v2
Chapter Three:
A Love Letter
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9.
This morning, I ran into Horikita at the elevator on my way to school.
After exchanging a quick hello, we left the lobby and walked together out of the
dormitory.
"Have you heard? The day before the cultural festival, the third year students
are going to do a rehearsal just like the real thing."
"Yeah, I heard they're inviting first years and second years to participate as
well."
This is the information that was posted on the school's bulletin board last
night, as if to inform all grades. The source of the information was the student
council president, Miyabi Nagumo. This was probably what Nagumo meant last
week, when he said that the student council would make a not-so-bad proposal.
The form of participation was for us to choose. It could be an actual food
service or just a mock-up. It's just a proposal to make adjustments for the following
day's festival altogether.
"The student council has already received participation letters from many
classes. I'm sure the classes that have been keeping this under wraps will want to
get a third-party evaluation before the festival."
"So you're saying more classes are taking it in a positive light."
"I think the fact that the 3rd year Class A rented the gymnasium and opened
their presentation to the public was a big factor."
They announced their performance without concealment, and actually
demonstrated it. Additionally, the way they incorporated the improvements that
came to light from that process became a well-known fact among the students
enrolled in the school. There must have been a certain number of students who
wanted to make this festival a success and enjoy it as students, not just as a
competition.
"I'm sure the student council's decision to pay for consumable materials and
other expenses was also an additional incentive."
Even if you are only going to hold a preliminary festival, it will cost money.
A separate budget from the one provided for the festival would need to be set up,
and the source of funds would naturally be in the form of collecting private points
from individuals.
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It would not be surprising if some classes forgo the event if they had to pay
out of their own pocket for the rehearsal, but that was exactly what the student
council was for. If the student council covered the expenses, they'd have no reason
to refuse. It had already informed them that if they bring in receipts, they would be
reimbursed from the student council's budget. Of course, there was no limit, but
there was a quota of several tens of thousands of points for each class.
"We're going to join in, aren't we?"
"Of course. The whole school knows it's going to be a maid café. It won't
hurt to do it."
"That's true. And with what happened to Ryūen-kun and the others, too."
Horikita gave me a meaningful look, to which I nodded lightly and replied.
"Let's see what they have in store for us."
It was a great opportunity to see how Ryūen would develop the concept.
"You don't think we'll lose?"
"I don't know."
"You look pretty confident."
"I'm not confident. I'm just doing everything I can."
"That's true. Even so, don't you usually feel insecure?"
Apparently, Horikita is concerned that she might lose, even though she is
fully prepared.
"Maybe I'm scared about losing."
Defeat doesn't only mean losing class points. But it's just as bad to fail to
earn class points. Wanting to avoid stagnating is natural when you're on the
momentum of reaching Class A.
"Maybe last year you wouldn't have been so anxious."
"That was just foolhardy. I didn't see anything around me back then."
Now, Horikita was starting to broaden her horizons a little. That's why she
couldn't help but think about losing.
"As a class leader, it's not a bad thing to be prepared for both winning and
losing patterns. I'm just one of the pawns. I'm just making irresponsible
statements."
Well, it's Horikita's shortcoming and strength that she cannot easily dismiss
that statement. If it was Sakayanagi or Ryūen, they would've listened and
dismissed it; if it was Ichinose, she would've taken it as if it was the only thing that
mattered.
Horikita has both of these aspects.
"I know, but... Sometimes."
I patted Horikita on the back with the palm of my hand.
"What are you doing?"
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"It's too early to get used to winning."
"I'm not going to..."
She looked a little angry, but she also realized that I hit the nail on the head.
"It was a conceited notion, not the result of anything I've done well myself."
The uninhabited island, unanimous exam, those weren't victories supported
solely by straight-up competence.
"You mean...?"
"What?"
"I'm trying not to take everything you say seriously, but you've been very
cooperative lately, which is even more annoying. I don't know how to process this
in my head."
"Then please don't cooperate with me at all in the future."
I tried to walk quickly away, but she grabbed me by the shoulders.
"That's a no-go."
I tried to break away, but was immediately grabbed and brought back.
"I'd like to stop by the convenience store before going to school, would you
like to join me?"
"Convenience store?"
"I'm preparing for the day before the school festival, and I want to make the
most of my lunch break today."
"I don't mind joining."
A few minutes in a convenience store wouldn't be a problem. I followed
Horikita to the convenience store and stepped inside.
There I ran into Kōenji, who was just about to pay for his items. He had only
two things: a bottle of soy milk and a white meat salad. It was a very light meal for
lunch, but I wondered if he was going to have it during his morning break. Since
Kōenji is rarely seen eating, his private life remains a mystery to us.
"Good morning, Kōenji-kun."
Horikita called out to him, but after paying for his things, Kōenji only smiled
lightly and didn't exchange any words.
"I heard that Kōenji is the only one not assigned work for the cultural
festival."
"He told me he wouldn't do anything. I'm sure I won't change his mind."
Horikita didn't seem particularly concerned either, and went to the cash
register to select a quick meal. She refused the plastic bag offer and tucked it away
in her own bag.
"You didn't have anything to buy?"
"They don't have anything I need, and I don't have an abundance of private
points."
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November warmed my wallet to some extent, but I had plans to cash out
soon.
"You're no longer paying contributions to Kushida-san, right?"
"Not really, since I haven't been charged for it."
"Would you really pay if she charged you?"
"Do you think she will charge me?"
Horikita replied to me with distaste, muttering, "No, I don't think so. I don't
want her to come back to haunt me."
However distorted, Kushida underwent a profound change. And it's heading
in the direction of growth, I have to believe.
1
After school that day. Ichihashi approached Horikita with some hesitation,
who was sitting in front of her.
"Um, Horikita-san... Can I have a minute?"
She rarely speaks to Horikita since she doesn't have strong connections with
her. Normally, one would think that it would be about the upcoming festival...
However, the item in her hand implied something different.
"What is it?"
"Actually, I have a favor to ask you. You have student council work later
today, don't you?"
"Yes. As I told the class a while ago, I have student council work to do. I
can't help you with the festival."
"Yes, well, that's not what I meant. Can you please send this...?"
With these words, she presented a letter. A glimpse of a heart sticker clasped
the envelope's mouth.
"What's this?"
"It's a love letter..."
"Eh?"
No wonder she looked puzzled, unable to comprehend the meaning for a
moment. Even though we live in an age where diversity is accepted, it's
understandable that a love letter from a girl to another girl would be upsetting in
other ways besides matters of the opposite sex.
"Oh, It's not like it's from me to Horikita-san or something. Actually, one of
my friends asked me to give it to Nagumo Miyabi, the student council president."
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"To the student council president? But isn't that something you should give
in person?"
If you're going to confess your feelings to someone you have a crush on,
face to face is naturally the expectation.
"She asked me to deliver it to him because she was too nervous to give it
herself. But I don't have the courage to hand it to the student council president in
person either..."
Nagumo's a more social person than, say, former Student Council President
Horikita Manabu, but he was still a senior student and representative of this school.
It would be quite a hurdle for someone who has no contact with him to approach
him. Horikita, on the other hand, was different. It was easy to imagine them
conversing about student council business on a daily basis.
"I understand the situation, but..."
"Please. She's been struggling with it for a long time now, and... she's finally
found the courage to do so."
If it had been the Horikita of a year ago, she might've refused this request.
But building relationships with classmates is important to her now. In order to
make up for the lost trust in the unanimous special exam, there was no way around
it.
"Okay. I'll see if I can somehow find an opening and give it to him for you.
Is that okay?"
"Uh, yes."
Ichihashi answered, but she looked a bit brusque.
"Is there still a problem?"
"Um, well, there's a little problem with this love letter."
Upon receiving the letter, Horikita noticed that there was no name written on
the front or back. This meant that the sender was unknown until he looked through
the contents.
"Can I assume that it is written inside who this letter is from?"
"I don't know... If it were normal, I'd imagine it would be written. That girl,
if she was just happy to tell him how she feels, she might not have written it."
In other words, neither the deliverer nor the receiver would know the sender
of the love letter.
"That's a little hard to accept. Of course, I'll explain when I give it to him,
but if I'm not careful, he might mistake it for a letter from me."
Saying she received it from someone else despite it actually being a letter
from herself — the possibility of Nagumo taking it like that cannot be said to be
zero.
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"Well then, can't you ask someone else? Like a boy you know in the student
council or... No? I'd like for you to give it today somehow."
"That's easy for you to say..." Despite her concern, Horikita thought for a
moment and nodded.
"I'll do my best, but there's no guarantee that I'll be able to give it to him,
okay?"
"I'm glad you accepted. I'm sure she'll be very happy."
Although reluctantly, Horikita agreed to deliver the love letter to Nagumo.
Normally, she would've asked her who the letter was from, but Horikita wasn't
interested and didn't try to dig deeply.
2
Because of the unexpected request, my steps were a little... Heavier, if not quite
heavy.
"Why won't she just give it to him?"
It was a mistake to accept. How could I, an irrelevant person in this affair,
have such a task? I should turn back and tell Ichihashi-san to give it to him in
person.
"That would be the right thing to do."
When the thought of escape crossed my mind. I suddenly remembered the
time when I tried to give a letter to my brother who had decided to go to high
school. I was a fool in the past, not realizing that he'd been cold toward me and
desperately wishing to return to the old days when we were close. I thought that if I
couldn't talk to him face to face, I could just put my feelings in a letter. But the pen
in my hand didn't move as smoothly as it did in my head.
For days and days, I thought and wondered, writing and erasing over and
over again.
How could I convey my feelings?
How could I make my brother happy?
I struggled with the act of writing the letter itself. And in the end... I couldn't
give it to him. My brother left this school and I can no longer see or contact him.
"I wonder what happened to that letter..."
As I dredged up my memory, I recalled putting it in my brother's desk
drawer.
"What if my brother goes home and sees it?"
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I stopped in the hallway and felt my heart rate suddenly hasten. If my
brother saw a letter like that now, he would laugh at me.
"I should forget about that."
Even if I get jittery here and now, I can't get rid of the letter and pretend it
never happened. Now all I can do is hope that my brother doesn't find it.
Remembering my brother's back from outside the window, I decided to put
my hands together.
"That's right."
It's not easy to write a letter to someone you love. And if you have to hand it
to them directly, the hurdle is even higher. Even now, if I were asked if I could
write a letter to my brother, it would be difficult for me to give an immediate
answer. I don't know who she is or where she is from, but her target is the Student
Council President Nagumo Miyabi. I understand her feelings of timidity.
Somehow, I found an excuse to give it to him and arrived at the student
council room. When I opened the door, all the members of the student council
were already there except for Student Council President Nagumo. There were three
boys present, Yagami-kun, a first-year student, Aga-kun, also a first-year student,
and Kiriyama-senpai, the third-year vice president.
However, it would not be possible for just any boy to do what I need. I
couldn't simply entrust them with the task of handing out love letters, which isn't
even a responsibility for the student council.
However... I was relatively close to Yagami-kun. I talk to him quite
regularly. I knew I was taking advantage of my position as a senpai, but I couldn't
turn my back on this letter. Yagami-kun was sitting down and chatting with
Ichinose-san.
I reached for the love letter in my briefcase, hoping to get the troublesome
matter out of the way quickly. But just then, Student Council President Nagumo
appeared in the room.
"The meeting will begin immediately. Take your seats."
The voice of Student Council President Nagumo was as dark and heavy as
he appeared. I felt the air instantly become tense and tight and put my hand back
on my bag.
There was no way I could say that I was asked to hand over a love letter
under these circumstances.
"Ichinose, if you have anything to report, let's hear it."
"Yes. It seems that it has been decided that all classes will participate in the
rehearsal the day before the festival."
"It was decided in almost half a day? It seems that the student council
president's decision was correct. However, if the decision was made by the student
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council, I wish you would have informed us a little earlier." Kiriyama-senpai, the
vice president, made a thorny remark.
"It's just an idea. I thought starting a little earlier would make the juniors
happy." Student Council President Nagumo replied without any particular apology.
Such a scene from the student council meeting was becoming a regular
occurrence.
Basically, the student council-led things started with an idea from Student
Council President Nagumo. Sometimes they were born from a comment made
during the meeting, and other times they were created without our knowledge.
Then there was a sudden silence, and Student Council President Nagumo
had his arms crossed and his eyes closed. It was obvious that he was holding back
his anger.
"Um, what's wrong, Nagumo-senpai...?"
"Listen, I heard a strange rumor."
"Rumor...?"
"It's not proven, but there was a guy, Kishi, who said that I was betting a lot
of money to get certain students expelled from school."
"What? What do you mean?"
It's no wonder Ichinose-san asked back. I, too, could not immediately
understand the meaning of what Student Council President Nagumo said.
"Who told you that nonsense?"
"Someone from your class, Kiriyama."
Student Council President Nagumo threw such words to Vice President
Kiriyama with his eyes closed.
"From my class?"
"It's just a rumor from my friends, though it wouldn't be strange if you were
aware of it."
"Sorry, that's news to me. I don't understand why you would bet a lot of
money to get someone expelled in the first place."
Usually, students use large sums of money to move someone in particular to
an "A" class. If that's what he was talking about, it's certainly not hard to
understand, even for me. Especially for third-year students, the odds were stacked
against them, and if they were invited to join President Nagumo's class, they were
practically guaranteed an "A" class. It's possible, for lack of a better word, for the
Student Council President Nagumo to have secretly offered private points to those
he has close relationships with, giving them the right to move to his class.
"It's just a rumor. But I'm not willing to sit idly by and let the accusations
against me go unchallenged."
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Indeed, as student council president, such rumors could damage him one
way or the other. It's understandable that he was visibly in a bad mood.
"The student council will be suspended for a while."
"Suspended...?"
Ichinose-san was surprised by this unexpected proposal from Student
Council President Nagumo.
The student council used to meet like this once a week and repeatedly
discuss various topics. The only exceptions were during test periods and some
special exams. It was unusual to suspend them during the regular school year.
"We're done discussing the cultural festival, too. There shouldn't be any
problems."
"Are you going to look for the culprits?"
"Of course, we'll look for them thoroughly. The next meeting will be held
after the festival."
We then continued discussing the day before the festival, and we departed
shortly afterward. I got up from my seat and headed toward Yagami-kun.
Perhaps sensing my approach, he raised his gaze away from his notebook,
stopped his hand, and closed it. He's the secretary of the student council, so he was
keeping the logs. The other students left the student council room ahead of me,
which I was grateful for.
When we were alone, I decided to call out to him.
"May I have a word?"
Yagami-kun turned to me after looking a little surprised.
"I'm sorry, were you still in the middle of writing it down?"
"No, I just finished. Don't worry about it." He placed his hand lightly on top
of the closed notebook and smiled at me.
"Is something wrong, Horikita-senpai?"
"Yagami-kun. May I ask you a slightly unreasonable favor?"
"What is it?"
"I want you to give this to the student council president. It's a love letter."
I took out the love letter and presented it to Yagami.
"That's very rare these days. Most of the time it seems to be done through
chatting or phone calls..." When he received it with a surprised look on his face, I
hastened to add.
"Just to let you know, it's not from me."
"I see. I thought it was a love letter from Horikita-senpai... Or should I just
give it to him as such?"
"No, that's not it. A girl in my class asked me to give it to him."
"There is no sender name. Whose love letter is it? I'll let him know."
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"I can't tell you that. She wants to remain anonymous."
"It's an anonymous love letter...?"
"She asked for me to pass it on as a member of the student council, but
there's the issue of anonymity, and if I give it to him, he might think it's from me,
right?"
"That's quite possible. To be honest, I still have a little bit of doubt that
Horikita-senpai didn't write it."
Yagami-kun smiled a little funnily, but to me it wasn't funny at all.
"I'm just kidding. Given the look of disgust on senpai's face, I know it's not
true."
I sure hope so.
"Actually, it would've been smoother if I had given it to you before Student
Council President Nagumo arrived..."
"Even if you gave it to me, I don't think I would've been able to hand it
over. It didn't seem like the kind of atmosphere to give a letter."
"Yes, that was inevitable."
Under the circumstances, no one could talk to Student Council President
Nagumo.
"I'm sorry to ask you to do this, but could you please deliver it as soon as
possible? I'm sure they think I'll deliver it today."
"In that case, I'll visit the dormitory later." Yagami-kun stared at the love
letter intently while looking a little perplexed. "Is this really a love letter?"
"Probably. I think she said she put her feelings into it, but I can't be sure."
I couldn't peel off the seal to see what was inside.
"If I gave it to him as a love letter and it turned out to be different, I think it
would be disrespectful to the student council president."
"That might be possible."
"I'll put it somewhat vaguely, saying that I received the letter from
someone."
"Yes, I think that's a good idea. Thank you."
I thanked him for his honest acceptance.
"By the way, even in this day and age, it's hard for a secretary to work with
handwritten notes, isn't it?"
There is nothing wrong with using a computer to work nowadays.
"Tradition is also important. It seems that the notes have been kept on file
ever since this school was founded. If we suddenly switch to digital, it'll create a
sense of discomfort."
Yagami-kun turned around and stared at the bookshelf. Certainly, there are
many records revealing the story of the Student Council's history. It wouldn't
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necessarily be bad if the student council files were replaced by a disc, but Yagami-
kun made a good point. Perhaps this is exactly what we should continue if we
value tradition.
"I also hear that it is better to have hardships while you are a student. If you
get used to easy life early on, you may suffer later on."
Yagami-kun showed a slightly mature response, not like a first-year high
school student.
"In that sense, this love letter is similar."
It is true that nowadays it is not uncommon to confess one's feelings using
one's cell phone. But I can understand that there is a certain meaning to conveying
your feelings through your letters.
"Even so, today's Student Council President Nagumo really didn't seem to
have a lot of time to spare, did he?"
"Yeah. He's betting a lot of money to expel the students, isn't he? As I
recall... What was his name..."
As if remembering something, Yagami-kun opened his notebook and
showed it to me. The first page that was flipped through was from the middle of
last year, and looked like something a current third year student would have
written in his sophomore year. Then the font changed and switched to the most
recent notes.
I instantly recognized this because the notes, which seemed to have been
written by Yagami-kun, were written in a perfect, orderly manner that showed his
meticulousness. And the writing was so polished that it was hard to believe it was
handwritten.
"There it is. He said that this Kishi-senpai might have spread a rumor. Do
you know what class Kishi-senpai is in?"
Yagami-kun asked me with the same expression as usual, showing me the
meeting records. But my brain was pulled into another realm all at once.
These characters.... They look very similar to that letter which had almost
slipped from my memory.
Was he the person who presented me with the letter during the uninhabited
island exam? I held my gaze, which was about to blur with agitation, and reached
the notes of today's meeting. I looked at Yagami-kun from a broader perspective
and saw that he was still looking at me with the same smile.
It couldn't be... But... No, it can't be.
Amidst a whirlwind of emotions, I think as I continue to feign looking down
at the notes.
"Horikita-senpai?"
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"Sorry, I don't know, but you should be able to figure it out pretty quickly if
you look at the OAA."
"Sure. I'll look it up right away."
"I'm sorry, but I just remembered something I have to do. I'll leave you to
it."
"Oh, really? I understand."
I looked away from him and quickly turned as if to run away.
"Well then, I'm sorry, but I need you to take care of my letter to the student
council president."
"Yes, senpai. Thank you for your hard work, Horikita-senpai."
If he stared at me then, I probably would have asked him. I knew in my gut
that I had to avoid that. I exited the door connecting the student council chambers
and slowly closed it.
Just before it was about to close, I saw Yagami-kun smiling at me through
the door's slightest gap. He looked at me with a smile, as if he was testing me.
It was as if he was challenging me with a question, "Did you notice?" It was
as if he was trying to provoke me. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the trouble to
open the notebook and show me the handwriting.
The door slammed shut.
I couldn't deny the possibility that the handwriting was coincidentally the
same. Since a certain amount of time had passed since I saw those letters, my
memory is blurred.
Even so, the handwriting was similar enough to make me certain of the
reason for the resemblance. If I assume that he was the person who wrote me that
letter... Then that person had been standing by my side for a long time while
behaving in a nonchalant manner.
At the same time, it seemed to me that this assumption was very realistic.
Chapter Four:
Meeting Before The Festival
THE DAYS GO by quickly, and Friday came, November 12. The day before the
festival after school arrived.
All classes have been preparing for the festival. Today after school is the
rehearsal led by the student council. It will be an important test for tomorrow's
performance.
All classmates, except for a few, started moving at once to begin
preparations. There are a total of four booths in Horikita's class. The first is the
well-known maid cafe, where the main sales are tea, coffee, and other drinks in
addition to photo shoots with the maids. The latter sales method is particularly
time-efficient, and the unit price is set high, so if there are a large number of
applicants, it will be a great source of income. The second and third are outdoor
stalls selling powdered food (takoyaki, okonomiyaki, etc.) and Western-style pasta
and bread stalls. The stalls generate sales on their own, and the maid café also
takes orders. When an order is placed, a student in charge of delivery goes to the
stall and brings it to the customer. In order to take advantage of the maid café's
originality, a limited food menu is also prepared, which is a slight modification of
the existing menu offered at the food stall. And finally, the fourth and final event is
an outdoor quiz competition for children, which was added on short notice with the
extra budget.
"You guys didn't make Hasebe-san and Miyake-kun come?" Maezono asked
as her eyes followed Haruka and Akito, who had just left the classroom.
"There's no point in forcing them to do anything. Let's consider this a good
opportunity to test whether 35 people, excluding Kōenji-kun, Hasebe and Miyake,
can be left alone without any problems."
But those three are not the only ones who are not willing to cooperate.
Kushida hardly interfered with any of the festival's activities in the weeks leading
up to the event, and she's been going home immediately after school without
helping out. She knows that she will be in charge of serving the customers as a
maid at the festival, and she has gone to Horikita several times to come up with
ideas. Some of them have even been adopted, although they are minor elements.
However, she did not participate in any practice sessions with other maids to
make sure they were all on the same page.
"I'd like to do some final checks for tomorrow's event and also practice my
activities for the day. Do you think you'll have time today?"
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Satō called out, somewhat bravely, trying as much as possible not to let her
guard down. Kushida, who had just gotten up from her seat, stopped and turned
around on the spot.
"I'm sorry, Satō-san. I have something I really can't miss after school."
This was not the first time Kushida has said that.
"Listen, you keep refusing me like that. When are you seriously going to
cooperate?"
The atmosphere was turning sour, and Horikita was about to get up from her
seat, but Yōsuke, who was standing beside her, stopped her as if he had anticipated
this.
I don't know who was right. However, it's impossible to create a smooth
class if we interfere in everything. Sometimes things have to be resolved by the
people involved. It can be said that this is an uncharacteristic behavior of Yōsuke,
who usually pays more attention to his words than anyone else... Probably because
he felt that unnecessarily showing Horikita's special treatment towards Kushida to
the class was a bad move.
Of course, Horikita understood this, but she also had a dilemma that she
couldn't leave alone.
"Don't worry, I've got the festival in mind, and I'm not going to drag the
class down."
"But, Kushida-san, you haven't practised, not even a little. I can't trust you
with the important role of a maid."
Today's rehearsal will be the perfect practice. Satō, who had been reluctant
to participate, seems unable to back down today. Likewise, Kushida had been even
more reluctant and it doesn't seem like she will budge today as well.
"Then why don't you remove me? I don't think there are any other decent
candidates."
A merciless remark, but a fair one. Even taking Kushida's appearance into
consideration, a student who isn't currently playing the role of a maid wouldn't be
able to serve as a substitute.
"I'll see you tomorrow at the festival. Bye."
Although her tone of voice was the same as the gentle Kushida, her actions
could be taken as cold. She refused Satō's proposal until the end and left the
classroom.
Did she simply not want to spend time with classmates who know her true
nature? Or was it really that she had something she can't miss? Obviously, the
atmosphere in the classroom deteriorated, but that can't be helped.
"Hey, Horikita-san. Tomorrow's the festival, but I still think we should
remove Kushida-san after all..."
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Matsushita, unable to bear the sight of Satō's downcast and frustrated face,
went directly to Horikita "I know what you mean. But I don't intend to remove her
at the moment."
"But it's a lie that she has to do things every day, isn't it?"
Indeed, Kushida's behavior as of late has been quite puzzling. It can't be
helped that she's been keeping her distance from the others since the unanimous
special exam, but even so, her uncooperative attitude has been conspicuous.
"That may be so. I don't know why she doesn't participate in practice either."
"Then..."
"Don't worry. She's thinking about the festival and the maid cafe in her own
way. Just believe in Kushida-san."
"Well, I guess you could say that we won't get anywhere if I don't believe in
her..." Matsushita looked unconvinced, but nodded and turned to follow Satō.
Matsushita, perhaps because she was one of the founding members this time,
was also making a lot of efforts. Although it's true that Kushida's non-participation
in practice is a cause for concern, Horikita's expression showed no signs of
impatience. Rather, it seemed as if it was peeking out with justified confidence.
That was probably why Matsushita backed down.
Since she didn't seem to be asking for help, let's watch and wait.
1
On the first floor of the special building, stall number "Special 02".
Students decorated this space, which was usually used as an empty
classroom.
The girls mainly did the work, with the boys assisting them. Interestingly,
the girls were by far the best at this type of decoration. It's probably safe to leave
the setup to them with Horikita in the lead. Preparations for the concept café were
steadily underway in the back of the special classroom on the second floor.
Unlike our maid café, the concept of Ryūen's class was "Traditional
Japanese style." The food and beverages were also completely different from ours,
including Japanese sweets and tea.
While preparations were underway, we found a unique presence. There was
a girl sitting alone in a chair reading a book dressed in the kimono.
"Hello." When she noticed me, Hiyori lifted her book and, for some reason,
hid everything but her gaze.
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"It's been a while. I heard you haven't been showing up at the library lately."
"It's not that I haven't been. I've just, you know, changed my hours a bit."
I thought it was odd for a bookworm to disappear from the library, but I
guess she just changed her visiting hours.
"It seems you'll be working as well."
"I specialize in checkout. I'm not very good at interacting with people. I'm
also not very good at moving around, and I practiced carrying food on a tray, but it
didn't work out."
In short, she's not very good at anything in general. However, working as a
cashier isn't hard and if she can handle it smoothly, it'll be fine.
"By the way, Ibuki-san will be joining us."
"Ibuki? I had an image that she would never wear this kind of costume."
"I heard that she had a match with Ryūen-kun for complete exemption from
helping at the festival."
"And she lost."
Hiyori smiled a little funny as if she was remembering that time.
"So, where is this Ibuki who lost?"
"She's not participating today. She said she absolutely hates wearing it
outside of the festival."
I can understand that feeling, but I hope she can serve her customers well
when she goes out on the spot. Well, Ryūen would deal with such matters in a
flexible manner.
I wanted to check on Ryūen, who owns the restaurant, but I couldn't see him.
I wondered if he left the rehearsal preparations to other students.
"It seems that Ryūen-kun went to check Class A."
"Class A?"
"Because they haven't disclosed what kind of presentation they were going
to put on."
Indeed, the details of Sakayanagi's class had been unknown until the day
before the festival. It's not strange to want to find out what they will be doing. As
long as all the classes were participating in this pre-opening the day before, there
was no doubt that they would be preparing to open a stall somewhere.
"I'm going to go over there for a bit too."
After talking with Hiyori, I decided to look for Sakayanagi's class.
"Um, Ayanokōji-kun..."
"Hmm?"
"Ryūen and the others went up to the third floor, so I think that's where
Sakayanagi-san probably went."
"I see, that saves me the trouble."
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She seemed to want to say something else, but Hiyori immediately shook her
head from side to side. Three second-year classes concentrated in a special wing,
and yet they are on different floors?
"I'll be showing up at the library again next time, so please do so as well,
Ayanokōji-kun."
"Yes, I will."
I raised my hand to say goodbye, and then walked up to the third floor. The
third floor of the special wing is the farthest from the school gate and the hardest to
reach. There were three classrooms available here, but until the previous day, they
were not popular and had not been rented.
"I didn't think that Sakayanagi's class would rent everything there, though."
As it's currently an exclusive floor, the 2nd year Class A students roamed
the third floor corridors as they pleased. At first glance, it's hard to imagine what
kind of display they are trying to put on. There were only several cardboard boxes
scattered about, their contents not visible, and the students were still in their school
uniforms. Since it's impossible to cook indoors due to fire regulations, that field
disappears.
"Surprised by the unexpected?" Hashimoto, who was supposedly keeping an
eye on the students coming, approached and called out.
"What's this all about?"
"You can't even understand what you're seeing?" Hashimoto laughed
quietly, perhaps amused that I didn't grasp it. "Well, that's understandable. But I
can't answer you easily."
I guess they intend to finish the preparations the day before, but have no
intention of making them public. As if to symbolize this, a sign was posted on the
stairs leading to this floor.
It read, "Due to an issue, the second-year Class A will not be presenting
their activities today."
"That's what it means. I'm sorry you had to come all the way up here, but I'm
going to have to ask you to leave."
Even if I persisted, we would still not be able to find out the details of the
exhibit.
"It looks like Ryūen will be leaving soon, too."
Ryūen came out of a classroom in the back and walked toward us with his
hands in his pockets. After a quick glance at me and Hashimoto, he walked straight
through and headed downstairs.
"Or are you going to do the same as him and take a closer look, even if you
know it's useless?"
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"I'm going back."
"Good luck. You'll have to wait until we open to see what happens."
I was on my way back to the second floor when I noticed that Ryūen had
turned his back to face me and stopped. I turned my gaze and stared directly into
his eyes. Ryūen raised the corner of his mouth slightly before opening it.
"Tell Suzune that it will be our class that wins tomorrow."
"I bet the Japanese attire cost more than the maid uniforms, didn't they? If
you're going to challenge her to a match, at that point, you could have just worked
together."
"It's simply my taste."
After replying with words that could be taken either seriously or jokingly,
Ryūen started walking away. Without paying attention to Hashimoto's presence
from the upper floor, I also turned back to the maid cafe.
2
Surprisingly, many boys from other classes rushed to the restaurant as soon as it
opened. There seemed to be more onlookers who wanted to catch a glimpse of the
girls in cosplay rather than eating, which was fine with us. It would be good
experience for the maids, who are not used to being the center of attention.
Even Matsushita, who was usually very calm, moved a little stiffly and
looked nervous. Sato and Mii-chan's movements seemed to be much more sluggish
than during practice.
Immediately afterward, the sound of plastic bouncing on the floor spread
throughout the classroom. It was caused by Mii-chan slipping a glass of water on
the tray. The person in question froze at the heavy event that seemed to split the
air. In the midst of all this, it was Matsushita who immediately moved.
"I am terribly sorry."
After gently patting Mii-chan on the shoulder with a calm tone, she
instructed her to bring fresh water. Then she brought a rag to clean the floor.
"You're doing very well, Matsushita-san, I can't believe it's your very first
time as a maid."
"Thank you."
Horikita, who was standing by and watching, was also impressed by
Matsushita's outstanding actions.
"You're also participating tomorrow as a maid, right?"
"Basically, as a manager. I'll also serve customers depending on the
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situation, but I'm honestly not sure." Unlike usual, Horikita answered somewhat
timidly.
"Well, no one thinks you're good at putting on a smile, so good luck." I said
turning to Horikita.
I'm sure she's not worried about the service itself, but offering a smile can be
a challenge.
"You look pretty comfortable."
"It's almost like the work over here will be done by today."
It's like 90% prep and 10% production, and all we have to do tomorrow is
the paperwork.
"Maybe I should reassign you to the stalls too."
"Don't reassign me just because of a personal gripe."
Horikita started to say something nasty, but quickly backed down because
she wasn't serious.
"For now, it looks like Matsushita-san will be fine, and I'll be leaving for a
bit."
"You're going to observe?"
"I want to see with my own eyes what kind of entertainment there will be."
Take your time. I would meanwhile work on making room for tomorrow's
waiting room.
About an hour later, Horikita returned to the maid cafe.
"I'm back. How are things going?"
"There were a few minor mistakes, but now we're all settled in and getting
used to everything."
"Thanks for the advance preparation."
Without this rehearsal, we might have been in danger if we had just gone out
and winged it. I knew that practicing without attendees was completely different
from actually doing it with a third-party audience. Matsushita, who had been
working at full capacity since the opening, rounded up and came up to me.
"Good job Matsushita-san. I'm honestly surprised how well you performed."
"Thanks. Everyone's getting better. We should be able to start tomorrow in
good shape." Matsushita said, though her expression was a little stiff.
"What's wrong?"
"I think there might be more sabotage, that's what I'm a little worried about."
"Sabotage?"
"When Ryuen-kun's class came over to the maid cafe, I was afraid they'd
bring Ishizaki-kun and the others over and say there were bugs in the cups or
something..."
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Horikita and I exchanged glances for a moment, then quickly turned our
attention back to Matsushita.
"Don't worry about that. It's not in their best interest to interfere in the
practice stage. Besides, since there is a rule that students can't be guests in the
activities, they can't do such a thing."
"Ryūen can't use his usual tactics in the presence of so many eyes at the
exhibit. There is no need to worry." I added to Horikita's explanation.
The smile returned to Matsushita's face as she was almost simultaneously
told by both of us that there isn't anything to worry about.
"Somehow, when the two of you say it, I feel a different sense of relief." She
patted her chest in relief, as if she had been somewhat preoccupied.
"You should take a break too."
"I guess I'll do that."
Matsushita started to walk away and left the classroom, wobbling slightly.
"Did you notice that?"
"Huh?"
"No, it's nothing."
Perhaps because it was a minor discomfort, Horikita, who was nearby, did
not seem to notice anything in particular.
I hope I'm just imagining things.
"So how did it go? What did the other classes put on?"
"I don't know if there will be another festival next year, but I learned a lot."
Horikita examined the completed room before leaving to check its condition.
"It looks fine. In another hour, we'll start cleaning up, and you should take
another look too."
"I'll let you do that."
With permission, I decided to parade around the entire school. Kei appeared
as if she had been waiting for that moment and took me in arms.
"Let's go together."
"I'd rather not but I don't think you're going to leave me."
"I won't leave you.
"You're free to go with me, but remember that we are only scouting."
"Yes, yes~"
While Horikita responded seriously every time, Kei seemed to be at ease
from start to finish. Well, it's not every day you get a chance like this. In fact, even
taking a look at the maid café, it seemed as if most of the others were enjoying the
cultural festival in a normal way.
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3
First-year students and some of the third-year students were putting on a number of
performances that resembled festival stalls. Some of them involved technological
intervention, such as target practice, ring toss, or dropping marbles on a handmade
platform to win prizes at multiple goals. The collection of prizes made the scene
look a bit like a festival hall.
"Oh, it's Yukimura-kun and the others!"
Kei was the first to point and found Keisei, Sotomura, and the other boys
busily preparing for the event. Perhaps because they had practiced baking food in
their dormitories, they seemed to be doing it with a certain degree of dexterity.
Let's not interrupt them by talking to them carelessly.
"Shall we try our hand at ring toss?"
"I'll try! Oh, that stuffed animal is kind of cute. I might want one." Kei
shouted and pointed from behind a student who was experiencing it first. It was a
cute prize, a colorful bear.
Unfortunately, however, the ring toss was a demonstration. Even if they
succeeded in the ring toss, they wouldn't receive any prizes. Even though the
student council had a budget for the event, the number of prizes were limited.
If students took the prizes home today, it will be difficult to replenish them.
On the other hand, the shooting game that the 1st year Class B was putting on
across the street seemed to be offering sweets as prizes, and they were giving them
away if guests were successful. The prizes were cheap, starting at 10 points, and
even the most expensive ones were worth about 200 points. I guess tommorow
there will be prizes other than sweets, but this way, the test would be as good as the
real thing.
"Try it, Kiyotaka!" She urged me to try it and lightly pushed me in front of a
table where five shooting guns were placed in a row.
I was interested in the target shooting game, so I was willing to give it a try.
You're given five bullets per game. The gun seemed to be a type of toy called a
cork gun, which was filled with cork and fires. Each of the guns lined up on the
table seemed to be more heavily built than I had expected. The bullets, however,
were distorted in shape, and it was doubtful that they can be shot with precision. I
had never held a gun in my hands since I was born. I have a vague image of it from
movies and TV dramas, but I am not sure if it's really true to the actual thing.
I can't even look at an example because there were no other students
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participating in the event. So, from my imagination, I grabbed the gun in the
middle of the room and held it up.
"Aim for the most expensive one."
In order to drop the highest priced assortment of candy, I need to shoot down
a large weight. I wonder how powerful it really is. Let's give it a try first.
The first shot was fired while receiving enthusiastic cheers from Kei. With a
light "pop" sound, the cork bullet was fired and approached the weight I had set as
my target.
However, the bullet passed through a few centimeters to the left of the
weight without delay. My percieved aim was that it should have hit the target with
pinpoint accuracy, but the trajectory was completely different. Then, I shifted the
muzzle a few centimeters to the right and fired a second shot. I thought I had
corrected the trajectory perfectly, but this time it passed diagonally to the right and
missed.
"This is pretty hard..."
As I was loading the third shot, the other students began to join in one by
one. I decided to watch the other students and try to further correct the trajectory.
However, the students firing their guns were struggling to aim as well as I was.
One of the students fired a bullet that hit a weight from the first shot. It did not fall
down, but he succeeded in pushing it back.
Continuing to observe to see if there was some trick to it, I discovered that it
was not due to my skill, but due to each gun, which looked the same, having a
different performance. The millimeter-by-millimeter discrepancies in the
manufacturing process and the quality of the bullet cork itself. Various things
combined to create an unexpected trajectory with each shot. It was a very
interesting system, but at the same time, I understood how difficult it was to shoot
and drop the target.
As a result, only the last shot was able to hit the weight that I had originally
aimed at, but it was not an easy target to hit, and my first target shooting ended in a
disastrous failure. However, I now understood the tendency of the gun itself.
Now, if I could only predict the trajectory of the bullet when fired based on
the shape of the cork, I could try again... That's what I thought, but then I noticed a
sign that said "Only one challenge per person today" and gave up.
"Ain't no way. The big bad Ayanokouji himself is a shitty shooter?"
Just as I put my gun back, Hōsen came out from behind the stall, laughing
with a funny smile on his face. Hōsen's first year Class D stalls specialized in
"games."
"This is surprising. I didn't expect you to put on such a show."
The idea was that these trivial prizes from target shooting and ring tossing
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were means to return adults to their inner-child.
"When I was a kid, I used to make a killin' with the adults at these kinda
stalls."
What kind of childhood was that...
"I really wanted to do more serious gambling, but the shitty school turned
me down 'cause of the rules or whatever. Really though, target shooting? It's the
same thing as gambling. This kinda gambling is designed so that the house can win
about all the time. It's a one-time cultural festival, so ain't no way they'll know
they're getting ripped off."
He took out his lighter and put it on the shelf, then came over to this side of
the table and picked up the second gun from the far left. The bullet fired from the
projectile gun he held up flew straighter than I had imagined and hit the lighter. It
shook, but showed no sign of falling over.
"If they ain't able to take the limited prizes, it won't be a problem."
"Wouldn't that keep the customers from coming back?"
"Nah, not if we add value to the shitty prizes and hand them out regularly."
Hōsen had a plan. If the participation prizes were not attractive, adults might
shy away. What appeared to be a participation prize peeked out of the basket. They
had prepared a large number of student photos, both male and female, using a
printing press and laminated them in various patterns for handmade prizes.
"It's a good way to show off as an adult that you gotta memory of
participatin' in a cultural festival."
The fact that many politician-related people will be attending means that
some will communicate their participation in the festival as a kind of charity or
community activity.
Announcing that the students were given pictures of the festival would also
help to create a positive impression. After parting ways with Hōsen, who was
surprisingly thinking things through, I returned to Kei, who was waiting for me.
"I couldn't win it."
Kei grined happily and poked me in the stomach area with her elbow.
"You look pretty happy even though you didn't get any prizes."
"Because I got to see Kiyotaka's cuteness. I'm super satisfied as far as I'm
concerned."
"What do you mean, 'cuteness'?"
I had no good points at all during that time.
"I was happy that it wasn't like an anime, where you hit it on the first shot. I
realized again that you can't do everything."
That's true. My approach was based on experience. Unless I had some
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material from my past experience to draw on, there was no way I was going to do
well on my first shot, toy or otherwise.
"That's cute, huh? I feel like you usually want your boyfriends to be cool."
"I've been shown enough of that."
She didn't blame me, but rather, Kei's emotions seemed to take pleasure in
the fact that I didn't take the prize.
As I strolled around looking for other interesting offerings, I spotted
Ishizaki.
"Yo, Ayanokōji!"
"Looks like something kind of unusual is being put on."
"Yes, it is, isn't it? It's an idea of mine and Albert's, you know.
"Wow, how did an enforcer like you get permission from Ryūen to do this?
You couldn't even set up a birthday party." Kei stared at Ishizaki suspiciously.
"I wanted to make it happen! I made a proposal just like you told me to do,
and I got kicked out of it..."
He held his abdomen as if he was remembering that moment. It was
coincidentally on October 20, the day of my and Ryūen's birthdays. Ishizaki
planned a birthday party for both of us. However, in order to make it happen, he
needed to persuade Kei, and her condition was that Ryūen must apologize directly
to her for what he did on the rooftop and bow down to her.
Naturally, Ryūen did not accept Kei's harsh conditions.
"But I'll get my revenge next year! You'll just have to wait for me!"
"No one's going to wait for you. So, what kind of booth are you putting up?"
"Who cares? Do you care? Okay, you guys go ahead and give it a try."
All that was provided was a desk and cardboard. The disposable chopsticks
and cups on the table gave the impression of dining, but is it really?
"What is this?"
"You'll just have to wait and see."
Ishizaki then instructed Albert to take out tools from a cardboard box.
They were a bag of protein and a bag of citric acid. Both are familiar to
those who take them during muscle training and other activities.
"This is chocolate flavored protein. Well, just take a light lick."
Two small bite-sized paper cups were prepared with Ishizaki's chocolate-
flavored protein.
"I don't want it."
Kei refused to drink it as soon as it was served.
"Oh, don't be like that. It's just protein."
"I've never had protein before, and I don't want to. I'm not trying to get
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muscular.
"You can't build muscle just by drinking protein shakes." Albert steped
forward and mumbled English.
"Huh? What?"
"Don't worry about that. You can't build muscle by just drinking protein
shakes. That's right. Since we're here, why don't you two give it a try?"
To be honest, I was a little curious to see what Ishizaki would do.
I took the initiative, picked up a paper cup, and drank the protein. It may
have been made by a different manufacturer than the one I used to drink, but it
tasted a little like the old days.
"Well, I'll drink it for you then, just in case... it's bad."
Kei, on the other hand, who drank protein for the first time, frowned as if it
didn't taste good.
"Tastes bad? Well, it's not undrinkable, right?"
"It's not undrinkable, but I don't really want to drink it."
"Well, you need a palate cleanser."
Water was handed to me, perhaps to rinse out my mouth. By the time I
finished drinking it, Ishizaki was ready to move on.
"Next, this way."
With that, he prepared a citric acid drink, this time in another paper cup.
"Well, it's citric acid, I guess."
"I think I like this one better."
We muttered our impressions of the citric acid drink to each other.
"Well, that's the last one. The two you just drank aren't bad, are they?"
"I didn't like the protein."
"You're good, Karuizawa, how about Ayanokōji?"
"Yes, it wasn't bad at all."
Hearing this, Ishizaki laughed happily.
"By the way. If you add citric acid to this chocolate-flavored protein, you get
a very strange taste."
He handed me the mixed protein and held it close to my mouth. It seemed
like killing two birds with one stone, since both the protein intake and the citric
acid intake are not bad.
"Now drink both of them at the same time."
"I'm kind of scared."
"Well, let's drink it."
We tipped our paper cups and started drinking. But the moment I put it
in my mouth, I involuntarily stiffened at the taste spreading from the surface of my
tongue.
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"Shit!" Kei screamed next to me and spat it out on the spot. She then made a
vomiting gesture while thrashing about, strongly appealing the others.
"This, that, that tastes like vomit! Eeeeee!"
I remembered that taste too. When I was taught martial arts, I was hit with a
powerful fist to the abdomen, and the stomach acid that rose from my body
alongside the food I was digesting came up. The smell and taste that spread in my
mouth, it was something close to that.
"Hahaha! Yes! That's funny!"
"Not funny! Water!!!"
Pushing away Ishizaki, who was laughing exasperatingly, Kei drank from
the water bottle
"This is, how can I say this, certainly a mystery drink."
"Even the quintessential Ayanokōji is a bit taken back."
Not only was it not tasty, but it honestly didn't taste edible. The tension
plummeted.
"I'm going to surprise my customers tomorrow. For 500 points a cup, I'm
going to offer them a magical experience."
"I'm amazed that Ryūen allowed you to do this."
I'm more surprised about that as well.
"He said, 'Do whatever you want with your points. We're doing something
else tomorrow.'"
I see. So Ishizaki is just going to rent the extra space for himself. Then the
expenses would be minimal, and, well, it's no wonder that about 10 guests would at
least be curious about the experience.
"Ugh, a fun date turned into the worst..."
After that, Kei just kept giving Ishizaki resentful glances until she left the
place. Their relationship, which seemed to have improved a bit, may be back to
square one.
After finishing our reconnaissance while genuinely enjoying a few of the
activities, I returned with Kei to the maid café. The classroom was filled with
students, who seemed to be enjoying talking to the maids as they pleased. When
one of the students occasionally deviated from the moral line and persistently
called out to them, Sudō intervened, forcibly interrupted them, and asked them to
leave the room. He suited the role of a bodyguard and was in charge of dealing
with trouble.
The two-hour festival simulation would soon be over. I discussed with
Horikita whether or not we needed to make any changes to the final staffing for
tomorrow.
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As I, Sudō, and the other boys started cleaning up, Onodera showed up.
"We're done here, too," Onodera said. "I wish I could have seen everyone's
maid outfits." Onodera, who had been sent out to the outdoor stalls, made a
disappointed sound as soon as she returned.
"You wanted to see the maids?"
"I like cute things too. Besides, I'm not the kind of person who looks good in
a maid's uniform, my legs are too thick."
"You don't know if it looks good on you or not until you try it on."
"With the limited clothes we have, I'm sure they won't even fit my size."
Onodera then replied with a wry smile, saying that it was impossible for her.
Because of her commitment to swimming, Onodera has a well-trained body,
including broad shoulders and legs that are more developed than most girls. If we
were to provide her with a size-fit maid uniform, it would inevitably be made
exclusively for Onodera. Sudō crouched down and moved his gaze closer to
Onodera's thighs.
"Wait, hey Sudō-kun!"
"They're the legs of a well-trained athlete. Well, it's certainly a little different
from what you'd call a maid." He placed his finger to his chin and said exactly
what he thought.
"I'm so embarrassed!" Onodera blushed and ran out of the classroom like a
rabbit.
"What's with her?"
As I watched the two of them interact, I could feel the obvious change in
Onodera up close. The two of them were not only the same, but they were also
very close to each other. However, Sudō didn't seem to have noticed this, perhaps
because he had never shown any affection to Onodera before, or perhaps he had
never even sensed the presence of affection before.
It would be nice if both arrows were facing each other, but as it was, both
arrows were going the opposite way. I haven't learned much about love, but I do
know that the basic rule in these situations was to keep a warm eye on the people
involved. However, that was why my curiosity and urge to see the result of a
different pattern came over me. If I go against the "rules," will they no longer
make it as a couple?
"Don't you understand? Why Onodera behaved like that? The same feelings
you have for Horikita, Onodera has for you."
"What?"
I said it in a slightly roundabout way, so Sudō didn't immediately
understand. However, Sudo wasn't so rock-headed that he couldn't understand what
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I was saying at all.
"Huh? Onodera... me?"
"Yeah."
"No, no, that ain't it." He seemed to have thought about it seriously, but
denied that it could be true.
This was also a natural reaction.
"Onodera might not have been interested in you at first, but you've been
showing remarkable growth these days. It wouldn't be surprising if she became
aware of you as a member of the opposite sex, right?"
Little by little, Sudō's face turned grim as he began to reorganize his
thoughts.
"What the hell... why me?"
"Of course, there's no guarantee. If you want to know the truth, it might be
important to observe Onodera carefully and try to understand her."
"But, hey... I..."
Nothing else needed to be said to understand the situation. Right now,
Sudō's feelings were strongly directed toward Horikita. That was why I wanted
him to show me how he'll change from this unnecessary comment of mine.
Will he move closer to Horikita or sway toward Onodera? Or will he change
into an unexpected third party?
"No. I'm getting a little confused, I'm going to go cool off while I go see the
food stalls."
You'll have to think long and hard to come up with an answer.
"Kiyotaka-kun, was that... okay?"
Yōsuke, who was standing by, seemed to have heard my conversation.
"I don't think you should have interfered."
"Is that so? Well, I'm sorry if that was careless of me. I'm still learning how
this works." I apologized to Yōsuke with a blank expression on my face.
A little while later, it was time for the preliminaries to end.
"Good work, everyone. That's all for today. If there are any reassignments
for tomorrow's show, I'll call you from my cell phone by 9 pm."
After all the cleanup was done, all preparations for tomorrow were complete.
The students were already on their way home for tomorrow's performance.
Only two people remained in the classroom, me and Horikita.
"I've been thinking about it a lot, but it just doesn't feel right for you to be a
maid," I said.
"I don't want to do it, but it would be nice to have more hands, wouldn't it? It
would have been a little easier if your girlfriend had cooperated."
"I'm sorry, but it's out of my jurisdiction. I've left it to Kei's will."
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It seemed that Satō and the others, including me, had approached Kei, but
she refused to wear the maid's uniform.
I haven't heard what the reason was, but I guess it was because she didn't
want to change clothes rather than because it was too much trouble or because she
wasn't suited for customer service.
Not everyone understood Kei's body and her past.
"I'm just kidding. It's not something you force anyone to wear. If you're
unwilling to wear it, it won't make you look good to tomorrow's guests."
"Here, look through this. I've made some adjustments based on today's
simulation."
I handed the notebook to Horikita for a final check.
"Thank you. It looks like the schedule you've put together is going to be
fine."
Horikita looked up from her notebook, "All festival participants are required
to take a one-hour break before the end of the festival after notifying their
homeroom teacher."
During this break, they are forbidden from assisting with any of the stalls
and must coordinate their workers, whether they are busy or not.
4
In the middle of the street leading to Keyaki Mall, a man and a woman were facing
each other. The preliminary preparations for the festival had already begun and
there were no students to be seen in this vicinity at all.
"We can finally talk, Yagami-kun."
"I didn't think you would barge in on us while we were preparing for the
festival."
"I wouldn't have caught you otherwise. It seemed as if you were avoiding
me."
Even after making contact, Yagami forced Kushida to move to this location,
refusing to discuss the situation on the spot.
"It's just a coincidence that we didn't meet. By the way, it seems you visited
my room several times. sorry, I was away."
Both continued their dialogue without losing their smiles. If someone were
to witness the two of them from the sidelines, the scene would appear to be one of
friendly banter.
"Were you really away? Or were you using the answering machine to harass
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me?"
"Staying away? Why would I do that? There seems to be some kind of
misunderstanding."
"There's no misunderstanding."
Irritated by Yagami's refusal to let her grasp the reality of the situation,
Kushida stepped forward on her own.
"You cut me off because I was useless. That's all, isn't it?"
In a unanimous special examin, Yagami expected Kushida to expel Horikita
and Ayanokōji. Since she failed to live up to that expectation, and since there was
no contact between them, it wasn't surprising for Kushida to judge as such.
"Do you remember that I contacted you on the night of the unanimous
special exam?"
"Yes. Of course, I remember."
On the night the exam ended, Yagami called and learned from Kushida's
mouth that Horikita and Ayanokōji had not dropped out. Shortly after that, the
phone was disconnected, and Kushida had not been able to talk to Yagami since
then.
"I will be honest with you. I thought Kushida-senpai hated me. That's why I
haven't had the courage to face you lately, and maybe I've been unconsciously
avoiding you."
"Stop it. It's no use lying to me like that now. Pretending to be a junior who
has a liking for me only gives me the chills after I learned part of your true nature."
"Excuse me. Now, could you tell me again how that day happened?"
Kushida was beginning to understand. The freshman in front of her was just
having fun playing with her. He knew all about the unanimous special exam, and
he was about to open his playful hands again.
"I won't answer."
"Why not? At least we know that Kushida-senpai acted to expel one of those
two students. But as a result, Sakura-senpai was expelled instead of Kushida-
senpai. What I want to know are the details of it."
"I did nothing in that special exam. So, Sakura-san, who was the lowest in
OAA, was inevitably cut. That's it."
The class details in the unanimous special exam was not leaked to outsiders.
So, Yagami wantsedto know the details. She tried to push the story forward with
the idea that Sakura Airi was only selected due to a lack of ability. But Yagami
kept smiling and gently places hid hand on Kushida's shoulder.
"You shouldn't lie."
"Lie?"
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"Since after the unanimous special exam, Kushida-senpai's behavior routine
had changed significantly. I have already investigated and understood that you
have distanced yourself from your classmates, although you seemed to be getting
along with students in other classes as usual. In other words, that unanimous
special exam exposed a certain degree of your own true nature."
Externally, Kushida had been smiling at her classmates. But there were
limits since her classmates were more distant than ever. A small group of girls used
to hang out a couple of times a week, but now it's down to zero.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm still getting along with my
classmates as usual."
Kushida implied that Yagami just so happened to miss the times she was
hanging out with her classmates. Kushida tried to push it that way, but Yagami
kept smiling.
"It's no use trying to hide it; Kushida-senpai allowed her class to discover all
about her past. And it was definitely Ayanokōji-senpai who pushed her into that
corner."
Yagami spoke eloquently, as if he had been watching Kushida and the others
fight in class. The fact that he mentioned Ayanokouji instead of Horikita's name
was clearly unusual.
"You're imagining things on your own. It doesn't fit at all."
"You're free to misrepresent it, but... What on earth do you want from me if
you have nothing to say? I have to help with the festival, so I'd like to get back as
soon as possible."
"I'm tired of hanging out with you, Yagami-kun."
"You're tired of...?"
"I'm tired of being your friend, Yagami-kun. That's all I wanted to say
today."
Kushida abruptly offered to end her relationship with Yagami.
"You want to end your relationship with me. I understand that feeling. Since
Kushida-senpai's past and character are now known in the class, there is no point in
pressing Horikita-senpai or Ayanokōji-senpai to be expelled now."
"I'm not going to correct every single thing anymore. If you want to interpret
it as you see fit, go ahead."
"You're an interesting person, Kushida-senpai. What you just said was the
truth. Besides, Kushida-senpai herself is beginning to think that it's okay to throw
herself into this environment. So, she wants to end her backwards relationship with
me and look forward."
She wanted to look forward. Those words stuck in her mind.
"Aside from Ayanokōji-senpai, have you made peace with Horikita-senpai?"
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"I won't answer that either."
"By the looks of it, you've been heartbroken. I'm a little disappointed,
Kushida-senpai."
Kushida resisted the urge to retort, but anger welled up within her, and she
continued hating Horikita as much as ever.
"I am...!"
"Oh, that's okay. You don't have to say anything else. I can tell by looking at
you."
His dismissive attitude lacked some of his former politeness. Kushida
couldn't help but feel a little creeped out by this, but she couldn't afford to show
any weakness here. Rather, she was clearly more tolerant than the average student,
perhaps due to her repeated contact with unusual people like Ayanokōji, Ryūen, or
Amasawa.
She was surprised and felt a sense of realization when acting tough.
"This is the end of us, Yagami-kun. We have nothing to do with each other,
right?"
"Rest assured. You're worried that I might go around exposing Kushida-
senpai's past, right? That's why you came to check on me while giving me a
warning, right?"
"That's right, if Yagami-kun exposes me, rumors about me will go around
the school."
"Then will you listen to what I have to say?"
"I'll tell them everything about Yagami-kun, about how you used me to get
Ayanokōji and Horikita expelled from school, about how you're a devil with a
kind face."
Yagami didn't know if this was a threat. Still, using the weapons she has
now is the only way Kushida can defend herself.
"You have threatened back. Then I will keep that in mind. Are we done?"
Whether it works or not, Yagami broke off the conversation and walked away.
"I'm the leader of the 1st year Class B. I'm busy with various cultural festival
stalls, so I'll see you then."
"Don't forget, Yagami-kun, that as long as you keep your promise, I will
keep mine."
Yagami smiled at last and disappeared out of sight with light steps.
"I hope this is the end of it."
While she held such wistful thinking, she also realized that it wasn't the end.
So what should she do?
Should I just wait with my fingers in my mouth, or should I set up and
strike?
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"No. I can't stop Yagami.."
Up until now, Kushida had challenged and lost to various opponents,
including Horikita.
She now realized that she was painfully alone.
I realize that I am alone. But even so, the situation has changed drastically.
The other side is definitely licking Kushida's chops. Not just on the surface,
but from the bottom of their hearts.
Even so, she prided herself on being able to read such things.
"Before I fight that guy, I have something to do."
She knew that the problem that needed to be solved goes above just Yagami.
She had no desire to go back to being a gentle honor student, but she must show a
solid contribution to maintain a firm position in the class.
Kushida Kikyo knew how to survive by herself.
5
In the middle of the night, I received a phone call.
"It's very unusual for you to call me, Sakayanagi."
On the other end of the line, Sakayanagi let out a little chuckle.
"Indeed you may be right. May I have a few minutes of your time now?"
"I wouldn't be answering if it wasn't convenient."
"I see. Then let me cut right to the chase. Ayanokōji-kun, you will attend the
cultural festival as a matter of course, won't you? My father seems to be concerned
that there may be people from the outside who will come to bring you back."
"The chairman of the board called me a little while ago. He told me that I
should consider taking this time off from the main event again, but I politely
declined."
I probably would have attended the last sports festival, though, if not for the
fact that I had to give Sakayanagi a break.
"Aren't you afraid? No, that's a foolish question, I'll change the question a
bit. Are you perhaps assuming that the people involved will not move to recapture
you?"
Otherwise, Sakayanagi said, she doesn't see the point of me purposefully
putting myself in harm's way.
"It's simply a question between actual harm and potential harm. There's
other opportunities coming up, such as the school trip. If the harm would go away
after these two festivals, I would act differently. However, there's no guarantee
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that there won't be spectators at next year's festival too. It's easy to stay in your
shell, but the opportunities I will lose by doing so are far more troublesome."
"So you want to experience your remaining school life and what is normal
for a student as much as possible." She replied in agreement with my way of
thinking.
"Besides, I have other objectives. I don't want to waste them."
"If that's the case, I have nothing further to say; I think it's best that
Ayanokōji-kun does what he wants."
I was curious about the festival, but I knew it was not polite to ask about it.
Was she simply trying to win that showcase, or was she trying to crush the
competition? Or does she have some other goal in mind? If I asked her, she might
answer, but that would lead to a different story.
It was up to Class A to make whatever choice they make, and no third party
had the right to decide what was right or wrong.
"But unforeseen circumstances are things that can happen at any time. Even
if the festival is safe, you never know what may happen next. If you have any trouble, please feel free to contact me anytime."
"That's very kind of you."
"We can't have Ayanokōji-kun disappear before we have a rematch."
"I'll take care of myself."
"I'll see you soon then. Good night."
Avoiding any idle chatter, Sakayanagi ended the call with a mutter.