Liar's Lips Fall Apart in Love - Volume 1 Chapter 3.3

The Autumn When Love Begins 3

“Kyaa! Look, look over there!”

“Wow, super cute!”

A pair of women who saw me came running over, all excited. Unless I was a handsome guy like Houjo, this was a scene I’d never encounter again in my life.

“Come on, wave at them,” Kinami urged me, and I awkwardly moved my arm. Squeals of “Cute!” erupted.

“Hey, hey, can we take a photo with you?”

“Totally okay!”

Kinami answered for me. The women stood on either side of me, intertwining their arms with mine. It’s a bit regrettable that I couldn’t feel their touch.

As they left, they said, “Bye then, Mr. Panda,” taking turns patting my head. Honestly, I didn’t mind it.

“Hey, ladies, how about some yakitori? We’re selling it in front of the grass plaza!”

So, today marks the first day of our campus —Risseikan University’s cultural festival.

Stalls line up everywhere within the campus, with calls of “It’s delicious,” “It’s cheap,” “There are cute girls here” echoing around.

The visitors weren’t just students from our university. There were parents with their small children, groups of high school students in their uniforms, and even middle-aged men in sandals.

Amidst all this hustle and bustle, for some reason, I found myself dressed in a panda costume, trying to attract customers.

Going back to two hours earlier. Tasked with selling yakitori, I was practically dragged to the lab by Nanase at seven in the morning.

Someone had brought a panda costume and left it in a corner of the lab, and I had a bad feeling about it from the start. My premonition soon proved accurate.

Lifted the panda head, Sudo declared loudly.

“Alright, guys, gather ’round! The loser of rock-paper-scissors has to wear this and be the seller!”

…Come on, give me a break.

Strangely enough, I have terrible luck in situations like this. I’m the type who always draws the short straw at crucial moments.

Back in middle school, whenever we did rock-paper-scissors to decide on cleaning duties, I always lost and ended up cleaning the toilets.

Before I could complain about finding another way to decide, Sudo shouted with his hand raised.

“Here we go! Rock, paper…”

…Scissors. And I put out rock. Everyone else chose paper.

“Alright, Sagara’s the only loser. So, please do us the honor.”

Saying so, Sudo pushed the panda head towards me. I reflexively took it and protested, “Hey, wait!”

“Wait a minute. Why a panda for selling yakitori? That’s weird.”

“Is that what you’re worried about? It’s all about standing out, man! Picky guys don’t get popular!”

Damn, I can’t win against this guy. And it’s not like I want to be popular anyway. As I struggled to find a retort, Houjo, seeing my plight, offered a lifeline.

“Sagara. If you really hate it that much, I’ll do it.”

This guy is truly a good person. On top of being handsome, he’s also got a great personality. There’s got to be a flaw somewhere, like athlete’s foot, or the world’s balance would be off.

I was about to say, “I’ll leave it to you,” when the women around us erupted in protest.

“No way! Hiding Houjo-kun’s face is such a waste!”

The women quickly surrounded me, pressing in with an intense fervor.

“Sagara-kun! You’ll do it, right? I want to see Sagara-kun in a panda outfit!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay! Just wander around quietly, and that’s enough!”

The solidarity women show at times like this is truly formidable. Overwhelmed, I ended up forcibly dressed in the panda costume. The world is filled with injustices.

“Ahaha! It’s so fancy! It doesn’t suit you at all!”

Sudo pointed and laughed uproariously. To think she forced me into this and then has the nerve to laugh.

As I sulked inside the costume, Nanase came running over with her face beaming. Smiling happily, without a hint of malice, she said,

“Wow, Sagara-kun, you’re cute! Let’s take a photo together later!”

…Well, can’t be helped. It’s just for today.

And so, quite out of character, I found myself in a panda costume, selling yakitori.

As for attracting customers, all I did was wander around holding a sign. The only one talking was Kinami, who was beside me. It was strange that he volunteered to accompany me, but I realized he just wanted to use me as bait to talk to girls. Proof of that was how he only approached young women.

“Hey, Sagara,”

While taking a break behind the school building, Kinami handed me a bottle of mineral water.

“Drink up. It must be hot in there.”

Indeed, it was hot. Despite it being November, with everyone walking around in autumn clothes looking cool, I was sweating buckets inside the costume.

Making sure no one was around, I lifted and removed the panda head. Instantly, breathing became easier, and I could finally take a deep breath.

Kinami opened the cap and handed me the bottle, surprisingly he really considerate. I tilted the bottle, letting the water flow down my throat.

…Ah, refreshing.

The cool breeze caressed my sweaty cheeks, feeling pleasant. As I took in much-needed oxygen, Kinami suddenly spoke up.

“Hey, Sagara. About Nanase…”

…Not this again, I thought, feeling exasperated.

Lately, because I’ve been spending more time with Nanase, I’ve been subject to misunderstandings. I was ready to firmly deny it, but Kinami’s words took me by surprise.

“Actually, I confessed to Nanase over the summer break.”

I nearly spat out my water. What an unexpected revelation from him.

“…Con…fessed? You? To Nanase?”

Ignoring my shock, Kinami casually laughed, saying, “Ew, gross.”

I had noticed Kinami seemed interested in Nanase, but I had no idea he had confessed. Nanase hadn’t shown any signs of it either.

“…So, are you two…dating?”

For Nanase, who aims for a rose-colored university life, a bright and sophisticated guy like Kinami would seem close to an ideal partner.

Nanase had mentioned she found Kinami difficult to handle before—but if her feelings had changed and they started dating without my knowledge, it wouldn’t be surprising.

“No, I got rejected.”

Kinami answered nonchalantly. Ah, I see. Good. I unintentionally let out a sigh of relief, then immediately scolded myself for feeling relieved.

“I thought we were getting along well.”

Despite saying that, Kinami didn’t seem too shocked. Given it was over the summer, which was already two months ago, he might have already moved on.

“I wonder if Nanase has someone she likes?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Sagara, you’re close to Nanase, so I thought…”

“…No clue.”

I honestly didn’t know, so I answered truthfully. Kinami just said, “I see,” sounding a bit disappointed.

“Man, Nanase’s amazing, making it through the beauty pageant prelims.”

“…Yeah, right.”

“And Sagara, did you vote for anyone?”

I decided to exercise my right to remain silent on that question.

Without responding, I said, “Break’s over,” and put the panda head back on.