nhp | (Sutamai) ‘Watch Out for Pranks ♡ A Teasing Whisper on an Autumn Night’, Part 2

EVENT STORY INDEX

11.

-Party Venue-

Kirishima: Alright, I gotta get back to what I was doing.

Rei: ……

Bats, spiderwebs, and jack-o-lanterns. They were all certainly a motif for Halloween, but……

Rei: (...... Everything’s way too realistic.)

(Instead of calling it Halloween themed, it’s like a haunted house……)

Kaname: For the record, I did tell them that I thought it was a little bit off mark.

Rei: Kaname-kun!

Um, so like, what happened for it to turn out this way??

Kaname: Well, Koya-kun and Kiyoshi-san……

They insisted that this was how it was like in the movie they saw last time.

All in all, Kujo-san also loves dark places so voila.

Rei: (They clearly have the movie set look perfected……)

[Pssh!]

Rei: EEP!?

Kaname: That ghost is set up so that smoke comes out of its mouth once every thirty minutes.

Rei: (I’m done for……)

(This is definitely not looking good!!)

M-Meeting time, now!

Everyone please gather around at once!

12.

-Party Venue-

Rei: …… I apologize. My explanation was insufficient.

However, the world’s image of Halloween is a lot cuter……

People come together to enjoy dressing up and chatting with each other.

Kujo: …… I see. It would appear that our knowledge was somewhat biased.

Rei: (“Somewhat”......)

Kujo: Well then, let us start afresh. We’ll clear away everything for the moment.

Rei: Huh?

Kujo: You came after finishing work, did you not? You ought to rest a little.

If I can’t answer a request of this level……

Then I can’t possibly take on the Kujo family name.

Rei: (T-That was…… kinda cool… but……)

(Yep, uh-huh, this person is absolutely out-of-his-mind!!)

Thirty minutes after the cleaning up began.

Miyase: Oh!

[Bump]

Rei: Are you alright, Miyase-san?

Miyase: Ahaha, my apologies. I lost my footing there for a bit.

Rei: (That was already the third time though……)

Kirishima: Take that!

[Riiip]

Kirishima: Alright! I got it!!

Rei: Um, Kirishima-san!

Kaname: That curtain belonged to this place.

Kirishima: Huh? Seriously?

Rei: (That’s my first time seeing someone forcefully wrench away a curtain from its rails……)

(Aaarghh!! I fear for the future ahead of me!!!)

???: Umm, so here?

Kyosuke: …… Oh, Rei-san!

Rei: Huh? Kyosuke-kun??

13.

-Party venue-

Kyosuke: There was a change in schedule so we finished up at the half-day point.

I was thinking of helping out with anything, even just a little.

Miyase: Are you a guest?

Kirishima: Who’s that?

Rei: Oh, he’s Tsuduki Kyosuke……

He’s the host for the party this time.

Kyosuke: Nice to meet you~

Thank you for lending a hand in all this.

Miyase: You’re quite the radiant person. Could it be that your profession is related to that of show business?

Rei: Not just “could” or anything…… Huh, wait. You don’t know of him??

Kirishima: I dunno either.

Rei: Huh? You know who he is, right, Kaname-kun?

Kaname: ……

Rei: !!

W-What about you, Shindo-san……

Shindo: You really think I’d know?

Rei: (He’s constantly appearing in commercials and ads though!!)

Kujo: …… Please don’t take it as if we mean any offense.

We’re all people with hardly any interest in television.

Kyosuke: Oh, not at all! I’m still a rookie in the end.

Actually, it’s rather refreshing…… Something like this might not be so bad.

Rei: (...... Kyosuke-kun looks somewhat happy……?)

Kyosuke: I’ll be helping out from here on too so let’s get along.

14.

-30 minutes later-

-Party Venue-

[Pssh!]

Kyosuke: Woah! W-What the—!

Go-san, look at this. Smoke’s coming out!

Miyase: Yes, that one is custom made.

Kyosuke: What? How cool! Alright, we’ll keep this one.

Oh, but wait. Maybe the girls will get a little scared by it……

Miyase: Well then, how about we spruce it up a bit?

We’ll put a hat and such on it like so……

Kyosuke: Oh, good idea! Then let’s wrap this sparkly tinsel around its neck.

Miyase: It’s turned into a very friendly looking ghost, hasn’t it?

Rei: (...... Leaving aside whether it’s become friendly looking or not…)

(The table decorations team sure is an insanely mellow pair……)

Kyosuke: Oh, Kaname-kun!

I’ll hang up that pumpkin, so you can leave it.

Kaname: Yeah, okay. Thanks.

Kirishima: Hey, Kyosuke. C’mere for a bit and take over for Kaname.

This guy’s small so even if he gets on a stepladder, he can’t reach up high.

Kaname: You’re just unnecessarily big, Koya-kun.

Kyosuke: Roger that! Looks like we’re better off hanging up everything in that area in one go.

Kiyoshi-san! Could I get a hand here with this?

Shindo: …… You’ve got some guts to use me for free.

Rei: (O-Or so he says while helping out……)

(...... Actually.)

(Isn’t Kyosuke-kun becoming chummy with the Kujo Household way too fast!?)

Kujo: Wasn’t he also a member of STAND?

Rei: Oh, yeah!

Kujo: What a marvelous specimen.

He excels at pushing his way into people’s hearts.

Rei: Yeah…… It’s probably what you’d call a natural ability.

Kujo: Although…… there seems to also be a part that’s unnatural.

Rei: Huh?

Kujo: No, it’s nothing.

“That’s an actor for you” is simply what I meant.

Rei: ……?

15.

-Day of the Halloween Party-

Although the preparations ran all the way late into the night……

In the end, we managed to safely complete setting up the venue with the combined efforts of everyone.

At long last, the day of the party was upon us.

-Party Venue-

Rei: (...... People are gradually coming in waves.)

(But even so, thank god we finished the preparations in time!!)

Miyase: Rei-san.

Rei: Ooh, Miyase-san! I’ve been… waiting… for you……

(......!!)

Miyase: …… Is something wrong?

Rei: I was just thinking……

How that’s the first time I’ve seen you in that sort of get-up.

Miyase: I was especially invited, after all.

Kujo-san was saying how I should consider dressing for the occasion……

Rei: You look really good! Very handsome!!

(It’s completely different to his usual easy-going aura.)

(Kind of like he’s a whole other person somehow……)

Miyase: So I’m handsome, am I? You flatter me so—

Woah!

[Bump]

[Splosh]

Rei: !

Miyase: O-Oh no, excuse me……

Rei: Umm, are you alright?

(He’s still the same old Miyase-san on the inside……)

(Still, no matter where I look to my left and right, there are celebrities all over the place……)

(Kyosuke-kun really is well-known in the industry, huh.)

Kyosuke: ...... I've... fooound you, Rei-san~

Rei: WHA!?

16.

-Party Venue-

Kyosuke: I finally have you where I want.

Rei: Wait, what!? Let go! The press are here too, you know!?

Kyosuke: Relax~ They’re all people that I know well.

If I tell them it’s my one-sided love then they’ll keep it hush-hush~

Rei: (He’s saying whatever he likes again…)

Kyosuke: Plus, I’m going to cast a spell on them with this magic staff before they leave.

So that they forget eeeverrythiiing.

Rei: …… You’re drunk, aren’t you, Kyosuke-kun?

Kyosuke: Hmm…… Just a bit?

Rei: (It’s definitely not just a bit…… Oh well, he looks to be having fun so it’s fine, I guess.)

Kyosuke: Oh, should I also cast one on you?

Rei: Ahaha. It’s not like you have to erase my memories or anything.

Kyosuke: That’s not what I meant. I was talking about a spell to make you fall in love with me.

Rei: There you go again with saying that sort of stuff……

Kyosuke: Huzzah!

Rei: !!?

With a plop, the tip of the staff touched my lips.

Kyosuke: …… Fall in love with me.

17.

-Party Venue-

Rei: (T-This…… is not how I thought it would go!!)

Kyosuke: Kidding~ …… Ahaha, I was just playing with you!

Rei: C-Could you not go and act all embarrassed on your own when you’re the one who started it……

(You’re making even my heart beat faster for no reason!!)

Kyosuke: Sorry, my bad.

But really, thanks for today!

It’s because of you that my wish came true.

Rei: …… Are you having fun?

Kyosuke: Yep! Plenty!

Rei: I see…… That’s good to know.

Kyosuke: All the preparations that we did ourselves……

And the thought of the guests enjoying that…

I never knew that it would be this much fun until now.

Rei: You did indeed look like you were having a good time with the preparations too.

Kyosuke: Yep. That’s why……

Rei: Wha……

[Squeeze]

Rei: !!

Kyosuke: …… I want you to let me thank you for today.

18.

-Party Venue-

Rei: Um, Kyosuke-kun!??

Kyosuke: …… The person that you caught not too long ago… Nakagoshi Takumi.

Those who are rumored to have abused drugs alongside him are here today.

Rei: !

Kyosuke: The young actor, Hashiuchi Reiya.

Just before, he booked a room at a nearby hotel.

And he left together with a bunch of girls……

If you follow after him, there might be something in it for you and your colleagues.

Rei: ……

Kyosuke: ……

Okay! That’s it for my sweet talk to say thanks.

Did your heart skip a beat?

Rei: …… Kyosuke-kun, how much have you had to drink—

Kyosuke: Don’t worry. This isn’t some drunken joke.

I wanted to hold you, Rei-san.

So I put on a little act is all. Well then, laters~

Rei: ……

(Could Kyosuke-kun have been……)

(No, I’m overthinking it.)

I shook off my thoughts and immediately took out my phone.

Rei: …… Oh, good evening. It’s Izumi speaking.

I have a little something to report……

19.

-Several hours later-

-Party Venue: Hallway-

Rei: …… Kyosuke-kun.

Kyosuke: Oh, Rei-san!

Sorry, but it looks like the party is already over.

Rei: Oh, no, not to worry.

I just came back to say thank you.

Kyosuke: Thank you?

Rei: …… A moment ago, we were able to arrest the guy you mentioned red-handed for possession of drugs.

Kyosuke: Oh, I see! I’m glad to have been of help.

It’s because of you as well that I had a lot of fun today.

Once again, thank you, Rei-san.

Rei: …… Kyosuke-kun. You and that guy…

I overheard gossip that the both of you didn’t really get along.

Kyosuke: Yeah, I guess? Our agencies are also different so maybe that’s why we weren’t on good terms.

But that was simply because we didn’t really have any involvement with each other.

Rei: I see……

(He doesn’t seem to be lying…… but…)

W-Well then, maybe I was just overthinking things……

…… Today’s party…

I had thought that it was something you planned in order to lure him out.

Kyosuke: ……

Rei: J-Just kidding! Of course that’s not—

Kyosuke: Oh, have you figured me out?

Rei: …… Huh?

Kyosuke: And here I was intending to keep it well under wraps.

Kyosuke-kun’s expression as he had seemingly been surprised while saying that……

Suddenly turned cold in the very next moment.

Kyosuke: He was starting to sell recently so I wanted a reason to kick him down.

…… It was lucky for me that he just so happened to be doing drugs.

20.

-Party Venue: Hallway-

Rei: (Kyosuke-kun……)

Kyosuke: …… is what I was testing out saying.

Rei: H-Huh?

Kyosuke: What I did just now was for a character that’ll be appearing next in a suspense drama.

Rei: A d-drama……? So you were acting then?

Kyosuke: Sorry.

But your reactions are interesting to see, Rei-san!

The truth is, my friend was being persistently propositioned by him, and was troubled by it.

So they just wanted to have something done about him.

Rei: ……

Kyosuke: Oh, you look like you still doubt me.

I guess I took the joke too far. Sorry.

(...... Huh, did I overdo it?)

Rei: It felt real, okay! Enough that my legs almost gave out!

…… I’m begging you here.

Please don’t recklessly abuse that sort of special ability of yours anymore.

Kyosuke: Ahaha. Gotcha.

Rei: You really are a mysterious person, Kyosuke-kun.

Kyosuke: Huh?

Rei: It doesn’t feel as if you’re two-faced.

But whenever I look at you, it’s like you have on a different persona.

Kyosuke: ……

Rei: That’s why, sometimes……

I end up staring because I think to myself that I have to strain my eyes and take a real good look.

Kyosuke: …… Is that so?

Rei: Maybe it’s something like a unique aura that actors have?

Kyosuke: Maybe. Who knows?

More importantly, trick or treat!

Rei: Huh?

Kyosuke: You were handed candy for giving out to other people, right?

Rei: Err. They were for giving out to other people? I ate them!!

Kyosuke: Too bad. Your only option is a trick then~

Rei: …… There’s nothing I can do about it, so I’ll resign my fate here and accept it.

Kyosuke: Ahaha. You seriously going to take it?

Rei: No biggie! A woman never goes back on her word!!

Kyosuke: Honestly, you’re so cool, Rei-san.

But you surprisingly also have that cute side to you that blushes straight away……

You really look at those around you, and you’re someone who can properly feel for the other person.

Rei: …… Playing a trick by giving backhanded compliments is a new one.

Kyosuke: Everything I said is true.

(...... Compared to me, you’re completely different.)

Kyosuke-kun then gently grasped my hand……

And softly brushed his lips to the back of it.

Rei: !!

Kyosuke: Thanks for letting me play a trick on you.

Rei: I-It’s my first time being thanked for something like that……

Kyosuke: …… You know.

There are things that even I sometimes begin to not understand.

Rei: Huh?

Kyosuke: Such as what sort of person am I really like.

Rei: What you’re… really like……

Kyosuke: That could be why I’m attracted to you, Rei-san.

Rei: !

Kyosuke: Focus your eyes and make sure you look real hard.

Because maybe you’re that someone who will find it for me.

…… My “true” self.

Rei: …… Kyosuke-kun.

Kyosuke: Would you be startled if I said something like that?

Rei: W-Was that also an act just now!!???

Kyosuke: Ahaha. Well now, who can say?

Right then, I have to get going soon.

I won’t be able to escort you home since I have a radio recording after this.

But I’ve called a taxi so take care of yourself getting home.

Rei: Huh? Oh, yeah…… Thanks.

Kyosuke: Today really was a lot of fun. Catch you next time!

Rei: …… Yeah.

* * *

He smiled carefreely, waving goodbye as he left. What I was seeing was unmistakably the person himself……

But then again, that expression I had caught a brief glimpse of was far too real to be called “acting”.

Where was the “true self” of the many-faced Kyosuke-kun?

With no one I could turn to for answers, the question quietly disappeared into the night……