The Elf Is a Freeloader

"Thank you all for waiting!! Now we are hosting our first 'Mr. Elf' contest - soooo!!"

When the woman in progress - who, according to what I heard later, seems to be a young employee of the PR section of City Hall - announced the organisation of the 'Mr. Elf' contest, a great deal of cheer came from the 'Mr. Elf' fans who were gathering around.

"Now I'll explain the rules of the contest! The rules are so simple! Among the upcoming contestants, our city of Nissan will vote for the one closest to the image of" Mr. Elf, "and the one with the biggest points earned will be the winner. Votes will be cast by one point per public participant gathered today and by 10 points each for the five judges. Let me introduce you to the judges first. of the President of the Nikken-shi Chamber of Commerce."

A female employee of the facilitator read out the names of the president of the Chamber of Commerce and the president of the youth association, and the last person called was Mayor Hagano, Ryu's father.

"Thank you very much for coming to the venue today. I would like to thank you most sincerely, especially if you have come from a distance. Please enjoy your stay until the end of the day."

Finally, he bowed his head deeply to the audience and Mayor Hagano lowered his back again.

"Now, come quickly! First, entry number one! You live in Nikken-shi..."

The contestants in the 'Mr. Elf' contest were really varied.

Girls as old as Yasushi, dressed in fantasy-like costumes and dressed in blonde hair and imagined 'Mr. Elf', appeared, as did toddlers still before elementary school, in cute looks with mother's handmade feathers on their backs.

Some are entering alone, others in multiple.

The venue was greatly enlivened by the appearance of men dressed as' Mr. Elves' for obvious uke purposes inside.

Most of them whispered to the man who appeared for Uke, "Oh, that's me...?" and some real elves leaned their necks.

"But this contest, the winner gets something, right?

"Oh. They're sending the winner autographed colored paper from 'Mr. Elf' and local specialties"

"Ah. Speaking of which, I wrote during the last shoot about that shixi..."

Still unfamiliar with just writing Japanese, Elle remembered a colored paper that said "Mr. Elf" with an awkward plain pseudonym and one pseudonym.

"Oh, even if I get something like that, I'll be in trouble the other way..."

Remembering the awkward literature he had written, Elle shrugged her shoulders in regret.

"Isn't that so? It's up to each person to see what value they find in things."

Indeed, Yasushi is right, it must be a precious treasure without two if you try to be an avid 'Mr. Elf' fan of any literal colored paper.

On the contrary, from those who are not at all interested in 'Mr. Elf', that would be just 'coloured paper with crude letters'.

"I hope so..."

"Hold on, this is more of a cosplay contest than a 'Mr. Elf' contest."

"True."

Seeing one contestant after another, Ryu and Aoi are smiling bitterly.

But the bitterness also changed to something that attracted me when I saw who appeared next.

"─ Continued, entry number 14! Takashi Kimura, who lives in Nikken-shi!

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Oh?"

".................. Ah, that idiot brother............!!"

When the facilitator gave his name, you were all white.

Only one, only Aye, was leaning down, shaking his fist in anger, though.

Takanori then appears from the stage sleeve in a light foothold.

As soon as possible, a loud laugh from a packed audience. At least, it looks like only Uke could have taken it.

Takanori wore a long blonde shirt - cheap for a banquet - and a garment based on the greenery that Elle always wears on the homepage - I don't really want to see it but wear a mini skirt - with a strangely crafted realistic western sword mock knife on her hand. I even had a good makeup on my face about who applied it.

His fat body shape also fits and clearly doesn't suit him at all. But he didn't care about that, he pulled out a forged knife on the stage and posed weird.

Whenever he jumps onstage and decides to pose, a loud laugh winds up from the audience. Definitely, Takanori would be the one taking the most uke of the day.

"... I'll definitely punch you when I get home... ugh!!"

Quietly burning his anger, Aoi accidentally stepped back, and Yasushi, Elle and Ryu prayed softly for Takanori's blessings.

"... in the end, you were the number eight girl"

"Well, that girl is the most elf... or because she resembled the image of 'Mr. Elf'"

"But I'm sorry to hear about Takanori."

"Hey, Takanori won a special prize, too. You're satisfied, aren't you? Hey, hey?

"Don't ask me!! I'm just embarrassed that blood is connected to that!!"

Yasushi, Elle and Ryu look at each other and sneak a giggle at Aoi's back, which pisses off his shoulders and walks ahead.

The time is after 2 pm, and the Yasushi decided to go home once after the festival venue.

I plan to gather at Aoi's house again at that time because the fireworks will rise from around 6: 30 p.m.

Her house is a high-rise part of the apartment, so the fireworks look good. For this reason, it is the promise of Yasushi to gather at the Kimura family every year at the time the fireworks are launched.

Take a bus from the City Hall patrol bus departure area to Nikken Station. Due to the early sight in time, the bus was empty, unlike going.

About enough to be rocked by the bus as it is. The patrol bus arrives at Nikkan Station.

"See you in the evening"

"Oh, I'll disturb you later."

"See you later, then"

I'll see you later, Mr. Aoi.

Waving to Yasushi, Aoi heads to the apartment he builds in front of him.

Dropped off until that back disappeared into the apartment, then when we turned to Ryu to go home ourselves.

"Hey, Yasushi. I need to talk to you for a second... okay?

Ryu opened his mouth, as if he had seen it together.

The look on Ryu's face is serious, letting him know that what he says and what he does is never joking or light.

So Yasushi also nodded back with a serious face.

"Okay. Where do you want it?

"Hopefully no one will come..."

"So what about my room?

"Your room..."

Ryu runs his gaze to Elle, who is next to Yasushi.

Elle, listening to their interaction, finally walked away from Yasushi when she grinned.

"Well, I'll do a little shopping before you go home. Well... I think it'll take about an hour."

"Sorry, Elle"

"No, never mind. I'll see you later."

Yasushi and Ryu walked out side by side after dropping off Elle, who turned his back around.

There is no conversation between us until we arrive at Yasushi's house. Eventually he arrives at the Akatsuka family, where Yasushi unlocks the key and invites Ryu inside.

I don't know what to do. Ryu, who has visited here many times before, goes up to the house without hesitation and straight to Yasushi's room.

Yasushi went to the kitchen once, not in his own room, where he prepared drinks and a little treat and opened his own door with it.

"Sorry, all of a sudden"

"Fine. So, what are you talking about?

Yasushi is in a desk chair. Ryu is in bed. Each calmed his hips, then Ryu opened his mouth.

"Hey, Yasushi. Has anything happened with Elle lately?

"No... nothing...? How could you do that?

"I don't know... the distance between you and Elle seems different."

Ryu was feeling slightly uncomfortable watching how Elle was doing today.

It is not only today that El is always beside you. But it felt closer than ever.

Even when playing goldfish at festival venues.

Even when you rest with your hips down in the corner of the venue.

Even when I was looking for a lost mother.

Even when I was watching Naruto dance or the 'Mr. Elf' contest.

Elle's standing position is slightly closer to your health than ever before. Ryu felt that way.

"... so I thought something was going on between you and Elle."

Yasushi, who heard from Ryu, also remembers that there were many verses that seemed to be so, if you ask me.

Has it been since Elle's mumpy cold healed?

For example, watching TV in the living room.

It has always been common for me to line up on the couch and sit back and watch TV with you.

But lately, I have felt that Elle's seating position is a little closer to me.

For example, when preparing meals together.

As I cooked side by side in the kitchen, my elbows often touched her body casually.

Indeed, Ryu is right, the distance from Elle is slight but closer.

Once again, it was the health of realizing it.

"Hey, Yasushi. That's when I ask you frankly, right?

Yasushi, who was diving in the sea of thought, surfaces in Ryu's word.

And if you look at him, what you've been waiting for there are two eyes with extremely sincere light.

"You know, about Elle... what do you think?

A heavy bass echoes from across the veranda of the apartment.

And when he saw the flowers of light bursting at the time, he sparkled those pale eyes as Elle cheered.

Yasushi, El, Ryu and Aoi are watching the fireworks being launched from the veranda of the Kimura family.

A whirlpool of distracted sounds followed by a roar of doo and blooming flowers of light.

Even if it's not Elle who sees fireworks for the first time, I'm unexpectedly bewildered by the sight.

"Awesome!! Big!! I can't believe you can paint such an amazing, big, beautiful flower of light into the night sky without using magic..."

Elle, who first saw the fireworks, was excited at this rate from earlier on.

Flowers blooming in various colors and shapes against the backdrop of the night sky.

Looking up at that with excitement, Ryu would be with anyone Japanese, not just Aoi.

But.

Only one person, Yasushi, looked up at the night sky but didn't see the fireworks.

─ ─ You mean Elle... what do you think?

Before coming to Aye's house, what Ryu told me is regenerated in your head many times.

While looking up at the night sky with his companions, Yasushi's gaze was directed at the girl who was seeing fireworks next door if he noticed.

─ ─ You mean Elle... what do you think?

The sound of a rumble in the brain again.

- Nothing like that. I...

As he answers the voice of Ryu in his brain, Yasushi peeks into his chest.

But you didn't have to do that. The answer to Ryu's question was decided. It was settled.

─ ─ I like this elf girl... from another world.