A few days have passed since that whole beach trip ordeal. It's the first Tuesday of August.
Wearing my summer uniform for the first time since the closing ceremony, I pushed my bike up the long hill leading to school. One hand on the handlebars, the other wiping the sweat trickling down my forehead.
It's so freaking hot.
The blazing sun beat down mercilessly, cooking my skin like I’m on a griddle.
I had remembered to put on sunscreen at the beach, but since I was lazy and skipped my back, that part alone got thoroughly roasted. It stung like hell whenever I took a bath for a few days afterward, and now my back's the only part that's still tan. I had been hiding it at home, but the other day Satsuki caught me and burst out laughing.
It's 8:30 AM. It's not even the peak of the day's heat yet, but it's already unbearable. The thought that it would get even hotter in the afternoon is like being told by Freiza that this isn't even his final form.
The weather reports lately are all the same, stuff like "temperatures expected to reach dangerous levels" or "avoid outdoor activity and stay in cool, shaded areas."
If they are going to go that far, couldn't they just add one more line, "students should also refrain from going to school"? That one sentence would save so many loners.
The only reason I'm dragging myself to school today is that the FestCom work is finally starting.
Each class's attraction wouldn't be finalized until after the break, but there is still plenty to do: coordinating stage events, managing club performances, explaining things to the local neighborhood, soliciting donations from alumni, and planning both the opening and closing ceremonies.
In other words, a mountain of work. So much so that apparently, if the committee didn't start in August, there would be no chance of finishing on time.
Back in my previous run of high school, I had barely been involved with the festival at all, so I had no idea that being on the planning committee was such a pain. Maybe it's not too late to complain my way out of it. At the very least, they could pay us like a part-time job.
Ahh, my summer vacation... I already miss those lazy, meaningless days.
I wanted to go home before I had even arrived. Actually, scratch that, I had wanted to go home before even leaving the house. Though, to be fair, that's pretty much every school day for me.
The bike parking area is unusually empty. Usually, it's packed so tightly you would have to line up against the side wall, but with only a fraction of students showing up, there's plenty of space. If only half the school would just quit by the time the break ended... wouldn't that be nice?
Thinking such hopeless thoughts, I swapped out my shoes at the entrance.
The meeting place is the conference room next to the student council room. I stopped by the restroom on the way to kill some time, slipping in right on the edge of being late. Perfect timing.
When you're a loner meeting up with people, the less waiting time, the better. I had learned that lesson the hard way during the field trip, when I showed up way too early and got to bask in the radiant glow of isolation. I'm a man who learns from his mistakes.
Technically, the FestCom members are allowed to prioritize club activities or cram school. But today, being the very first day of summer break work, attendance is mandatory for everyone.
The conference room is larger than a standard classroom, yet already almost complete. On the big blackboard at the front, seat assignments are listed by group.
The committee is divided into several teams: Class Team, Event Team, Public Relations Team, Design Team, Food Safety Team, Budget Management Team, and so on. Over all of them sat the Executive Division, run by the student council, overseeing the entire operation.
Students from the same class are typically placed in the same team. For example, Hoshigasaki and I from Class 1-A, and Hanamitsuji from Class 1-F, all ended up in the Food Safety Team.
As the name suggests, the Food Safety Team handled food management and hygiene supervision for the festival's food stalls.
If a booth needed to store refrigerated or frozen items, they had to be kept in the Home Economics room's industrial fridge until the day of the festival. On the day itself, the stall staff would visit the Home Economics room, report the quantity needed, and take only what they could immediately use.
Our job would be to manage those stored ingredients, check the temperatures of each stall's cooler bags, handle the health department paperwork, and oversee general hygiene.
It was an important responsibility, sure, but most of the actual work happened on the day of the festival, which meant plenty of free time during prep and just enough to keep busy later. Practically my dream assignment.
Back at the pre-break meeting, I had barely spoken, sitting there like a decorative statue, but when it came time to choose teams, I did speak up: "Food Safety Team." I'm willing to put in a bit of effort for the sake of laziness. Living life on low energy output. That's my way.
Our team's seats are near the back, on the corridor side.
When I looked over, a girl with striking blonde side-tails, who stood out even indoors, was waving in my direction.
"Nanamura! Over here, over here!"
Of course, it's Hoshigasaki. Seriously, I wish she wouldn't yell my name in front of everyone. It's embarrassing. With her looks, she doesn't even need to call out. People notice her instantly.
As expected, the Food Safety Team has grouped together.
Hanamitsuji is in front of Hoshigasaki, and next to her is a guy from the same class. I think his name is Kasai.
I gave a slight nod of greeting and sat down beside Hoshigasaki, who motioned for me to take the seat. Right then, the girl standing beside her turned toward me and spoke.
"Hey, Nanamura-kun. You're late."
"It's called arriving exactly on time, thank you very much."
The calm voice belonged to Shiramine, who met my gaze with her usual cool expression.
The volunteer groups aren't even officially assigned yet, but it seems she has been chatting with acquaintances while waiting for things to start.
From what I see, there are about a dozen volunteers besides the main committee members. Counting all the students from first to third year, that makes nearly 70 people involved in the FestCom. Thinking about it that way, the whole operation is surprisingly large-scale.
It looked like things would start soon… except they didn't. No one moved. No one spoke. No one at the front even stood up. Just as I was beginning to think it was weird, Hanamitsuji turned in her seat.
"You didn't see the email?"
Ah, right, the committee mailing list. I vaguely remembered something about that. Checking my phone, I found it.
<Notice: Regarding today's FestCom meeting: the start time will be delayed by ten minutes. We apologize for the inconvenience and ask that you please wait in the conference room until then.>
So my perfectly timed plan to arrive just barely on time had gone completely to waste. And people wonder why this country's productivity keeps dropping. You hear that, Japan's higher-ups? This is how it happens.
While I was silently despairing, Hoshigasaki, sitting beside me, leaned closer.
"Hey, hey~"
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"Don't you have something you wanna say to me?"
I looked up to find her eyes sparkling, full of expectation, like she was saying, "Go on. I'm waiting."
"Uh, yeah, sure… that thing… you know…"
I don't even know what thing it is.
I genuinely have no clue. For some reason, she's acting like it should be obvious, which only makes it more awkward.
Then I noticed Hanamitsuji had turned in her seat, smiling mischievously.
"Hurry up and tell her, will you? Ruri's waiting."
"I mean, I was going to…"
"For the record, I already said it."
Judging from her smug grin, she could tell I had no idea what was going on.
Wait, so what kind of line is Hoshigasaki expecting here?
Let's think. Hanamitsuji already said it, which means it's not a personal matter between me and Hoshigasaki. Not a promise I forgot or anything class-related.
That leaves… her outfit? Her hair? Something like that, right?
I had read in some light novels that girls get grumpy if you don't notice the little changes in them. As a guy, all I can say is, come on, that's just unreasonable.
Sure, I like <Mikke!> and <Where's Waldo?>, I'm even the type to actually finish the spot-the-difference puzzles on the kids' menu at Saizariya. [TL: Mikke is also a picture book, but it's more like I Spy than Where's Waldo.]
But being suddenly dragged into a spot-the-difference challenge in real life when I'm just existing peacefully? No. That's different. This isn't some spy academy entrance exam where they ask, "How many steps did you climb to get here?"
Still, sitting here silently is getting awkward, so I have to say something.
"Uh… you got a tan?"
At that, Hoshigasaki froze, staring down at her own arm.
"Ugh… d-do you think I really did…?"
Judging by her deflated expression, I had just stepped on a landmine. If this were a medical licensing exam, that would be an instant fail.
"Well, it's hardly noticeable, so you're fine."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I just said that randomly, though. I have no idea."
"That's somehow even more hurtful…"
Her eyes turned frosty. Well, at least the topic had shifted, so that's a win, right? Time to continue this hopeless spot-the-difference quest.
"Okay, then… did you cut your hair?"
"It's exactly the same as last time."
"Then, uh… changed your hairstyle?"
"I've worn it like this since I started high school."
"Alright, how about this? You moved your ribbon a tiny bit?"
"I wouldn't ask something that nitpicky!"
I give up. I got nothin'. Without thinking, I muttered a bit of dialect I had picked up from that one bunny-girl senpai light novel.
Throwing my hands up in surrender, I was ready to call it quits when she muttered with a pout.
"You were talking about it in front of the koalas…"
Koalas? The memory hit me. Right before summer break, that day at the zoo with Hoshigasaki and Hiiragi.
We had done that dumb "How much do you know about Ruri?" quiz or whatever.
"Wait, don't tell me. Your birthday?"
"Yeah! Yesterday! It was my birthday!"
Finally, the right answer. In my head, I struck that triumphant Lady Columbia pose.
…Except, wait a second. So it wasn't a spot-the-difference at all? I've been played. Well, technically, it's my fault for assuming, but still.
Come to think of it, Hiiragi mentioned once that Hoshigasaki's birthday was August 4th. Yeah, no way I would remember that.
If it had been August 1st, I might've been able to tie it to some useless trivia like, "Oh, that's the day that reads as Hozumi if it were a surname!" You know, the kind of dumb factoid that sticks in an otaku's brain. For the record, April 1st can be read Watanuki, and May 7th is Tsuyuri. [TL: He's talking about how some Japanese surnames are written with kanji that can also represent calendar dates. The first example I could think of is Kimihiro Watanuki (四月一日 君尋) from xxxHOLiC.]
"So yesterday was your birthday, huh? That means you're 16 now. Can't believe you're older than me…"
"Why do you look so unconvinced!? What's wrong with that!?"
Well, it's just that she really gives off a younger-sister vibe. When we first met, I thought she was a scary gal, but somehow that impression's long gone.
Anyway, given that I went back in time just before graduating high school, I've technically lived about 18.5 years' worth of life experience. So yeah, spiritually speaking, I'm definitely older.
"Sheesh, I really thought you would remember…"
"Hey, I wasn't exactly passionate about that quiz, okay? I’m not the type of guy who catches every random detail in daily life."
"That's not the point! I waited for a birthday message on LINE, and you didn't say anything, even when we met in person!"
Hoshigasaki still looks dissatisfied. I do feel kinda bad, knowing she was waiting for a text from someone like me, but I have my reasons.
"It's fine, Hoshigasaki. Even if I had remembered, I still wouldn't have texted you."
"What kind of encouragement is that!? And of course you would if you knew! You have been told 'happy birthday' by classmates before, right? Even if you don't have friends!"
"No."
"...Huh?"
"I honestly don't remember ever being told 'happy birthday' by anyone outside my family. Actually, I don't think anyone besides my family even knows when my birthday is."
It's January 5th, by the way. Since that's still during winter break, school isn't in session, so there's no one to even see me on the day. Meaning my chances of getting a face-to-face "happy birthday" are exactly zero.
I know the concept of friends celebrating each other's birthdays exists. But to me, it's on the same level as those weird foreign high school customs like proms, plums, or whatever that "Miki Prune tree-planting" thing is supposed to be. [TL: It's a real health-food brand known for selling prune extract, but I can't tell what the joke here is.]
Naturally, since I don't have anyone I text with regularly, I have never even gotten a birthday message.
"So basically, it just never occurred to me to celebrate someone else's birthday. Huh… so that's what normal high schoolers do I guess."
As I was processing this new revelation about how society apparently works, Hoshigasaki's face turned into a painful mix of guilt and sympathy. Worse, Hanamitsuji, Shiramine, and even Kasai-kun were all wearing similarly awkward expressions.
Hoshigasaki lowered her head and murmured quietly.
"Yeah… um, sorry about that…"
"It's not like I'm bothered by it or anything."
"Nanamura, it's okay to admit when you're hurting, you know? Sometimes letting it out makes things easier."
"…You're making it worse with that level of comfort."
Hanamitsuji gave me a pitying look.
"I see now. So you have a tragic past too, Nanamura-kun…"
Stop pitying me on your own. I wasn't sad before, but thanks to all this retroactive sympathy, past-me's turning more and more miserable by the second.
"Sheesh, you really are a genius at making things awkward, no matter the situation."
"I'm not trying to make things awkward."
Shiramine shot me a chilly, half-lidded stare. That's one useless talent to have.
"Listening to you talk reminds me of the saying, 'All roads lead to Rome.'"
"So in my case, all conversations lead to awkwardness..."
Someone like that probably shouldn't talk to people ever again.
Seeing the conversation pause, Kasai-kun stepped in gently.
"Nanamura-kun, um, please cheer up. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm happy to listen."
"Ah, thank you...?"
Kasai-kun's a good guy. Sorry for leaving you out of the conversation till now.
By the time the scheduled meeting hour had passed a little, roll call began.
The FestCom is composed of first, second, and third-year students. However, the third years are basically optional participants unless it's for important meetings or their assigned shifts.
They have entrance exams to worry about, after all, so it's natural that the younger students take the lead. That said, student council officers are still roped in, since their term lasts until October.
After confirming that everyone except those absent due to illness were present, a tall, slender girl stepped up to the podium.
Her light brown hair is neatly cut to shoulder length, and her large eyes and slightly upturned mouth give her a lively, charming look. Combined with her healthy, rosy complexion, she gives off the impression of an energetic beauty.
This must be Kanbara-senpai, the committee chair. She looks vaguely familiar.
"Thank you to all the committee members and volunteers for coming today. For the volunteers and the committee members who might've forgotten over summer break, let me introduce myself again. I'm Kanbara, the chair of the cultural festival committee! Nice to meet you all!"
When Kanbara-senpai cracked her joke, light laughter rippled through the meeting room. As someone who had completely forgotten about her, I was honestly grateful she introduced herself again, even if it was half in jest.
One thing that sometimes startles me when dealing with extroverts is how they just assume you remember them. They come up all friendly, like, "Hey, long time no see!" as if I'm supposed to know who they are. No, I don't remember you just because we met once or twice. Start with your name and class, at least.
I would really like to ask them: Can you name every celebrity who sat on that talk show panel you watched last week? That's basically what popular kids are like to me: noisy, familiar faces I've seen in passing, but with no real connection to my life.
As for introverts like me, even when we meet someone we have spoken to before, we think, "They probably don't remember me anyway." Where the hell does that bottomless confidence extroverts have even come from? I would love to find its source and dry it up.
Kanbara-senpai continued briskly from there, explaining the FestCom's roles, current group assignments, and the general schedule ahead.
"For the volunteers, we based the group assignments on the preferences you gave when you signed up. I'll read them out now. Itou-san from Class 2-C, you're in the Public Relations Team. Toyama-san from Class 1-D, you'll be in the Class Team. Kano-kun from Class 1-B, you'll be in…"
She's thorough, and even the volunteer assignments were already decided. Each student whose name was called joined their group and gave a brief self-introduction.
Shiramine is assigned to the Event Team.
"Aw man, I'm not in the same group as Prez. I wanted to work with her."
Hoshigasaki, resting her chin on her hand, sighed in disappointment.
"Can't be helped. This isn't playtime."
"I know that, but still~"
Hoshigasaki slumped over her desk in defeat, and Hanamitsuji gently patted her head.
"Well, we're all in the same committee anyway. There will probably be times we work together."
"Yeah, you're right. Okay! I'll do my best too!"
When I offered her that bit of comfort, Hoshigasaki straightened up with renewed determination.
I'm not sure if they would actually get to work together, but at the very least, they can talk during our commutes to and from school.
"Is that everything, Prez?"
At a good stopping point, Kanbara-senpai turned toward the student council president, a third-year guy with a composed, earnest look and refined features.
The student council president smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, no problem at all. You're handling things more smoothly than I ever did."
"Yay! How's that for my growth, senpai?"
"Yeah, yeah, nothing beats having capable juniors. Anyway, we'll be counting on you from here on out. Us third-years are gonna take it easy."
"Hehehe, Prez, I'm gonna dump tons of work on you, so be prepared, okay?"
"No, no, we have entrance exams, remember? If I fail my test because of you, you would be crushed under the guilt, right? And as a kind senpai, I just couldn't let that happen."
"Dragging entrance exams into this when you barely even study is dirty!"
"I do go to the summer cram classes!"
"Bet there's some gorgeous college girl there. Totally! I knew it!"
"Stop! Don't do that! I'm in a relationship right now!"
Their joking exchange spread another wave of light laughter.
Man… this is precisely the kind of cozy, family-like organization I'm terrible with. Or rather, everything that gets called "family-like" in the world is always a home I've never belonged to. My idea of "home" is a place where nobody talks and everyone silently reads, watches anime, or browses online. Now that I list it out, that's basically just a library or an internet cafe.
Still, I get why the FestCom insists on this "family vibe." It's not like a job where you get paid. Since the work is unpaid school labor, they kind of have to create a sense of belonging and squeeze motivation out of people that way, or the whole thing would collapse.
I sighed inwardly and looked toward the window. The moment the blue sky entered my vision, the cicada buzz, an ambient noise I had been ignoring, finally forced its way into my awareness.
Ugh, shut up…
*
The meeting wrapped up, and break time began.
Hoshigasaki headed toward the Event Team to talk with Shiramine, Kasai-kun was chatting happily with friends from another class, leaving only me and Hanamitsuji behind.
With nothing to do, I rummaged through my bag, thinking I would read some light novels, when Hanamitsuji spoke up.
"Nanamura-kun, do you have a minute?"
"Hm?"
Without another word, she took me by the arm and led me out into the hallway. What's this about?
Once we reached the quiet landing on the stairs where no one was around, Hanamitsuji finally turned back to face me.
"Why do you think Mashiro volunteered for the FestCom?"
"Well…"
I almost blurted out "for the student council next term", but I had no idea how much Shiramine had told her.
And the fact that Hanamitsuji was asking in the first place meant there was a good chance Shiramine hadn't said anything.
"She's that kind of person, right? Was from the start."
In the end, I dodged the question and reshaped the answer.
But Hanamitsuji still didn't look convinced. She touched her chin and fell silent, deep in thought.
What exactly is she suspicious about?
To me, Shiramine seems like the type who would have joined the FestCom or volunteered as the chorus competition conductor even without the student council stuff.
"When Shiramine recommended me for the FestCom in the first place, she planned on joining too. She even said that at the family restaurant, remember?"
"Yeah. But in the end, Ruri volunteered, and that solved the problem of her not having a partner, right? At that point, didn't Mashiro no longer have a reason to run?"
"Well, maybe she just has a noble spirit or something, like wanting to make the festival even better?"
Not that I can relate.
There are people like that in the world. And honestly, society would probably fall apart if we didn't have some percentage of the population being like that.
"My impression of Mashiro was never really like that, you know? Sure, she's serious and can manage a class, but when it comes to school events like the school festival or sports festival, she always seems a little detached."
Apparently, the Shiramine I picture in my head and the one Hanamitsuji knows are not the same.
Hanamitsuji said she and Shiramine were friends in her previous run at high school, so it's hard to believe her understanding is wrong.
Then a possibility clicks.
"Oh, didn't you and Shiramine become friends in the second or third year?"
"Right. We were in the same class in the second year, and we got close then."
"Then maybe she went through a change between first and second year? People can change a lot in a year."
"Yeah, that's true…"
Even so, Hanamitsuji still looked unsatisfied. She muttered, "Then what on earth happened to Mashiro…" But by then, the break was nearly over. Noticing the time, she lifted her head.
"Ah… we should get back. Sorry for asking you something weird."
She smiled as if covering up her confusion.
When we returned to the meeting room, Kanbara-senpai placed both hands on the podium and spoke up.
"Alright! Time to start the planning session!"
"Whoa, hold on. What do you mean by that?"
The student council president cut in, confused by the sudden declaration.
Kanbara-senpai shot him a mischievous grin.
"Isn't it obvious? We're opening the floor to any ideas or anything anyone wants to do for the festival! The volunteers are assigned to their groups, and we already went over the events and schedule. So I figured by now everybody's got at least one or two things they are itching to say they want to do!"
"Isn't this a little sudden? Shouldn't we teach everyone a bit more about their jobs first…?"
"Nope, it has to be now before the detailed duties and workflows get finalized. You know how annoying it is when you have finally settled into your tasks and they suddenly dump new work on you, right, Prez?"
"…Well, when you put it that way, yeah."
Apparently, that struck a nerve. The president made a bitter face. The student council is basically a glorified errand squad, so he must have his fair share of headaches.
Sensing his reaction, Kanbara-senpai gave the final push.
"Sure, we'll get some ideas that aren't realistic, but we should at least hear everyone out first! We can decide what's feasible afterward!"
"Alright, I'll leave it to you, Chair. Sorry for interrupting."
Having secured his approval, Kanbara-senpai smiled and looked around the room.
"Great! So everyone, if you have any ideas for things you want to do at the festival, anything that sounds fun, speak up! You can brainstorm with the people near you, too!"
With that prompt, the room stirred to life, and everyone started talking to whoever was nearby, albeit a little nervously.
Hoshigasaki scanned our faces with sparkling eyes.
"Hey, hey, do you have anything!?"
"I… can't think of anything in particular. I already think the festival sounds fun as-is."
Nodding at Hanamitsuji's reply, Kasai-kun added.
"Yeah. And besides, we're only first-years. We don't even know what the festival is like yet."
Well, I do have memories of my previous time in high school. Not that they are good ones.
On the first day, the internal exhibition wasn't so bad yet. But on the second day, when outside guests could come? That was hell.
Higashitani High School's festival is apparently pretty popular in the area, which meant the school building was packed wall to wall. Since there were food stalls and students could buy things at nearby convenience stores, the school store wasn't open that day. The vending machines ran out of drinks instantly.
And if you wandered to places without foot traffic, like the faculty parking lot or behind the gym, there was a high chance you would stumble across a couple flirting or someone confessing their love.
Ugh, if you're going to get rejected, fine, do whatever you want, but don't stay there afterward to brood. A person bold enough to confess in public has plenty of friends who will comfort them if they go back to their class. Give the spot to loners like me who go back to class only to be met with: "Huh? What did he come back for?"
Come to think of it, that girl who confessed and got turned down with "Sorry, I already like someone"… She was basically a losing heroine, wasn't she? Amazing. So losing heroines are real.
Can you imagine if she had noticed me hiding nearby that day, and then a chain reaction was set off and turned me into a losing heroine magnet? It might have even gotten an anime adaptation someday. A shame I missed that opportunity. If it were going to be animated, I would have paid unlimited money for the family restaurant scenes.
If the girl who got rejected is a losing heroine, then since I've never been rejected even once, I'm basically an undefeated background character.
That sounds nice, an undefeated background character. I could probably scrape into the C-Tier of a "Most OP Character Tier List" with the single argument: "He has no confirmed loss on record." Never mind that, as a background character, I would only appear briefly, have one decent fight with the MC before he grows stronger, and that's it.
Of course, it's just because I've never confessed to anyone that I've never lost, so I'm not a winning background character either. And we background characters have no real charm, hence our name in the first place, so they can't hold a candle to a losing heroine with overflowing appeal.
The guy who doesn't shine in defeat because he never loses, that's me, the undefeated background character. Yeah, that sounds ass.
Besides, high school relationships barely ever last.
In my previous high school life, there were tons of situations where a class-approved couple formed without me knowing, then broke up without me knowing, and then started dating someone else also without me knowing. Once again, only your humble Hodaka Nanamura-san is kept out of the loop…
Looking back later, even getting confessed to and rejected can get romanticized as a page of youth.
So, whether you get together or not, it becomes a good memory? That's busted balancing. I think the devs need to patch this. Just because people call life a god-tier game doesn't mean you can slack on quality control.
"...Ah."
Thinking back to the previous school festival, an idea suddenly hit me.
Hanamitsuji must have noticed the small sound I made. She glanced at me.
"What's wrong, Nanamura-kun?"
"Well, I did come up with something, technically."
"Great. Then why not share it?"
Shiramine encouraged, but I shook my head.
"It's nothing worth going out of my way to say."
"If you're embarrassed, I can say it for you."
Shiramine offered, looking around the room.
A handful of groups were chatting here and there, but nobody seemed ready to speak up yet.
Yeah, it takes courage to voice something in this kind of situation. I get that.
I did have an idea, but dumping it on Shiramine to announce felt wrong.
Kanbara-senpai did say anything was fine, anyway. No charge for speaking up.
"Um, excuse me."
"Oh! You there!"
Gathering my resolve, I raised my hand. Kanbara-senpai immediately spotted it, eyes narrowing with delight as she pointed toward me.
"Let's see. You're a first-year, right?"
"Nanamura, Class 1-A."
"Okay, Nanamura-kun! Say anything you like, an idea, a question, whatever!"
Prompted, I stood up and took a small breath.
"It's nothing major, but… is it possible to keep the library open during the festival? According to the schedule posted in the library, it looks like it will be closed during that time."
"...The library?"
For a moment, Kanbara-senpai looked puzzled, but quickly recovered and asked again.
I could feel not just Hanamitsuji and the others, but the entire room looking at me. Sweat prickled across my back. I hate being the center of attention. Being stared at always makes me sweat for some reason.
I swallowed and forced myself to continue.
"Um, since the school festival counts as school days, we have to come, but not everyone can enjoy the festival. So if there were a place where someone could sit alone and pass the time, I think it would help."
Even though loners are used to doing things alone, walking around a festival full of classmates' exhibits is a ridiculous hurdle.
School festivals are basically the peak of inside-joke energy. If you're not in the "inside", there's nothing to enjoy. If the school brought in a celebrity guest, that would be a different story, but there's obviously no budget for that at our school.
And then there are the "sort-of acquaintances", like someone you had P.E. with or were classmates with last year.
Nobody wants to be seen soloing the festival by a bunch of people they will have to face again tomorrow and the day after. I bet there are a lot of students who would feel that way.
But sitting around in some hidden place brings its own problems. If a teacher spots you, they will get unnecessarily concerned. If you're killing time staring at the fancy cars in the staff parking lot, some gentle teacher passing by will ask, "Are you okay? Feeling sick?" Look, my social standing in class is not okay, but my physical condition is superb. If anything, I wish I were sick, then I could just stay home proudly.
Some classes might open a rest area or chill-out room, but as far as I remember, no such class existed. Our school is supposedly an academic school, but we don't put that much effort into academics. Instead, everyone gets fired up for school events. We even go to the zoo for homeroom sometimes.
In that sense, the library would be perfect, a place to kill time without being seen by many people. You could read. If you wanted, you could study.
If the library doesn't allow borrowing or returning books during the festival, the library committee members would be okay with that, too. Or maybe just having one teacher in the librarian's office would be enough.
Kanbara-senpai listened to everything, then used her tablet to check something.
"I see. Yeah, the schedule definitely says the library is closed during the festival."
"I just think there will be people who really can't enjoy the culture festival, no matter what. And having a place where they could spend time without worrying about that would be nice. So I thought it would be great if the library stayed open."
After finishing, I sat down as if my role here were already complete.
An indescribable atmosphere settled over the meeting room.
Well, obviously. We were discussing how to improve the school festival, and I basically declared, "Some people can't enjoy this stuff at all."
Hanamitsuji held her head, and Hoshigasaki gave a strained smile.
"Nanamura-kun… I can't believe you actually came up with that…"
"Ahaha… It's very you in a way…"
"Hey, she was the one who said we could say anything we wanted."
I'm not in the wrong, and my point isn't wrong either. For loners, this is honestly a very real problem.
"Nanamura-kun… you're incredible."
Shiramine alone stared at me, eyes wide with admiration.
Kanbara-senpai had been covering her mouth silently this whole time.
Did I piss her off? If she kicks me out over this, I could spend the rest of summer break in peace. That wouldn't be so bad.
Just as anxiety and hope were mixing inside me, she let out a quiet snicker.
"Pff… ahahaha! That's a hilarious idea!"
She lifted her face with a big laugh, turned to the blackboard, and wrote "Library Open" in big letters.
"You have a point. We're working hard to make the culture festival great, but, indeed, not everyone will necessarily enjoy it. We need to keep that perspective too."
Oh. She's more reasonable than I expected. She gives off a huge extrovert vibe, so I thought she wouldn't get it.
"Yeah, it doesn't cost anything and seems perfectly doable."
Kanbara-senpai spoke with a satisfied smile.
"All right, does anyone else have ideas? Raise your hand!"
Maybe my idea lowered the hurdle for everyone, because this time, several people slowly raised their hands.
My part here is done. I'm a complete amateur when it comes to improving school events.
Time to rest my cheek on my hand and survive this by daydreaming about flirting with the beautiful transfer student who sits next to me.
Alright, today's scenario shall be the three-course rom-com special.
1. She gets confessed to by a pushy guy, I step in to help her, and we get closer afterward.
2. She's cold toward most boys but opens up only to me.
3. It's revealed in the latter half that she already had feelings for me because of a complicated past.
Perfect.
*
It's now the latter half of August, on a day I had finally gotten used to the workload.
I had just finished some paperwork assigned to me by the Public Relations Team and was heading toward the vending machines. If you're wondering why someone from Food Safety was doing work for Public Relations, I can only say this: it's because of a terrifying law that governs the universe.
The Food Safety Team's main job is to manage food safety for the festival stalls. During summer break, the only tasks we could actually do were things like checking the refrigerators in the Home Ec room and reviewing the hygiene guidelines checklist.
We can't do the paperwork for the public health office or assign shelves and supplies until the exact list of booths is finalized. So, as expected, we ran out of tasks pretty early in the break.
But instead of "Great job, now enjoy some time off", what happened was-
The unused members were redeployed as a roaming workforce, dispatched to any group short on manpower, and assigned leftover tasks, much like subcontractors.
Even if we finished our own work early, we didn't get free time; whatever free time appeared was instantly filled with additional work. If we didn't have work in our department, other departments gave us work.
This is the spine-chilling, infamous "Oh, if you're free, could you do this?" law.
Work, for some reason, behaves just like entropy: it increases with time, never decreases, and always spreads until it fills the entire available space. Since it's a fundamental law of the universe, there's nothing we can do.
The reason I'm currently walking toward the vending machines is a tiny act of rebellion against such a cruel universe.
Normally, once you finish a task, you're supposed to report to your team leader, but doing that only gets you reassigned to another team. The harder you work, the more work you get, and the more capable people get crushed by endless tasks. A vicious cycle.
To avoid this, the only winning move is to pretend you're still working even after you've finished, and kill time somewhere casually.
True work is the art of not working. Fine words indeed.
It feels like I'm learning something about the real laws of society, way more helpful than what our middle school "job experience" program ever taught. I have experienced overwhelming personal growth in the FestCom. I am truly grateful. And I will absolutely never work in the future. I want to become a NEET or a light novel author.
I bought a bottle of cola and wandered toward a quiet spot. Well, to be precise, if I walk around freely, I just naturally drift to a place with no people, like a human compass for isolation.
When I reached the corridor connecting to the special building, I unexpectedly ran into Shiramine, who was working.
"Nanamura-kun, do you have some business in the special building?"
She glanced at the cola in my hand and gave me a pointed look.
"Well, if 'relaxing' counts as business."
"So you're skipping work."
"There's that thing about worker ants, even in an ant colony, about 20% are slacking off, right? By taking the initiative to become part of that slacking 20%, I'm allowing the remaining 80% to stay productive. It's better to have people who are more capable than I am doing the work. In other words, by me slacking off, the overall productivity goes up."
"Don't lecture me with incomprehensible theories. Honestly… some of us are actually busy here."
Shiramine sighed.
We hadn't really had the chance to talk recently, but every time I saw her, she looked busy. Someone like her probably doesn't even have the ability to half-ass anything.
"What are you doing right now?"
"I'm in charge of operating the gym stage. Right now, it's rehearsal season, so I'm collecting each club's preferred rehearsal dates and scheduling them around when the Basketball, Volleyball, and Gymnastics Clubs don't have practice. Also, the stage equipment that needs to be moved into the gym changes depending on the act each club performs, so I'm checking that too."
During the festival, the gym hosts performances by cultural clubs and volunteer groups.
The Brass Band Club's concert, the Choir Club's a cappella performance, the Light Music Club's live act… Those alone are a lot, and I'm sure there are even more groups I don't know about.
With that many performances, of course, the workload is insane.
"I'm on my way to check the equipment in the clubrooms right now, so-"
Shiramine paused mid-sentence, suddenly looking up with a sly smile.
"I see. You're free, aren't you?"
"Oh, right, I think my team leader said they needed me for something. Okay, anyway, I'll just-"
Sensing the danger, I immediately turned on my heel to escape.
But at that exact moment, the back of my collar was yanked hard, and I was pulled backward.
"Guh! Hey! Don't pull the collar! It's choking me!"
"Sorry. But it's not like anyone needs you."
"The fact might be true, but the phrasing is horrific! Out of context, someone would cry! Clip that part alone and I'll get you canceled online!"
"Your team is free right now, isn't it? Then help me. I happen to have a job that requires manpower."
Still holding my collar, Shiramine dragged me away.
Could you please at least let go of my shirt…?
She hauled me all the way to a room in the corner of the special building.
A plaque near the ceiling read: Drama Club. I didn't even know our school had a drama club until this moment.
Today's task is to check the props and equipment the Drama Club would need to move. Apparently, they already tried checking everything once before, but some of the items couldn't be found, so they had to postpone it to another day.
Knock, knock. Shiramine knocked on the door before calling out toward it.
"This is Shiramine from the FestCom. Is Club President Nagase here?"
"Yeah. Come on in."
Hearing the deep response, Shiramine opened the door leading to a long and narrow room, perhaps a third of the size of a regular classroom.
The window in the back is covered with a black curtain, leaving the room dim. On the right are lockers filled with costumes and props, and in the center are two long tables facing each other. The opposite wall is crammed with pipe chairs and sofas.
A tough-looking guy and a ponytailed girl who had been sitting at the long tables stood up when they saw Shiramine.
"Sorry about last time, Shiramine-san."
"Really, we're sorry. You came all the way here, and it turned out to be our mistake."
The guy bowed, and the girl pressed her hands together apologetically.
Shiramine smiled calmly, totally unfazed, and responded in her clear voice:
"It's fine, Prez Nagase, Hirohashi-senpai. As long as we can finish the confirmation today, there's no problem."
"That's a relief to hear."
The guy, presumably Prez Nagase, nodded seriously.
With his close-cropped hair, sharp features, and sturdy build, he looks like he belongs in the Judo Club. Without prior knowledge, I definitely would have assumed that.
"The equipment to be moved in is all here now, right?"
"Yeah, it's in that locker."
The ponytailed girl, presumably Hirohashi-senpai, pointed to one of the lockers. Inside were two packed tiers of various items, and on top was a sheet labeled: "School Festival Gym Stage Props".
"Then I'll check the upper shelf. Nanamura-kun, you take the lower one."
"Got it."
I compared the items in the locker with the printed list we were given, checking for any discrepancies. Whenever I ran into an unfamiliar name, I asked a club member to identify it.
"This 'bamiri (tape)'... which one is that?"
"Oh, that's the phosphorescent tape."
Since I didn't know the term, I asked, and Hirohashi-senpai crouched right next to me to peek into the shelf. Look, I understand it's hard to see since the room is dim, but could you not get that close? It makes my heart skip for no reason.
While I subtly leaned away, Hirohashi-senpai stuck her head into the box.
After watching her ponytail sway for a while, she eventually pulled out something like opaque cellophane tape.
"This! It glows in the dark, so it's used to mark where people stand."
"I see. Thank you."
Shiramine did say this job would be a hassle, but so far, it really hasn't been. If I didn't understand something, they answered properly when I asked.
After we worked silently for a while, someone spoke to me hesitantly from behind.
"By the way, you… uh… sorry, what was your name again?"
"Nanamura."
Prez Nagase approached me. Given his size, he had surprisingly polite manners, though assuming big guys are always rough is just my bias.
"Nanamura-kun, huh. So… how much do you know about the Drama Club?"
"Huh? I mean… I assume you do theater."
"Sorry, that wasn't what I meant. I meant- did you know our school had a drama club?"
He rephrased the question, and out of politeness, I pretended to think about it.
"…Sorry. I didn't know until today."
"I see… so we really are that insignificant…"
Prez slumped with his head down. Hirohashi-senpai placed a hand on his shoulder and clenched her fist encouragingly.
"Prez! This kid's just a first-year and still adjusting to school life! Don't get discouraged!"
I'm sorry, but in my previous run of high school, I attended the full three years, and not once did I hear the words "drama club". Well, technically, maybe I did somewhere, but clearly not in a way memorable enough to stick.
"We really tried our best at the club introduction for new students, and yet… heh… with only four members, including us…"
Only four in total. That's smaller than I expected. Isn't that dangerously close to disbandment?
Also, this president is way more negative than I imagined. Now I understand why Shiramine calls this a "troublesome" job. When someone auto-enters negativity mode while you're just trying to do your work, handling them becomes a pain.
When I looked over, Shiramine gestured silently: "I'll do the inventory. You deal with him."
I see. That's why she dragged me here.
"I mean, I always planned on being in the go-home club, so I might not have properly paid attention during the club introduction."
I picked up the cue and joined the conversation.
Well, this much I can do for her.
"Is that so…? Even so, we only got one new member this year… at this rate, we're going to be disbanded…"
My attempt at encouragement only made Prez Nagase crouch down and clutch his head. With his huge build, it looked like a mountain of muscle collapsing into itself.
I remember people online saying things like "muscles solve everything." Judging by this guy, that's clearly not universally true.
"It's okay! I'll work hard next year to recruit, too!"
Hirohashi-senpai said in a bright voice. I followed her lead.
"If you really push your performance at the festival, you might get some new first-years interested."
"Do you think so…? But we're weak even in the district tournament…"
Are there tournaments for drama clubs? I had no idea.
I glanced behind me. Shiramine continued her work without a word. I wanted to switch places with her so badly.
*
After we finished the job, we left the Drama Club room and walked down the hallway in the special building.
"So, what did you think of the play?"
Shiramine leaned forward slightly and looked up at my face.
She meant the play we had just been shown in the clubroom.
Prez Nagase was practically begging us after we finished checking the props, "Please! Watch our performance!" So we ended up having a sudden mini-play viewing.
Since there were only two members present today, it was a simple two-person scene.
The "stage" was just two students seated with a school desk between them, and I assumed it wouldn't be much.
But the moment the play began, the atmosphere completely shifted.
Prez Nagase's negativity from earlier disappeared, and he delivered a performance full of detail, attentive eyes, controlled body movement, and every gesture deliberate.
Hirohashi-senpai's voice was calm yet projected clearly, and during emotional peaks, she poured her feelings in with impressive intensity.
By the end, both Shiramine and I found ourselves applauding without meaning to. We hadn't planned to at all, but sometimes good things just make you clap.
"Well, it was pretty good, I guess. I assumed they were hopeless since they are a tiny club, but I realized they are really trying."
"You're almost too honest."
Shiramine gave a wry smile. I had at least enough social awareness not to say that directly to the drama club, but with Shiramine, it's fine to relax a little.
She looked forward again and let out a soft breath.
"Yeah. They are giving it their all. Not just them, lots of other clubs too. Doing this job really makes you notice how everyone is working hard toward the festival."
There was no falseness or obligation in her expression. She was being completely sincere.
Back at the beach, Shiramine had said she joined the FestCom with the student council in mind. But judging from how she worked today, she wasn't just doing the bare minimum. She was paying attention to every detail.
Even with that performance at the end, she wasn't obligated to watch it. She could've easily cut it short with a "Sorry, I've got other work." Yet she watched the whole thing and even gave proper feedback.
When I pointed that out, Shiramine nodded slightly.
"Yeah, my goal of joining the student council hasn't changed. But if our hard work can help everyone feel rewarded, then I want to support them as much as I can."
She said it with a straight face, something that should've been embarrassing to say out loud.
Really, this girl is too nice.
*
When we split up and I returned to the Food Safety Team, the work was already done, and we were told we could leave whenever we wanted.
Watching that play turned out to be the perfect way to kill time.
I grabbed my stuff and headed for the bike parking area, and then I bumped into Hanamitsuji.
Changing my departure time on purpose would've been annoying, so we just decided to go part of the way home together.
"So you were working with Mashiro today."
While discussing today's tasks, I mentioned going to the Drama Club with Shiramine and made it clear I wasn't skipping. It would be a pain if someone tattled.
"She's really serious about everything. She will make a great student council member."
"Huh?"
Hanamitsuji made a sound like she had just heard something bizarre.
What part threw her off?
"Student council? Mashiro is planning to join the student council?"
Ah… right. Shiramine hadn't told Hanamitsuji why she joined the FestCom.
I hesitated about whether I should say anything, but at this point, it was already out there. It's not like she asked me to keep it a secret anyway.
So I explained what she had told me at the beach, that Shiramine entered the FestCom with the future student council in mind.
"Knowing her, she was a student council member in our previous life, too, right?"
I asked naturally, based on the conversation flow, but Hanamitsuji frowned suspiciously.
"Mashiro was never in the student council."
"Huh?"
A bead of sweat trailed down my neck. The sound of my bike's wheel spinning was swallowed up by the cicadas buzzing in the roadside trees.
Trying to recall the past version of events, Hanamitsuji chose her words with care.
"I was in the same class as her starting second year, and… yeah. Mashiro wasn't in the student council. If she were, I would definitely remember."
"…I see."
So, Shiramine apparently wasn't on the student council in the previous timeline.
It felt strange, but maybe the reason wasn't that big of a deal. Perhaps she thought it sounded like a hassle, or decided to focus on studying instead.
There are countless reasons not to join the student council.
Hanamitsuji also seemed to turn it over in her head for a while, but eventually gave up thinking about it.
"Maybe she was influenced by you, Nanamura-kun. Like with Ruri."
My heart skipped a beat. She leaned toward me, searching my face, her long lashes catching the sunlight for a moment.
"It's not… It's not like that."
Embarrassed, I looked away from Hanamitsuji.
*
A Saturday afternoon near the end of summer vacation.
I'm sitting in an air-conditioned booth at a family restaurant. Not the one I usually meet Hanamitsuji at, a different location, closer to school.
"Sorry for making you all get together just for me today!"
Kadotani, a friend of Hanamitsuji, grinned brightly, scratching the back of her head.
She said she had come straight from club practice but had already changed into her uniform, and a faint smell of deodorant lingered around her. A huge sports bag occupied the corner of the sofa beside her.
The reason for today's gathering was exactly what it sounded like: Kadotani had done almost none of her summer homework, so Hanamitsuji organized a study session.
The invitees were the same members from the end-of-term study group: Hanamitsuji, Hoshigasaki, Shiramine, and me.
"Why was I dragged into this?"
"You were at the FestCom thing earlier, too, so you were just already there."
A study session is kind of… a lot to call "just because you were nearby".
True, there was a full-committee meeting today, even though it was Saturday, so we were all at school until a bit ago. Because of that, everyone except Kadotani was still wearing summer uniforms.
I sat on the sofa with Shiramine next to me, and Hoshigasaki beside her. Across from us, Kadotani, who has completely locked down the "best-friend slot" next to Hanamitsuji, sat glued to Hanamitsuji's side.
"So, how much of your homework have you finished?"
"I did two pages of the math workbook!"
"And the rest?"
"That's everything!"
I'm pretty sure there was a lot of other summer homework besides math, though…
Kadotani, supposedly a promising first-year on the girls' tennis team, was even more tanned than before. Her toned upper arms and forearms peeked out of her short sleeves, the very picture of a cheerful sports girl.
But on the inside, she's a lovestruck stalker and an idiot.
Hanamitsuji shot her a sidelong, dead-eyed glare and muttered in an exasperated tone.
"Hinata, your grades are barely hanging on already. You should at least finish your homework."
"Yeahhh, I got reeeally scolded last time."
Kadotani said this with a suspiciously delighted expression.
"Getting scolded by Sora isn't that bad, actually… ehehe…"
"Don't say stupid things. We're doing the work. Come on, take out your workbook."
"Okay~"
"And you can't study properly while clinging to me. Move away."
"…Okaaay."
"Don't look unhappy about it."
Kadotani reluctantly peeled herself away and stared at her workbook with a gloomy face. The others also pulled out their assignments. Shiramine and Hanamitsuji had already finished theirs, so they were either flipping through vocabulary books or helping babysit Kadotani.
I poured myself a cola from the drink bar and opened my English workbook on the table. I came all the way here in this heat, so I might as well get something done.
After a little while, Kadotani let out a dramatic "ugh…" and collapsed face-down on the desk, concentration clearly destroyed.
"Why am I doing this…? I'm finally getting to be with Sora and everyone…"
"Because you have to finish the homework. Obviously."
Hanamitsuji spoke pure logic, but Kadotani scrunched up her face like she had just swallowed something bitter.
"Then let me copy your workbook, Sora!"
"That defeats the purpose. If you complete all the homework on your own, you'll at least be far less likely to get failing marks on the exams."
"Ugh… you're so Spartan, Sora…"
Kadotani threw her arms around Hanamitsuji with a dramatic wail. I'm pretty sure she's using the chaos as an excuse to touch her.
"Well, if you really hate it, there's always the option of not handing in anything."
"Huh?"
Kadotani stared at me blankly. The other three looked at me with expressions that clearly meant "here he goes again". I ignored them.
"What do you mean, Nanamura-san?"
"Question the assumption that homework must be submitted. In my experience, if you ignore summer assignments long enough, by mid-September nobody brings them up anymore."
"Isn't that just because they gave up on you?"
"No, it's called winning through persistence."
I shot back at Shiramine, who was looking at me with deep exasperation.
Of course, it does cost you report-card points. Equivalent exchange. Basic alchemy, after all.
In high school, even if your conduct grade is a little bad, you won't usually get held back. And if you're applying to college through general entrance exams, you don't need report-card points anyway.
For loners like me who don't have friends willing to share their homework, the choices are: grind it out alone or give up halfway. Light-novel MCs always seem to work hard at studying, but it would be a problem if the world started thinking all loners are model students.
"You really are a hopeless human being…"
When Shiramine said that, both Hanamitsuji and Hoshigasaki made matching "good grief" expressions.
But one person alone looked at me with sparkling eyes.
"Nanamura-san! I never thought of that! It's eye-opening!"
"No, Hinata."
Hanamitsuji gave Kadotani's shoulder a small whack.
"Heh… with just a little motivation, Kadotani, you too can join my side."
I got carried away and tried recruiting her in full Gendo Ikari style.
But Hanamitsuji hugged Kadotani protectively and glared daggers at me.
"Nanamura-kun, don't drag Hinata to the dark side."
"Sorry, sorry, I was joking."
It's not that dark, though…
"S-Sora… you really care about me, don't you…"
Also, look at Kadotani, she's being hugged by Hanamitsuji and has gone full blissed-out expression. The only motive there is ulterior.
"Haha. But honestly, I don't think you should follow Nanamura's example, Kadotani-san."
"Huh? Why not?"
Hoshigasaki chimed in, leaving Kadotani with a confused expression.
"Because, despite how he acts, Nanamura-kun is a top-rank student. Even if he skips some assignments, he'll still pass the year overall. But if you try that with your grades… it might get dangerous."
Shiramine nodded and delivered the brutal truth.
"N-No way…"
"Well then, shall we get back to the workbook?"
With a soft poke of her mechanical pencil into Kadotani's squished cheek, Hanamitsuji smiled.
"If you work hard and get all your homework done when school starts, we'll go hang out as a reward. The pool, shopping, anywhere you want."
"For the chance to go to the pool with you, I can still fight! Let me do it!!"
Kadotani suddenly jolted upright, flipping instantly into full sports-team hype mode.
Well, being motivated is good. Not turning in homework isn't the end of the world, but turning it in is definitely better.
…Though I have a bad feeling about Kadotani and Hanamitsuji going to the pool together. Hang in there, Hanamitsuji. Survive.
*
In the end, we worked hard until past six in the evening.
Kadotani got a decent chunk of her homework done. If she keeps pushing through the end of summer break, she'll probably make it. Not all homework has to be submitted on September 1st. If you ask, teachers will give you a few extra days. Summer homework doesn't have to be finished on August 31st, and this isn't a world where we get stuck in an Endless Eight loop.
When we stepped out of the family restaurant, we were greeted by the stubborn chorus of cicadas and the kind of heat that feels like it's boiling you alive. The sun was sinking near the horizon, but the temperature hadn't let up at all.
"Huh? Something smells nice."
Kadotani sniffed the air the moment we walked out like a dog.
Now that she mentioned it, there was a faint, savory aroma, like sauce sizzling on a grill. And among the people walking by, a few were wearing yukata.
"Oh! There's a festival going on! A festival!"
Following the direction Hoshigasaki pointed, we saw warm lantern lights and bright festival banners peeking out from the street ahead.
"Looks like it. Must be the neighborhood festival."
"Seems so."
Shiramine nodded to Hanamitsuji's words, staring with clear interest. Hoshigasaki and Kadotani were practically sparkling with excitement.
"Should we all go check it out?"
"Yes, please! I'm hungry again!"
Kadotani shot her hand up instantly, ready to eat. This girl had already inhaled fries and a parfait during our study session, and she still has room? As expected of someone in the sports club.
"Yeah, sounds like a perfect little break."
"Yaaay! It's been so long!"
Shiramine and Hoshigasaki both nodded, smiling.
How beautiful the bonds of friendship are. That line passed through my mind as I headed toward the bike lot.
"Well then, I'll be going."
"Ehh!? Nanamura, come with us too! It's a summer festival!"
As I tried to slip away in the commotion, Hoshigasaki grabbed my sleeve and pulled me back.
"I mean… I haven't really gone to summer festivals before…"
She looked at me like I had just said something unbelievable. She's the type who thinks every kid naturally goes to summer festivals.
"Huh? You didn't have summer festivals near your place?"
"No, we had them."
My elementary school held the district summer festival every year on the school grounds. Most of the kids who went to the same school participated, but I stopped going after fourth grade.
I'll never forget that summer festival in third grade.
I didn't have anyone to meet there, but I wanted to look good in front of my parents, so I said, "I'm meeting friends," and went alone.
Just as I expected, I ran into a few classmates at the venue, and the moment they saw me, their faces clearly said, "Huh? Why is Nanamura here?"
Well, yeah, we didn't plan anything together.
Instinctively, I lied and said, "I'm just accompanying my little sister." And then I ran away.
Going straight home would've been hard to explain to my parents, so I killed time at a stationery shop until closing. I remember scribbling all over the pen-testing pad…
Since that year, I've always stayed home on summer festival day.
No, it's not a tragic memory or anything! Even back then, I was just a smart kid who could read the room! It's a shining episode proving my excellence, the kind of emotional intelligence humanity will need in the AI era! A show of self-sacrifice for the sake of my friends- I mean, classmates! This is one of the precious foundations that shaped who I am today!
And besides, thanks to lyrics like "Even sad memories aren't so bad if they helped me love who I am today," used like a hundred times in Japanese pop music, I get to listen and think, "Yeah… that's me…" Okay, yeah, I did just call it sad.
After giving a rough version of that story, a heavy silence dropped onto the group.
"N-Nanamura… hearing that just makes it even more impossible to let you go home!"
Hoshigasaki grabbed my shoulder with desperate intensity. Her fingers were digging into me like she was afraid I might vanish.
"I really don't need to, though."
Even though I kept refusing, Hanamitsuji placed her hands on my back and pushed me firmly toward the festival.
"No. If we let you go home now, we won't be able to enjoy the summer festival because of the guilt."
"And, um, I'll treat you to something too, so cheer up, okay? Like karaage. I'll give you one out of the five."
Kadotani added with an awkward expression. I appreciate the sentiment, but if you give me one out of five, that's not treating me- that's sharing.
And just like that, swept along by the flow, I ended up going to the festival.
Walking beside me, Shiramine gave a small laugh.
"You're definitely going to be born ridiculously wealthy in your next life."
"So the books don't balance in this one, huh?"
No matter how bright next-life-me's future is, what's current-life-me supposed to do? There's totally a sad old song with lyrics just like that…
The summer festival venue is the park at the entrance of the shopping street. There are also a few food stalls lining the nearby road.
In the center of the park is a small stage, and around it are booths and tents, food stalls, seating spaces, and even a lottery booth of some kind.
There are classic fair foods like yakisoba, chilled cucumbers, and frankfurters, and also things like goldfish scooping and raffle draws.
It's clearly just a small neighborhood festival, but since it's near the main street and draws a lot of foot traffic, the crowd ranged from little kids to adults.
As we followed the flow of people, Hoshigasaki suddenly got drawn into a stall.
"Hey, hey, they have candied apples!"
"That sounds good. I might get one too."
Hanamitsuji, Shiramine, and Kadotani followed her and joined the line for candied apples.
Come to think of it, I've never eaten a candied apple before. Those apples are obviously smaller than normal apples, but does the taste differ as well?
"Nanamura, line up with us! It's candied apples!"
"Okay, okay, I get it."
A high school guy standing around alone might accidentally spook parents or kids. Lining up at a stall at least helps advertise that I am harmless.
When my turn came, I bought my first-ever candied apple. Watching the others, it seemed the proper technique was to bite, not lick.
I took the plunge and bit into it. The crisp crunch of the candy coating and the fresh snap of the apple contrasted in an unexpectedly fun way.
The apple inside was surprisingly tart. Huh, so that's the flavor. I thought it would be ridiculously sweet, but it was actually something even an adult could enjoy.
After that, we bought yakisoba, frankfurters, and other festival foods and sat on the curb at the edge of the park to eat.
The seasoning probably isn't special or anything, but eating while looking at the lanterns and the children getting excited at the summer festival definitely has atmosphere.
Kadotani held out her cup of karaage toward me.
"We promised, okay? Use this to overwrite that tragic memory."
She said that and gave me one piece.
If a single piece of karaage could overwrite a memory, it probably wasn't that big of a deal to begin with, but I accepted it gratefully anyway. Delicious.
"Ugh, I should've brought my yukata…"
"You can't exactly wear a yukata to a study session. Next year, okay?"
Hanamitsuji soothed Hoshigasaki in a gentle tone. Maybe it was the "next year" part that made her happy, because Hoshigasaki smiled shyly.
"Yeah! Let's definitely go!"
"Ah, I-I- ahem, I'll go as well!"
Mouth full of yakisoba, Kadotani hurried to swallow and raised her hand enthusiastically.
After we finished eating, I casually wandered over to look around the stalls. The first thing that caught my eye was a sign reading "Target Shooting".
A counter about chest-high has a large rifle-shaped toy gun resting on it, and farther back are rows of prizes: candy boxes, water guns, stuffed animals, and even a game console. The rifle is obviously fake, probably shoots corks.
"Heh, so they have stuff like this too."
Hanamitsuji had appeared beside me at some point, peeking in with interest.
As soon as the stall owner noticed us, he called out in a cheerful, salesman-like voice.
"Oh! Hey there, young man, wanna show off to your girlfriend?"
"Not dating her." "He's not my boyfriend."
We answered in sync. The young-looking stall owner gave a wry smile.
Even so, never missing a business opportunity, he continued.
"Well then, how about a challenge anyway? 300 yen a round!"
And somehow, I felt like giving it a try.
I paid and picked up the rifle. I had seen snipers in anime and manga. They press the back part against the shoulder, right? The… stock, I think it's called?
I copied from vague memory, settled into the pose, and once I felt stable, looked down the barrel. Two little protrusions lined up, and along that line was a box of candy.
I pulled the trigger. Pop! A dry sound.
My aim had definitely been centered on the candy box, but the cork shot veered way up to the right.
"Aww, that was close."
I turned around and found Hoshigasaki standing diagonally behind me. At some point, the other three had gathered too. Kadotani had already paid 300 yen and was gripping the rifle next to mine.
Two shots left.
There's no way the same gun would send the bullet in a different random direction every time. If it's the same gun, it should always be off in the same direction.
In that case, I just have to reverse-calculate the difference between the aim and the hit based on where the first shot landed.
"Hey. Where did the last shot hit?"
I had been focused on the candy box, so I didn't really track where the bullet actually went.
"Uh… where was it again?"
"On the shelf above, a little below the middle. Left side of the water gun."
"Thanks."
Shiramine gave a precise answer. I see, so it veered something like 20 centimeters up and to the right.
Then… that puts the correct aim… about here?
I lined up the sights again and pulled the trigger.
Pop. The same dry sound as before.
But this time, a moment later, there was a thunk. Something got hit.
Just as planned, the candy box toppled.
"Ohh, that felt good."
"Nanamura, that's amazing! That's amazing!"
Hoshigasaki clapped as if she were the one to knock it down. Hanamitsuji sounded impressed, too.
For my last shot, I went after the big game console prize, but even though the cork hit it, it didn't budge. Yeah, that thing is absolutely engineered to never fall.
In the end, I got the candy box from the second shot and a consolation prize, one stick of umaibo, for hitting the game console. [TL: A small, long, cylinder-shaped corn puff snack.]
Beside me, Kadotani came back empty-handed with a frustrated look. Hanamitsuji looked between the two of us and smiled like she was enjoying the contrast.
"Heh, so Nanamura-kun has unexpected talents."
"You're good at shooting targets, just like a certain Nobita-kun."
"Uh, that hurts a little, actually."
All three of Kadotani's shots had missed completely, so her comment clearly came from wounded pride.
I mean, Nobita is actually insane when he switches modes, though? There isn't a single movie where he isn't clutch. Well, it's not like I'm ever going to star in a movie, so whatever.
After that, we tried water balloon scooping and lottery draws, and the girls shared cotton candy in pairs.
I never really had a good memory of summer festivals, but… well, maybe it wasn't something worth holding a grudge over to begin with.
Let's just say… it wasn't bad enough to hate anymore.
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