Chapter 41: This is...Me...!?

This is...Me...!?

"Saotome-san! You're beautiful!"

"Is that so...?"

Ayanokoji cheered when she saw me in my wedding dress.

From my perspective, Ayanokoji looks much prettier in an elegant yet simple dress that suits the occasion.

Wedding.

No, it was the day of the charity event.

Having been chosen as the subject of a wedding dress photo, I visited a chapel that had been converted from a church early in the morning.

I was greeted by a smiling Ayanokoji, and then a group of capable, mature-looking women in pantsuits helped me change into the wedding dress that had been prepared for me.

Ayanokoji greeted me with cheers after I finished changing, and then took me to another room.

There, women who seemed to be in charge of makeup were waiting for me.

"Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!"

"Yo-yoroshiku..."

Their smiling and clear greeting exudes a sense of professionalism.

I did as I was told and sat in front of a large white dresser, and my face was smeared with colored powder and flesh-colored liquid.

"W-Where's Ijuin?"

"Ijuin-kun is changing in another room. We plan to meet once Saotome-san has finished her hair and makeup."

Ijuin had also requested to meet me at the same time.

I wonder if he, like me, is in the middle of getting his hair and makeup done.

I don't think there's much room for improvement on that beautiful face.

"--It's finished. Thank you for your hard work."

"Th-Thank you very much...!"

The hair and makeup artist suddenly announced that the session was finished.

She quickly puts away the makeup tools she had spread out.

Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I had transformed from a beautiful girl into a hyper ultra beautiful girl.

"Is this... me...?"

The same thought escaped my lips as when I first looked in the mirror after being reincarnated into this world.

My eyes, cheeks, and lipstick are all pink. My hair is also updo, but with my limited vocabulary, I don't know the name of this hairstyle.

With so many braids, I could just understand that my hands were pretty busy.

"Y-You're so beautiful...! Saotome-san...!"

Next to me, Ayanokoji was in tears.

"No, it's not enough to make me cry..."

"...Saotome?"

As I was trying to calm Ayanokoji down, I heard another voice calling out to me.

I turned towards the source of the voice and saw the door was open.

Ijuin came in, replacing the hair and makeup artist who had been working until just a moment ago.

"Ah, Ijuin... it suits you..."

Ijuin and his white tuxedo looked ridiculously good together.

His silky aqua blue hair has bangs pulled up, giving him a sharper look than usual, and the tuxedo that shows off his slender figure is so well-fitting that you'd believe it if someone said it was made just for Ijuin.

"Saotome... you're beautiful..."

It was so touching.

A tear welled up in Ijuin's eye.

"Huh?! Huh?!"

"You're beautiful, Saotome-san!"

Ayanokoji was still crying, and Ijuin was quietly crying.

What kind of situation is this!?

Did my wedding dress have that kind of destructive power hidden within it?

"Don't cry, you guys~"

For now, I put my arms around the two of them, like a baseball team that had just finished their retirement game.

They both cried on my chest.

...What is this?

Afterwards, the gallery members also began arriving at the chapel one after another.

Everyone was dressed in formal attire appropriate for the chapel setting, and I was taken aback by the rare outfits that you don't see very often.

"Otome-chan, here I come~"

"Nagumo! It suits you!"

"Hehe, thank you."

Nagumo was wearing a beige checked suit.

It matches his milk tea colored hair and looks great.

Nagumo, who had made the effort to come to the room where I had my makeup done, sat down on the luxurious looking sofa with a "Here we go."

I sit down in the chair opposite the dresser.

"So, Otome-chan... I have something to ask you."

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure this is okay?"

This is fine...

"It's not like this is fine or anything. It was decided by a vote, right? And just because I took a photo with Ijuin, it's not like anything will change..."

"Do you really think so?"

"…………"

Nagumo looked at me with an unusually serious look.

The tone of his voice was low, so it seemed like there was no way he could get away with it.

"I'll ask you again, Otome-chan."

Nagumo takes a breath.

"Student council president or delinquent boy, who will you choose?"

...Seriously at this time?

Is now the time to make that choice?

"Saotome-san!"

Just before I could answer, Ayanokoji entered the room with a phone in hand.

Behind her is Ijuin.

"Oh, Nagumo-san. We are now going to have a meeting about the filming, so could you please leave your seat for a bit?"

"...Yes."

Nagumo left me with a meaningful look and obediently left.

"There were quite a lot of spectators! It was worth it to hold this event with the whole school involved!"

Ayanokoji has been smiling ever since we met this morning.

I looked out the window.

It was a place where the church gate could be seen.

Many high school students dressed in chic formal attire were entering the venue.

As expected, the ratio of men to women was overwhelmingly female, but there were also a few males.

However, Onizuka was nowhere to be found.

...I wonder if Onizuka will come.

"Now, let me explain the arrangements for the photo shoot... Saotome-san?"

"Oh, no, it's nothing. Keep going."

Ijuin sat down on the sofa where Nagumo had been sitting just a moment ago.

Ayanokoji stood and began to explain.

No, no, I have to pull myself together.

"Well then," Ayanokoji cleared his throat.

"The theme is the entrance of the bride and groom. Ijuin-san will enter first, followed by Saotome-san, and then the two of them will put on rings instead of a vow kiss."

"And that concludes the photo session," Ayanokoji explained.

It's easier than I thought.

"...I understand."

Ijuin nodded.

I nodded as well.

"Well then, let's get started on the preparations right away!"

Ayanokoji handed Ijuin two rings and then disappeared in a flash.

I guess there's a lot of behind-the-scenes work piling up.

I'm sure she'll be a career woman when she grows up.

"Saotome..."

"Huh?! What?!"

Before I knew it, Ijuin had stood up from the sofa and come over to sit next to me.

His long, slender fingers gently stroke my cheek.

"Honestly, I'm really happy to have been able to take a photo with you in this outfit. It may be self-indulgent, but let me say it. Thank you."

Ijuin smiled.

That smile made my chest ache for some reason.