Social Dance Club Step 2

The First Step

Yukiya managed to get through the rest of the Club Recruitment Festival more easily than he had expected.

With a single phrase—"I've already joined another club"—the recruiters readily gave up. Both Yukiya and Haruki regretted not using this method from the start. As The philosopher Socrates said, "Ignorance is a sin."

By the time the recruitment festival ended, almost all freshmen had joined some club. Or perhaps it would be better to say they were made to join. The number of guys who managed to become Go-Home Club members as they wished...? was zero. The Go-Home Club might just be an urban legend or something.

Actually, there were plenty of clubs that seemed way better than the ones Yukiya and Haruki had joined. The two learned this from the lamenting voices of their classmates after the festival ended.

The day after the recruitment festival, Yukiya ate lunch in the cafeteria as usual. He somehow didn't feel like going to the Social Dance Club room to eat the promised lunch from Fiona.

"One month, huh..."

In the classroom after school, Yukiya muttered under his breath. If he could just fade out and quit naturally... Thinking such things, he stepped out into the hallway to go home, right at that moment.

"Yuu-kii-yaa-saaan!"

Hearing a familiar voice, Yukiya flinched.

"Ah, Yukiya-san, please wait!"

"Hey, isn't she talking to you?"

The one who grabbed Yukiya's shoulder as he started to walk away, ignoring the voice, was Haruki, who was about to go home with him. Haruki was kind to girls—or rather, soft on them.

Reluctantly, Yukiya turned around. Tamami, holding her bag, was standing there timidly with her back against the hallway wall.

"Ehehe, I was waiting."

"...Why?"

"You didn't come for lunch, so I was worried. So, I thought, how about we go to the clubroom together?"

"No, it's truly regrettable, but I was just about to go home with this guy—"

"Yu, Yukiyaaaaaaah!!!!!"

When he turned back, Haruki was being carried away by several men, disappearing into the distance of the hallway. Apparently, that was the bunch from the Low-Angle Research Club Haruki had mentioned. They were burlier and tough than he had imagined.

"..."

"Looks like your friend went to his club too."

Went, or rather, the guy got kidnapped. He felt like his poor best friend's scream of "Save me—" was still reverberating in the hallway.

"Hey... what would you do if I ran away here?"

"Eeeh! Why would you run away? Could it be... because I'm annoying...?"

When Yukiya looked down beside him, Tamami's face was contorted as if she were about to cry.

"Hey, wait a sec."

From an outsider's perspective, it looked completely like Yukiya was the bully and Tamami was the one being bullied. Tamami's youthful appearance unconditionally stirred the protective instincts of those around her. Anyone would be criticized if they were bullying a hamster, and that's basically what this was.

"What's that?"

"Is he bullying her? Such a small girl... Unbelievable."

At the thorny gazes and voices from around them, a cold sweat beaded on Yukiya's forehead.

...This is bad!

"N-No, I was just asking, I won't run away! So don't cry, okay?"

"Really? You won't run away?"

"Re—... Really."

At those words, Tamami broke into a full smile, saying "That's good to hear." At her sudden switch in attitude, Yukiya felt his strength drain away.

In the end, Yukiya was successfully led to the clubroom by Tamami. If Tamami's act just now was intentional, it was a magnificent piece of psychological manipulation. Even if she was unconscious of it, Yukiya felt he had been outmaneuvered. A total defeat.

Today, there was a nameplate reading "Social Dance Club" on the clubroom door. It seemed they really had intentionally hidden the information to gather members. Though, according to Tamami, Yukiya was the only one who had joined.

Well, that figures, Yukiya thought. I'm probably the only idiot who would get caught in a trap with bait like that.

"Heyyy, Yukiya!"

The moment he stepped through the door, he received a passionate welcome from Fiona. Once again having two bouncy objects pressed against his face, Yukiya gave up resistance, thinking, Just kill me already. He revised his thinking: I thought breasts were supposed to be gentler objects, but they were actually lethal weapons.

"...So. What is that outfit?"

Finally released, Yukiya looked at Fiona and asked.

She wasn't wearing the Tama High uniform right now. She was wearing a light blue and white sailor uniform, along with a black, shoulder-length wig and a yellow hairband.

That appearance was, once again, an anime character he had seen somewhere.

"I have no interest in ordinary dancers! If there are any interesting, fun, or cool dancers out there, come to me! That is all!"

"H-Hah."

"In other words, dancers must be entertainers. It's all about entertaining the audience!"

Fiona spun around once and struck a sharp pose. Clap, clap, clap, Tamami clapped her hands to hype it up.

"Hah, is that so."

When Yukiya gave a listless reply, Fiona brought her face right up to his.

"I was waiting for you all through lunch break, you know. The piping hot gratin got cold so I've refrigerated it, but would you like to eat it here? Or take it home?"

"T-Take it home..."

To her perfect Japanese intonation, Yukiya responded instinctively. He thought she was a clerk at a hamburger shop or something.

"Understood! Then, I'll hand it over after we dance, okay?"

"Dance...?"

"Yes, you’re a Social Dance Club member too, right! The Social Dance Club is a club that does Social Dance or Ballroom dance. You'll dance with us, y'know!"

"I-I never said a single word about dancing."

"Oh. You won't dance? Ballroom dance is fun, you know?"

"If it's fun, go do it yourselves. I won't dance. This is a club that respects autonomy, right?"

At those words, Fiona nodded, "That is right." But she didn't seem to be giving up.

"Hmm. But first, let me at least explain 'what Ballroom dance is'. Maybe you might get interested too, Yukiya."

"I don't think that'll happen."

"Now, now, please take a seat there."

Urged onto the long bench, Yukiya sat there obediently. Apparently, her lecture was about to begin. He didn't know when exactly, but Yukiya intended to stay at school until Haruki was released anyway. He didn't mind hanging out with them in the meantime. It was basically killing time.

"Well then, let us begin."

Clearing her throat once, Fiona began to speak.

"Ballroom dance—it is a dance that originated from court balls in England. Yukiya, surely you have a vague image of it, right de gozarou?"

Ignoring Fiona's samurai-like tone, Yukiya nodded. He really only knew it vaguely.

"What is that image, I ask?"

"Like what... A woman wears a dress, and a man... uh, what was that called again?"

It was the black suit worn by conductors and the like, but the name was vague in his memory.

"A tailcoat, is it not!"

Fiona raised her hand as if acknowledging the answer.

"Right, that. Wearing that tailcoat, you dance together...?"

He answered, but Yukiya wasn't confident.

However, Fiona's reaction was excellent. She was nodding uh-huh in satisfaction.

"OK, that is correct. Ballroom dance is a dance danced by two people. You can't dance it alone."

Fiona tightly grabbed Yukiya's hand.

"U, whoa."

Yukiya flustered at the sudden action. He had never had his hand held by a girl like this. The moment he became conscious of Fiona's soft, smooth skin, his face grew hot.

"Oho, a nice, innocent reaction, I see."

Fiona squeezed Yukiya's hand happily. Yukiya tried to pull his hand back, saying, "Wait... s-stop, stop it...!" but Fiona didn't allow it.

"The two people dancing have roles called 'Leader' and 'Partner'. The Leader does the 'Lead', and the Partner does the 'Follow'."

Yukiya's face remained red as Fiona continued her lecture, his voice cracking as he asked,

"L-Lead? Follow?"

"In other words."

"Whoa!?"

Fiona pulled Yukiya's hand sharply. Without resisting that force, Yukiya obediently stood up from the chair.

"Oh my, Yukiya is good at following. You were very light."

"Wh-wh-what is this all of a sudden...! Holding my hand, pulling me...!"

"That is the lead and the follow. My attempt to make you stand up from the chair was the 'lead.' And the result of you 'following' it is you standing up from the chair."

"U, um? In other words, conveying the intention to move is leading, and receiving that intention and moving is following... is that it?"

Basically, Ballroom dance terminology seemed to be English. If simply translated, lead means "to guide," and follow means "to obey." It seemed to mean exactly that.

"Yes. The pilot is the Leader, and the Gundam is the Partner."

"You sure know a lot about Gundam."

"I love Japanese culture~♪"

Fiona said, hugging herself. Yesterday and today she was in anime character cosplay, and now the Gundam remark. It was a rather biased culture.

"So, in English, Social Dance is also called 'Ballroom Dance'. A ballroom is a dance hall. Two people can dance anywhere, but you still need to be mindful of the location, right?"

"That's true."

If people danced all over the streets, it would be a nuisance to others. Even for the Rio Carnival or Tosa's Yosakoi, people only dance in the streets during the specific festival period.

"So, a place like this, which is set up for dancing, is called a 'Floor'. A substitute for a ballroom. On this floor, the 'Couple' formed by the Leader and Partner will dance."

Yukiya was starting to get the general idea.

Ballroom dance is danced by a pair of two—a 'Couple'. To dance, they perform 'Lead' and 'Follow'. The place they dance is the 'Floor'.

"Then, I will show you actual dancing, so Yukiya, please watch from there. Tama-chan, go get changed~"

There was a simple changing room partitioned by a curtain in the corner of the room. Tamami replied "Okaaay," and entered it holding her bag. The curtain shut with a swish.

"Yu, Yukiya-san, you can't peek!"

"That worry is totally unnecessary, so please rest assured."

If he were to peek at Tamami changing, it was guaranteed he would want to curse himself as "Lolicon bastard." Though, hearing the sound of clothes rustling did make him feel a strangely prickly sensation. Sounds like Swish... rustle... didn't exactly stop his obscene imaginations from expanding. He felt strangely restless.

Only then did Yukiya finally notice there was no music in the clubroom today. When he pointed it out, Fiona said, "I just got here too," and headed to the CD deck next to the changing room.

CDs were lined up in the lower part of the rack where the deck was placed. From new to old, the CDs were packed tightly together.

"What music would be good? Yukiya, what do you like?"

"Even if you ask what I like, I don't know what you have."

"We have quite a variety, so I think there are some you know too. I collected them myself, but they're especially full of anime songs. Though they're all arranged for dance."

"What happens when they're arranged?"

"The rhythm changes a bit, so you can dance even to songs originally not suited for dance. Like making a four-beat song into three-beat, or slowing down a fast-tempo song. That part is difficult, so today I'll play one that can be danced to as is with the original song."

The CD deck was started up. The CD was sucked into the deck from Fiona's hand, emitting a whirring sound.

What flowed from the stereo beside the deck was a song even Yukiya recognized.

"Um, this is...?"

At his questioning voice, Fiona said with an entranced face.

"A love song that was popular among aliens tens of thousands of years ago... The standard love song—yes, the theme song of that famous anime, The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, 'Ai Oboete Imasuka' (Do You Remember Love)!"

"Even if you say 'that famous', I haven't seen it."

He knew it was a mecha anime, sure. He knew that, but nothing more.

"Wh-What did you say! I thought all Japanese people had seen it...!"

Fiona, nearly fainting from dizziness, collapsed onto the DJ chair placed beside the deck. The vibration made the sound from the deck skip.

"Ah, I remember, I remember. That's what Tama-chan was cosplaying yesterday, right?"

"That is Macross, but it's Macross Frontier..." said Fiona.

"? It's different...?"

"Ranka-chan sings it in Frontier too, but this is the version by Lynn Minmay from the original Macross."

For Yukiya, who was unfamiliar with anime culture, this discussion was impossible to follow.

"So, why did you play this song?"

When he asked, he could see light return to her eyes.

"It is the song that made me love Japan! Besides, it is the only song Tama-chan can dance to right now. With other songs, she cannot take the 'count'."

"Count?"

"It means marking out the rhythm with your body to match the speed of the music. Usually, you count numbers like One, Two, Three, but people who can't take this count cannot start dancing."

"Tama-chan, is she a beginner by any chance?"

"Yes. But she is the club president, so she is the power holder here."

She wasn't wrong, but Fiona's way of speaking was overly exaggerated and slightly off-point.

While they were saying this, the curtain was opened vigorously with a swish.

"I'm ready!"

Tamami, who came out of the changing room, was dressed in an outfit that looked easy to move in. A white T-shirt with a duck design, black leggings, and a frilly pink wrap skirt that hung around her waist.

"Tama-chan, aren’t you forgetting the most important shoes?"

"Hah! That's right!"

Tamami stuck her head back into the changing room and rummaged around. Her small butt stuck out toward the floor, and her short skirt fluttered. If she hadn't been wearing leggings, it would have been a disaster.

After a while, Tamami came out holding high-heeled sandals in both hands. They were braided, like the kind worn by ancient Roman gladiators. Tamami sat flat on the floor to put them on her feet.

"Those are Latin shoes. Girls majoring in Latin use them."

"Latin?"

Yukiya tilted his head. Another unknown word appeared.

"In current Ballroom Dance, there are roughly ten types of dances, but they are divided into 'Standard' and 'Latin American'. Just remember: if the girl is wearing a frilly aristocrat-like dress, it's Standard; if it's a skin-exposing type with little fabric, it's Latin."

It was a very rough explanation. But since he wasn't interested, Yukiya couldn't remember more than that anyway. With the stories he had heard so far, his brain memory was already about to overflow.

Perhaps sensing that, Fiona added.

"It is fine if you remember that the erotic one is Latin, and the non-erotic one is Standard."

"Aren't you gonna get yelled at by Latin majors for that?"

"But it is a fact. Besides, 'erotic' is a compliment, yes?"

There wasn't a speck of guilt in Fiona, who winked. Even for Yukiya, being told it was erotic made him curious about what kind of thing Latin was.

"I could do all ten dances, but Tama-chan decided to major in Latin. Among them, she wants to dance the Rumba, so she is practicing it. Because Rumba is the dance of love."

Rumba. It sounded like the name of some cleaning robot that automatically sucks up floor dust. Maybe the origin of the cleaning robot's name was this dance.

However, "Dance of Love" had a somewhat ticklish ring to it.

"Tama-chan believes that if someone appears who will dance with her, that person is her destined prince—"

"Uwaaaaaa Fiona-chan! You don't have to say that kind of thing!"

Tamami, who had finished putting on her shoes, flustered in panic. With a bright red face, she stood up abruptly.

The heels of her shoes were about seven centimeters high, so Tamami's height increased by that amount. But she was still shorter than Yukiya or Fiona's shoulders. Her steps were wobbly and unsteady, making Yukiya worry if she could really dance like this.

"Are you okay without stretching?"

"We had PE class in the sixth period."

"Then you are fine. I am ready too."

Fiona was wearing black leather shoes that looked like elevator shoes. These shoes apparently work for both Standard and Latin.

This Social Dance Club only had girls. So Fiona wore these shoes to serve as the Leader role.

"Now, Tama-chan. Come on."

Tamami placed her small right hand in Fiona's respectfully offered left hand. Led by Fiona, Tamami headed to the center of the clubroom floor. Clack, clack, the heels rang against the floor. Yukiya watched the two girls from his seat on the long bench.

The music, "Ai Oboete Imasu ka," which had been played earlier, was on repeat. The two girls stood facing each other, their posture straight, and looked into each other's eyes.

The playful Fiona, the unreliable and timid Tamami.

The two of them now showed a different, dignified face.

"Two, Three, Four, One♪"

Fiona began to count the beat of the song in fluent English.

A slow song in four-four time. Matching the rhythm, Fiona took a step forward.

Feeling her movement, Tamami moved backward as if she were being pushed. As Fiona returned, Tamami's body was drawn closer by their joined hands. It looked as if a rubber band was stretching and contracting.

It was a dance Yukiya had never seen before.

"The Rumba, you see, is a dance that is said to have originated from Black slaves dancing with both feet chained together. The heavy footwork is because of that. You cannot move much."

Indeed, Fiona's every step felt heavy, as if she were dragging feet chained to iron balls. Since their feet seemed to be gliding across the floor, there was no clack-clack sound like before, only a sound similar to the rustling of clothes.

A Dance of Love—though, given the height difference between the two girls, the sight of them holding hands was more like a parent and child at play. Both of them were smiling happily.

However, there were moments that made his heart skip a beat.

When the distance between them shrank tightly, Fiona and Tamami would get close enough that their lips almost touched. Fiona would intentionally bend down to get close, and Tamami would stretch her back as if seeking her lips. It was a bewitching movement that made him feel like his breathing would stop by just watching. In fact, Yukiya was holding his breath.

He was startled by Tamami's pink wrap skirt floating up as she spun. Just as he caught his breath, Yukiya remembered Fiona's words.

'Because Rumba is the dance of love.'

A dance of love between girls. How————how immoral!

Just as the delusion in Yukiya's head swelled to the point of bursting, the song quietly ended.

"H-How was it?"

Out of breath, Tamami approached Yukiya. It seemed the dance required more physical stamina than it looked. A thin layer of sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Immoral."

"Eh?"

"Ah. No—"

The immoral thing was the inside of his own head. Yukiya scratched his cheek to gloss over his embarrassment.

"—It was amazing. I've never seen anything like it."

"Really! It wasn't weird?"

"Yeah, It wasn't weird. It was cool."

"Thank goodness... It's my first time being watched by someone other than a club member... wait, Yukiya-san is a member now, too. Ehehe."

Ignoring the blushing Tamami, Yukiya stared at her from toe to the top of her head.

"Tama-chan, are you really an amateur?"

"Yes. It's only been about a month since I started."

"You looked pretty used to it, though."

"No, I still have a long way to go... Riko-chan is amazing."

"That girl?"

"Riko-chan used to appear in competitions and stuff."

He recalled the ponytail girl with the sour face. Yukiya thought that her slender, supple limbs would certainly look good when dancing. But why past tense? He thought about asking, but decided against it since he wasn't that interested in knowing about Riko.

"I'm being taught by Fiona-chan. If I'm dancing well, that's the fruit of Fiona-chan's guidance."

"You make me blush, Tama-chan."

"Yukiya-san, Fiona-chan is a thoroughbred, you know."

"Thoroughbred?" Yukiya tilted his head. It didn't seem to be about horses. In front of Fiona, who was scratching her head shyly going "Tahaa," Tamami nodded vigorously.

"Yes, Fiona-chan is the daughter of a former World Champion in Ballroom Dance."

"...Seriously?"

"Yes, super seriously."

Yukiya stared intently at Fiona, who had confirmed it.

This weird cosplay British girl was the daughter of a World Champion—he couldn't believe it.

"You see, in Ballroom Dance, if one side is bad, you can't dance properly. Conversely, if one side is good, you end up being able to dance. Like magic was cast on you."

Tamami said as if reading Yukiya's inner thoughts.

To the amateur Yukiya, he couldn't judge if Fiona was good or not. But certainly, there was no stagnation in Fiona's movements, and Tamami, who was supposedly an amateur dancing with her, was dancing. If you just looked at her dancing skills, she might actually be amazing.

"Because Fiona-chan is good, a beginner like me can dance this much. The Leader's movements are plain so you might not see it much, but the Partner exists because of the Leader. Just like a flower arrangement looks beautiful because of the vase that enhances it."

"I-Is that so?"

Yukiya was somehow overwhelmed by Tamami's words. They seemed to have an incredible persuasive power—

"I'm just repeating what Fiona-chan told me, though."

Thunk, the tension drained from Yukiya's shoulders. Just repeating, huh.

"That’s why Yukiya-san, let’s learn together!"

"How does it come to that?"

"Since we have such an excellent instructor, it would be a waste not to learn."

"Like I said, waste or whatever, I—"

Click, the sound of the door opening was heard.

Looking over, Riko was just taking off her shoes at the clubroom entrance.

Locking eyes with Yukiya, she furrowed her brows as if looking at an incomprehensible scene.

"...You came."

"A-Ah."

"Hmm," nodding, Riko took off her shoes and went straight into the changing room, ignoring the three of them. Swish, the curtain was closed vigorously.

"—So, anyway."

As if restarting the conversation, Tamami's gaze returned to Yukiya. Fiona, who had returned from the floor, was with her this time.

"Let's dance together! Since you joined the club, after all."

"That is right. I want Yukiya to do the same thing as I did just now."

"Ha—Haa?! B-By same thing, you mean that Rumba thing? You're telling me to dance that?"

"That is right. I want you to express love to your heart's content."

"Im—"

Impossible! Yukiya let out a silent scream. Just holding hands with a girl made him terribly nervous. Yet, if he were to bring his face that close or stare into her eyes, he might faint. Besides, he couldn't stop thinking What if our lips touch?... No good, he'd die of embarrassment. He'd never even kissed anyone...

In the first place, he didn't possess any love to express, and if he talked about love he'd probably vomit sugar. Yukiya shook his head with full force in refusal.

"If you have no motivation, then you shouldn't have come."

A sharp, dignified voice cut into the conversation.

Swish with the sound of the curtain opening. Riko had just come out of the changing room. She was already in her practice clothes.

Her practice clothes were completely different from Tamami's. The top was a white T-shirt fitted to her slender body. On the bottom, a black long skirt that reached her ankles like something a choir woman would wear. From the slit on the side, a slender, shapely leg wrapped in stockings peeked out gracefully.

"...Wait, you changed fast!"

"Time is precious."

Saying that, Riko began to stretch meticulously. Seeing her flatten her chest all the way to the floor, Yukiya was impressed, thinking how flexible she was. He also couldn't help but think that her chest, being pressed against the floor, looked quite soft.

Suddenly, he was glared at sharply.

"What? If you have no business, I'd prefer you didn't stare."

"Sorry," Yukiya quickly averted his gaze. It was his fault for looking with obscene eyes, but he really couldn't handle her.

"Riko-chan, more importantly, you shouldn't say things like that. Even though Yukiya-san went to the trouble of coming here."

"Things like that" seemed to refer to the "You shouldn't have come" remark from earlier. To Tamami's admonishment, Riko replied curtly.

"It doesn't matter, you can dance even without a man. We don't need him to come if he doesn’t like it."

Riko arched her upper body back. Yukiya's gaze was once again drawn to the soft curve that ran from her outstretched chest to her throat. Simply put, it was beautiful.

It was also sexy and seductive, that made his heart skip a little. He knew he shouldn't be thinking such things in this situation, but he couldn't help it.

"But, Riko-chan, you gave Yukiya-san the flyer, didn't you? You also thought it would be nice if the club had more members, right?"

"That was—"

To Tamami's plea for agreement, Riko closed her mouth awkwardly.

Yukiya knew what Riko was thinking. She had no intention of increasing the number of club members, so he understood why she couldn't say anything.

"...As long as I can dance with Fiona, that's enough for me."

"Oh, have you fallen head over heels for my Lead, Riko? Well, some people say dance is like sex done standing up."

"Se...!? Sh-Shut up, Fiona! ...Anyway, I don't need a man!"

Blushing and retorting, was she angry or embarrassed? Yukiya now understood Riko less and less. At Riko's statement, he let his wicked imagination run wild: Is that it? Is she saying men aren't needed in a garden of lilies? Between the butt fetish remark and this, what on earth was this girl? And wait, sex standing up? Fiona-san, please elaborate on that.

"You clearly have no intention of dancing anyway. We don't need someone like that. To be frank, you're just getting in the way."

As Riko stood up after finishing her stretch, her cold gaze and words pierced Yukiya mercilessly.

Looking back and forth between Yukiya and Riko, Tamami became flustered.

"Riko-chan, such things—"

"...You're right. I have no motivation."

Yukiya stood up from the bench.

"Ah, Yukiya-san!"

Ignoring Tamami's voice calling him to stop, Yukiya took his bag and headed for the clubroom exit.

"See ya. Sorry for intruding."

Saying that, Yukiya then left the clubroom. He closed the door as if shutting out the other members' gazes. Thump.

"..............................Sigh."

With his back to the door, Yukiya let out a sigh. A damp, unpleasant sigh.

Beyond the closing door, he had seen Tamami's sad face. As if to shake off that afterimage, Yukiya turned his back on the Social Dance Club room and started walking.

The air, cooling toward evening, felt good on his skin. But Yukiya's heart was filled with discomfort.

Resentment toward Riko, wondering why she had to say such things.

And disappointment in himself... for being unable to refute Riko's words at all.

If it's just a little, just a tiny bit, maybe I could try it—Yukiya's feelings had been leaning toward "Maybe I'll try dancing" until Riko arrived.

Holding hands with a girl is embarrassing. It makes him nervous.

But Tamami and Fiona looked like they were having so much fun while dancing. He thought it might be fun if he joined in too. He had a slight feeling that this was something he could stick with. Maybe he could give it a try...or so he thought.

But in the end, he couldn't take that step. The ghosts of Mikka Bouzu (A quitter) that he had piled up in the past were clinging to Yukiya's body. If he could shake them off easily, he wouldn't have struggled until now.

If he said "I'll do it," he would be raising Tamami and the others' hopes. Yukiya had seen many smiles cloud over when he failed to meet their expectations. He didn't want to see anyone's disappointed face anymore.

"I wonder where Haruki's clubroom is... guess I'll go save him."

Though he put it into words, the words sounded hollow even to himself. Maybe it was just because he wanted to find a place to vent his frustrated feelings. Still, if this feeling could be resolved somehow, he wanted it resolved now.

For now, he wanted to go home while talking nonsense with his friend to clear his mind. He wanted Haruki to say "It can't be helped." He wanted affirmation for leaving the clubroom, to be told 'That's right, our place is somewhere else'.

Yukiya decided to look for Haruki.

Apparently, the Low-Angle Research Club was in the same club building as the Social Dance Club. Yukiya recalled Haruki saying it was on the third floor. Looking at the nameplates hanging on the clubroom doors, Yukiya searched for the place.

"Here, huh."

He knocked on the door, which looked no different from any other club's plain door. He was there to reclaim his friend, so Yukiya felt he didn't need to wait for a reply, and boldly slid the door open with a snap.

"Excuse—"

A familiar small scream of "Ah," and the click-click of a camera shutter. It was the moment when the flash went off.

In the center of the room. Yukiya locked eyes with a girl in a school uniform standing on a makeshift platform, striking a pose enthusiastically.

No, on closer look, that girl was—Haruki.

"—me."

Yukiya quietly closed the door as if nothing had happened.

A ribbon around the neck of the blazer. A dangerously short pleated skirt, and knee-high socks.

His friend (male) striking a pose while wearing it with a look that said he didn't hate it at all.

His friend, who was supposed to have hated it so much...

"...It's a dream."

What he just saw was surely a daydream and not reality. Just when Yukiya was about to turn on his heel and pretend he hadn't seen anything,

"Whoa...!?"

The door opened, and Yukiya was grabbed by the shoulder and dragged inside.

His back was pressed against the door with a thud.

"Ha, Haruki..."

In front of him stood the cross-dressing Haruki. Grabbing Yukiya's collar with a desperate expression. His face was completely and flawlessly done up with makeup. He was cute enough to put any girl to shame. It wouldn't be strange if he appeared in a magazine.

"Yukiya, you, why are you here..."

"Uh, I was planning to come and rescue—or rather, pick you up... but..."

But, it seems there's no need for that, he thought.

Yukiya came here to save his friend who had been dragged here against his will.

But the expression on Haruki's face on the platform, which Yukiya had seen just before closing the door. It was more vibrant and alive than any expression he had ever seen on him. There was no need to take back someone who looked that happy.

Haruki tightened his grip on Yukiya's collar.

"...I thought I hated cross-dressing, but when I tried it, it started becoming fun. I feel like even this face that I hated can be accepted, and I feel proud of it... and so—"

"You don't need to make excuses. If it's fun, isn't that fine?"

If he found something he could enjoy, Yukiya thought that was a good thing. There was no need to worry about what others thought; he should just hold his head high and enjoy it to the fullest. Those were Yukiya's sincere feelings.

"Yukiya..."

Haruki's voice cracked with emotion.

It was a strange situation. The members of the Low-Angle Research Club were also holding their breath watching the two of them. To any onlookers, it must have looked like a guy being cornered by his female friend. It must have been quite a sight.

"Even though I'm like this, you'll still be my friend, right? Right?"

"Don't say that with tears in your eyes while wearing those fake lashes... It's fine, I don't really care."

At Yukiya's reply, Haruki let out a sigh of relief. Releasing Yukiya's collar, he smiled brightly. No matter who looked or from where, he looked completely and utterly like a girl. Yukiya felt a slight thump in his chest and a sense of guilt. He reminded himself that the other person was a guy.

"After trying this, it makes me realize. You wouldn't know something until you try it first. I don't know how long this feeling will last, but for now, I'll keep going as long as I can."

"I see."

"Besides, I don't have anything else I want to do either. How about you, Yukiya? Would you like to join me?"

"I'll pass on that."

Yukiya rejected Haruki's suggestion. He hated both taking photos and being photographed. It wasn't that he disapproved of the activity itself, just that he wasn't interested. Besides,

"There is something I want to try."

At those words, Haruki looked disappointed, saying "Is that so."

"Is that Social Dance?"

"Who knows," Yukiya dodged the question. He felt embarrassed to state it outright. But Haruki seemed to sense it and smiled.

"But, it's rare for you to want to try something. I'll cheer you on."

"...Thanks."

"Umm, Sudou-kun, can we start soon?"

One of the members called out to Haruki. Since Yukiya had been dragged into the clubroom by Haruki, they had been kept waiting with cameras in hand. Yukiya quickly apologized.

"Ah, sorry, I'm leaving now. Sorry to bother you... See ya, Haruki. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see ya!"

Sent off by Haruki, who was still dressed as a high school girl, Yukiya left the Low-Angle Research Club room. He considered going back up to the fourth floor, but Riko's face suddenly flashed in his mind.

Her cold gaze, and the rejecting words.

"...No good, let's do it tomorrow."

If he saw her face, blood would rush to his head again. If it escalated into a quarrel, he felt like he'd never be able to go to that place again.

He needed to cool his head for now. Yukiya decided to go home for the day.

Descending the stairs of the club building, exiting the school gate, and walking along the cherry blossom-lined street.

Yukiya remembered that for the past month since the school started, he'd walked home with Haruki every day. Because they were always talking, he hadn't paid much attention to the surrounding scenery.

He suddenly stopped when he noticed a purple flower blooming by the roadside.

"Iris flower, I think."

He remembered seeing somewhere that the flower language for iris was 'Hope'. Didn't it also have a passionate meaning like 'I'm fired up!'? Because it was a flower that had no connection to him, its positive meaning had lingered in his memory. At the same time, he felt a deep sense of emotion that the season for such flowers had arrived.

To Yukiya, the walk home alone felt somewhat fresh.

＊ ＊ ＊

The next day after school, when Yukiya left the classroom, Tamami was already waiting for him in the hallway.

"Um... I'm so sorry for making you feel uncomfortable yesterday!"

She bowed her head the moment she saw Yukiya's face. The reason was likely Riko's attitude yesterday.

"It's not something you need to apologize for, Tama-chan."

"But... I am the Club President."

Tamami kept her head bowed, as if saying Riko's rudeness was her own responsibility.

"Come on, raise your head."

When Yukiya urged her, Tamami timidly looked up.

Seeing this, Yukiya cleared his throat and said,

"For now, let's go to the clubroom."

＊ ＊ ＊

Bam! The clubroom door was thrown open with magnificent force.

Inside, Fiona and Riko were sitting on the floor stretching. They froze mid-action at the sudden noise. Riko was wearing standard practice clothes, but Fiona was in full cosplay, a super-dreadnought battleship from a certain fleet-based browser game, dressed in an outfit resembling a shrine maiden’s modified hakama. Thankfully, she wasn't carrying the character’s signature twin cannons on her back. 

"Fiona-chan, Riko-chan! I did it!"

"Hah?"

"What is it?"

The two girls tilted their heads in confusion as Tamami appeared, breathing heavily with excitement. She ran up to them, flashing a smile as bright as blooming flowers.

"Yukiya-san says he will dance for us!"

"...Hah?"

The one who let out a dumbfounded voice was Riko. She was blinking her large eyes rapidly. Fiona, on the other hand, shot to her feet and threw both hands up in a victory cheer.

"Oh! Is that true?!"

"Yes, it's true! Yukiya-san, don't just stand there, please come in!"

At his call, Yukiya hesitantly stepped into the clubroom.

"YUKIYA! BURNING LOOOOOVE!"

"Guh—"

The moment he stepped through the door, Yukiya received a welcome from Fiona that was nothing short of a tackle with a running start. He collapsed on the floor. Looking up from his pinned position, he saw a massive chest right in front of him. Fiona, the owner of the chest, gazed down at Yukiya with sparkling, moist eyes.

"Is it true you will dance with us?"

"Y-Yeah."

"I am so happy!"

Seemingly overcome with emotion, Fiona hugged him, covering him with her body.

"I'm going to teach you wholeheartedly, hand-in-hand, foot-by-foot, and life-for-life, I guarantee it!"

"Gu... ugh...!"

What life-for-life was this situation. His neck was in a chokehold. Her ample chest was pressing against him in all sorts of places, but unfortunately, he had no presence of mind to enjoy the sensation. He tried to peel her arms away, but she wouldn't budge. Ah, I might be done for...

"...What do you think you're doing?"

A shadow fell over Yukiya's fading vision. Fiona's arms loosened, and Yukiya gasped for air.

When he looked up, Riko was standing there. She narrowed her eyes, looking at him as if he were something incomprehensible.

"What do I think? I just thought I'd like to try it. the Ballroom dance."

Yukiya had always given up.

He believed he would never find anything he could get obsessed with in his life.

So he adopted a detached attitude and didn't even bother to look. I don’t want to do anything because I don't want to disappoint people when I quit—that was the excuse he had always made.

But the person he didn't want to disappoint the most was actually himself.

If he didn't try from the start, he wouldn't get hurt. He wouldn't have to think of himself as a failure.

But deep down, he really wanted to find it.

Something that would make him crazy. Something that he could pour his heart and soul into.

Seeing Haruki enjoying his club, Yukiya becomes envious. He decided to take a small step to touch this world he was curious about.

That was why he came here. To challenge himself and see how far he could go.

"Are you serious? You aren't going to take back what you said tomorrow and change your mind or something?"

"T-That, I won't know until I try. Even I..."

He had no confidence if he would continue. So Yukiya just swallowed the rest of his words.

"..............................You should declare it with confidence there. So Lame."

With just that one remark, Riko turned her back on Yukiya as if she had lost interest. At her dismissive attitude and words, Yukiya's temple twitched, but he took a deep breath and managed to calm himself. Patience. Patience.

"Is that so, is that so. Let us do our best, yes, Yukiya?"

Fiona stood up and offered him a hand. Yukiya hesitated for a moment—but took it and pulled himself up. Holding a girl's hand still made him nervous, but Fiona didn't seem to mind at all.

"Well, let's get started. Is there anything you'd like to dance?"

"I can choose?"

"Of course. You're free to choose. If we had a PC here, I would show you dance videos on 'YouTubu' or 'NikaNika Douga', but since we don't, I will teach you verbally, okay?"

Since it looked like this might take a while, Yukiya took a seat on the bench.

Fiona began her explanation.

"First, I said there are two categories in Ballroom dance: Standard and Latin, right?"

Standard is the one with frilly dresses, and Latin is the one with lots of skin exposure. Yukiya recalled this, glancing back and forth between the sleeves of Fiona's frilly outfit and her fleshy thighs peeking out from the mini-skirt, and nodded. Frilly Standard, Erotic Latin.

"For the major ones, there are five dances each. Standard has Waltz, Tango, Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep, and Viennese Waltz. Latin has Rumba, Cha-Cha-Cha, Samba, Paso Doble, and Jive."

"???"

He felt like he was listening to a resurrection spell. Other than "Waltz," which he had vaguely heard of, and "Rumba," which he saw yesterday, the words didn't register in his head at all. In the first place he wasn't good with Katakana words. It’s what you call a typical Japanese guy.

"You don't have to memorize them yet. Oh right, I haven't shown you Standard yet, have I? Riko, I want to show Yukiya, so let's dance the Waltz. I will be the leader as usual."

"...Fine."

It was rare for Riko to agree so honestly, so Yukiya inadvertently stared at her. Then she glared back. It was a terrifying look that would make a crying child scream even louder.

Fiona headed to the CD deck to play the music. After operating the deck, she went to Riko, who was waiting in front of the changing room.

The song that began to play started with a gentle female a cappella. Gradually, music was added to the background to accompany the vocals.

"Um, what is this song?"

"Eh? Yukiya, you don't know this one either? It’s 'Aimo ~ Tori no Hito'. It’s the song Ranka Lee sang in Macross Frontier. It's also her theme song, but—"

"Sorry, I've never heard of it."

"Oh no..."

Fiona slumped her shoulders, looking truly devastated. Her sheer dejection made Yukiya worry—(Could it be I'm the only one in Japan who doesn't know this?)... but that probably wasn't the case. Fiona just knew way too much about this stuff.

"W-Well, it’s fine. I will teach you about anime slowly and deeply from now on."

"Slowly and deeply... that sounds a bit, you know..."

It sounded obscene. However, Fiona didn't seem to realize it.

"What is important is not whether Yukiya knows it or not, but that this song is a Waltz."

"Ah, that's true."

The waltz is characterized by its three-quarter time (3/4 time). Famous examples of this include 'Edelweiss,' which is even found in music textbooks.

This song, 'Aimo,' was also a relaxed 3/4 time. However, its atmosphere was slightly different from the heartwarming, folk song-like feeling of 'Edelweiss.' This song, featuring a female vocalist singing in Japanese, was gentle like a lullaby, and yet poignant. It also sounded as if it were comforting something.

"Then, Let's dance."

Riko moved her body close to Fiona, who had spread her arms wide. They positioned themselves so that Fiona's right half and Riko's right half overlapped perfectly. Fiona's left hand grasped Riko's right hand. At the same time, she used her right hand to support the area around Riko's shoulder blade.

On the 'three' count of the 3/4 time. Fiona's left foot and Riko's right foot moved simultaneously, as if they had become one.

The two glided across the floor. Their figures, floating and sinking within the gentle, narrative music, resembled the waves of the sea. As they spun, Riko's black long skirt caught the wind and spread out like a flower petal.

"Amazing..."

It was completely different from the Rumba. A Ballroom dance exactly as Yukiya had imagined, reminiscent of a court ball. Spinning and spinning.

"See? Riko-chan is good, right?"

 Before he knew it, Tamami was sitting next to him. Yukiya could only nod. He was speechless.

Cool. That was the only thought in his head.

Dancing counter-clockwise around the outer perimeter of the floor, the two finally stopped in front of Yukiya. When Riko pulled away, Fiona immediately asked him.

"How was it?"

"Yeah, it was super cool—"

After saying that, Yukiya glanced at Riko.

She was looking the other way with a huff. Irritated by her attitude, Yukiya added,

"—Fiona, that is."

Since he didn't feel like praising someone who viewed him with such hostility. So he limited his compliment to Fiona.

"Oh, It makes me blush—"

"...You've got some nerve."

It seemed Riko understood what Yukiya was trying to say. Yukiya felt an unpleasant aura emanating from behind her. He felt a mixture of "Serves you right," and "I'm sorry, I got carried away, please forgive me." To be honest, Yukiya is afraid of Riko.

"Alright, Yukiya. I just showed you the Waltz as a representative of Standard. So which would you prefer, Standard or Latin?"

"Standard."

Yukiya answered instantly.

Fiona and Tamami tilted their heads. Riko also turned her face slightly, wondering about the reason.

"You prefer standard?"

"If I had to choose, yes."

"Why? Naze?"

In response to Fiona's question, Yukiya scratched his cheek and muttered.

"...Because I don't have to look at my partner's face."

The three girls, excluding Yukiya, looked dumbfounded.

After a moment, Fiona laughed loudly.

"Hahaha! Yukiya, you are shy, huh?"

"I mean, it's embarrassing! Even holding hands is... well, awkward... and staring into each other's eyes? I absolutely can't do that..."

"Fumu fumu."

"With Standard, the faces are either facing the opposite direction or the same direction of our movement, so I don't have to worry about that, right?"

Yukiya recalled the Waltz from earlier. Fiona and Riko's gazes never met while dancing.

"Well, basically the Leader faces the direction of movement, and the Partner faces the opposite, so yes. It is extremely rare to look at each other. Though some people say Standard is like hugging, you know?"

"Staring at each other is way more painful for me."

Moreover, in Latin, the distance between partners changes constantly, from moving farther away to getting closer. It felt terrible for his heart. In that case, being stuck close together all the time was less heart-pounding. He could just pretend the other person was air... whether he could actually manage that was another matter.

"Is that so? Standard, then. OK!"

With that, Fiona leaned closer to Riko. Riko gave her a suspicious look.

"In that case, let's get Riko to help us out with the teaching, too!"

"Why me? Fiona, you’re the one that said going to teach him hand-in-hand, foot-by-foot, right?"

"Sometimes it is better to teach by observing from the outside. Also, if we use Tama-chan as Yukiya's partner, she is too short, you see."

"It's not like it's impossible right? Besides, I hate it. Why should I do it with a guy like that... just do it on your own."

"Muu..."

Fiona persisted for a while, but Riko's attitude was firm. You don't have to hate it that much... Yukiya was a little hurt. Also,what does "a guy like that" even mean? That was rude.

In the end, Fiona gave up on trying to persuade Riko and reluctantly came back to Yukiya.

"Then let's try it right away."

As prompted, Yukiya stood in front of the mirror, a little way from Riko. Since he didn't have dance shoes, his sock-clad feet felt a bit slippery on the floor.

"Alright, then."

"Um, Fiona-chan."

"Yes, what is it?"

Fiona turned around when she was called. And Tamami came trotting over.

"Can I learn together with you? I have my hands full with Latin right now but eventually I want to dance all the types, and I thought that might save Fiona-chan some trouble. Only if I'm not in the way, though."

"Oh, that is OK. Since Riko is being cold, Tama-chan, please take the role as Yukiya's partner."

"Eh, m-me as a partner? Isn't that impossible?"

"It is for positioning and teaching from the outside. Since the height difference makes Standard tough, I will be the one dancing when we actually move."

Yukiya vaguely understood that for a dance like Standard where the bodies are stuck together, a large height difference would make it difficult. If Tamami and Yukiya paired up, it would look like a baby monkey clinging to its parent. Just thinking about it was sad.

"Seriously, Riko's height would be just right, thooough—"

"..."

Having been told with such a blatant dig, Riko glared silently at Fiona. But, she immediately averted her gaze and started her own practice. She stood facing the mirror with her arms spread wide, just like when she paired with Fiona.

"That is called 'Hold,' Fiona explained, pointing to Riko. Leader and Partner form a couple with a Hold."

"Then let's try partnering up first. Tama-chan."

"Me?"

"Yes. Please try partnering with Yukiya."

"Umm..."

Tamami looked at Yukiya's face and then looked down. She was fidgeting, and rubbing her thighs together. It seemed she was embarrassed.

As he had said many times already, Yukiya was embarrassed to hold a girl's hand. When the other party was embarrassed too, it made it even worse.

"Come on, come on, by connecting Yukiya's left hand and Tama-chan's right hand, this hand will be called the Grip."

"Ah, Fiona-chan!"

Fiona forcefully clasped their hands together.

"...!!"

In an instant, Tamami's face turned beet red up to her ears. In fact, it looked like steam might be coming out of it.

"Next, you will hold around the shoulder blades. Yukiya, pull Tama-chan close and hold her."

"Fiona, isn't that a little too sudden, or rather..."

Yukiya was utterly flustered. It felt as if he were being told to hug Tamami. Just holding hands was embarrassing enough, but for Yukiya, who was inexperienced in both romance and physical contact with the opposite sex, there was no way he could simply do it just because he was told.

"Fi-Fiona-chan... It's impossible for me after all!!!!"

Tamami shook off Yukiya's hand and hid behind Fiona's back.

The heat from his pounding heart quickly subsided. He hadn't done anything wrong, but Yukiya's chest was filled with guilt. Especially since Tamami, who looked like she could be mistaken for an elementary schooler, had run away from him. If this had happened in public, he would undoubtedly have been hauled off by the police. It wasn't me, Officer.

"Fumu. It can't be helped, let’s partner up with me"

If you had just done that from the start, no one would have gotten hurt... Yukiya firmly swallowed his frustration..

"Now, Yukiya, come on."

Yukiya timidly reached out to Fiona's offered hand—and grasped it.

Perhaps because he had been hugged by her multiple times, holding hands with Fiona was easier than he thought. Fiona not being embarrassed at all might also be a reason. It was strange how when the other person was confident, touching them started to seem natural. Wait a minute, though. Your chest is touching me, Sensei! That doesn't feel natural at all!

"You're supposed to stand with your back straight, but imagine your head being pulled up to the ceiling and then falling naturally with gravity. Then take a deep breath, and exhale while maintaining that position—OK. And the right hand goes here. The height of both elbows should be the same, forming a cross with your torso."

Completely oblivious to Yukiya's inner turmoil, Fiona checked the state of their Hold in the mirror.

"Yukiya, you have good style. You look cool."

"I-I'm begging you, don't look at me."

Fiona spoke to him happily, but her chest was still pressed against him, and their faces were too close. His cheeks burned as if they were exposed to strong sunlight. When he turned his face to the left to look away, Fiona said, "Yes, yes, That's it."

"That is what?"

"It means, keep your face facing that way like you are now. It is fine to look here occasionally. If you look too much the Partner will get embarrassed... So then—here we go!"

"Whoa!?"

Pulled sharply by his body, Yukiya hurriedly stepped forward, nearly stumbling. Without understanding anything, he desperately moved his feet alternately just trying not to fall.

"Yes, yes, that's right! Keep going deeply, okay!"

"Deeply?! You mean steadily, right—whoaaaa!"

Centrifugal force took hold, making Yukiya's head spin. The world whirled round and round. His body was being moved by Fiona entirely against his will. He could hear Fiona's cheerful laughter in his ears, and amidst the chaotic motion, he caught sight of Tamami. She, too, was laughing brightly, as if she had seen something hilarious.

"Yukiya-san, fight—!"

He couldn't even retort to Tamami's teasing cheer.

However, there was a feeling that vaguely sprouted within Yukiya. Even though he was being swung around recklessly. Even though it was just rough movement that couldn't be called dance. Even though his stamina was being drained rapidly.

But still, he thought it was fun.

He felt the sweat oozing on his forehead and back was pleasant. How long had it been since he felt this way?

"Ha... Haha."

Inadvertently, his cheeks relaxed. Yukiya was laughing.

Suddenly, in the spinning world, Riko's back reflected in Yukiya's eyes. She was doing a Hold alone in front of the mirror.

Yukiya thought for a moment, wondering if the reason she looked somewhat lonely was because his head had gone weird from the spinning, but he nearly fell over and refocused his consciousness back on the dance—

—Yukiya didn't remember much of what happened after that.

He was dragged around the floor by Fiona for nearly two hours—and when he came to, Tamami was giving him a lap pillow in her lap.

His whole body was soaked with sweat. He decided he would bring his jersey tomorrow. At this rate, he would catch a cold on the way home.

Looking over, Fiona was already dancing with Riko. Effortlessly, Without running out of breath.

"W-What kind of stamina does she have?"

Breathing raggedly, Yukiya wiped the sweat from his forehead. Tamami fanned him gently with a desk pad.

"Are you okay, Yukiya-san? You pushed yourself too hard."

"No, it wasn't my will, though..."

He had been completely toyed with by Fiona's Lead. It was hard to tell who the Leader was.

"But, you can somewhat dance now, can't you?"

That was true. While being swung around, the foot patterns called <Steps> were beaten into his body, and he had become able to move somewhat. The human body is amazing, it's surprisingly adaptable.

"Um, Yukiya-san."

Called by Tamami, Yukiya lifted his gaze and said, "Hm?" Fidgeting nervously, Tamami spok,

"About the Rumba too... whenever you have free time is fine. When you feel like you want a change of pace, please dance with me. As for holding hands in Rumba... I'm okay with that, too."

"Ah..................Yeah. Sure."

My face will probably be facing the day after tomorrow, but if that's okay... Yukiya nodded.

"I don't even know how to dance the Rumba, though."

"Fiona-chan will figure that out."

Would he be spun around again? If he asked her to teach him Latin dance too, Fiona would no doubt gleefully drill the moves into him.

...Well, maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

I'll definitely be sore tomorrow, Yukiya sighed. but it wasn't a bad sigh.

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