nhp | (Sutamai) ‘Watch Out for Pranks ♡ A Teasing Whisper on an Autumn Night’, Part 1

The cheerful, friendly, and popular actor was actually in fact, straight-laced and stoic.

Guileless, and not at all fake—he was a person loved by all. From someone like that……

Kyosuke: What do you think the “real” me is like, Rei-san?

I was asked such a question. It was as though he was testing me, and I was the butt of a joke like it was all fun and games.

Kyosuke: Ahaha, give up?

The correct answer is…… I don’t know myself, either.

He was someone who would change out of “himself” one after another as if it were all a disguise.

And “they” were people shrouded in mystery.

“This” was a story of my first Halloween together with them.

* * *

-Investigation & Planning Division-

It was a certain early afternoon in October.

???: …… Rei-san.

Rei: GAARGH!?

(W-Wha, w-who……)

K-Kyosuke-kun!??

Kyosuke: “You’re the only one left for me.”

Rei: E-Excuse me!??

Kyosuke: …… Just kidding~

Rei: !

Kyosuke: That was a line from a drama I shot yesterday. Did I surprise you?

-Investigation & Planning Division-

Rei: L-Like you wouldn’t believe it……

(I mean, on top of suddenly being hugged tight from behind…)

(He was whispering right into my ear. I don’t think there’d be anyone who wouldn’t be surprised in that situation……)

Natsume: Actually, even if it was a joke…

Letting out that sound after getting hugged by a guy, like, your credibility as a girl is as low as ever.

From beside me, Natsume-kun chimed in without missing a beat as he worked.

Rei: Hold on, t-that was out of my control!!

Anyways, what happened to the talk with Seki-san, Kyosuke-kun?

Kyosuke: I already finished up with that. It was only something small, after all.

That aside, I’ve actually got something important to discuss with you, Rei-san.

Rei: Something important?

Kyosuke: Rei-san…… Will you listen to another one of my requests?

-Investigation & Planning Division-

Rei: A request……?

Kyosuke: It’s almost Halloween, right?

Rei: Oh yeah, now that you mention it.

(Although I did completely forget about it since it’s a holiday that has nothing to do with me year after year……)

Kyosuke: I’m always the type to be invited to these things every year, somehow or other.

But I suddenly thought to myself yesterday that I might want to try hosting one some time.

Rei: Huh……?

Kyosuke: But there’s a lot here and there that I don’t know.

It sounds like it’ll be hard to do if I’m all on my own……

So I was hoping that you’d help me out.

Rei: Wha—! Why me!?

Kyosuke: Huh? Cause it seems like it’ll be fun if we do it together?

Rei: No, wait, back up there…… I’m not used to those sorts of things.

So I think you should ask someone more suited to the job.

Kyosuke: …… Do you not want to do it with me?

Rei: (Don’t look at me with such eyes!!)

-Investigation & Planning Division-

Rei: T-That’s not what I meant!

It’s just… I also more or less have work to do here and there……

Kyosuke: Oh, okay…… That’s a shame.

I had thought that I was able to be of some help the other day when I gave you information.

Rei: !

Kyosuke: But I guess it’s just increased yours and everyone else’s workload.

I made you all so busy that there’s no time for you to even have fun……

…… Maybe it’s best that I hold back a bit with it next time.

Rei: (S-Saying that while making such a dejected expression……)

(Is he subtly threatening to not offer us information next time if I turn him down here!?)

Kyosuke-kun was a well-known face within the entertainment industry, and a valuable source of information.

We had used that to our advantage just recently too.

And it had finally led to the arrest of a certain drug abuser.

Kyosuke: …… You really don’t have any time to spare at all?

Rei: (Ugh! There it is!! The heart-stopping, puppy-look head tilt!!!)

(I-I won’t give in. I w-won’t……)

…… A-As long as it doesn’t create any problems for my work, then……

Kyosuke: Score!

Thanks, Rei-san. Let’s have a blast of it.

Rei: (Sigh… I ended up caving……)

-Weekend-

-Shopping District-

Rei: (...... Anyways, I agreed to do the shopping, but…)

I overdid it……

(Maybe it’s because the plan’s so vague that I went overboard with the excess shopping.)

Fifty jack-o-lanterns…

And of actual pumpkins, no less……

I couldn’t stop feeling uneasy every time I remembered Kyosuke-kun’s LIME message.

Rei: (In short, the only thing that hasn’t been decided is the time and place.)

(I wonder if we really will be able to get it up and running in time……)

Just as I was thinking that, a luxury car slowly pulled up right alongside next to me.

Rei: ……

(...... Am I about to get caught up in trouble this early on in the middle of the day?)

(If worse comes to worst, I’ll drop everything and make a run for it……)

[Click]

Rei: !

Miyase: …… Ah, yes, it’s just as I thought. It was you, Izumi-san.

Good afternoon.

Rei: Miyase-san!

-Shopping District-

Coincidentally, Miyase-san had been passing by.

Miyase: That looks like it’s a lot to carry.

If you’d like, why don’t you get in the car?

I took him up on his offer, and was supposed to have been given a lift back home, but……

-Kujo Household: Living Room-

Miyase: I’m back.

Kaname: …… Huh? What’s going on?

Rei: I ran into Miyase-san by chance.

But then he invited me over for tea, so…… here I am.

Miyase: I just got a hold of some delicious sweets, after all.

I’ll go and prepare the tea now.

Rei: Thank you.

Kaname: Whatever, to be honest…… But that’s a lot of stuff you got there.

Rei: Oh, right. I was actually kind of asked for a favor by someone.

To ready the preparations for the Halloween party and all.

Kaname: …… Hmm. Halloween, huh. When’s the party?

Rei: The Wednesday after next.

(...... He’s pretending to not look interested, but now that he’s gone out of his way to ask, it sounds like he was a little bit keen about it.)

???: …… Cough, cough.

Rei: (......? There’s coughing coming from the hallway……)

[Click]

Kirishima: Woah.

Rei: …… Oh.

Kujo: Ah, yes. So it’s you.

Shindo: …… Why are you here?

Rei: S-Sorry to intrude……

-Several minutes later-

-Kujo Household: Living Room-

Kujo: …… I see. A Halloween party.

Kirishima: Sounds fun!

So can anyone come?

Rei: Huh? Oh, yeah.

(Come to think of it, I was told that it was okay to invite anyone……)

I’ll send over the invitation details later, so if you’d like, please come and enjoy yourself.

Kaname: …… Knock yourself out at the party, Koya-kun.

Kirishima: Putting up a front as always, huh.

If you wanna go then just say so, man!

Kaname: Hey, that stings. No need to hit me……

Kirishima: What about you, Kujo-san? It wouldn’t hurt to go to these things every now and then.

Rei: Huh? Wait, um……

Kujo: You’ve got a point there.

It’s not such a bad idea to attend an occasion that’s different from the usual.

I shall be there if my body is well in working order.

Rei: !?

Shindo: …… I just finished telling you not to go walking about outside so much during this turn of the season too.

Kirishima: Then you should also come, Shindo.

That’ll solve everything!

Shindo: ……

Rei: U-Um, sorry, I didn’t mean you have to push yourself or anything……

Shindo: …… Even without you saying it…

It doesn’t look like there’s any way out of it anymore.

Kujo: Well then, it’s decided. If Go is free as well, then he’ll come along with us.

We’d like an invitation for all five people.

Rei: (N-No way! The whole of Kujo Household is on board!!?)

-Kujo Household: Living Room-

Rei: G-Got it.

Well then, I look forward to seeing you all on the day.

Though I do feel a certain level of unease on if we’ll be able to get the party going on time or not……

Shindo: What do you mean?

Rei: The host is kind of taking the whole thing lightly—

Wait, no, I mean we’re lacking somewhat in help with the preparations.

Kirishima: Man, why didn’t you say so sooner? I’ll lend you a hand with all that!

Rei: Huh?

Kaname: Where’s the venue?

Rei: Umm, at a reception in a hotel in the city……

Kujo: In that case…

The hotel’s restaurant will suffice as to the arrangements for the food and drinks.

Shindo: What are you even saying?

Kujo: It’s not as if it’ll take all that much to accomplish.

Isn’t it also good to have her in our debt?

Shindo: (...... He’s gone a long time of having little interaction with other people.)

(Now thanks to that, it’s a bad habit of his to show excessive interest at times like these.)

…… If I’m going to help out, then I’m going to get paid for it.

-Kujo Household: Living Room-

Kirishima: But Halloween means a lot of weird stuff, huh~

What it comes down to is the horror!

Rei: The horror?

Well, I can’t exactly… argue with that……

Shindo: Getting hyped up while eating and drinking to an eerie atmosphere……

It makes zero sense to me.

Rei: (What’s with this slight dread I feel……)

U-Um, I’m grateful for the offer, but your feelings alone are—

[Ping]

Rei: (Oh, a LIME message from Kyosuke-kun……)

HUH!!???

Kujo: What’s wrong?

Rei: …… The host received a sudden call in for a job.

And won’t be able to help out until the day of the party……

(There are a lot of cute sorry emojis in a row……)

Kirishima: Lucky you got us!

Rei: (I-I’m a little bit worried, but…… starting again tomorrow, I’ll also be back to working on site.)

(I have no choice but to ask for their help here!)

…… I’m sorry.

I guess we’ll be working together then!!!

10.

-Party Venue: Vicinity-

It was the day before the party. At the convenience of Kyosuke-kun and his job, the event was scheduled a little ahead of Halloween.

Rei: (I was told to leave the venue decorations to them, but…)

(I should at least help out a bit……)

-Party Venue-

Kirishima: Yo, Rei! So you came, huh.

Rei: Oh, Kirishima-san.

Kirishima: What about work?

Rei: Yeah, I finished up a little early……

Sorry I keep leaving everything to you guys.

Kirishima: Don’t sweat it! We got things rolling.

Rei: Seriously? That’s good to hear.

Kirishima: C’mon, it’s over here.

And just like that, I was led the way by Kirishima-san, who was brimming with smugness.

As for the venue hall to which we were headed……

-Party Venue-

Rei: (T-This is……!!)

Kirishima: See! Wicked, right?

Rei: (Or rather……)

(Things are totally out of control!!??)