an outcast, though."

Amidst this, the windmill move came to an end.

For Nishino and Takuchi-kun, this was their exit point. The pre-arranged plan was that after the windmill and chair freeze, they would step back half a step and become background dancers. From then on, Kousaka and the gold and silver lolitas would perform the more difficult moves.

As Nishino and Takeuchi-kun stepped back, making room at center stage for the other three, Rose and Gabriella moved outward, away from Kousaka. The formation now resembled a slightly squashed pentagon.

It was during this transition that the accident occurred.

While hopping around in a rabbit-like motion, Gabriella's foot struck Nishino directly on the chin. Being small in stature, her extended leg during the jump managed to land a perfect uppercut kick to his chin with her heel.

"!?" Hit by the unexpected blow, the futsumen was sent flying.

Nishino's mysterious power wasn't enough to brace his own body this time. Gabriella's kick carried tremendous force, launching him in a perfect arc—soaring over Kousaka, who was still dancing at the center of the stage—before crashing down on the opposite side.

Unfortunately, that's where Takeuchi-kun happened to be.

"...!?"

Takeuchi-kun, having just pulled off his final big move—a desperate windmill into a chair freeze—let out a relieved sigh. Now, all he had to do was casually step to the beat outside the spotlight. But before he could relax, Nishino slammed into him like a human cannonball.

The two of them tumbled all the way to the edge of the stage.

"Ah..."

Gabriella's face turned pale, her body frozen mid-pose.

It clearly wasn't intentional. She had accidentally kicked Nishino in the face. The other dancers on stage were equally shocked. Although they maintained their dancing posture, their attention was directed towards the edge of the stage.

"Takeuchi-kun, you okay?"

"Nishino, y-you, what the hell are you doing!?"

"We need to get back on stage. It'll be bad if the performance gets stopped."

"Damn it..."

The futsumen and the ikemen had just put on quite a dramatic display. Nevertheless, thanks to the former's instinctive use of his mysterious power, the impact was somehow absorbed. Otherwise, one or both of them would likely have broken their necks.

As a result, Nishino's flight ended up looking like a wire stunt, but there was nothing to be done about it.

Meanwhile, the audience grew even more chaotic. A few voices expressed concern for the futsumen, who had shown such a remarkable parabolic flight. All eyes turned toward the backstage where he had disappeared, wondering if that cross-dressing dude was alright.

Then, in the next moment—Gal Nishino reappeared, walking on his own two feet.

Following right behind him was the Visual Kei artist, Takeuchi-kun.

Nishino, in particular, threw in a stylish toprock, striking a pose and making a triumphant comeback with a smug look on his face. With Takeuchi-kun following close behind, the two of them somehow managed to keep the dance performance going. Seeing the two of them looking lively, the MC resumed the music and watched their act unfold.

—Witnessing this scene made Rose furious.

"......"

Takeuchi-kun, having somehow made it back, moved toward the rear of the stage as originally planned. Perhaps conscious of Nishino's movements, he matched his energy with his own hip-hop moves, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he gave it one final push.

At that moment, his butt was sharply kicked by the foot of the blonde lolita.

It was a forceful strike, delivered with a spinning motion from a Thomas Flare.

"Wha!?"

Without a moment's delay, the ikemen was blown away. For a second, his body seemed to float before he stumbled forward several steps and plunged headfirst. Right in front of him, as if aimed precisely, was Gabriella.

Apparently, Rose couldn't stand seeing her beloved being kicked. This was her retaliatory human projectile. On the other hand, Takeuchi-kun, who never expected to be kicked by her, was swept forward as if caught in an explosion. He was unable to stop himself.

To everyone watching, a collision between the two was inevitable.

However, Gabriella skillfully deflected him away. Still in the midst of her own Thomas Flare move, just like Rose earlier, she spun her leg and kicked the incoming Takeuchi-kun's butt, launching the handsome guy toward the back of the stage.

And as fate would have it, standing there was Nishino.

"!?"

The futsumen and the ikemen were forced to collide once again. Takeuchi-kun must have felt like he'd become a pinball at this point. Still, thanks to Nishino's quick reflexes and his mysterious power catching him, a brutal crash into the floor was avoided. A narrow escape from certain doom.

"Takeuchi-kun, you okay?"

"S-Sorry..."

To anyone watching, Rose was clearly the one at fault.

However, the heartthrob refused to openly admit it. Instead, he covered for Rose and, even though the other party was Nishino, he apologized sincerely. Still, his sore buttocks—hurt from being kicked twice—prevented him from standing up immediately, no matter how carefully the kicks had been delivered.

As a result, the two ended up huddled together near the back of the stage. The stage wasn't that spacious, after all.

On the other hand, this incident gave momentum to the golden and silver lolitas.

"You bitch...!"

Before anyone realized it, Rose was closing in on Gabriella.

Kousaka continued dancing at the center of the stage, closest to the audience. However, by now, no one was paying attention to his performance. Behind him, the two girls' battle had already begun. Moving freely yet still maintaining the guise of dance, their clash unfolded in a flurry of motion.

Even the one being challenged welcomed it with a somewhat pleased expression.

As a result, what had initially seemed like a series of accidents was now embraced by the audience as part of the show. With the less skilled Nishino and Takeuchi-kun effectively forced offstage, the two lolitas poured even more intensity into their performance. The crowd erupted in cheers, completely enthralled.

"The two cross-dressers bailed halfway, huh?"

"That gal flew like crazy, didn't he?"

"He really did fly! Like some wire-action stunt!"

"Is he okay, though?"

"Gotta be part of the act, right?"

"He looks totally fine, so probably."

"So, doesn't that make the gal the real MVP?"

"Definitely."

"The tall dude who caught him was pretty impressive too."

"Honestly, their skill level is insane."

"Wait, hold up—those girls are straight-up doing air flares now. Isn't that wild?"

"Miniskirt air flares are the best! You can totally see their spats!"

"I wanna take off those spats off..."

"Would've been better if they were going commando."

"But then you'd get the cross-dresser's bulge in the package too, right?"

"Totally down for that."

"Huh?"

"I get it. The way the gal looks out for the tall guy? Kinda sweet, isn't it?"

Gradually, the venue began to buzz with excitement.

Everyone in the audience was completely captivated by the scene on stage.

Balancing on one hand in a handstand, Rose spread her legs wide and spun her feet with precision, targeting Gabriella with rapid kicks. But against the gothic lolita's strength, even those blows were ineffective. Like Nishino's power, they were stopped just before making contact, unable to even wrinkle Gabriella's clothes. To an onlooker, it might have seemed like a feint.

And this series of attacks provided the perfect opportunity for the silver-haired lolita. Gabriella seized the opportunity and thrust her face into the open crotch of the blonde lolita. She grabbed the wildly moving legs with both hands, pressing her face in firmly.

"Ahhn."

"!"

Feeling the movement of a tongue over her spats, Rose instinctively pulled away. The audience reacted loudly to Gabriella's shocking behavior. Any semblance of the original choreography was long gone—they were doing whatever they pleased.

However, their exchange still managed to maintain the appearance of a performance.

This was all thanks to Kousaka, who continued to dance as planned in the center of the stage, closest to the audience.

What started as a team dancing in harmony had gradually unraveled due to a small mistake, eventually appearing to descend into a fight. To the audience, it came off as a comical storyline.

In reality, the fight was genuine, and the beginners who had retreated to the back of the stage were indeed beginners. However, none of the audience knew the truth. Moreover, witnessing Rose and Gabriella's superhuman movements, everyone watched the stage, forgetting even to blink.

However, the excitement wouldn't last much longer.

According to the competition rules, the dance time was set between three and five minutes. By the time Nishino and Takeuchi-kun had exited, three minutes had already passed. As the music approached its climax, only a few tens of seconds remained. The end was drawing near.

"Takeuchi-kun, it's almost time for the final scene."

"I know that without you telling me. I'll jump in if I have to."

"Understood."

Thanks to the deafening music, their conversation on stage didn't reach the audience. Taking advantage of this, the two quickly made plans for the final scene. This was one moment they absolutely couldn't miss—the grand finale.

The plan was for everyone to gather at the center at the end and strike a pose.

There was no telling how much would go according to plan. But they, too, wanted to return to the spotlight for the final moment. There was no way they could remain huddled together at the back of the stage until the very end.

Soon, music resembling a final drumroll echoed through the hall.

"Now's the time—let's go, Takeuchi-kun!"

"I told you, stop ordering me around!"

Together, the two dashed toward the center of the stage.

Their destination was the center, where Kousaka had transitioned into a one-handed handstand—the planned finishing pose from the start. The arrangement was for Takeuchi-kun's hand to catch Kousaka's leg precisely as he shifted into a ninety-degree angle, leading to the final pose.

That was the only actual piece of coordinated choreography they had discussed.

"...!?"

Noticing Nishino approaching, Rose sprang into action.

She probably figured they needed to at least end things properly. She grabbed Gabriella by the scruff of her neck, who had gotten right in front of her. Then, kicking off the floor, she forcefully moved toward Kousaka.

If she messed this up, there was no telling what Nishino would say to her later.

"Aahn, Onee-saama~"

"Just be quiet for a second!"

In that critical, unmissable moment, a resounding sound echoed through the hall, louder than ever.

Just in the nick of time, the team gathered beneath Kousaka.

Then, Takeuchi-kun successfully grabbed Kousaka's ankle and neatly stopped the one-handed handstand spin. The remaining members also moved their arms widely, surrounding and supporting Kousaka, who was frozen in the center of the stage. It was the decisive pose they had practiced yesterday in the classroom.

The performance ended beautifully.

—At that very same moment, another event unfolded.

Bang. Bang.

Two sharp sounds rang out in quick succession through the venue.

These were the sounds of gunshots, timed with the loud noise at the end of the dance. Two shots were fired—both aimed at Gabriella's forehead, as she stood next to Rose on the stage.

"...!" Only Nishino was able to react. While raising his arm toward Kousaka, he spotted a figure in the shadowed corner of the floor, holding a gun. But it was a split-second moment, barely ahead of the shot—the trigger had already been pulled.

Faced with the approaching bullets, Nishino exerted his power.

It was to protect his clubmates who were right there with him on the stage.

"!?"

The next moment, Gabriella's eyes widened.

She was stunned, witnessing the bullets halt mere centimeters from her forehead. It was as if they'd been stopped by an invisible wall, frozen in midair.

Only Nishino, who stopped them, and Gabriella, the target, noticed.

Gabriella's crimson eyes darted to the side, catching sight of Nishino. But the guy himself? He didn't seem to care in the slightest. With a blank expression, he struck a smug pose toward the audience, basking in the moment.

Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.

The sound of the bullets falling to the floor in front of Gabriella was drowned out by the clapping, unnoticed by anyone. As they left the stage, Nishino casually extended his fingers and picked up the lump of lead, slipping it into the pocket of his skirt.

In the end, everyone lived happily ever after.

At least, that's how it looked to everyone in the audience.

◆

That evening, the club members gathered at a family restaurant near the venue.

The purpose was to hold a debriefing session for the day's event. Kousaka, Nishino, Rose, Gabriella, and Takeuchi-kun were all present, occupying a booth with two rows of three seats, enough to accommodate all six of them.

Since they were all together anyway, they figured they might as well have dinner before parting ways.

"Um, s-senpais... there's something I wanna tell you all while I have the chance."

As most of the food had been eaten, Kousaka finally spoke up.

"What is it? Go ahead, Kousaka."

Noticing the unusually solemn look on his kouhai's face, Nishino responded immediately. He twirled his fork lazily in his half-eaten spaghetti, exuding an air of exaggerated nonchalance.

Takeuchi-kun, meanwhile, couldn't help but feel irritated by Nishino's smug, senpai-like demeanor. The way Nishino skillfully handled his food—perfectly twirling even non-fresh pasta—only added fuel to Takeuchi's frustration. How does he manage to eat so neatly like that? he grumbled internally.

"On our way back from the venue, the event organizers called out to me."

"Hoh?"

"As you all know, we unfortunately didn't make it into the top four at the event."

As he pointed out, Tsunuma High School's Breakdance Club had indeed fallen short of the top four teams in the dance competition. Considering they had only prepared for a few days, everyone present understood it was a predictable outcome.

Even Kousaka himself had initially acknowledged as much.

"But, well... I think we did pretty good regardless, didn't we?"

Takeuchi-kun interjected, not wanting to hear Nishino drag things out any further. The "Hoh?" from the futsumen had pushed him to the edge.

"You said the same thing back in the clubroom too, didn't you, Kousaka?"

"Yeah, well... actually, it turns out we were supposed to be in first place after the qualifiers."

"What, seriously?" Takeuchi-kun exclaimed.

"Apparently, one of the sponsors was sitting with the judges. They said some of the stunts were too dangerous for their brand image, so... they had to disqualify us."

"Well, if that's the case, there's nothing we can do about it."

Takeuchi-kun also understood such matters, given that his family ran a hospital.

Nishino, on the other hand, seemed somewhat dissatisfied with the outcome.

The root of it all? The two lolitas.

He couldn't deny feeling a certain resentment towards Rose and Gabriella, who had completely deviated from the original plan and started fighting during the actual performance. However, considering they wouldn't have been able to participate in the competition without them, he had surprisingly kept his mouth shut since leaving the stage.

"So, senpais... I know a lot of things didn't go as planned. But I think it's okay for us to take this experience home as a good memory. Honestly, I was really nervous about what was happening behind me during the dance, but even so... I had a lot of fun dancing all the way to the end."

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

Kousaka nodded deeply in response to Takeuchi-kun's casual remark.

A bond between a mature senior and a somewhat youthful junior.

The time they spent cross-dressing had now become a memory.

It was quite a picturesque scene.

Had Nishino continued dragging out the conversation, this moment might never have happened.

"So, senpais... thank you so much for working together for my sake!"

Kousaka bowed so hard his forehead nearly hit the table.

The slight quiver in his voice made it clear that his words were neither false nor mere social pleasantries. Perhaps he was more sensitive than he appeared. It was an expression of gratitude that clearly showed how genuinely satisfied he was.

And perhaps that was why Nishino found himself in an uncharacteristically good mood.

Once again, the virgin bastard caught the fleeting scent of youth.