Heart Hunting Festival

"What?"

Under Shinichi's surprised gaze, Nino pulled out her phone from pocket and quickly made a few calls.

"Hello, it's me. Hmm, I remember you saying earlier that your boyfriend is busy and neglecting you..."

"Is this related to the opening event of the school festival? Yes, I want to know about it. Besides, I'm a member of the Student Council..."

"Hahh? Why didn't I ask the president? If you knew how bad that person is, you wouldn't ask like this, I'll teach him if you wait... Who said you couldn't beat him?"

"What, you were ordered not to tell anyone? Okay, then I won't ask... Have you already told some people? Yes, besides, the principal has already announced this issue, so..."

Shortly after, Nino ended her call and looked at Shinichi in astonishment.

"Shi-kun, what are you planning?"

"Tsk, you're indeed the PR of the student council, and intelligence networks shouldn't be underestimated." Seeing he couldn't pretend to be mysterious anymore, Shinichi displayed the unique reluctance of a villain.

"With a voice like that, it will be even harder to hide [that person]. I want to see if [It] can do it..."

Ignoring Shinichi, the girls gathered around Nino and began asking for details.

Nino placed one hand on her hip, staring at Shinichi with dissatisfaction.

"It's true that the event organizers are the school principal, but the one who actually orchestrated the event plan is the one who just tried to keep his distance!"

As her eyes narrowed, Shinichi turned around with a smile on his face, admiring the uninteresting scenery.

"The friend I asked earlier, coincidentally, her boyfriend is a member of the activity team, so she knows a lot of insider information... Including the fact that the principal doesn't really bother with things. Most of his tasks are assigned and checked by Shi-kun. There are also many things to be done and information sent to the student council for review will only be sent to the student council president himself, and cannot be known by other student council members."

Talking about this, Nino rolled her eyes and said to Shinichi: "You really went to great lengths to keep this activity secret. No wonder I secretly asked you out on a date at night and said you couldn't come."

Everyone quietly shifted their attention from Shinichi to Nino, looking at her with half-smiles, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

Realizing that she had let slip a secret, Nino turned her face away with a guilty expression, and her cheeks blushed slightly.

"...And everyone knows? Our Shuchi'in school festival is also called Hoshin because of a certain legend.

"Hoshin Festival, right?" Fumino was amused by her stiffness in changing the topic, but she continued with a dignified attitude, "If you give heart-shaped gifts at the Hoshin Festival, you can obtain eternal love... It's really romantic. That's the legend."

Nino nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, and the name of the plan secretly prepared by Shi-kun and the principal is—"

She looked at Shinichi, took a deep breath, and pronounced her words clearly.

"Heart Hunting!"

△

What exactly is the Heart Hunting Festival?

Now that everything has come to this point, Shinichi didn't want to hide it anymore, so basically he told his plan, which surprised the girls for a while, and then they all became interested.

At this point, Itsuki also suddenly realized that the stack of "uncertain activity proposals" she had hidden turned out to be the review documents for the "Heart Hunting Festival Project".

Fumino also felt relieved, thinking she had found the reason for his recent cunning behavior, and her last little grudge completely disappeared, and she smiled happily.

"But Shi-kun, why did you want to hide it from us? It's too unreasonable to say it's surprising when you're so secretive... And you're still associating with that old man. Are there hidden secrets there?"

Nino showed a suspicious expression similar to Fumino's earlier.

"It's called a hidden secret, so of course it can't be revealed... Okay, sooner or later you'll know the reason. For this reason, let me keep it a secret until that time comes."

Shinichi looked at everyone with a smile.

He was so calm, and the girls couldn't force him to explain everything. Although they were still slightly dissatisfied, the matter was left as it was.

In the following days, Shuchi'in Academy was busy with preparations.

Whenever there was free time in class and clubs, they would repeatedly confirm the stands and exhibits to be displayed that day and many other things. Many unfinished signs could be seen everywhere in the school, and the atmosphere of the festival gradually filled the youthful days.

The masked wedding of Class 2-B was also prepared quickly and smoothly.

After all, they were both girls. Fumino and Itsuki were very interested in wedding preparations. In addition to their work in the student council, they also actively participated in the final preparations. Sometimes, they would discuss with Shinichi what kind of wedding they wanted in the future.

They clearly didn't speak to him, but Shinichi listened very carefully and didn't dare to show any negligence... They were very good at sarcasm. Whether it was implied or expressed, they had to remember that the future was truly uncertain.

After hearing that Class B would hold a "wedding experience" event, others also looked at him with meaningful eyes. They didn't say anything deliberately, but it made him feel itchy all over his body as he worked in the student council, and he was truly bothered by it.

Fortunately, [the plan] didn't get found out. Shinichi secretly felt proud of this.

[Heart Hunting Festival] was just a gimmick, or a smoke bomb to divert the attention of the girls. The actual performance would start on the last day of the school festival, the bonfire party.

When the time comes, what expressions will they show?

He felt excited just thinking about it.

"You think so too, Shirogane-senpai."

As he left school, he slowed down and chuckled at the man hiding behind the stone pillar.

"We both have to have a good ending."

"...You don't need to say that. This time, I can only succeed and not fail!" Shirogane snorted, looking at Ishigami beside him.

"Ishigami, are you ready?"

Ishigami touched his thick ponytail, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. There was a loud and firm determination hidden behind his low words.

"Of course, let's use all our courage and strength for our own happiness!"

The three teenagers walked towards different paths under the setting sun, with wide smiles on their faces, facing away from each other.

There was no doubt that this year's school festival would completely determine their future.