Chapter 5 – Ume's problem solution
"I can't wait for the cultural festival next week!"
"I am SO going to wear my yukata!"
"The fireworks will be so cool!"
"Hey, how about we go together…"
People at the academy were talking nonstop about the upcoming Cultural Festival. Even though there are many events at the Kimetsu Academy, the Cultural Festival is one of the biggest, thanks to the huge amount of games, activities and entertainment, all provided by the academy. It was also custom not to go alone, so everyone went with their friends or as a couple.
As everyone was talking about the festival, one student was sitting on a bench, listening to his surroundings and enjoying his lunch, alone.
"The Cultural Festival… hmmm… MUNCH*" he mumbled to himself as he ate his bento
"Looks like I will be going with my sister again…" he thought to himself as he continued eating
His name, was Rui Ayaki. Thanks to his looks and cool demeanor, he was really popular at the academy. But unlucky for everyone, he wasn't very social, so he rarely went out after school. The Cultural Festival was an exception. Because of its size and amount of activities, even Rui was intrigued by it and went every year. And as every year, he didn't go alone…
…
…but with his older sister.
As he continued eating, he suddenly spotted a shadow on the ground.
"Rui Ayaki!"
Hearing his name, Rui looked up and saw the person standing next to him.
"Ume Shabana…" he said, to which Ume smiled
"Yes! You know me! That is good!" she replied
"Well… you and your brother are pretty infamous here… MUNCH*" he said and continued eating
"What do you want?" he asked after he swallowed his food
"Rui! We both have a problem, but we can help each other!" said Ume, which caught Rui's attention
"What do you mean? What problem?" he asked
Hearing that, Ume looked at him confused.
"Hmm? The Cultural Festival is coming up, and we both don't have anybody to go with." Ume explained
"What are you talking about? We both go every year with our siblings… You go with your brother and I go with my sister." Rui replied
"Yes, but my stupid brother got himself hurt, and your sister apparently has a boyfriend." Ume explained
Hearing that, Rui stared at Ume.
"Huh? She has a boyfriend?" Rui asked surprised
"Yes! Apparently, she and some guy went to Kanae for some couple counseling! Haven't you heard that?" Ume asked
"No… but now that you mentioned it… it makes sense…" Rui replied, and a sinister smile appeared on his face
"She must have been too embarrassed to tell anyone… Oh! This is going to be a fun topic tonight at the dinner table…" Rui smiled and looked at Ume again
"Ok, if what you say is true, then she will go with her boyfriend and I won't have anyone to go with…" he added
"That is why I am here! I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go together!" Ume replied
"What happened to your brother?" Rui asked
"Oh, nothing serious, he just crashed his bike! He broke both his arms, both his legs, 7 fingers, got a concussion, broke a few ribs, lost a couple teeth, burned his skin… you know, the usual!" Ume explained and smiled
"…" Rui just stared at her
"…" Ume waited for an answer
"…"
"…"
"So… you want to go together to the Cultural Festival?" Rui asked after a few seconds
"Yep!" Ume replied
"…sounds like a plan. Ok, let's do that. MUNCH*" Rui replied and continued eating
"YAY!" Ume replied and sat down next to him
"I never went anywhere with anybody else besides my brother!" said Ume
"Yeah… the same goes for me and my sister…" Rui replied
"So, what should I wear?" Ume asked, to which Rui looked at her confused
"What do you mean? Just… wear anything… I don't know." he replied
"Huh? Well… my brother… always tells me what to wear…" Ume replied
"That way, we always match…" Ume added
Rui thought about that, but didn't know what to say.
"Well… I am going to wear my white kimono… as I do every year. So just pick something… white, or blue…" he said
"Or you can pick me up some time before the festival, and we can try to pick something for you to wear." Rui added
"Huh!? Pick you up?!" Ume asked
"You're not going to pick me up? My sister always tells me when to go, so I thought that you're going to pick me up… oh wait…" Rui thought about it
"I never went anywhere with someone besides my sister… but now that I think about it, I think I should be the one to pick you up… because I am the guy…" he added
Hearing that Ume, blinked a few times.
"This… is going to be pretty awkward…" she said
"…ye…" Rui replied
Both sat at the bench, thinking about what to do. Because both of them always went with their siblings, neither of them had any experience…
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I had really fun writing this chapter! Next time, after seeing Kanae's counseling, Tengen Uzui decides to also offer counseling sessions at the academy!