— — — — — —
First swimsuits—
Now cosplay too?
When Oikawa Tōru returned to the prep room and saw what everyone was wearing, he just stared.
Wasn't this supposed to be a test of courage?
Cat ears, a snow woman outfit, a witch costume, robes, cloaks… even shrine maiden attire.
Were they serious?
Even for comedy, there should be a limit. Oikawa seriously doubted any of this would scare a bunch of sixth graders.
These weren't preschoolers.
Honestly, even a four-year-old might burst out laughing at these outfits.
Scared?
Not a chance.
Ebina had drawn the shrine maiden costume.
When Oikawa walked in, she was already waving a ritual wand around like she meant it, chanting something about Takamagahara under her breath.
When people think of shrine maidens, some might picture Kikyo from Inuyasha—
Pure-hearted, spiritually powerful, firing demon-slaying arrows.
But for Oikawa?
The first thing that came to mind was the ones from hentai.
And it wasn't his fault he can't resist hentai—it's literally made to be addictive.
...
As for the others:
Komachi had gone full catgirl. Yukino was dressed as a Yuki Onna (snow woman).
And Yui, who had disappeared for a while, made her return in full succubus form.
Pointed ears. A tight leather top that exposed her entire midriff. Leather pants… complete with a tail.
Seriously.
Was this even appropriate for minors?
At this point, even if the situation suddenly took a wild turn, Oikawa wouldn't be surprised.
"Oikawa…"
"D-Do you think this outfit looks okay on me?"
Yui crossed her arms over her chest, trying to cover herself. The outfit was clearly a bit too bold for her.
"Do you know Batman and Robin?"
Yui blinked, confused, but nodded anyway.
"They're a perfect duo. Just like you and that outfit. You two match really well."
She froze for a couple seconds, then burst out laughing. "Oikawa, that's such a terrible comparison!"
"Seriously, couldn't you just say it suits me?"
But just like that, her earlier awkwardness disappeared.
Mission accomplished.
Oikawa smiled to himself.
…Wait. Where was Kawasaki?
He hadn't seen her since free time started this morning.
Just as he was looking around, Kawasaki walked into the prep room wearing something… unusual.
A flashy jacket with bold lettering.
On the chest, the left side read "Heaven above, heaven below," the right "I alone am the honored one."
The fabric stretched a little awkwardly over her chest, like it was struggling to keep up.
On the sleeves were phrases like "Tokyo Manji Gang" and "Toman Leader."
…Wait.
Was she cosplaying Mikey?
"Hahaha! Kawasaki, are you actually going for a delinquent girl look?"
Oikawa laughed.
"Shut up. Or I'll kill you."
The air instantly turned cold.
Oikawa shivered.
To be fair, she really did pull it off.
There was a strong boss aura about her.
But she also looked genuinely annoyed.
Something felt off.
Oikawa had tried talking to her a few times today, but every time he got a glare that clearly said, 'Come closer and you're dead.'
Weird.
He thought about it carefully.
He hadn't done anything to annoy her today… had he?
…
..
Meanwhile, Yukino and the others still planned to help Rumi.
And the method they chose… was exactly the "violent solution" Oikawa had once mentioned.
"Destroy all existing relationships, and leave everyone isolated."
That was how Hachiman summed up the plan.
Oikawa didn't comment.
He simply said that if they needed him, he'd cooperate.
Night fell over the forest.
It was deep, dark, and cold enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
Even without anyone trying to scare you, spending the night here alone would probably be terrifying.
Oikawa and Kawasaki followed behind a group of kids, escorting them along the route.
Kawasaki had volunteered to play the role of the "scare factor" targeting Rumi's group. But everyone had unanimously rejected the idea.
She looked too convincing.
They were worried she might actually traumatize the kids.
...
Up ahead, warm lights gradually came into view.
That meant they had successfully escorted the group to the checkpoint.
Oikawa let out a breath and glanced at Kawasaki. "So, what do you think of my alien mask? Suits me, right?"
Kawasaki snorted.
She didn't even bother answering, just turned and walked back toward the starting point on her own.
Her legs still felt a little weak.
And the image from earlier —Oikawa and Yui pressed together— kept replaying in her mind.
Even if it had been an accident.
She couldn't make peace with it.
The frustration burned in her chest.
She was furious.
.
.
.