Chapter 1 The Footsteps of Chaos

INTRODUCTION

After the summer break, the second semester of the second year started today.

If we look at it broadly, it means that we will soon reach the end of our three-year school life.

I tied my tie and slip my arm through the sleeve. Looking in the mirror, I adjust my hair, making

sure my appearance is in order, and head for the door.

On the way, I was joined by Sudo, who was yawning loudly, so we exchanged greetings, and

headed out of the dorm.

"Suzune threatened me that I might have to take a writing test early in the second semester, so I

stayed up all night."

"You were still studying on the last day of summer vacation?"

"Thankfully, I've got a full curriculum to work through. Well, I'd like to get a high score and get

my OAA to a B or better."

It's a big deal to get a B or better in academics. But it's not a big statement, is it?

If he had been studying hard during the summer vacation, it would not be surprising if his

academic performance had improved further. He has become a man for whom the phrase "both

literary and military arts" is quite appropriate.

The number of minor life problems such as tardiness, absenteeism, and falling asleep has also

decreased dramatically.

There is still a part of him that gets heated depending on the situation, but that is also a

characteristic of Sudo.

"Let me ask you something strange, do you think Kanji has kissed Shinohara yet?"

"What?"

"It's great that he's got a girlfriend, but it's frustrating when people beat you to it. It's been

bothering me a lot lately."

"Why don't we just ask him? I think Ike might be able to tell us."

"Listen to .... If he had not even held hands yet, or if you've heard that it's going further than

that, my right fist might roar for the first time in a long time."

Okay, that's a bit of a problem. I'm going to be in a lot of trouble when his fists roar.

"If Ike is happy, he's going to say whatever he wants. If you don't ask him about it, then we

haven't made that much progress, have we?"

"That's true. But maybe it's different when it comes to love. I don't know, because I haven't

experienced it. I'm not sure if you've ever had a girlfriend, by the way, Ayanokoji? ------ What's it

like there?"

The story about the Ike unexpectedly turns into a story about me.

I can't help but feel Sudo's passionate (I believe him!) gaze on me, asking, "What's going on?"

"I can't lie to you, so I'll tell you this: I got my first girlfriend the other day."

".... Seriously? Seriously?"

It's not a good idea to fool around with it, given that it will soon spread from Kei.

When I answered honestly, Sudo sighed as he held his head.

Right after that, he hurriedly grabbed me by both shoulders.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

"Don't worry. It's not who you think it is."

"Are you sure? I can trust that it's not Suzune, right?"

"Oh. No."

"Oh, yeah. Well, that's okay. ------ I thought my heart was going to stop for a second. ・・・・・・"

He put his left palm to his forehead and wiped it messily, as if sweat had broken out.

Then he showed me the sweat on his palms to show his impatience.

"Who is it then?"

"It's--"

"Ah! I found you!"

Just as Sudo regained his composure, he heard footsteps running up behind him.

When the footsteps caught up with our walking speed, she looked up at me with a slightly angry

look on her face.

"I was going to go to school with you, but you never told me you weren't in your room!"

Kei puffs out her cheeks a little and complains like that.

"No, I haven't heard anything about going with you."

"That's ... I mean, I was nervous and lost until the last minute. ..."

Sudo looked at us suspiciously as we suddenly began a mysterious exchange.

"What's with the sudden interruption, Karuizawa? I was just having an important conversation

with Ayanokoji, so don't interrupt me."

Apparently, he hadn't noticed the nature of our conversation.

He seemed unconvinced that she had simply shown up here.

Thinking about it, the two of us hardly ever get involved.

We're not close. ------ No, if anything, we're just bad together.

"Are you going to tell everyone about us today?"

"Huh? Hmm, hmm. I'm looking at the timing a little ・・・・・・. It's not the same to announce it as

soon as you get to school. ・・・・・・ It's surprisingly difficult to make an announcement. It's not the

same as saying, "Listen to me."

"It seems that Yosuke was quick to declare his intentions."

"Well, that's the thing, isn't it? It's a totally different situation."

"Hey, hey, what are you talking about? What?"

Sudo, who had been showing his dullness, stopped and looked stunned, as if his understanding

had caught up with the fact that I was using first name and what I was saying.

"Yeah. ... What? Oh, hey, what do you mean, Ayanokoji?"

Still, he was not sure if he could connect with this combination, or if he was still not sure. In a

way, he might be a good classmate to know first.

"We are in a relationship, me and her."

Kei grinned and then elbowed me in the arm, poking me three times.

Maybe she was just happy to hear it from me.

"It's ... Aaaaaaah! No, no, no, no!"

He was taken aback, and shouted out loud, more exaggeratedly than he had imagined.

There were no classmates around by chance, but the students turned their heads to see what

was going on.

"Too loud."

"I'm sorry. But, no, what? Why… are you going out with Karuizawa?"

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with me?

"It's not that it's not about that, but I mean, ・・・・・・ yeah, ...?

He made a bewildered movement that seemed to pull him back a bit, and twisted his head in an

unconvincing manner.

"What, you wanted me to go out with Horikita?"

"I'll never accept that! ...No, that's not what I meant…"

He grabbed me by the shoulders and brought his lips to my ear and whispered.

"I'm sorry to say this, but... Karuizawa was dating Hirata, and before that, we don't know what

kind of flashy relationships she had in junior high school. Don't you feel dissatisfied or

uncomfortable with that? Isn't that too high a bar for your first girlfriend?"

I guess that's the image of Kei Karuizawa that her classmates have of her.

In fact, until I learned about her past, I had always thought of her as that kind of girl.

"What are you whispering about?"

"No, it's nothing."

Sudo was glaring at me and slunk away. He must have felt bad for saying something so close to

swearing.

"Ayanokoji and Karuizawa are dating. ...? No matter how many times I think about it, I can't

catch up. I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but… I guess it's a good idea."

I heard Sudo say a few words, and I was sure I heard him.

PART 1

We arrived at the school. As we arrived at the school, we occasionally passed third-year

students who commuted from the dormitory to school, and they looked at us the same way they

did when we were on the boat, but Sudo showed no sign of noticing.

I kept seeing the same scene when I went outside during the summer vacation, but I don't think

I'll ever really get used to it.

The act of being watched gives a strong sense of oppression and confinement. This is

something that will continue unless we erase the existence of the gaze itself.

Kei quickly formed a group of girls to talk about the summer vacation, and Sudo started chatting

with his good friends and Hondo. I also chatted with the Ayanokoji group and waited for the bell

to ring.

Eventually, Chabashira sensei came and spoke up, looking the same as in the first semester.

"This second semester, there are a few big events coming up for you guys. First of all, there will

be a sports festival, which was held last year, and a test of the students' physical abilities in

October. There are some rules that are different from last year's, but there are no major

differences in the abilities required."

The exam that Chabashira sensei had just mentioned, one that would require a lot of physical

ability and might be a problem for students who excel only in their studies, was about to begin.

The rules are different from those of the first year.

"In January, a cultural festival will be held for the first time at the Advanced Nurturing High

School. We will announce the details of the festival in the same manner as the sports festival,

but we will also take time to hold this festival in parallel starting in September."

In September, we mainly prepare for the Sports Festival. The number of PE classes per week

increases by a few hours.

It seems that full-scale preparations will begin after the end of the athletic festival in October,

and the actual performance will begin in November.

After the end of the sports festival in October, the students start preparing for the festival in

earnest, and the actual festival is held in November.

There is also a school trip coming up, although I am not sure if it will be related to the special

exam.

"And of course there will be midterms and final exams in between these events."

Anyway, there is no doubt that this is a busy second semester.

"I'll explain more about the sports festival later, but first let's talk about the cultural festival."

In terms of order, the sports festival came first, but then Chabashira sensei began to share

details about the cultural festival first.

"The festival will be held with a lot of guests. You will have to compete with all the classes of all

the grades in the festival for the total amount of sales. You can apply for as many items as you

like, but the budget is limited. For more information, please refer to your tablet."

Cultural Festival Outline

● In the second year, each class will be given 5,000 private points per student to be used

only in preparation for the festival, and students will be allowed to use them freely within

that range (initial cost of 5,500 points for first-year students and 4,500 points for

third-year students).

● Additional funds will be given for community service, such as student council service,

and for contributions made through club activities (details will be announced for each

class once finalized).

● Initial and additional funds are not reflected in final sales and will be forfeited if unused.

● 100 Class points will be awarded to the 1st through 4th place classes.

● 50 class points will be awarded to the 5th to 8th place class.

● No change in class points for the 9th to 12th place classes.

As for rewards, a relatively large number of classes are available, and there is no penalty for

being low. If we finish in 8th place, we will have achieved something.

The rules were easy to understand and there seemed to be no confusion. The fact that the

announcement was made before the details of the sports festival was simple and

straightforward.

I guess it's because you can't start preparing until you get an explanation. As for the Sports

festival, we can prepare ourselves to some extent by improving our physical abilities for now.

"Yeah, it's kind of like a traditional school festival."

I'm sure she didn't miss a beat, but I can understand why Shinohara would want to say that.

I don't see the risk of losing class points or getting expelled. The fact that I am tempted to

suspect that there is more to this school is proof that I have become deeply immersed in its

structure.

"It will also be important to determine which areas of the site to secure. For example, if you want

to set up your stall near the main gate, where guests will definitely pass by, you will have to pay

the school for the space."

The students, including me, looked over the new information that had been sent to the tablet.

List of available stalls on site -

● The map of the site, along with the title of the store, and the names of possible locations

are listed in a combination of location and number.

● The location closest to the main gate that the teacher just mentioned is labeled "Main

Gate 1" and has a location fee of 10,000 points.

If the location is far from the main gate and it is difficult for guests to get to, there are some

places that are free.

The budget without considering additional funds is about 200,000.

If you think about it, 10,000 points is not cheap at all.

However, there is no doubt that this is a prime location that is expected to attract many visitors.

"It is possible that there will be conflicts with other classes and grades regarding the location of

the stalls, but only one class per location will be allowed to use that location. In the event of a

conflict, a bidding war will be held, and the class that offers the school the highest price will get

the right."

In other words, if you are forced to use expensive points in order to secure a prime location, the

budget that you can allocate to the event will be drastically reduced. We have about two months

to figure out how to fight efficiently with a limited budget.

"The school will not disclose what classes will be performing or where the stalls will be until the

day of the festival. The school will not divulge this information, but be aware that you cannot

cover your students' ears. If the information is leaked, you should expect to be dealt with

mercilessly."

Even if you come up with an ideal presentation, there is a risk that other classes will copy it and

counteract it.

"There will be things we need from time to time. If there is something we can't get on the

premises, we can apply for permission and get it from outside. As long as we stay within the

terms of the agreement, we are free to use the budget however we want."

I'll have to look into that and other details.

"This is the description of the festival and its rules. The specific preparations and set-up period

will begin after the end of the Sports Festival, but from today onwards you will discuss what to

do and how to allocate the budget, using your own time."

The more time we spend on the festival, the more accurate we will be.

PART 2

After school, many of my classmates remained in the classroom, except for those who were

going to club activities.

Of course, this was the first discussion for the cultural festival to be held in November.

There are probably a certain number of students who have experienced cultural festivals in their

junior high school days.

I didn't have any particular information, so I listened as usual.

"First, I'll give you a short list of events that I can think of."

Yosuke, who had permission to use the classroom monitor, typed the words on his tablet.

"When you think of a cultural festival, the most common things are food, haunted houses, etc."

Food-related, haunted houses, mazes, cafes, live music, plays, etc. The most obvious ones are

added one by one and listed.

"The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The food and drink will be available for the

people in attendance. However, this may increase the competition. ..."

"It's just a matter of budget. Compared to something like a haunted house or a maze, where the

cost can be reduced once it's built, it will inevitably be more expensive."

Some of the music equipment can be rented for a fee, but the number is limited, so the sooner

the better.

There is also the question of how many students are skilled enough to make a profit.

"We have 39 students in our class. That means the budget we're looking at is 195,000 points.

Honestly, it's not enough. It's not an easy decision to make when it comes to food."

"I have a suggestion, if you don't mind."

"I'm open to suggestions, Horikita-san."

"As Hirata-kun said, the budget for the festival is limited. But no matter how much we argue

about it on the table, there are still many things we don't understand. Even if you were to cook

takoyaki at a food stall, you would need to know what ingredients to use, your skills, and many

other things. If that's the case, maybe we should bring the idea to the class first and test it

repeatedly, even if we use private points."

Many of the students nodded their heads in agreement at the suggestion.

Indeed, it is important to actually try cooking, serving, or whatever you do.

Of course, there is a risk of paying out of one's own pocket, but if it comes back as class points

later on, it is easy to dismiss it as a necessary upfront investment.

"But... Oh, I don't mean to speak ill of the current idea, but when it comes to paying one's own

way, some people are reluctant to do anything about it, aren't they?"

Matsushita fears that some of the students will be left to their own devices and not put any effort

into the festival.

"That's fine. I don't want to waste time on a random idea, but I can't ignore people who are trying

their best to contribute. If you have an idea for an event that you think would be a good fit, you

should actively present it. If the idea is good, how about paying the planner?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea. There's nothing wrong with rewarding people for their hard work and

giving back."

"We'll work out the specifics later, but for example, if you get 100 class points for the festival,

that's 390,000 private points per month for the whole class. We'll divide this by the number of

people who planned the event and give it to them as a reward. I'm sure there will be no

complaints if we do it this way."

If we were to do five events, that would be 78,000 points per person. If the number of people

who came up with the idea or helped out is too large to divide it, you can divide it by the total

amount for two or three months. This way, the students who are actively involved in the festival

will benefit, and the students who cut corners will benefit later on. More importantly, if it would

increase class points, I wouldn't be opposed to it.

"Then, to prevent anyone from stealing your ideas, you must keep the information to yourself.

And be careful what you say, whether at school, in the dorm, or at the Keyaki Mall."

Thorough confidentiality. This is very important for the next two months of preparation. The

discussion continued, with Horikita presenting the event to Yosuke. And it was decided that if

the possibility of full hiring arose, we would move forward with the conversation.

PART 3

For the next two weeks, our school life went on as usual.

While preparing for the Cultural Festival and the Sports Festival at the same time, she devotes

herself to her schoolwork. It was a precious time when I could say that I was repeating the same

routine as in a normal school. Surprisingly, the relationship between me and Kei did not spread

from Sudo, and there was no sign of anyone new coming to know about us.

It was the third Wednesday in the middle of September, after school. I was seated in the back of

the class, and I saw the shadow of an unusual person coming into contact with Horikita, who

was seated in the center of the front row.

"Hey, Horikita-san. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time after this?"

It was Sato who approached her with a bit of reserve. She was one of the girls who never got

involved with Horikita.

"I have an errand to run to the student council in an hour, so if it doesn't conflict with that, fine.

What is it?"

She didn't look dubious, but I guess she didn't have much experience being approached by

Sato. When she asked her curiously, she continued in a slightly whispered voice.

"We've been thinking a lot about what we're going to do for the festival, or so we said on -----.

She asked us to let her know if we had any ideas."

"Yes. We're open to presentations, but ・・・・・・"

"Hey, hey, let me give a presentation. I've come up with an idea that will really win this festival."

Sato's confidence was evident, but Horikita was not easily impressed.

That's because not a few students had come to Horikita with ideas in the past ten days or so.

Both boys and girls repeatedly make proposals to Horikita, as there is a quid pro qou ( Latin

word meaning : a favour or advantage granted in return for something.)

if the proposal is adopted. The proposals range from the traditional to the bizarre, but one thing

they all have in common is that Horikita won't even listen to them if they just say the name of the

event.

On the same day that the reward for the idea was announced, Hondo immediately proposed

that we sell fried chicken because it was delicious.

But Horikita kicked him off, telling him to go make a proposal.

They didn't even show any willingness to accept it as an idea. The next day, undaunted, Hondo

submitted a proposal to make fried chicken, but all he wrote was a recipe for fried chicken that

he must have picked up from the Internet and a passionate speech about how much he would

sell it for and how delicious it would be.

Seeing the low level proposal, Horikita explained again the importance of a proposal. If you

were to open a fried chicken shop, how much would the cost be, where would the store be

located, how many human resources would be needed, how much would the fixed price be, how

many customers would you expect to buy the food, and what would be the basis for that?

She told them that she would only listen to the ideas of those who had put them together

properly.

After that, it was thought that the number of people who easily approached Horikita with

proposals would decrease, but surprisingly, the number of students who brought in elaborate

proposals increased day by day.

Some of the ideas actually made it to Horikita's consideration list. However, none of the

proposals have made it to the final stage of adoption.

"I'd like a copy of your proposal, then."

"Of course, I'm prepared, but… not here. Can you give me some time after this if you can?"

"Yeah? Well, okay, where do you want me to go?"

"I'll be in an empty classroom in the special wing in half an hour. I've got the teacher's

permission."

"Empty classroom?"

After saying that to Horikita, who curiously asked back, Sato turned away and met my eyes,

which were looking at her, and immediately approached me.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Do you have time after this?"

"Me? I don't have any plans after this."

"You heard what I said earlier, right? I need you to come with me and Horikita-san in half an

hour."

"Why me too?"

"That's a secret for now. You'll know when you come."

Just like her attitude toward Horikita earlier, Sato's face was full of confidence.

"I'll be waiting for you then."

After checking the time on her cell phone, Sato hurried out of the classroom.

"What is it about her? She seemed so sure of herself."

"You mean she had thought of something special?"

"Even if she did, I don't know why I bothered."

I don't know what that means, but I'll find out in half an hour.

Horikita and I decided to kill some time in the classroom before heading to the special building.

PART 4

Since we were going to the same place anyway, I went with Horikita to the special building.

When I arrived in front of the classroom designated by Sato, I somehow found Maezono there.

"Oh, I'll be on watch. I don't think anyone will come to the special wing after school, but just in

case."

"Watching? ...It's a lot more elaborate than I thought."

She was surprised that they had even set up a security system, although it was a prerequisite to

keep secret until the day of the event which grade and class would be doing what.

It's the same for me. Not only did she offer to rent a room in a special wing of the school, but

she even set up a guard to prevent third party intervention.

In addition, there was a simple but effective barrier to prevent people from seeing the inside of

the classroom through the windows.

"Let's see what's inside, shall we?"

"Oh, wait a minute. From here on, it's all hands-on, so both you and Horikita-san can experience

it as customers."

"That's what I meant. Okay, this is much easier to understand than looking at a poorly written

proposal."

Seeing how elaborate the process has been, Horikita's expectations are undeniably high.

Whether or not they actually decide to hire her is another matter, but it's clear even at this point

that they're making a real effort to win the cultural festival. For Horikita's part, she must be

happy. Horikita and I checked again to make sure there was no one around, and then slowly

opened the door. The first thing that jumped out at us was an unexpectedly colorful color.

The ornaments were so brightly decorated that it was hard to believe that it was an inorganic

and plain classroom.

"This is ・・・・・・."

"Welcome! We're Maimai, the maid cafe!"

All at once, three girls greeted us, each wearing a distinctive costume.

Sato, who called us here, and Matsushita next to her are in maid uniforms.

Mi-chan, her eyes swimming with embarrassment, was dressed in a Chinese dress.

By the way, the classrooms are usually equipped with monitors, but the special wing, which is

rarely used, still seems to have whiteboards installed. And as if to use that whiteboard, the name

of the restaurant was written prettily in pen.

I was shown to my seat and handed a handmade menu list.

"What can I get for you? Master."

"Wait a minute. Can I ask you something before I order?"

"What? What?"

"Didn't it take a lot of time and money just to prepare this?"

It certainly looks like a difficult task if you ask me if I can prepare it on the same day. Even if you

can do your best to decorate, what did you do about the costumes?

"Matsushita-san, how long did it take?"

"It took me about four days to prepare, and I think the cost is surprisingly reasonable. All in all,

13,200 private points. The three of us here and Maezono-san planned and split the cost, so it

was 3,300 points per person. The breakdown is that we bought three rental outfits and some

decorations such as origami and pens at the general store. The tableware was our own, so there

was no cost."

I see, that's the reason why the tableware lacks a sense of unity. Of course, since we are still in

the planning stage, this will not be a negative factor. In fact, I'm impressed again with how well

they prepared for the event while keeping the costs to a minimum.

"The impact was perfect, better than anything I've ever seen. But —"

Horikita praised the performance, saying that it had a perfect grip on the audience, but she was

not so naive as to make a decision on what to present.

"Do you have an overall budget in mind? I'd like to see the specifics of the process."

Sato pointed out sharply, but without panicking, she turned her gaze to

Miichan.

"Well, I've tried to put as much as I can into a proposal."

Pulling a clear file out, Miichan holds it out to Horikita. There were three pages with detailed

information in beautiful letters, probably written by Mi-chan.

"Although we said we were going to rent costumes, we got quotes from three different

companies and rented one outfit each. This is a comparison of price, quality, and selection. The

difference in cost between the cheapest and most expensive tableware to be used on the day.

The number of people to be expected, and the difference in the number of guests to be

accommodated."

"It's more complete than any proposal I've ever seen. That's impressive."

When I praised her honestly, Sato and Matsushita taught her that she was being praised as they

poked Miichan in the side. The person in question still looked embarrassed, but bowed her head

to bail lightly.

So far, Sato and her team have given us a perfect score for their proposal. However—

"It's definitely an interesting show. It may not be an uncommon genre, but it has a lot of potential

if you put your mind to it. However, there are some disadvantages.

The cost of costume rental is 4,000 points per outfit. That's 40,000 points for 10 outfits if the

proposal is correct. The rest is 50,000 points for the estimated cost of preparing beverages and snacks. That's 90,000 ... in all. At 5,000 points for classroom decorations, plus the cost of the

place, it's ・・・・・・. That's not a cheap deal."

Even though the manpower does not require wages and can be secured without difficulty, nearly

half of the current budget will be used for a single event.

"Yes, but I think we can increase the unit price of ・・・・・・."

The menu list that Sato and her colleagues made, for example, shows 800 points for a cup of

tea. For example, a cup of tea costs 800 points, which is more expensive than a cup of tea at a

café in the Keyaki Mall. Of course, the price could be revised downward depending on future

adjustments, but they still think it has a good chance of selling.

Horikita's face was serious as she read over the three separate sheets of the proposal.

However, the outfits of the people around her, Sato and the others, seem to be dressed in a

fairy tale or unrealistic, which is strange and uncomfortable. Eventually, perhaps having come to

a conclusion, Horikita looks up.

"Just so I'm clear, no one's seen this ・・・・・・ show, have they?"

"Of course."

Matsushita nodded, showing her confidence. Sato and Miichan followed suit.

"Okay. I'll do my best to get this maid cafe to pass. Would you guys be willing to examine the

proposal further, including thorough cost reduction?"

"Really? Yeah!"

The three of them exchanged a delighted look.

"It's too early to rejoice. Don't forget that we're still in the process of discussing it."

Although she said that, it was a big gain for them to get Horikita to say that she would take good

care of it.

As the two of us walked out into the hallway, Maezono, who had been watching us, waved at us

happily.

I'm sure the conversation in the classroom would have reached Maezono's ears.

"You're buying a lot of things, aren't you? I didn't think you'd say you'd do anything about it."

"I'm not going to give it a pass if I don't think it has a chance. In fact, most of the ideas that were

brought to us were rejected on the spot, or at best, put on hold. That's how powerful the ideas

they came up with were."

A maid café is not that unusual.

However, Horikita was willing to help because she saw the potential for our class to

demonstrate its strengths and impress the guests.

"So even if some other class adopts the same maid cafe, we can win?"

"Yeah. Didn't you think so?"

"No, I'm sure."

If you open a store about food, you will have to fight with several rivals. On the other hand, even

if one or two maid cafes are covered, you may be able to beat them over with your ability.

Aside from the three students who wore the sample costumes, there are still many strong

talents lying dormant in the class.

"So that's it. I'm going to need your cooperation to make sure these girls get their project."

"Cooperation? Don't tell me you want me to wear a costume too?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm going to do it and I'm going to give it my all. If we're

going to do this, we have to have the best people, don't we? I think you, as a boy, should be the

one to do those things."

[TL Note - Here Horikita is asking Ayanokoji to scout out people (cute girls) from class who

would be fit for the maid cafe]

"No. ... Well, I don't know if you mean what you say, but ・・・・・・ I'm sure there are other

suitable candidates."

"You're right. If it's something like this, Ike, Hondo and the others may have a better eye for it.

But if I tell them about this, it could lead to a leak of information. They seem to be light on their

feet."

"・・・・・・ can't deny that."

These are the students who might inadvertently do something without intending to leak it.

"I don't want more people with inside knowledge. You know that, right?"

"I see."

Maybe it was just my bad luck that Sato called me, and I was destined for this.

"So I'll leave the selection to you first. Of course, you can tell whoever you choose about the

project, but remember to keep it a secret. If something goes wrong, the project will disappear."

That's how important it is to protect information.

"Yes... That's why I want to keep the number of people sharing information to a minimum. Can I

leave everything to you? We'll come up with a formal budget at a later date, and you'll be

responsible for arranging the people, paying for everything, and managing everything."

"Wait a minute. You're taking a big leap at once. Are you just going to leave it to me?"

"There is no single program for this festival. We're definitely going to have more than one stall,

considering the balance of men, women and human resources. It's going to be quite a challenge

to figure out how to increase sales on a low budget, and I'd rather focus on that."

I wanted to let her concentrate on her work, but I didn't know why I was doing it.

"Are you sure you want to accept my formal offer?"

I don't remember showing any pretense of accepting the job, but the decision was made with or

without my consent.

"You got me..."

I wonder if it is possible for me to run an ideal maid cafe. I can't say I'm very confident.

If Sato, Matsushita, and Mi-chan are confirmed, how many more people should be made

waitresses at ・・・・・・? It's still a long way off, but we'll have to figure it out soon.

"I'm going to head straight to the student council room, I'll see you there."

"Oh, oh, ...."

On my way to the dorm, after taking care of a case that made me want to hold my head in my

hands, I was about to leave the special building when I spotted Chabashira sensei. Given the

location, it was unlikely that she was just passing by.

"You've been to see Sato and the others? I heard about the performance. And what they're

going to do. Not a bad idea."

"I'm sure you're right. Sato and the others will have to make sure that the application is

approved before they can start preparations."

It's no laughing matter to have prepared so much in earnest and not know if you'll get

permission.

"I was wondering how you were doing, personally, so I thought I'd go check on you. How'd it

go?"

"Horikita was also positive. We're working out the details now."

"I see. Then I guess I don't have to go out of my way to see it."

"We got caught up in it, though, and it got a little messy."

"What do you mean?"

"Under Horikita's direction, I was to be the director of the performance."

"Ayanokoji? That's ・・・・・・ again."

Chabashira sensei laughed somewhat mirthlessly when she gave me a pitiful look.

"That's good. Horikita makes some pretty interesting suggestions too."

"I think people like Ike and Hondo are many times better suited for this kind of work."

Even though it was called a maid cafe, I couldn't see any of its background.

"When it comes to understanding otaku culture, that may be true. But the most important thing

at a cultural festival is sales. They may be able to improve the quality of the performances, but

they're not good at calculating and making a profit. That's why it's important for you to be the

director. It's a problem that can be solved by asking them for their opinions if necessary."

It's easy for them to say. In order to absorb opinions, we must also acquire a minimum level of

knowledge. If we only listen to advice in ignorance, there is no guarantee that we will arrive at

the right answer, and on the contrary, it is difficult to point out what is wrong.

"You'll be glad for the opportunity to learn more than just your studies. The manager of the maid

cafe."

"... Yes."

I was about to leave, but Chabashira sensei stopped me in my tracks.

"Ayanokoji. Can you give me a few minutes of your time next time you go to ・・・・・・?"

"Next time? When is it?"

"I'll send you a message about it shortly. Would that be okay?"

"Well, I don't mind. I'll leave it open if you have plans."

I could have refused, but after receiving a serious look from her, I decided to accept.