The Culture Festival Brings a Premonition of Trouble

Once they made it through the midterm exams, the next event on the horizon

was the big yearly exhibition that was the culture festival.

The school that Amane and his friends attended put a lot of work into events

like this and the whole student body participated, so the budget for each class

was large, and the students tended to plan elaborate projects every year.

"All right, so let's decide on our class project, whoo-hoo!"

Of course, they had to decide as a class what they would be doing for the

festival, so when the time came, everyone naturally got excited about it.

Itsuki was standing up at the teacher's lectern, obviously in high spirits.

Everyone had known that Itsuki, who loved festivals, would stand as a

candidate for the culture festival committee, but Amane had to laugh at the

fact that he had actually gotten the position.

Itsuki was completely in his element, lively and animated, gesturing at the

blackboard with a pointer that he had brought himself as he indicated the list of

ideas written there in large characters.

"Let's see, when it comes to culture festival exhibits, the most important thing

to note is that the number of food stands per grade is limited. And since

basically every class is going to propose some sort of café, if that's what we

want to do, we should prepare for wildly fierce competition."

It was only reasonable that there was a limit on the number of classes that

could serve food.

When the students ran them well, stands that served food were always very

popular. But if the school didn't manage things carefully, they could end up with

a situation where almost every class wanted to run one.

If that happened, the festival would be nothing but food and drink, without

variety, so a limit had been set. In addition to that limit, they had to keep in

mind how much room and time the cooking facilities could support, as well as

rules about sanitation. Essentially, there was no way that every request could

be granted.

"Next up, our budget and the school equipment that we can use are listed on

the sheets I handed out, so take a look at those. Even if something's not written

there, if we want to buy it, I can check on each item. For now, give me ideas

that are likely to stay within the budget… Come on then, anyone who has a

project they want to do, raise your hand."

Several classmates shot their hands up in response to Itsuki's instruction,

scrambling to be first.

Everyone's eyes blazed with excitement. This was a major event, something

to really look forward to, and something they considered important.

Well, I got by without trying too hard last year, but…

Amane, who lacked the energy and enthusiasm of the typical student, had

always managed to slack off, even during the culture festival. He was the type

who preferred things like booths selling homemade goods, where all he had to

do was make his items as instructed and tend to the storefront when it was his

turn.

And so he watched the others get excited, almost like he was observing them

from afar.

"Over here! Obviously, I think we should do a classic café!"

"Oh, sure, I expected that would come up. So you mean an ordinary café?"

"How about a maid café?"

"I mean, we've got Miss Shiina in our class, so…it would definitely be a hit."

Someone added that last comment quietly, and all their classmates glanced

over at Mahiru. Amane didn't find this amusing in the least, but he couldn't say

anything. It would have been childish for him to complain, so instead of

speaking up, he decided to wait and see how things went.

"Ha-ha-ha, I feel like you're not thinking about the budget at all, but I like the

spirit! Okay, for now, let's put that down as a possibility."

As Amane was shooting unamused glances at the boys who got excited at the

mention of Mahiru in a maid outfit, he made eye contact with Itsuki. The look in

Itsuki's eyes asked him if he was okay with it. Amane replied with a sour face.

If he had to say whether it was good or bad, well, he would have to say that it

was bad.

Even under normal circumstances, Mahiru always stood out, and some

treated her as a kind of spectacle. And recently, people had been saying that

she looked even more adorable, so if they made Mahiru wear a maid's outfit,

the students were sure to swarm around her, even though she would probably

have a hard time dealing with it.

On the other hand, the merit of the plan was that sales were practically

guaranteed. Mahiru's presence would be foolproof advertising, and there was

no doubt that the boys would pile into their classroom just to get a glimpse of

her.

Mahiru herself put on an indescribably awkward smile once she became the

topic of discussion. Amane wasn't surprised. He imagined it didn't feel good to

be put on display like that.

But in the end, it was only one proposal, and it wasn't like he could shoot it

down as soon as someone mentioned it. If Mahiru really hated the idea, Amane

would have no choice but to block it from happening.

"Well, a maid café might be something that interests all the guys, but try to

remember the budget as you make your suggestions. Okay, next idea?"

At Itsuki's urging, people brought up all the standard suggestions, like a

haunted house, or selling curry or udon noodles, and the blackboard quickly

filled with white writing.

But everyone's…or mostly the boys' interest, seemed to stay with the maid

café, and Amane could hear people whispering about it.

"Still, Miss Shiina in a maid's outfit…"

"Wait, but that guy, Fujimiya, is here, so…"

"Nah, Fujimiya's a man, too. He must want to see his girl dressed as a maid."

He could hear them, but unfortunately for them, he wasn't in favor of the

idea.

He would be lying if he said he had absolutely no desire to see it, but that

didn't mean he wanted to show her off. He knew it would tire Mahiru out, so he

really didn't want to let them continue down that path.

As he looked in their direction, he shot the boys a piercing look, and they

must have noticed his gaze, because they hurried to avert their eyes.

Mahiru must have seen it. She smiled slightly, so Amane let up on glaring at

the other boys.

"All right then, Amane, any suggestions?"

Suddenly Itsuki called out to him, and Amane looked at Itsuki without

bothering to hide his sour expression.

"Why me?"

"Because you looked like you had something to say."

He did, though not to Itsuki. But now that he had been called by name and

everyone's eyes were on him, it would spoil the atmosphere if he didn't say

anything.

Wondering what to do, he suggested out loud the thing that seemed the most

enjoyable.

"If I have to make a suggestion, then I'd probably go for researching a part of

local history and presenting our findings or something like that. I think that

could be good."

The class fell silent at Amane's suggestion, proving it was not what they

wanted to hear.

It was like he had thrown cold water on all their excitement. The atmosphere

in the room was extremely uncomfortable.

"Man, who cares about that?" someone remarked.

"You're gonna make a deliberately super-serious suggestion when we're all

having fun?" another student replied.

"But I think it's actually a pretty good idea," Amane argued. "If we're doing a

presentation, then all we have to do during the prep phase is research and get

our materials together, right? If we can do that, and have a few people take

turns manning the presentation area while the culture festival is going on, then

everyone else is free. Sure, we won't really get the feeling that comes with

hosting a whole attraction as a class, but we'll get to have tons of fun at the

festival itself, won't we? We won't have to worry about the time and can see as

much as we like of the other classes' stalls."

Once he put it that way, he heard murmurs of understanding throughout the

classroom.

Frankly, Amane was perfectly aware that a presentation on local history at the

biggest event of the year didn't hold much interest for the students. They all

knew that there had been important developments in the history of their area,

but without a doubt, people would question why they were choosing to present

it at this event.

It wasn't really the sort of thing that classes went out of their way to do for

the culture festival, which was a unique opportunity for the students for going a

little wild. But Amane's real objective in suggesting it was the freedom it

afforded them after they were finished.

Cafés were popular, but they took a lot of effort, and the class would have to

spend a long time working on the day of the festival.

Since they would be handling money, they'd have to be very careful running a

café, and if any problems arose, they would cause serious problems both in and

out of school. It would be an incredible amount of work.

If they did some sort of presentation instead, since the culture festival went

on for two days, each student would probably not even have to work for a full

hour. It was extremely good return on their time and labor.

A big reason he was in favor of this plan was that unlike with a café or shop,

no money would change hands on the day of the festival, so all they had to do

was stand around, carefree.

On top of that, it would be way less anxiety-inducing for their classmates who

had no confidence in their ability to serve customers, or in their looks, or their

cooking abilities. Amane counted himself among their number.

"I don't know how to tell you, but that's the most Amane thing I've ever

heard."

Itsuki didn't hide his amusement, but Amane had made his suggestion and

that's all there was to it, so he turned away and closed his mouth.

Mahiru was also looking at him like she wasn't surprised, so that was

uncomfortable. It wasn't like he could take the words back, so he just let it go

with a quiet sigh.

"Uh, all right, so the maid café has the most votes. We've settled on a maid

café, then. Is that okay?"

In the end, the class tentatively voted to host a maid café. The option

certainly got the most male votes.

"But listen, now I'm going to tell the student council about our choice, and

then they're probably going to draw lots, so if we don't win that lottery, we'll go

with our second choice, the haunted house. Also, when it comes to costumes,

that's definitely not something we can prepare and still stay within budget, so

we'll be looking to use any connections we can. If anyone has any idea how to

make that happen, go ahead and call in some favors. If we can't find any

costumes, we'll go with a regular café instead, so be prepared for that

possibility."

Itsuki had been entrusted with leading the project, and he concisely rattled

off all the rules and requirements with his characteristic cheerfulness, then left

the classroom, presumably to go report to the student council.

The air in the classroom relaxed into an excited commotion. Amane let out a

little sigh and put his chin in his hands, then sensed Mahiru approaching.

"What are we going to do?" he moaned.

"What will we do…? There's nothing we can do about something that's

already been decided," Mahiru said, wearing a strained smile.

Even if that was true, Amane still felt kind of irritated about it.

"If you don't want to do it, you have to tell them straight away."

"I'm not necessarily opposed, but…um, are you not a fan of maid outfits,

Amane?"

"I don't really like them or dislike them. But I do think you would look good in

one. Your apron always looks great on you."

"O-oh really…? Okay, I'll do my best."

"No, you don't have to force yourself—"

"If it'll make you happy, I'll wear the outfit."

When Mahiru flashed him a beautiful smile, he saw the other boys behind her

quietly, but triumphantly, celebrating. It was all Amane could do to keep his

face from twitching.

"Fujimiya, you look like you're in a pretty bad mood."

Once Yuuta pointed it out, Amane realized for the first time that his feelings

were clearly visible on his face. Yuuta was taking advantage of the fact that he

had a rare break from club practice after school to hang out.

"…Is it that obvious?" Amane asked.

"Oh, no, I think you look basically the same as always. I just somehow got the

feeling, that's all."

Amane had been about to leave to buy some reference books at the

bookstore attached to the station when Yuuta caught up with him. Thinking

about what his friend said, Amane unconsciously touched his own cheeks. He

felt like his face was stiffer than usual, and that he had more of a wrinkle in his

brow.

He had been trying not to let it show too much, but he hadn't been able to

completely control it. A mixture of embarrassment and shame welled up inside

him, eliciting a heavy sigh.

"Well it's…I dunno—it's not a good feeling. I don't like the thought of my

girlfriend being on display. If I could, I'd like to keep her to myself."

He thought it was natural to think that way. Amane wasn't exactly happy a

mass of people would be ogling the girl he adored. Curious gazes were one

thing, but he was especially bothered by the people who would be looking at

her that way.

"At the same time, it's not like Mahiru hates the idea, and it would just be

immature of me to raise objections and demand special treatment for my

girlfriend when the class decided this together, so I guess I've got no choice but

to keep quiet. I know that Mahiru will get part of the proceeds. It just seems like

she's taking on a lot and not getting much in return, and that bothers me."

"Dang. Sorry, man."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Kadowaki. I'm to blame for not selling my plan

better to the class."

There wasn't the slightest need for Yuuta to apologize. That said, Amane

couldn't exactly blame the classmate who had suggested the café, so he had

some unresolved feelings just sitting on his chest.

Amane sighed heavily, feeling helpless since it had already been decided, and

Yuuta also put on an awkward smile.

"I voted for the presentation, for what it's worth. It was realistic and our best

option for low-work, high-fun. That, and I think they're probably going to send

me out to serve customers…"

"Yeah."

If Mahiru, renowned as the most beautiful girl in school, was going to serve

customers, then naturally, Kadowaki would also be working the floor since he

was also very popular with all the girls.

Yuuta himself sounded like he would prefer to work behind the scenes, but

that probably wasn't going to happen. At times like these, those who possessed

exceptional beauty were at something of a disadvantage.

"…The boys aren't going to wear maid costumes, too, right?"

"Of course I'd like to believe that that's not going to happen… If the girls are

in maid outfits, the boys will probably dress up like butlers to match them,

right? If someone comes through with the costumes, that is."

"Ah, about that, well…some of the girls in our class apparently know someone

who runs that kind of café…and they can get us costumes for both the guys and

girls, I heard."

"Oh no…"

This was the worst possible news for Amane, who had been brainstorming

ways he could prevent them from getting maid clothes.

Now that they had a clear path to the costumes, it was almost certain Mahiru

would be wearing one and waiting tables.

If there was a silver lining, it was that it sounded like they were going to get

someone to prepare separate outfits for the boys, so they wouldn't be forced

into a cross-dressing disaster.

"I can't believe this is the kind of thing that brings our class together in

solidarity… But even if some of the other boys get dressed up and serve

customers, you're going to have a hard time, Kadowaki."

The attention of all the girls was sure to concentrate on Yuuta. It seemed like

it was quite a hardship.

"I don't know why you're talking like this is someone else's problem. I think

you're going to get recruited, too, Fujimiya."

"Huh?"

"You can cook, right?"

"…I wouldn't say I can't cook, but I'm definitely not great at it, either."

Amane wasn't incapable of cooking, but he didn't have the skill to make

something that was good enough that people would be happy to pay for it. He

had no trouble making things he ate on a regular basis, and he could cook well

enough to avoid being judged too harshly by Mahiru, but that was about it.

Compared to before, he had made quite a bit of progress, but he was

reluctant to offer anything he made for sale.

"Then I think you'll either be in the kitchen, or get sent out to wait tables… If

you're working in the back, then you'll still be close by, but you won't be able to

see how things are going with Miss Shiina, and that'll probably bother you. You

wouldn't like it if some weirdo laid eyes on her, right?"

"Well, that's true, but…who would I be dressing up for?"

Once he considered being able to keep an eye on Mahiru, in case some rude

individual laid a hand on her, serving customers seemed like the better option.

If Mahiru was wearing a maid costume, then Amane didn't mind swallowing

his shame and wearing similar attire. But he couldn't help feeling like it would

be a waste to put him in something smart like a butler's attire.

"For Miss Shiina, I suppose. It seems like it would make her happy."

"Okay, that's fair."

"Also, haven't you started turning heads ever since your makeover,

Fujimiya?"

"I don't know about that."

"Probably because you only have eyes for Miss Shiina."

He felt awkward hearing Yuuta say that.

It was true he focused on Mahiru a lot, so he hadn't noticed any new looks or

anything from the other girls. He never expected anyone to be looking at him in

that way to begin with, so he had no idea.

He looked at Yuuta in disbelief, but Yuuta shrugged and said, "You just don't

realize how you come off." So Amane had no reason to think he was lying.

"Once in a while, you ought to pay attention to the way people are looking at

you, Fujimiya. Well, in our class, the only looks you get are looks of amusement,

so there's no danger there, I think."

"That doesn't really make me happy, either."

"It's your fault for flirting with Miss Shiina all the time."

"…We're not doing it out in the open."

"Ah-ha-ha!"

Yuuta grinned, but didn't seem to believe him. Amane grimaced slightly.

"Well, who's it hurting anyway? Amusing people is way better than getting

harassed for it. I wouldn't want you to end up like Miss Shirakawa once did."

"…You mean the thing about the love rival?"

When Yuuta brought it up in a slightly solemn tone of voice, Amane joined

him in frowning.

They would never mention it around the couple, but Amane had heard that

his best friend Itsuki and his girlfriend Chitose had to overcome a lot before

they started dating.

It was hard to imagine now, but Chitose had apparently given Itsuki the cold

shoulder when she first met him. Back then, she hadn't sugarcoated her

feelings.

Chitose had been outstanding as a track and field athlete, but a fight had

broken out between her and an upperclassman on the team over Itsuki,

ultimately forcing her to quit the club.

She hadn't wanted to admit that an upperclassman in her club was jealous of

her talent and harassing her, but she had also known that the other girl was

capable of anything. And she must've known that if the boy that upperclassman

liked started to approach her instead, the harassment would only get worse.

She'd had to do something.

"Right. Ultimately it caused a lot of trouble, and she had to quit track, you

know. I really hate that kind of bullying, so…I'm relieved that people have

accepted you as a couple."

Yuuta had watched Itsuki and Chitose have a rough time, so that was

probably why he was so worried about Amane and Mahiru.

"…Yeah."

"So go ahead and show off what a good couple you are at the culture festival,

just like you always do. Flirt so much that no one will even consider taking her

away from you."

"I'm not trying to make a show of it."

"Ha-ha, that's a good one."

"I'm not joking."

Amane frowned and looked at Yuuta, but Yuuta seemed slightly relieved and

laughed like he was poking fun at him, so Amane just snorted and left it at that.

"Amane, welcome."

Amane got home, changed, and headed into the living room where Mahiru,

who had gotten home before him, was sitting. She patted her lap with a smile.

Not understanding, he stood there staring at Mahiru, who patted her thighs

again, maintaining her gentle smile.

As he was staring at her, still confused, her smile turned strained.

"I got the feeling that you were in a bad mood," she said.

Apparently even Mahiru had seen right through him. Actually, if Yuuta had

been able to sniff it out, then it went without saying that Mahiru had, too. He

had been hoping he could hide it from her, so his expression sank when he

realized that would be impossible. Mahiru just gave him a bemused and

knowing smile.

"Because it's you, Amane, I knew that you wouldn't outright refuse to go

along with it, but that you probably internally hated the idea. Was I wrong?"

"…You're right, but listen—"

"And so, I thought I'd do something to fix your mood."

"Do you always say it that directly when you're trying to cheer someone up?"

"Heh-heh. Are you mad?"

"…You already know the answer, and you still asked anyway. Where'd you get

that habit from?"

"From you, Amane."

When she put it that way, he had no response besides pursing his lips.

Mahiru gave him a little smile and patted her lap again.

Tempted by her inviting thighs beneath a conservative, claret-colored skirt,

Amane hesitantly took a seat in a spot a little distance away from Mahiru, then

laid down and gently rested his head in her lap.

He turned his face to look up at her and found her smiling down at him. Then

he felt her pale, slim fingers slip into his black hair.

"…Amane, are you worrying about me?"

"There's that, too, and…I just don't want to show you off to other guys."

"Out of jealousy?"

"Jealousy or possessiveness, I don't know… I really hated how it felt."

He knew that he was being immature and selfish, so he was a little

embarrassed confessing how he felt. He turned his face toward Mahiru's

stomach.

When he did, Mahiru let out a sigh and a little laugh, and gently combed

through his hair with her fingers, soothing and comforting him.

"Well, it's not like I'm really fond of the idea of wearing that outfit in public,

but it's already been decided."

"…Mm."

"I did get them to promise me one thing before I agreed, though."

"What promise?"

"That I get to show my outfit to you first."

Reflexively, he turned his face back and looked up at Mahiru and saw her

wearing a bashful smile that just oozed impishness.

"You'll be the first person who gets to see and, um… There will probably be a

lot of customers who come to see me, but there's only one person, um, who I'll

call…Master."

The second half was halting and hesitant, but she still managed to say it.

Amane's cheeks flared.

He stared straight at her, without averting his gaze, until finally, she

apparently couldn't stand it anymore and pushed the cushion beside her into

his face. She was gentle, so he was still able to breathe, but he got the message

loud and clear that she wanted him to look away.

The haze of emotions that had been swirling deep in Amane's chest were still

roiling, but something new…a kind of ticklish feeling, joined the mix.

His heart was overflowing with a feeling that had to be love.

"In that case, I think I'll manage," he said.

"Good," she replied.

Mahiru was still covering his face with the cushion. He couldn't see her, but

he could imagine the expression on her face. Amane smiled a little and turned

on his side, and buried his face in Mahiru's belly.