And time returns to the present──.
A few days have passed since we started practicing for the stage.
Actually, we didn't receive any information from Kitaraku-senpai except the music and choreography data. Thus we didn't know when the show would be in the first place, and we didn't know what to do about the costumes and so on.
…Well, I'm sure Kitaraku-senpai will prepare those things for us…
At any rate, despite all the uncertainty, our practice was going well.
"──Lexia, you're running late!"
"I-I know!"
Even now, Luna-led dance lessons are taking place, and Lexia-san, who is a little less athletic than everyone else, is doing her best while struggling.
At first, I wondered what would happen, but as the practice progresses like this, I feel like they are getting into shape, which is amazing.
In comparison, I have nothing to do, or I can't do anything…
I wonder why Kitaraku-senpai put me in charge of this project? No matter how I think about it, it's like I'm just in the way…
When I thought about that myself and felt miserable, it seemed that the dance session had just come to an end, and each of them had started to take a break.
"Phew! The water tastes so good!"
"It's not often that I get to move my body this much."
Merl-san is an alien from the planet Amel, whose science and technology are far more advanced than that of the Earth, and since she usually lives using various Amel technologies, she probably has fewer opportunities to move her body than people from the Earth.
"It seems like Lexia is having a hard time keeping up with the music."
"I-I can't help it, can I? I'm not as physically strong as Luna!"
"Effort. Lexia should exercise more."
"Hey, Yuti! You make it sound like I'm lazy!"
"You are, aren't you?"
"I-I'm not, right? Yuuya-sama?"
"A-ahahaha…"
I could only laugh at the topic that was suddenly thrown at me.
The reason was when she first came to this world, she was interested in a lot of things, but as she got more and more accustomed to it, she was corrupted… by the convenient tools of the Earth…
Above all, now that a maid named Meiko was also living in the house, Lexia-san was moving around the house less and less often.
W-well, Lexia-san was usually working hard as a princess in the other world, so it's fine if she took it easy, at least in this world.
"Well, putting Lexia aside… I was surprised that Kaede was able to move more than I expected."
"Eh, m-me?"
"Affirmative. Kaede, excellent."
Having been praised by Luna and Yuti, Kaede was flustered.
"T-that's not true! I was just trying to keep up with the others in dance, and I'm not as good a singer as Lexia-san and the others…"
Lexia-san was certainly not good at dancing, but when it came to singing, she had an outstanding talent… a singing voice that really attracted you.
"It is true that I am not a good dancer, but I am a good singer! When it comes to singing, I'm the one who's going to teach Luna!"
"Kuh…! I'm so pissed off at the look of pride on her face…!"
"Weak. Singing is hard…"
"Well, maybe it's a matter of whether or not you're used to singing on a regular basis."
"Doubt. Merl is good at it too. Do you sing a lot?"
"Yeah, I do. When I was in my hometown, I used to sing a lot."
Just like Yuti said, I was actually surprised by Merl's singing ability as well.
If Lexia-san's songs appealed to the emotions, Merl sang with such precision that the word "precise" was the perfect word to describe her singing.
Perhaps there is a culture of music on the planet Amel. Even though their science and technology are very different, the enjoyment of such a culture is probably the same.
"Aside from Lexia and Merl, I think you're at least much better at it than Yuti and me."
"B-but shouldn't you be good at something like everyone else?"
"No, I don't think so. The best thing about Kaede is that you have the best balance of singing and dancing in the group. That's the best advantage of all."
As Luna said, Kaede's singing and dancing are not particularly great compared to Lexia-san's group, but her overall balance is very good.
She can sing and dance at a high level, and above all, Kaede's cheerful atmosphere is perfect as an idol, I realized as we practiced.
In the midst of all this, Lexia-san suddenly muttered.
"Come to think of it… I originally joined this project because I heard that Yuuya-sama was going to take care of it…"
"Eh?"
"Speaking of which, the student council president did say something like that."
"U-um, Lexia-san? Luna?"
As some kind of disturbing atmosphere began to emerge, Lexia-san's eyes lit up, and her gaze moved toward me at a tremendous speed.
"Yuuya-sama! I think Yuuya-sama has a duty to take care of us!"
"E-eehhh!?"
"Le-Lexia-san!? I think Yuuya-kun might get in trouble if you say that out of the blue…"
When Kaede said this while glancing at me, Lexia-san shook her head greatly.
"You're naive, Kaede! It's at times like this that we should push!"
"I-is that so?"
"I don't think so!"
No, Lexia-san and the others are actually doing their best, and I, as the person in charge of this project, would like to do everything I can to help them, but…
Then, Lexia-san also asked Yuti and Merl, who had been quietly watching the situation.
"You two would like to be taken care of by Yuuya-sama, too, wouldn't you?"
"? Usually. He does it all the time."
"What did you say?"
"No, I don't! I didn't!"
At first, when Yuti started living with me, she was very under the influence of Archer-san's overprotectiveness and needed my help to do everything, but now she's able to take care of herself.
…Now that I think about it, those days were really tough… I can only thank Kaori for helping me out…
"Regardless of the truth of what Yuti-san said… when you say take care of us, what do you want him to do for us?"
When Merl asked her that, Lexia-san smiled fearlessly.
"That's… a massage!"
"Eh?"
"Ma…Massage…!"
As I froze at the unexpected topic, everyone's eyes lit up when they heard what Lexia-san was saying, and they all turned to look at me at the same time.
W-what is it… I feel like a herbivore being targeted by a carnivore… and I want to get out of here right now.
However, perhaps foreseeing my thoughts, Yuti had already sealed the entrance and exit, and Luna had even carefully used her strings to secure the door so that I couldn't escape. T-they went to that extent?
Realizing that no matter how hard I tried, I could not escape from this place, I opened my mouth in trepidation.
"U-um! By massage, you mean… S-shoulder massage, right…?"
"What are you talking about? Of course, it's a full-body massage!"
"──"
I was just speechless.
W-what should I do… what should I do…!"
I'm not lying when I said that I wanted to help everyone.
But, f-full body massage is…! I can't do that!"
"Now, Yuuya-sama! Give up and heal our bodies!"
"U-uwaaaahh!"
──I was defeated by everyone's pressure, and I focused my mind only on healing everyone's body, and while frantically dispelling unnecessary thoughts, I accomplished the massage.
＊＊＊
And so it went smoothly(?). Today's practice was over, and I decided to go home.
Then…
"Good, you guys haven't gone home yet… What's wrong? The girls are looking awfully shiny…"
"Sawada-sensei! Ah, um… there are various things…"
Our homeroom teacher, Sawada-sensei, came to the lesson room we were using.
"So, what's going on?"
"That's right. Actually, I'm here to tell you that I've received the thing that that guy Kitaraku asked me to deliver, so I came to tell you about it… he just pushed me to do the work and then went away."
"Haha…"
"By the way, these are your stage costumes."
"Eh!?"
We were surprised to hear these words.
"I knew that Kitaraku-senpai had been preparing for this, but is it already done?"
"Yeah. He's always quick to act on these things."
I asked Sawada-sensei, who looked somewhat taken aback, about something that had been bothering me.
"Um… It seemed like the other day Sensei was against Kitaraku-senpai in a lot of ways, but are you helping him out now?"
"That's right… Well, it's because he was able to get you in well."
"Eh?"
"…No, I'm talking about this side. Besides, before I knew it, he was in talks with Star Productions, and he even got permission from the board chairman. I don't think a single teacher can overturn it now."
"Kitaraku-senpai is really fast at his work, isn't he?"
I didn't realize that he had already received permission from Tsukasa-san, the board chairman… Well, to put it another way, we can't do such a big project without Tsukasa-san's permission, can we?
"So, I wanted to bring over the costumes that had arrived. Since I can't catch Kitaraku, I thought I'd ask Tenjou to help me."
"No problem."
"Oh, then we'll help too!"
Kaede raised her hand and said so, but…
"No, Kaede and the others can go home first."
"But… To make Yuuya-kun work alone is…"
"No problem. Rather, Kaede and the others are probably more tired from practicing."
In fact, although I have been appointed by my Kitaraku-senpai to be in charge of this project, I have not been able to do anything that resembles work so far.
So, if I don't move even at a time like this, I would feel uncomfortable…
"If Yuuya says it's okay, then I will take your word for it."
"Right! Since we're all here, it wouldn't be a bad idea if we all went home together!"
"Come to think of it; we haven't really hung out together outside of this practice."
"Then, we could go out afterward, couldn't we? No, it's possible! If that's the case, let's go right away!"
"Eeehhh?"
"Geez, Lexia…"
It seems that Lexia-san and the others are going to have a little fun and go back home. It is true that Lexia and Yuti are in different grades with each other, and they don't have a chance to talk to each other except when practicing on the idol stage.
"You can go play, but be careful!"
"Yes!"
Taking Sawada-sensei's advice, Lexia-san and the others left the classroom.
I then went to work carrying out the costumes that had arrived.