Please Leave Me Alone V3 Chapter 4 & Epilogue

 

Translator: Pingas

Editor: Suu

 

 

The morning of the first day of the school festival, 9:10 AM.

I was sitting on a chair in the Home Ec Room, blankly staring at the monitor.

On the monitor was the gymnasium, right in the middle of the festival's opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony is generally mandatory for everyone, but if you have a role on the executive committee or elsewhere, you can't leave your post. That's why we have monitors broadcasting the ceremony throughout the school so that those students can still experience the atmosphere.

My job is to manage the ingredients for the food stalls that are kept in the Home Ec Room's refrigerators. Once the opening ceremony ends, students running the stalls will rush in en masse, so the Food Safety Team personnel are on standby in advance.

"That concludes the principal's remarks. Thank you very much."

The camera is set up to capture the entire gymnasium stage. The girl standing at the MC's podium beside the stage is proceeding with the ceremony with practiced ease.

Thick curtains are drawn over every single window in the gymnasium, trapping the students' enthusiasm inside. It feels like you can hear their inner voices saying, "Never mind the opening ceremony, just start the festival already." I, too, couldn't care less about the opening ceremony and just want them to hold the closing ceremony already.

"Umm, moving on, we have the opening remarks from Kambara-senpai, the head of the FestCom... Eh!? W-What is happening!?"

An unusually emotional MC's voice could be heard from the monitor.

The next moment, with a clunk, the gymnasium lights went out.

This seemed to surprise the students too, and voices leaking out like "Whoa", "Eh?", and "Kyaa!" could be heard.

The MC girl continued despite the murmuring that echoed throughout the dark hall.

"Who are you people!?"

The next instant, a video was projected across the entire screen and lowered onto the stage.

A dark classroom... no, a staff room? 

Several familiar teachers were standing there in suits, wearing solemn expressions.

What even is this? Just as I was thinking that, a male teacher with a buzz cut standing at the front started dancing and wriggling around to clapping and a weird chant.

Cheers erupted from the students in the gymnasium, and laughter also leaked from the students in the Home Ec Room with me.

Hoshigasaki, Hanamitsuji, and even Kasai-kun were laughing.

"...What is this?"

I was the only one staring blankly. Then, Hoshigasaki, who had been laughing beside me, whispered in my ear. 

"It's that thing that was super popular on TikTok a little while ago! You don't know it?"

"I don't. I don't use it, and I haven't seen it." 

TikTok definitely has this image of constantly having some incomprehensible dance trending. Do people in this world really like dancing that much? I absolutely hated dance class in PE, though.

At this rate, it will probably come full circle and Bon Odori will become a trend or something. [TL: A summer festival that takes place during Obon in August.]

Perhaps having overheard our conversation, Hanamitsuji leaned in closer.

"You look bored."

"It can't be helped since I don't know the original joke. If they were doing stand-up or a skit, it would be one thing, but they are all just wriggling around with straight faces."

"You can't laugh at Hashimoto-sensei dancing with a straight face?"

"Who is that?" 

Hoshigasaki looked even more surprised when I asked that.

"Eh, you don't know Motty!? He's the advisor for the baseball club!" 

I don't know him. I mean, I'm guessing "Motty" and "Hashimoto-sensei" are the same person, but even that is just my deduction.

"Ah, I see. I'm guessing Hashimoto-sensei is considered to be strict or scary. And since a teacher like that was dancing, it’s a hit." 

"That's exactly it."

"So it's an inside joke, isn't it?"

And it's a combination of an inside joke I don't know (TikTok) and another inside joke I don't know (Hashimoto-sensei). This is the worst. I'm not in any of these Venn diagrams.

"It's a school festival, so there shouldn't be any problem with inside jokes meant for our own students, right?" 

To Hanamitsuji's completely valid point, Hoshigasaki reacted as if she had had a sudden realization.

"So wait, does that mean Nanamura isn't in our high school's 'inner' circle?"

"Ah..." 

Hanamitsuji averted her eyes awkwardly.

I see... I'm not in the "inner circle" of this high school…

I already knew that, but it still hurts a little. 

Before I knew it, the opening movie had moved on to the next scene. This time, anime parodies of Conan, Demon Slayer, One Piece, and Mashle were projected in rapid succession. The meaningless, contextless chaos of it all was very typical of a school festival.

If it's anime and manga references, I'm at least familiar with them. However, since I actually know the source material, there's a theory that this makes it even more painful to watch. Even among otaku, there exists a divide deeper than the Mariana Trench between those who can goof off in a place like this and those who can't. There's definitely an extrovert/introvert divide even among otaku. Even with that Haruhi dance that was apparently popular back in the day, I'm sure there were extroverted otaku who danced along and introverted otaku who just thought it was annoying.

Eventually, the movie ended, and a spotlight hit the empty stage. The MC girl took up the microphone again. 

"That was the school festival opening movie by the Broadcasting Club and the student council. Thank you all very much. Now, without further ado, we will have the opening remarks from Prez Kambara."

Along with those words, Kambara-senpai appeared from the wings of the stage.

From the audience, voices that were hard to differentiate between heckles and cheers flew about: "Kambaraaa!", "Why the hell are you the committee chair!?", "Yamaguchi got rejected by you, and he's crying now!", "Hikari-senpaaai!", "Kambara-senpai, you're so cute!", "Hurry it up!" Of course, the heckling parts were probably just jokes.

I knew she was well-respected within the committee, but it seems she's quite popular outside of it as well.

Kambara-senpai stood right in the center of the spotlight and waved her hand with a smile.

She turned on her handheld mic and called out.

"The classes that just heckled me will be removed from consideration for the Higashidani Grand Prize by the authority of the FestCom~"

"Hey, stop that!" "Sorry, Kambara!" "Forgive us!" "We love you, Kambara-san!" 

"Ahahaha, if you don't like it, you had better not defy the committee! Don't forget that we hold absolute power!"

From the audience, shouts like "Reign of terror!" and "Give us back our democracy!" flew out, instantly creating a harmonious atmosphere.

After a bout of laughter, Kambara-senpai elegantly straightened her posture. Even though there was no loud voice or signal, the hall was mysteriously enveloped in silence. It was the same in the Home Ec Room on this side of the monitor.

Seeing that, the word "charisma" came to mind. I see, so this is what a person can use it for.

Kambara-senpai smoothly brought the microphone to her mouth. 

"Then, the Higashidani High School Cultural Festival has officially begun right now. ...Everyone! Let your hair down and have a damn good time!"

"Yeahhhhhh!"

A cheer erupted from the students all at once.

The opening ceremony then transitioned straight into the opening act. As the thick drop curtain rose, the Brass Band Club waiting behind it on stage began a live performance. It was a brass band arrangement of a sports anime theme song from a few seasons ago. 

Before I knew it, the gymnasium curtains had also been opened, and the other side of the monitor suddenly became much brighter. Among the students visible in the video, some stood up and started moving.

"Alright, shall we start getting ready?"

The head of the Food Safety Team called out, and everyone took their stations.

I was in charge of reception. My job was to ask the people coming in for their class or club, and the type and amount of ingredients they were taking out, checking to make sure they weren't exceeding the stipulated limits.

Cooler boxes for temporary storage were set up in the classrooms and stalls for each mock shop. However, if they took out too many ingredients all at once, there was a risk they wouldn't be able to use them all, and they would spoil. Because of that, limits were placed on the amount of ingredients that could be taken out at one time.

"The first ones are here!"

A committee member managing the waiting line out in the hallway called into the room.

Being near the entrance, I poked my head out into the hallway along with the other receptionists. 

Dozens of students were charging fiercely towards us. It seemed they had slipped out the moment the opening remarks finished.

I'm pretty sure the ticket gates at the nearest station on the day of Comiket looked something like this. 

Of course, not every class or club was doing a food stall. But since they needed manpower to carry the ingredients, three or four people from each participating class or club would come over. Because of that, the area around the Home Ec Room was packed.

"Please don't run. I'll send you to the back of the line otherwise!"

The moment the line management committee member's voice reached them, the students shifted into a brisk walk that looked like racewalking. This was scary in its own way.

The Home Ec Room instantly devolved into chaos the moment the students arrived.

"Class 3-F. Five bags of pre-cut vegetables, five bags of wieners, and twenty bags of yakisoba noodles, please."

"Alright, confirmed. Take this tag and call out to the committee member in front of the refrigerator. Next, please!"

"Tennis Club. Three bags of flour, and frozen octopus... uh, how many bags was it again..."

Behind me as I handled the reception, the committee members in charge of the refrigerators and the students picking up supplies were shouting at the top of their lungs.

"Hey! Which fridge are the chocolate sprinkles for Class 2-G in!?"

"Whoa, watch out! Look where you're going!"

"I can't help it! It's cramped in here!"

"Alright, alright, break it up, no fighting! If you cause a scene, we'll suspend your food stall's operations!"

"Excuse me, two bags of frozen octopus."

"Got it. Take this tag and call out to the staff over there."

I processed the students coming one after another and sent them to the next step. Halfway through, rather than feeling like I was dealing with people, it felt more like I was doing assembly line work at a factory. 

I didn't even have the time to think about how much of a pain it was, mechanically churning through the work. After all, the expressions on the faces of the students coming in were so desperate that I didn't want to keep them waiting at my station. It reminds me of the hot potato bomb game they made us play during class recreation back in elementary school…

The peak of the busyness was the thirty minutes right after the opening ceremony. The people involved with the food stalls all swarmed in at that exact time, so it was only natural.

For the rest of the time, we only had to deal with students coming in sporadically, and the Home Ec Room was enveloped in a relaxed atmosphere. Because the shift had extra people to prepare for the rush right after the opening ceremony, there were naturally a lot of free students as well.

"Then, could the members who have their hands free go check on the food stalls?"

Timing it perfectly, the team leader called out to us.

On the day of the festival, the Food Safety Team's job wasn't just managing the food in the Home Ec Room. Going around to inspect the operating food stalls to make sure there were no issues with their hygiene management, and checking to see if the temperature in their temporary cooler bags was being properly maintained, was also part of our work.

We split up by class and divided the work of inspecting the food stalls. Hoshigasaki and I ended up in charge of the stalls around the schoolyard and the club building.

"Alright, Nanamura, shall we go?"

"Yeah." 

Hoshigasaki came forward, and I got up, only to be stopped by a "Hey, hold on a second."

I headed over to the team leader who had called me over, and he covered his mouth and whispered to me.

"Sorry to ask this of you, but could you keep a close eye on Hoshigasaki-san for me?"

"Eh, did something happen to her?"

Did something troublesome happen to Hoshigasaki? I have been so focused on Shiramine lately that I hadn't noticed.

At my question, the team leader made a complicated face and looked at Hoshigasaki, who was standing near the doorway. She had a blank expression, looking completely clueless.

"Um... it's hard to say, but..."

"Yes?"

"That girl makes a lot of mistakes at work…"

"Huh?"

He made a statement so unexpected even my dumb-sounding voice slipped out. The team leader continued with an awkward expression.

"I'm glad she tries her best, but... well, I'm scared to leave her on her own."

"...Sorry for whatever she did."

Apparently, Hoshigasaki had been causing trouble for the team without me knowing. What did she even do…?

I told the team leader I understood and headed toward the doorway. Hoshigasaki lined up next to me, smiling brightly as she said, "Alright, let's go." Even though she has such a harmless-looking face... I feel sad.

"What kind of work were you doing in the team, Hoshigasaki?"

I asked casually as we walked down the hallway.

Come to think of it, since I had been entrusted with doing the PC work by myself in the Food Safety Team, I didn't really know what the other members had been up to.

"Eh? Just the same as everyone else. Sorting the application forms we received, thinking about where to store the food, and helping out with the health center's hygiene guidance."

"Were you doing it properly?"

"I get the feeling you don't trust me at all, Nanamura."

Hoshigasaki sounded dissatisfied, shooting me a glare. Well, the one who doesn't trust you is the team leader, not me, though.

However, it seems she herself had some idea of what it was about, as she awkwardly began to speak, bit by bit.

"Well, I might have occasionally overlooked some checklist items, or placed documents in the wrong spot, or messed up the inventory estimates so we had to recalculate everything..." 

"How is that 'occasionally'?"

She's making a mountain of mistakes. But in response to my retort, Hoshigasaki frantically waved both hands in denial.

"No, but it's fine! Even when I messed up, the team leader would tell me he would handle the rest and that I didn't need to do anything anymore."

He totally gave up on her…

Normally, you would want the rookie to learn to stand on their own two feet, but because she makes so many mistakes, teaching her is a waste of time. He's totally entered the phase where the boss just takes over all the work.

I silently sympathized with the team leader.

*

Higashitani High School's cultural festival is divided into the first day's internal exhibition and the second day's general exhibition.

The first day is strictly an internal affair, with only our school's students going around to the various class attractions and food stalls. With fewer people, it rarely gets crowded.

The second day, however, devolves into pure chaos. It's a free-for-all mixing students' parents and friends, local residents, students from other schools, and middle schoolers visiting on school tours. If anything, the second day is the main event. For the management side, the first day also serves as a sort of practice run for the second day.

The turnout multiplies several times over between the first and second days. Because of this, the standard strategy is to visit the class attractions you absolutely want to see on the first day.

On the other hand, performances by clubs and volunteer groups held on the gym or schoolyard stages are mostly packed into the second day. After all, it's only natural that everyone wants to perform when the biggest crowd is there. The only ones performing on the first day are a select few clubs that take the stage on both days, like the Brass Band Club and the Choir Club.

...Or so I say, but I only learned all of this for the first time after joining the FestCom.

In my previous high school life, I had zero interest in the school festival, so I barely looked at any of the attractions.

"Wow, every class is really putting their all into this."

"Yeah."

Hoshigasaki, walking a little ahead of me, was looking around in admiration. As for me, I felt a bit reluctant to walk right next to her, so I stayed two or three steps behind. Let's just pretend I was practicing "ladies first".

Even if the only guests were the students, a cultural festival is still a cultural festival. The school building was filled with an unusually restless sense of excitement, along with what you could call a strange sense of unity.

It felt like everyone was playing the fool together.

Overwhelmed by the high energy around us, we eventually reached the entranceway.

We changed our shoes and stepped out into the schoolyard. An outdoor stage had been set up in front of the sub-arena used by the Table Tennis and Badminton Clubs, and several food stalls lined the side of the school building.

Since the first day was strictly an internal affair and there were no performances on the outdoor stage, the turnout wasn't nearly enough to call it crowded. Even so, the simply constructed benches and chairs were about half full.

"Hey, FestCom here! We have come for a hygiene check!"

"Thanks for the hard work!"

We called out to the first food stall that caught our eye and peeked inside the tent.

The checklist included a variety of items: "Are the cooks properly wearing gloves?" "Is anyone feeling sick?" "Is the heated food being cooked all the way through?" "Is the inside of the cooler bags staying properly chilled?", and so on.

While I was crouched down inspecting the cooking area, Hoshigasaki crouched right beside me and peered at my hands. Her well-featured face came defenselessly close, and a genuinely nice scent, whether it was perfume or shampoo, I couldn't tell, softly tickled my nose.

"...If you don't have anything to do, you can wait outside."

"Eh, but I would feel bad making you do it all by yourself, Nanamura."

"No, having two people in a cramped cooking space is just inconvenient."

Part of it was that she was in the way, but there was also the risk of accidentally brushing against her with the slightest movement. The best way to avoid false accusations of being a groper is to keep your distance from people.

Hoshigasaki stepped outside looking reluctant, and I breathed a sigh of relief before resuming my work.

Alright, no problems with the food management or the temperature in the cooler bags.

"Everything looks okay. Thank you very much."

"Thanks for the hard work! Ah, FestCom guys, please have some of this before you go!"

Saying that, the student running the stall handed us shaved ice drenched in strawberry syrup. It's still hot during the day this time of year, so I'm honestly grateful.

"Eh! Is it really okay!?"

Hoshigasaki, who had returned at some point, had her eyes sparkling as she looked at the shaved ice.

"Go ahead, go ahead! We're pretty free today, and the cost of ingredients is cheap anyway!"

Is it really okay to bring up the cost of ingredients? Well, it's just a school food stall, so there's no need to sweat the details.

We sat side-by-side on a nearby bench and gratefully accepted the treat.

"Yay! Time to eat!"

"Thanks for the food."

I put my hands together as well and poked at the shaved ice. Just when I was starting to feel the heat, the combination of ice and overly sweet syrup was practically cheating. It was genuinely delicious.

"So good! Hey Nanamura, this is super delicious!"

"I know. I'm eating the exact same thing."

"I'm so glad I joined the Food Safety Team..."

Hoshigasaki muttered with deep emotion as she crunched her way through the shaved ice. You should save that deep gratitude for something else.

"Hey Nanamura, they have crepes!"

Just as we finished eating our shaved ice, Hoshigasaki pointed at the stall across from us.

"Hoshigasaki, you do realize we're technically here for work, right?"

"I know that. But look, we have to do a hygiene check over there too."

"Alright, alright."

Pulled along by Hoshigasaki's grip on my arm, I headed toward the next stall.

We went around checking the stalls in the schoolyard one after another, leaving the ones around the club building for last. The stalls around here were all run by clubs, mostly serving hearty foods like takoyaki, yakisoba, and hot dogs. I heard that student athletes who eat a lot tend to frequent these ones.

"Sup, here for a hygiene check!"

"Ah, if it isn't Nanamura-san and Hoshigasaki-san."

The one who answered my call was Kadotani.

She was wearing a pale yellow training shirt on top and navy blue track pants with a stripe running down the sides. It had a cursive logo on it, so it might be the official Tennis Club jersey.

Tied around her head was a headband with "Takoyaki" written across it. She seriously looked the part of a festival stall vendor.

"If you're here, that means this is the Tennis Club stall, right?"

"Yes! Our takoyaki is actually pretty good, you know!"

"Ohh, thanks for the food!"

No sooner had she said that than Hoshigasaki stuffed her cheeks with the offered takoyaki.

This isn't going to count as a bribe or something, right...?

"Do you want some too, Nanamura-san?" 

"Sure."

Well, if it's being offered, I'll gladly take it too. Perks of the job.

Once we finished our hygiene checks and returned to the Home Ec Room, it was just about time for the shift change.

"You first-years can head back now! We'll take care of the rest here."

Taking the team leader up on his offer, we left the Home Ec Room a little earlier than scheduled. Kasai-kun mentioned he was going to go check on the Science Club he belonged to and left a step ahead of us.

Walking side-by-side down the hallway, Hoshigasaki struck up a conversation with Hanamitsuji.

"Hey, hey, what are you gonna do now, Sora-chan?"

"I'm going to head back to class. I still have some work to do there."

She already did her FestCom duties, and now she's going to do class work on top of that? Is she a workaholic or something? Walking two or three steps behind them, I silently retorted in my head.

"Gotcha. Sora-chan, you're in Class 1-F, right? I'll definitely come drop by later!"

"Hehe, thank you. You have fun at the festival too, Ruri."

Then Hanamitsuji glanced back over her shoulder at me, glaring with half-lidded eyes.

"Nanamura-kun, you are ab-so-lute-ly forbidden from coming."

"Eh? Why?"

"Never mind why, you're just absolutely not allowed."

"Well, it's not like I was planning on going anyway, so whatever."

"Good. Well then, see you tomorrow."

I watched Hanamitsuji's retreating figure as she gave a small wave and left.

Come to think of it, Hanamitsuji's class was also doing a food stall, wasn't it? I'm pretty sure she said it was a cafe or something, but they definitely weren't storing any ingredients in the Home Ec Room's refrigerators. It doesn't seem like they'll be serving anything too elaborate.

Ignoring my rude thoughts, Hoshigasaki gave a bright smile.

"Well then, shall we get going too?"

"Eh? Where?"

My schedule for today was just my FestCom shift until past noon. After that, I was planning on spending my time alone without a care in the world, but…

At my question, Hoshigasaki broke into a grin that screamed, "I've been waiting for you to ask that."

"To our class, obviously!"

*

Almost the entire wall of the Class 1-A classroom was colored with festival-like red and blue decorations. Lanterns, fireworks, and other undeniably summery items hung from the pillars.

Looking closely, an illustration styled after a shrine's torii gate was pasted over the door, inevitably dragging whoever saw it back into the summer spirit. They really went all out.

The decorating had been underway for a few days now, so I had a general idea of what it looked like. Even so, I couldn't help but feel it was a spectacular sight.

Hoshigasaki jogged over with light steps and started talking to the girls sitting at the reception desk.

"Ah, Ruri!"

"Wow, thanks for the hard work! How are things inside!?"

"Super good! The customers are having a great time too!"

"Yay! Can we go in, too?"

"Of course! ...Wait, Nanamura-kun is with you?"

The girl who had been hyped up with Hoshigasaki until just a moment ago dropped her excitement down a notch upon seeing me. I feel kinda bad…

"Ah, hey."

"So you finished your FestCom work for today, huh. Since you're here, you might as well go have fun."

"Wait, is it really okay for us to play too!?"

"Yeah, it's not that crowded right now. You can enjoy it from a customer's perspective, okay?"

Pushed forward by the broadly grinning girl, Hoshigasaki stepped inside the classroom. It's not like I could just slip away by myself here, so I followed after her.

"Welcome!"

We were welcomed by energetic voices.

Several stalls were set up inside the classroom, and on the roof of each one, signs reading things like "Bouncy Ball Scooping", "Target Shooting", "Ring Toss", and "Lottery" were displayed. The students working the stalls were all wearing yukatas, succeeding in setting the mood.

"What, it's just Ruri… and Nanamura."

The one who appeared before us was Hiiragi, dressed in a yukata. With her sharp features and slender figure, traditional Japanese clothes suited Hiiragi surprisingly well.

Well, as someone who has experienced being called out behind the gym and cornered by her, I can't help but associate her with a yakuza wife kind of vibe.

Frowning as she looked at me, Hiiragi muttered quietly.

"Setting Ruri aside, what did you come here for, Nanamura?"

"This is technically my class too, right?"

I just came back to my own classroom. Yet I experienced the feeling of a foreigner being asked, "Why did YOU come here?" at the airport.

"Sorry, you leave such a weak impression in class that it just slipped out."

I can't shake the feeling I'm being made a fool of, but well, it's still better treatment than the first semester when she was radiating hostility… right?

"Whatever. It's pretty empty right now, so go do whatever you like."

"Yay! What should I do~? I guess the scooping games, maybe?"

Hoshigasaki headed toward the bouncy ball scooping stall in high spirits.

The one who proposed the festival idea was Hoshigasaki. Seeing her own idea take shape like this probably moved her deeply.

As for me, there wasn't anything in particular I wanted to do. But well, I was a little curious about the target shooting, since I had chimed in during the design phase.

"Can I give this a try?"

"Ah, Nanamura-kun. Sure, go ahead."

The guy in charge urged me on amiably. I thought I had seen his face somewhere... then remembered it was Sagawa, who was in the same group as me during the field trip. Not that it matters, but I was surprised that I could actually recall his name.

I received a cheap plastic rifle and casually took a stance.

Pulling the trigger produced a light kick. The cork bullet flew out with a satisfying pop.

The cork bullet hit a snack box placed near the front, and the box fell over with a clatter. Maybe because it's brand new, the bullet didn't veer off in some completely random direction either. This is way easier than the target shooting at an actual festival.

"Oh, you're pretty good, Nanamura-kun!"

"Well, it was just a fluke."

Not knowing how to respond, I ended up giving a half-hearted answer.

I said "thanks" to Sagawa, who set the box back up for me, and left the spot. I have gotten used to talking with Hoshigasaki and Shiramine, but making conversation with random classmates still feels a bit awkward.

I couldn't just keep getting in the way to kill time, so I quietly slipped out of the classroom. Hoshigasaki looked like she was on a mission to 100% complete all the stalls, so I left her to it.

Now then, what should I do from here?

I was getting hungry, so I wanted to get some food somewhere for starters. I felt a bit hesitant to enter a sit-down cafe-style stall alone, but there should be some takeout stalls too.

As I walked around, I found myself in front of the Class 1-F classroom. It seemed they were running a food stall here as well.

Hanamitsuji's in there, but I had no memory of her ever mentioning what they were doing. Thinking about it, it was a bit strange. You would think your own class's attraction would be the perfect topic for conversation.

Perhaps Hanamitsuji had been intentionally avoiding the subject.

The guy sitting at the reception desk in front of the entrance was dressed like a hero straight out of an isekai fantasy. Normally, he would stand out an impossible amount, but during the school festival, he somehow blended right in with the atmosphere.

The sign hanging on the window facing the hallway proudly displayed the words "Cosplay Cafe".

"I see..."

Now I knew the reason why she told me I was absolutely forbidden from coming. I didn't know what kind of cosplay she was wearing, but it was probably the kind she would be embarrassed to let me see.

...I should probably go to a different class.

I promptly turned on my heel. From the looks of it, they didn't do takeout anyway. Besides, I didn't know if Hanamitsuji was on shift right now, but if I happened to run into her, it would be awkward. Even I have some compassion.

Just then, someone came out of the exit door, so I detoured to avoid them. A student who seemed to have come to see them off called out, "Thank you very much!"

Now then, where to? If I'm looking for something actually tasty, the third-years' or the club stalls are probably my best bet.

"Ah, wait a second, Nanamura-kun!"

"Eh?"

My name was called unexpectedly, and I turned around. There, Kasai-kun, who was on the FestCom with me, was staring right at me. It seems he's the one who had come out to see off the customers.

As for his outfit... was it a butler suit? I didn't know the official name for it, but it was the kind of thing you often see butlers wearing in manga and anime. He was neatly dressed in the monotone clothes, and with his hair styled to increase his serious vibe, it actually suited him quite well.

"Nanamura-kun, are you by any chance looking for a food stall?"

"Ah, well, yeah."

"Then come to ours! We actually have very few customers right now, so I think you can take your time and relax. Hanamitsuji-san is here too!"

"No, it's not like I really wanted to relax or anything..."

"Come on, now. How about it, for the sake of our FestCom friendship? Come on, come on!"

You're being pretty pushy, Kasai-kun. Is this what they call a cultural festival high?

"One customer, coming right up!"

I was swept right into the classroom with the flow of things and guided to an empty two-seater table.

Looking around the shop, the staff were strutting around in all sorts of outfits—nurse uniforms, maid outfits, pirate-like costumes, samurai, a cat mascot suit, and even a guy wearing a cardboard box on his head with "Gundam" written right in the middle. It seems they took a pretty broad approach to the definition of cosplay.

As I continued looking around the store, my eyes met a girl in a maid's outfit standing by the wall.

"Ah..."

The one wearing the maid outfit was Hanamitsuji. We both froze, unable to say a word.

A tense atmosphere drifted between Hanamitsuji, who couldn't react to the sudden situation, and me, who was frantically trying to come up with an excuse. But Kasai-kun didn't seem to notice the mood at all, smiling brightly as he called out to her.

"Hanamitsuji-san, I brought Nanamura-kun over!"

"W-Why is Nanamura-kun here...?"

"It looked like he was searching for a food stall, so I called out to him. Oh, my shift is actually just ending, so I'll leave the rest to you, Hanamitsuji-san."

"Eh, hold on, Kasai-kun!?"

"Well, you see, the Science Club is doing an exhibition for the neon tetras I've been raising. I have to go take care of them."

"Wait, n-neon tetras…?"

"You guys should come check it out later if you would like. See ya!"

Giving a crisp wave, Kasai-kun briskly marched out of the classroom. Can he really show up in his butler uniform?

 

Hanamitsuji watched his retreating back in a daze.

"What's a neon tetra...?"

She muttered.

I wonder what it is. I have no idea either. Probably some kind of houseplant or fish.

She let out a deep, resigned sigh, then slowly turned around to face me. I feel like I did something wrong.

"...Please take a seat over there."

"...Okay."

I sat down at the empty seat as prompted. Why do I have to be this nervous?

Hanamitsuji briefly went to the backroom before returning to place a glass of water, a wet hand towel, and a laminated menu on the table. 

The maid outfit Hanamitsuji wore consisted of a nearly black, navy-blue dress with a white apron layered over it. The dress puffed at the shoulders, tapering down toward the white cuffs. The apron had ruffles around the shoulders, and she wore one of those headbands that maids often wear on their heads. The dress's hem was on the longer side without much volume, making it feel less like a cheap cosplay. It gave the impression of a maid from a good old-fashioned mansion.

How should I put this... well, it suits her way better than I expected, so I'm at a loss for words.

As I stayed silent for a while, Hanamitsuji's cheeks flushed as she quietly muttered.

"...Nanamura-kun, you're staring too much."

"S-Sorry. It's just my first time seeing a real maid outfit."

"Don't people like you go to shops where women wear maid outfits all the time?"

"What exactly do you think I am...? Besides, those kinds of shops require a cover charge, and the food is expensive. It's definitely not the kind of place a high schooler can just casually stroll into."

"You're awfully knowledgeable about this."

"...It's common sense."

"Did you look it up at some point?"

"...No, I was thinking about applying for a part-time job."

"That excuse is a bit of a stretch."

What's wrong with looking up the prices for a maid cafe? It's well within the bounds of a healthy high school boy's curiosity... probably.

I averted my eyes from Hanamitsuji's deadpan glare and frantically searched for a different topic.

"Anyway, that maid outfit is actually pretty high quality. Do they sell those at Donki or something?"

"Ah, this is actually handmade."

"Eh, seriously?"

"Yeah. A girl from the Handicrafts Club really went all out for us. She said they don't often get the chance to mess around with fabric however they want like this."

Looking closely at it again after she said that, there were certainly spots that looked like they had been tailored from a ready-made product. Even so, it was at a level where you wouldn't notice unless you were close enough.

While I was hesitating on how to reply, Hanamitsuji started making excuses.

"Everyone, including that girl, worked so hard on it, and when they tell you, 'We made it in your size because we thought it would absolutely suit you,' you can't exactly say no, right? Since I was on the FestCom, I also felt guilty about not being able to help with the class preparations. Don't you think I should do what I can? Or are you trying to say that I should have turned down my friends' invitation and focused solely on the FestCom?"

"I didn't say that, I didn't say that. You're free to cosplay however you want."

"It's not like I'm doing this because I want to..."

Hanamitsuji let out a sigh after saying that. What exactly are we even arguing about?

Just as I was about to drop my eyes to the menu, she spoke to me again, this time with a threatening tone in her voice.

"More importantly, Nanamura-kun? I told you quite clearly that you were absolutely forbidden from coming here, didn't I?"

"Well, it's not like I intended to come here either."

"...Hmm."

Her tone and expression clearly told me that she didn't believe me at all.

Personally, it's annoying to have her think I went out of my way to come here just to see her cosplay.

"Just like Kasai-kun said, I just happened to be passing by outside when he dragged me in by force. Honestly, up until the very last second, I was planning to keep my promise to you and ignore this place. Besides, I had no idea whether you would be on shift or not."

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped then. Kasai-kun probably didn't mean any harm, either."

Hanamitsuji muttered with a "good grief" kind of sigh. It seemed she finally understood.

I picked up the menu, intending to order something.

"Alright then, let's see..."

"Alright, one customer leaving."

"Hey, don't just kick me out! At least let me order something."

"Ehhh... you're going to eat...?"

Hanamitsuji scrunched up her face in annoyance. She is really not cut out for customer service... I wish she would learn a thing or two from Hoshigasaki.

"I told you I was looking for a food stall, didn't I? I'm hungry."

"I guess it can't be helped. What do you want?"

"I'll have orange juice to drink. As for food... you only have sweet pastries?"

"Yeah. Cooking in the classroom makes food storage and a bunch of other things a hassle, so it seems they decided to just serve store-bought bread."

Makes sense. Drinks in sealed containers can easily be stored just in the cooler bags kept in the classroom. Sweet pastries, as long as they don't have chocolate, are perfectly fine at room temperature, too.

Hanamitsuji, who had gone to the backroom in the corner of the classroom, immediately returned carrying a paper cup and a sweet pastry on a paper plate. High marks for the fast service.

"Here you go."

"Thanks."

At that moment, the classroom door rattled open.

"Soraaa!"

"Hinata!? What's wrong all of a sudden?"

The one who came rushing in with light footsteps was Kadotani. She charged straight toward Hanamitsuji and threw her arms around her with all her momentum.

"A kid who came to the Tennis Club's food stall earlier told me you were cosplaying, so I rushed out to see! It suits you sooooo well, Sora!"

"Ah, thank you... um, could you let go?"

"Oops, excuse me!"

At her words, Kadotani quickly pulled away. She stepped back two or three paces and held up her phone toward Hanamitsuji.

"I can't take a picture if I don't step back, after all!"

"I didn't really mean it like that, though."

"Ohh! That's great, Sora! Could you turn sideways just like that!?"

Though bewildered, Hanamitsuji followed Kadotani's instructions. She's surprisingly willing to play along, this girl.

"L-Like this...?"

"Woohoo!"

Kadotani is literally screaming "woohoo". She isn't even trying to hide her ulterior motives. Is it really okay to just leave her be? I wonder if this kind of depiction will get banned a few years down the line. Ah, maybe it's already a no-go overseas?

I munched on my stick-looking pastry while spectating the photoshoot unfolding right before my eyes. Wow, to think I would not only see a maid outfit for the first time in my life, but also get to witness a cosplay photoshoot. Is this the cosplay area of a convention?

After I munched on my snack for a while, the door burst open once again. It was a girl wearing a navy blue track jacket. Judging by her aura, she seemed like an upperclassman.

The moment she spotted Kadotani holding up her smartphone, her eyes narrowed sharply.

"Hey, Hinata! Stop slacking off!"

"Ugh, senpai!"

"Sorry about that, first-years. Our junior here is..."

The upperclassman walked in looking apologetic, grabbed Kadotani by her training wear, and hauled her away.

Kadotani was dragged out backwards just like that.

"Ahhh! I still haven't taken nearly enough pictures of Sora!"

"You're on the shift for the first day, Hinata. You still have a lot of takoyaki to make."

"Noooo, I'm already sick of takoyaki! Save me, Sora! At this point, even Nanamura-san will do!"

The door was slammed shut, cutting off Kadotani's words.

Staring at the closed door, Hanamitsuji let out an exhausted sigh.

"Haa... I suddenly feel completely drained..."

She sure seems to have it rough in all sorts of ways, too.

After leaving Class 1-F, I wondered where to go next.

"...I'm still hungry."

In the end, I had only eaten a single sweet pastry at the cosplay cafe.

It wasn't exactly because I saw Kadotani, but I felt like eating the Tennis Club's takoyaki. There was a yakisoba stall next to it as well, which should be perfect for satisfying my hunger.

To get to the area around the club building where the Tennis Club's stall is, there's a route from the entranceway and one via the connecting corridor leading to the gym. I changed my shoes at the entrance earlier because I had business at the stalls in the schoolyard, but this time I decided to use the connecting corridor route, so I could just stay in my indoor shoes.

As I got closer to the gym, there were fewer and fewer people around. That's because the gym stage isn't used much on the first day.

As I reached the connecting corridor, I spotted a familiar figure standing in front of the gym doors.

"Ah."

Shiramine was talking to someone on the other side of the doors. Since she was holding a tablet and what looked like clear files, she was probably in the middle of FestCom work.

The person I caught a glimpse of through the doorway was the president of the Drama Club. Prez Nagase, I think it was. It seemed other members, like the ponytailed Hirohashi-senpai, were there too.

"Phew, you really helped us out, Shiramine-san. Thanks!"

"I just did my job."

"That's not true. Last year was much more... well, sloppy."

Hirohashi-senpai scratched her cheek with a wry smile. I didn't know what it was like last year, but from what I saw of the Event Team this year, I wouldn't be surprised if there had been all sorts of issues.

"I'll be cheering for your performance tomorrow."

"Yeah. Please come watch us, Shiramine-san! We'll prepare a VIP seat for you!"

"No, Prez, we don't get that many people at our performances anyway. It's basically a free-for-all seating."

"Ugh... hahaha, the Drama Club is small and weak anyway... Next year we'll be facing disbandment... The traditions passed down from our seniors will end with me..."

"I didn't go quite that far."

Retorted by Hirohashi-senpai, Prez Nagase dropped his shoulders in dejection. Same as always.

"Well, come if you have the time, Shiramine-san. We're going to do our best too!"

Hirohashi-senpai leaned out the door and patted Shiramine on the shoulder.

Shiramine gave a subtle smile.

"If I don't have work, I would love to."

Bowing her head toward the closing door, Shiramine started walking down the connecting corridor toward me.

Around the middle of the hallway, she finally noticed me and got a surprised look on her face.

"Oh, it's you, Nanamura-kun."

"Hey. FestCom work, Shiramine?"

"Yeah, there's a rehearsal at the gym stage."

I see. So that's why the Drama Club members were all gathered there.

"Well, don't overdo it."

"Yeah, see you."

Shiramine hurried off after saying that.

Somehow, her retreating figure looked devoid of energy, and I unconsciously called out to her.

"Um, Shiramine."

"Yes?"

Shiramine turned around at my call. Stared at by her round eyes, I was at a loss for words.

"Well... don't take on too much. When your work is done, you can rest in our class. The festival stalls seemed decently fun."

Searching for the words stuck in my throat, I eventually gave up and offered a vague response.

Shiramine, who had been listening silently, softly let out a small breath through her nose.

"Thanks. I'll be fine."

Shiramine said only that and turned on her heel.

I vigorously scratched my head and roughly opened the door leading from the connecting corridor to the club building. The awkward expression Shiramine showed at the end just wouldn't leave my head.

Ah, damn it, say something a little more clever, me... no, if I could do that, I wouldn't be a loner in the first place, would I?

*

The second day of the cultural festival began.

Today is the general exhibition day. Since it also falls on a Saturday, it has been bustling with huge crowds since the morning.

Since rumors like "which class's attraction is amazing" or "which food stall is delicious" had already spread during the first day, long lines formed at the popular classes.

"Welcome! Anyone who wants to play target shooting, please line up here!"

As for me, I had been guiding customers at Class 1-A's festival stalls since noon. For what it's worth, I was wearing the prepared yukata to match the other members.

Originally, as a FestCom member, I didn't have any class shifts. On the second day, once my morning FestCom shift was over, I was supposed to be free until the after-party. But a classmate on shift had some business to attend to, leaving us short-staffed. On top of that, there were too many customers, so I was hurriedly pulled in to help. Since the FestCom side had enough people, I only helped during the morning rush and was allowed to leave early.

I was in charge of the target shooting. Since there were three guns prepared, I formed a waiting line in front of them and guided the next customer to whichever spot opened up.

"Alright, next person, over here please."

It was a good thing I stopped by the festival stalls yesterday. Knowing the contents of the attraction makes a big difference in how smoothly you can guide people.

The next customer was a girl in elementary school, around her third year, I think.

"Alright, you come over here next... um, come over here, okay...? Please come here, no, welcome...?"

Crap, I have no idea what tone to use when talking to kids. If someone like me talks to an elementary schooler, it's a guaranteed debut on the school district's suspicious person reports. Actually, I might already be on there somewhere without knowing.

In the end, I stumbled around into a completely nonsensical phrasing. The girl lined up with a face that seemed to say, "What's with this guy... should I tell my parents and end his whole life?"

Being looked at with scorn by an elementary school girl is actually pretty rough... makes you want to think "I'm sorry for being alive". I guess it would be a reward for people with a specific kind of fetish, though.

That being said, now is not the time to be feeling hurt.

"Hoshigasaki, grab the stool."

"Okay!"

I called out to Hoshigasaki, who was handling the target shooting with me. If they couldn't reach the gun due to their height, we had them stand on a prepared stool to shoot.

Hoshigasaki brought the stool over from the side of the stall and took the girl's hand to help her step up onto it.

"Alrighty, step right up here~"

"Got it!"

Led by the hand of Hoshigasaki, the little girl broke into a beaming, full-faced smile. Still holding her hand, Hoshigasaki gazed back at her with a gentle smile. 

Because kids are so innocent, their treatment of people differs so blatantly... It hurts.

I pulled myself together and worked mechanically for a while.

"Clear your mind and even work becomes whatever" or something, but no, it's just pure tediousness.

While guiding people, I amused myself with a game where I counted seconds in my head and occasionally checked the clock for the answer. There was no real point to it, but finding out more time had passed than the seconds I counted made me feel like I gained something. But eventually, you end up counting slowly on purpose and thinking, "I counted thirty seconds, but it's probably been an actual minute", so it becomes completely meaningless.

"Ah, they have target shooting! Let's do it!"

"Oh, nice. Let's line up then... whoa."

The new customers entering the classroom were a group of middle school-aged girls in uniform.

Just as I was thinking the uniform looked familiar... one of them let out a startled voice.

Looking closely, it was my younger sister, Satsuki. She was about to line up for target shooting with a few girls who seemed to be her friends.

After a moment of hesitation, I spoke with a straight face.

"...Please line up at the back of the line right over here."

"No wait, why are you ignoring me, onii-chan?"

When I tried to brush it off and treat her like a normal customer, Satsuki retorted with a deadpan glare.

"Well, I figured you might hate it if your family talked to you while you were with your friends."

"I would hate that, but being ignored is even worse."

"Is that how it is...?"

Younger sisters around this age are difficult creatures. It's no wonder Dad laments, "I just don't understand Satsuki..." I'll probably end up like that someday, too. No, wait, I'm already there.

Seeing us talk so casually, the friends she was with widened their eyes in surprise.

"Eh, Sacchan's older brother!? This guy!?"

"Yeah, officially speaking, at least."

"Don't say it with such weird implications."

This better not be one of those patterns where my parents sit me down when I come of age and go, "Actually..." You barely even see that in light novels these days.

Satsuki's friends looked full of curiosity as they compared my face with Satsuki's.

"Ohh, you two might actually look a little alike."

"I could totally believe it if someone said you shared about half your DNA."

Her friends murmured their impressions one after another, but Satsuki's expression was sour.

"Sorry, please stop. That actually hurts."

Your older brother is getting hurt by being told that by his little sister, you know…

By the way, it's said that human DNA is an approximate 99% match with chimpanzees (theories vary).

In other words, since I only share 50% of my DNA with Satsuki, that means I'm not human.

I'm no expert, but if the DNA match rate is 50%, wouldn't I be a water flea or a paramecium or something? Hell, there's even a possibility I'm a plant rather than an animal.

"More importantly, onii-chan, I never thought you would actually be in a place like this."

"Wait, didn't I tell you I was in Class A?"

"I knew that, but I figured there was no way you would actually be entrusted with any work for the class." 

"You're severely underestimating me!"

Well, to be fair, I actually wasn't supposed to have any work until this morning. But if I tell Satsuki that, it will only accelerate the suspicions (?) about my loner status, so I'll keep my mouth shut.

As we were talking like that, Hoshigasaki, whose work seemed to have settled down, approached us.

"Hey, hey, Nanamura. Could this be your little sister?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Ohh! She's so cute!"

Hoshigasaki's face lit up the moment she saw Satsuki, and she rested her hands on her knees to meet Satsuki's gaze.

"Hello there. I'm Nanamura's classmate, Hoshigasaki. What's your name?"

"Eh? Ah, I'm Satsuki Nanamura. Thank you for looking after my brother..."

Satsuki looked startled by the gal who had suddenly crashed the conversation, but she still managed to return the greeting somehow.

Then she brought her face close to my ear and grumbled in a hushed whisper.

"Onii-chan, what's the meaning of this!? How do you know such a cute gal!?"

"Well, we're just regular classmates."

"You two are way too close for just that, aren't you!?"

Perhaps having overheard us, Hoshigasaki scratched her cheek and spoke up as if making an excuse.

"Umm, it's more like Nanamura has, well, helped me out with a lot of things. Right?"

"Well, there are theories that suggest that."

I wasn't really aware of having helped her out that much, but it would be weird to deny it when she herself is saying it.

Satsuki still looked unconvinced, but she eventually turned back toward Hoshigasaki and bowed her head.

"Umm, thank you for being good friends with my brother."

"G-Good friends, that's a bit much, ehehe. Well, I guess we are a little close?"

"However, my brother is a penniless, spineless, hopeless human being with no future, so if you're after his money or something, I would ask you to please reconsider..."

"Hey, don't just erase my future prospects without my permission."

I lightly chopped Satsuki on her deeply bowed head. Muttering an "ouch", Satsuki rubbed her head and pouted in dissatisfaction.

Watching this exchange, Hoshigasaki gave a troubled, wry smile.

"Ahaha... We really are just regular classmates, so you can rest easy, Satsuki-chan."

"Well, there you have it."

Being told that by both of us, it seemed Satsuki was finally convinced.

"Hmm, well, if you say so, I'll believe you. Hoshigasaki-san, I'm sorry for saying such rude things earlier."

"It's fine, don't worry about it. You're all going to play target shooting, right? Look, look, a spot just opened up, so line up!"

With a beaming smile, Hoshigasaki guided Satsuki and her friends to the target shooting counter.

Looks like I'm going to be bombarded with questions for a while once I get home... I let out a small sigh behind Satsuki and the others.

A while after seeing Satsuki off, it was finally time for the shift change. I took off my yukata in the separate boys' changing room prepared for each grade, changed back into my uniform, and returned to the classroom.

I entered the back room to hang my yukata on a hanger. There, Hoshigasaki, who had already changed into her uniform, looked up from her smartphone.

A look of confusion was floating in her eyes.

"Ah, Nanamura."

"What's wrong?"

"Do you know where Prez is? I've been sending her messages for a while now, but they are left unread."

"Maybe she's just leaving them unread because it's a pain."

"No way, Prez doesn't ignore unread messages like you do."

Hoshigasaki shot me an accusatory look. I wish she would stop making that face like I did something wrong. I only ignore messages after carefully thinking them over, after all.

Just then, a girl in a yukata entered the back room. Come to think of it, this girl is one of the ones in the group who eats lunch with Shiramine.

"Ah, Yamauchi-san. Do you know where Prez is?"

When Hoshigasaki called out to her, the girl called Yamauchi gave her a blank look.

"Eh? When I invited her, she told me she had FestCom shifts scheduled for the entire second day, though?"

That's a lie.

The FestCom schedules are specifically adjusted so that you don't lose your entire day to work. She can't have shifts for the whole second day.

"Hey, Nanamura."

"Yeah."

I gave a small nod to Hoshigasaki, who was looking at me with an uneasy expression. There's no doubt that something strange is going on.

Recalling Shiramine's figure when I passed by her yesterday, I was overcome by a strange sense of foreboding.

"Come to think of it, I wanted to ask you two something. Did Shiramine show her face at our festival stalls yesterday afternoon?"

"Eh? I didn't see her, though."

As Hoshigasaki answered, Yamauchi-san nodded as well.

"I was on the very first afternoon shift, and I was just chilling in the classroom even after my shift ended... but I didn't see Shiramine-san."

"I see..."

If that's the case, where the hell has Shiramine been spending this festival?

"Hoshigasaki, can you step out for a bit?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Thank you, Yamauchi-san."

I thanked Yamauchi-san and left the classroom just like that.

Once we reached the sparsely populated connecting corridor, Hoshigasaki tightly clenched her fists near her chest.

"Where could Prez be..."

"I don't know. But from the looks of it, she's probably alone."

"What's her FestCom schedule like for the second day?"

"I think she said it was only in the morning. It should definitely be over by now."

Checking the time, it was almost 1:00 PM. There was a possibility she was voluntarily continuing her work, but judging from the atmosphere of the Event Team, that was unlikely.

"I wonder if she's still worried about that fight with the Event Team..."

Hoshigasaki murmured with a sad expression.

She had spent a lot of time with Shiramine over the summer, too. She was probably worried about her being isolated.

I gave a small shake of my head.

"It's possible, but we can't say for sure yet. In any case, I think all we can do is find her and ask her directly."

"I'll try asking Sora-chan too."

Hoshigasaki said with a serious look.

"Alright. I'll search the places that come to mind, too, so let me know if you find her."

"Yeah! Let me know if you find her as well, Nanamura!"

Saying that, I parted ways with Hoshigasaki and headed towards places with few people. She's not me, so she probably isn't walking around the stalls all by herself.

Fortunately, I have a few ideas of where a loner might go.

The best spot I found in my previous high school life was the stairwell leading to the roof of the special building. The roof is always locked, so no one ever comes up there.

If it had been kept clean, it might have become a popular confession spot, but unfortunately, desks and chairs were left haphazardly lying around, making it far from romantic. Besides, there weren't any delinquents in this school who would hang out in a place like that.

I ran to the stairwell, but came up empty.

Even though it was October, the daytime temperatures on sunny days approached 30 degrees. I roughly wiped away the sweat trickling down my forehead with the palm of my hand.

There was also the possibility of a girls' restroom stall. I didn't want to imagine Shiramine shutting herself in a bathroom, but I couldn't rule out the possibility.

Just in case, I sent a message to Hoshigasaki: <Search the girls' restrooms too, just to be safe.>

<Roger! I'm looking around with Sora-chan now!>

It seems Hoshigasaki had successfully met up with Hanamitsuji. While I was relieved, it also meant the possibility of Shiramine being with Hanamitsuji was now gone.

To be thorough, I decided to check out the gym stage, which Shiramine had been in charge of on the FestCom.

However, only the Juggling Club's performance was happening inside. There was no sign of Shiramine. Taking a quick glance at today's performance schedule posted by the entrance, I hurried back towards the school building.

The remaining candidates were the staff parking lot, which had no food stalls, or the outdoor stairs leading to the pool on the roof of the sub-arena.

There's also the option of pretending to go out on a supply run to a nearby convenience store or supermarket and killing time at the closest sports center or library, which is a trick I used during my third year in my previous life, but it takes a decent amount of nerve, and I highly doubt Shiramine could come up with it overnight.

Besides, even if she did think of it, I don't feel like Shiramine has the sort of personality to actually do it.

It had to be somewhere within the school where she could be alone.

No matter how you look at it, this is a question where I have the upper hand over Shiramine. I survived three years of loner cultural festivals in my previous high school life, after all.

Think. Where did the past me kill time during the festival?

"...Ah."

I suddenly realized I had overlooked a crucial point.

That's right.

I'm currently living through my second high school life.

There is one obvious difference between my previous school festivals and this one.

The fact that I joined the FestCom.

*

The end of the third floor of the classroom building. I was standing in front of a door located past the stairs.

I gently opened one side of the double doors, which were different from the ones in normal classrooms.

The plaque above the doors read "Library".

Stepping inside, the unique scent of paper and ink hung in the air. The familiar smell put my mind at ease.

During my previous cultural festivals, the library had been closed all day.

This time, however, my proposal to the FestCom had been approved, allowing any student to come and go as they pleased.

The school librarian was sitting at the reception counter.

I gave a small nod of acknowledgment and entered the front reading room.

Students were sparsely seated at the several tables in the reading room. It was by no means crowded, but there seemed to be a certain level of demand. Well, I doubt everyone here is a loner like me, though. You guys better be thanking me.

Shiramine was nowhere to be seen in this room. But there was still another place to look.

In the back of the reading room, beyond a set of double doors even larger than the entrance, lay the archives. Steel bookshelves were crammed together in there, making it an irresistible place for book lovers like me. In fact, I actually enjoy going into the archives to hunt for interesting books.

I slipped through the half-open doors and entered the archives.

The windows in the archives were small and the lighting was old, so the room was always dim. That was actually one of my favorite things about it, but regular students rarely came near it.

I made my way through the aisle sandwiched between the bookshelves.

By the window at the very back, I saw a single figure standing with their back turned. 

Her glossy black hair cascaded down a petite back like a waterfall.

Perhaps sensing some kind of presence, she turned her head to face me.

"...It's you."

"Hey."

Shiramine forced a weak, resigned smile and abruptly turned her gaze back toward the window.

Come to think of it, I had talked with Shiramine here once before, hadn't I? As I walked toward her, I recalled that memory in the corner of my mind.

Without a word, I stood side-by-side next to her.

Peeking out the small window in front of us, I could see the decorated school gates and the piloti down below.

I shot a sideways glance at her.

With an expression completely devoid of emotion, Shiramine was staring out the window, not really looking at anything in particular.

"I've been looking for you. So you were here after all."

"How did you... no, right. You were the one who requested that the library stay open."

"It was a good proposal, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. It's a good place to be alone."

Good grief... I feel like I've been regularly searching for someone over the past few months. Haven't I gotten pretty good at tracking people down?

If I can't become a NEET or an author in the future, maybe I'll become a private detective. Ideally, I would want an office on the upper floors of a building with a familiar cafe on the first floor. And I would have a part-time girl working there telling me, "Boss! At this rate, the agency is going to go bankrupt~!", but in reality, I own the entire building and live off the rental income. At that point, I would be more of a real estate owner than a private detective, though.

From the window, we could see people coming and going from the school. There were our school's students who seemed to be out on supply runs, as well as families and young people who looked like university students.

"Everyone looks like they are having fun."

"Everyone, huh?"

And you're not included in that "everyone", are you?

Even though you worked so earnestly and did your best for everyone's sake.

"The cultural festival is a success."

"No, it's not a success yet."

Shiramine reacted to my words with a puzzled look.

Why is she so indifferent when it comes to herself? I stifled a sigh in my heart.

"I came to drag you out of here. This isn't the place where you belong."

It would be one thing if a guy like me were spacing out alone here, but such a gloomy place doesn't suit Shiramine at all. Well, I am the one who petitioned to have the library opened, though.

"I'm... fine."

"Why?"

"...It's been painful. This whole time."

Shiramine spilled the words out as if squeezing them from her throat, her fists clenching tightly. Biting her downturned lip, she fell silent as if desperately holding something back.

"I don't think I did anything wrong. The Event Team's way of doing things was wrong, and since I noticed it, I had a duty to point it out. Practice shifts should have been allocated fairly to every club."

"Yeah, I think so too."

Shiramine believes that the world should be just. That right deeds should be rewarded, and wrong deeds should be condemned. Everyone must have believed that at first.

But the world isn't built that way, so you have to compromise somewhere. If you don't give up, compromise, and turn a blind eye, you'll just end up suffering forever.

That's probably why Shiramine is still suffering even now.

"But thanks to you, Shiramine, at least the shift adjustments became fair."

"That wasn't my power. If you hadn't brought Kambara-senpai into it, it wouldn't have turned out like that."

"That's..."

She might certainly be right about that. If Shiramine had contacted the Executive Team right from the start, although it would have taken the form of whistleblowing, no further public clashes should have occurred. The shift adjustments would likely have been made far sooner as well.

"I couldn't rely on Kambara-senpai and the others... because I felt that if I did, surely, I wouldn't be acknowledged."

Shiramine's words echoed as if tracing the outline of her regret.

The day we went to the beach. I remembered when Shiramine confessed to me under the beach parasol that she was going to join the FestCom.

Back then, when I said that both the FestCom and the student council seemed like nothing but a hassle, Shiramine's answer was that I probably wouldn't understand.

I couldn't quite grasp what she meant at the time, but now I understand a little.

Shiramine probably wanted to be rewarded.

She wanted her hard work on the FestCom to be evaluated fairly and, as a result, achieve her goal of joining the student council.

That's exactly why she couldn't easily rely on the Executive Team. If Kambara-senpai thought of her as "a girl who immediately relies on others" and lowered her evaluation, that would be the end of it.

"In the end, I just got saved by you and Kambara-senpai anyway, so talk about putting the cart before the horse."

Saying that, Shiramine laughed self-deprecatingly. All I could do was listen in silence.

Good grief... what I did was really nothing more than completely unnecessary meddling.

"If you hadn't been there, my claims wouldn't have been acknowledged. Even so, I think everything would have just kept moving forward as if nothing had happened. And the cultural festival would surely have been just as successful as it is now. ...A world where that is allowed is just painful for me."

Placing her palm gently against the window, Shiramine let out a deep, exhausted sigh. Beyond the glass, people were still coming and going with genuinely joyful smiles. From the outdoor stage in the schoolyard, a voice speaking into a microphone drifted up. It sounded like some volunteer group performing a stand-up comedy routine.

How nice it would have been if she could have just been down there with them, laughing without a care in the world.

"...Even I understand it by now. This world isn't fair. The fact that I'm not rewarded isn't anyone's fault either. If I had to blame someone, then yeah, I'm sure I'm the one at fault."

The fact that she was forced to say such a thing was just overwhelmingly sad.

Seriously, why is the world built like this? I couldn't help but feel a sudden surge of intense anger.

Turning her face away from my silent figure, Shiramine muttered.

"Sorry, I have just been telling you things that won't do any good to hear."

"...It's not really something you need to apologize for." 

"Thank you for coming to look for me. But I'm just not in the mood to go around the festival today. Sorry, but please just leave me alone for now. Say hi to Hoshigasaki-san for me."

Shiramine cut her words short as if the conversation was over, but I didn't move from the spot.

The words hadn't taken shape yet. But there was something I needed to tell her.

Perhaps finding it suspicious that I wasn't leaving, Shiramine shot me a puzzled look.

"What's wrong? You should hurry and go enjoy the cultural festival too. There's no need for you to stay here forever, right?"

"The one who shouldn't be here is you, Shiramine."

"Why do you always..."

As Shiramine trailed off, I continued my words.

"To be honest, I have zero interest in how this world is built or how it should be. I think there's no point in even worrying about it."

As expected, I just can't bring myself to honestly believe in the idea that earnest people will be rewarded.

The world isn't built that way.

Ironically enough, Shiramine right in front of me is the proof of that.

"...I see."

Hearing my words, Shiramine cast her eyes down, looking lonely.

"However…"

That's not it, Shiramine.

Whether she was expecting something or it was just a reflex, I couldn't tell, but Shiramine's gaze suddenly caught mine.

Looking straight into her face, I voiced it clearly.

"I want you to be rewarded, Shiramine."

Shiramine's already round eyes grew even rounder as if she had been struck.

"It's not about how the world works or anything like that. It's just that you, who has been working so earnestly on the FestCom all this time, absolutely have to be rewarded. At the very least, you aren't the kind of person who should be sitting here all alone today. That's what I think."

It's wrong for people who live earnestly to be made fools of.

But reality isn't that simple. Earnest people get saddled with troublesome tasks, forced to take responsibility, and if they disrupt the harmony, they are cut off for the sake of unity.

If that's the case, then at the very least…

Someone nearby has to look out for them, right?

Impossible things are impossible, you can't just bend the rules of reality, and you can't change the world, but…

At the very least, I can wish for efforts to be rewarded. I can at least put those feelings into words and convey them.

Shiramine, who had been listening silently as if lost in thought, suddenly opened her mouth.

However, her lips only trembled, and no words came out. Without rushing her, I simply stared at her face and waited.

A solid ten seconds or more must have passed.

"...Am I a person who deserves to be rewarded?"

The voice that slipped out was far too frail.

Hearing that voice, I felt like I finally understood, just a little, what Shiramine had been afraid of.

She had been anxious this whole time.

She couldn't be sure if she was a person worthy of being rewarded.

It's no wonder. After all, she has never been rewarded until now.

If the days of not being rewarded continue, no matter how hard you try or how much effort you put in, you'll inevitably be forced to think that maybe you just aren't an existence worthy of such things.

That's why I nodded clearly and forcefully enough to make a sound.

"Yeah, you deserve it. I guarantee you."

Shiramine drew in a small breath through her slightly parted lips, making a faint whistling sound.

"...But the world isn't that simple, is it?"

"Yeah. There will probably be times in the future where your efforts go unrewarded, too."

Unfortunately, that's also the truth.

But that's just because being a person worthy of reward doesn't guarantee so.

"No matter what anyone says, you're someone who deserves to be rewarded, Shiramine, and I seriously think that a world where that doesn't happen is what's wrong."

"...I see."

Shiramine replied earnestly, as if letting the words sink in.

I let out a small breath and looked out the window. A piercingly blue autumn sky caught my eye. Only now did I realize just how clear the sky was today.

"So, well, if anything else happens, let me know. I can at least listen to you vent."

Shiramine finally relaxed her cheeks into a smile after I said that.

"...Hehe. I have a pretty foul mouth, you know?"

"I already know."

When that girl from the Event Team cried, I felt like she said quite a few things. We seem to get along in the weirdest ways, Shiramine and I.

Oops, come to think of it, I forgot to contact Hoshigasaki and the others. I hastily sent a message and asked for a certain favor while I was at it.

I put my phone away and turned back to face Shiramine.

"Well then, let's go make this cultural festival a success."

"Eh?"

With a blank look, Shiramine wore an expression that said she couldn't understand.

"Setting me aside, the festival is already a complete success, isn't it?"

"No, not yet."

I gave a small shake of my head.

"Because to me, the cultural festival's success means you enjoying it, Shiramine."

"Ah…"

During the field trip in the first semester. Shiramine had said this to me as I tried to leave the group.

"To me, the field trip's success means you having fun with us, too."

I hated those words. Why did the success of her trip have to depend on me? I didn't want her forcing that kind of role onto me.

But this time, having ended up on that side myself, I finally understood.

Getting involved with Shiramine, knowing how hard she works.

From the bottom of my heart, I ended up wanting this girl to be rewarded.

Human relationships really are a pain. If things end up like this, it's easier to minimize the number of people you get involved with. A certain Araragi-san said that making friends lowers your human intensity, too. Being a loner really makes you the strongest. [TL: Koyomi Araragi from Monogatari.]

Even so, I can't help what I have already felt. I can't just pretend those feelings never existed.

Eventually, Shiramine burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. I wanted to warn her to keep quiet in the library, but well, I'll let it slide just this once.

"Ahaha, that's hilarious. You're really the one saying that?"

"Even I never thought I would end up saying something like that."

"You completely ignored me when I said that during the field trip, though."

"It's your fault for expecting anything from a loner."

"I suppose that's true."

"...It kind of pisses me off how easily you agreed to that."

"Hehe. Well, you definitely surprised me, I'll give you that."

"I'm surprised at myself, too. I'm doing something completely out of character."

"Well, if I made you go so far out of your comfort zone... I suppose I would feel bad if I didn't play along."

Shiramine relaxed her lips into a smile and looked up at my face in amusement.

*

As I left the library together with Shiramine, a message arrived on my phone.

It's almost time. We won't make it if we don't hurry.

"This way. We don't have much time left, so we're running."

"Hey, where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there."

I sound like Antonio Inoki right now. But I can't even spare the time to explain. [TL: Famous professional wrestler and politician.]

Pushing through the hustle and bustle of the cultural festival, we ran all the way to the gymnasium.

Entering the dark hall, Hanamitsuji and Hoshigasaki noticed us and called out, "Over here, over here!"

There were a few spectators scattered among the rows of folding chairs, but there was still plenty of room. The person setting up a video camera on a tripod in the back must be someone's parent.

The two of them had secured seats on the right side facing the stage.

We had Shiramine sit in the empty seat in the middle.

"Sit here, Mashiro."

"T-Thank you."

"There's a seat for you too, Nanamura!"

"I don't really need a seat, though..."

I'm the type who would prefer to watch a live concert from the back with my arms crossed. Well, I've never actually been to a concert, but personality-wise, I think that suits me better.

"Ruri went through the trouble of saving them for us. You had better stop complaining and sit down."

I reluctantly sat down after being told off by Hanamitsuji.

More importantly, why are you wearing your maid outfit again today?

Hanamitsuji was clad in the same maid outfit she wore at the cosplay cafe yesterday. Even the headband-like thing on her head was perfectly in place.

"It couldn't be helped. Ruri called me out of nowhere."

"Could it be you actually kind of like it? ...Ouch, that hurts, Hanamitsuji-san."

She started kicking my shins without a word. It hurts. Please stop.

Beside her, Shiramine relaxed her lips and muttered earnestly.

"...Ah, so that's what this is."

Knowing how perceptive Shiramine is, she's probably already figured out our intentions and what we're about to watch.

Shiramine should have the gym stage timetable memorized to begin with. She took her job that seriously, after all.

"There's no way we could end the cultural festival without watching this."

"Yeah... it really would be a shame."

"They have been working hard for today, too."

Shiramine nodded at my words.

As we turned our eyes to the stage with its lowered curtain, the MC's announcement echoed right on cue.

"The Drama Club's cultural festival performance will now begin. Everyone, please sit back and enjoy the show."

After the announcement, the lights dimmed, and the curtain smoothly rose. In the darkness, the brightly lit stage emerged.

The Drama Club's performance was a comedic coming-of-age story. The setting was a student council debating this and that in preparation for the memorable cultural festival marking the school's 50th anniversary.

The student council was tossed around by tangled, straying discussions and a never-ending series of difficult problems. Even so, the officers pushed forward toward making the festival a success.

Even Prez Nagase, who has a weak mentality despite his large build, showed off a dignified performance on stage.

His passionately pushed beauty pageant project got rejected, and so…

"Why is a beauty pageant not allowed, dammit!?"

The scene where he screamed that and collapsed brought laughter from the audience.

Then the junior played by Hirohashi-senpai ruthlessly shoots him down with, "Are you an idiot, Prez?"

Remembering our exchange in the clubroom, I couldn't help but laugh as well.

Eventually, the story entered its climax.

The various problems were resolved in unexpected ways, heading toward a grand finale.

The final scene landed the punchline beautifully, and the curtain smoothly began to fall.

Just then, the sound of clapping rang out from the audience.

It was Shiramine.

A bright, beaming smile floated on her face. Following her lead, Hoshigasaki and Hanamitsuji also applauded, and soon, clapping erupted from the entire audience.

The curtain fully lowered, and the gym brightened. Then, the members of the Drama Club stepped out in front of the curtain, lining up all four of them to take a bow. 

"Thank you very much!"

Raising their heads, Prez Nagase and Hirohashi-senpai waved enthusiastically toward Shiramine. Looking a bit bashful, Shiramine waved back.

Watching that exchange, I let out a soft breath.

For now, I'll go ahead and call this year's cultural festival a success.

*

By the time we left the gym, it was already past 2:00 PM. In about two and a half hours, the cultural festival would be over.

"Hey, hey, where should we go next!?"

"They said the third-years' food stalls have really delicious pancakes."

"Ohh, that sounds nice. I'm getting hungry, too."

"Alright, then let's go!"

Ignoring Hanamitsuji and the others as they excitedly discussed their plans, I started walking in a different direction.

"Well then, I'm gonna head off."

However, my wrist was grabbed tightly, causing me to stumble forward.

Looking back, Shiramine was shooting me an exasperated, deadpan glare.

"You're coming too, you know."

"...Why?"

"You're telling me you aren't tagging along after you said all that? That's unthinkable."

"No, I was planning on shutting myself in the library until the end..."

That's exactly why I submitted the request to keep it open in the first place.

But there was no sign of my excuse being accepted, and Hanamitsuji cut right to the chase.

"It's a waste of time to argue about this, Nanamura-kun. We're going."

"Yeah, yeah! You want to eat pancakes too, right, Nanamura!"

"Not really... well, I guess I am hungry, but..."

Come to think of it, I hadn't eaten anything since my shift ended. I was too busy looking for a certain someone, after all…

Noticing my brief sideways glance, Shiramine looked up at me with the same stare again.

"You look like you have something you want to say."

"No, not really."

I looked away to play it off. Seeing our exchange, Hanamitsuji shrugged her shoulders in a "good grief" manner.

"Come on, come on! If we don't hurry, they will be sold out!"

While being dragged along toward the classroom building, I thought to myself earnestly.

...Being a loner really was easier, huh.

*

In the darkness of the night, I was blankly staring at the roaring flames.

The customary after-party campfire is being held in the schoolyard. I call it customary, but since I never participated in the after-party once during my previous high school life, this is my first time seeing it like this.

Even today, I was fully intending to go home if I didn't have any work. Unfortunately, I was appointed to the mysterious role of watching over the plastic jugs filled with water for extinguishing the fire.

According to Kambara-senpai, in the past, there was a student who got so absorbed in dancing that they crashed into the plastic jugs, so this role was established as a countermeasure.

In other words, I'm a plastic jug watchdog and a human repellent. Just a scarecrow with different targets.

Several plastic jugs were placed together, a dozen or so meters away from the central fire.

Around here, the light of the flames didn't reach much, and the small lantern at my feet was my only source of light.

The outdoor tent where the after-party stage and headquarters were set up was exactly on the opposite side from me. It would have been awkward if there were people around, so let's just consider it a blessing that I'm on the less populated side.

Up until a little while ago, stand-up comedy and band performances were being held on the stage, but now it's all about the campfire. Folk dance music flowed from the schoolyard speakers, and the shadows of the dancing students flickered, illuminated by the flames.

All things considered, there must be two or three hundred people participating.

Come to think of it, they took us deep into the mountains for an outdoor learning trip in elementary school, and we had a campfire then, too.

That time, the girls I was paired up with for the folk dance all subtly pretended to hold my hand by keeping theirs hovering slightly.

"Ah, well, we're already in puberty, right? So that's just how everyone is..." or so I thought, until I looked at the guy next to me and saw the girl who hovered her hand for me, holding his hand completely normally.

Well, it's not like I mind or anything. I have zero interest in girls anyway! I don't want to hold hands with them or anything! Hanging out with guys is the most fun anyway! And please refrain from pointing out that I don't hang out with guys either.

While I was thinking about that, I heard footsteps approaching me from the darkness.

"Thanks for the hard work."

The one illuminated by the light of the lantern was Hanamitsuji.

She was no longer in her maid outfit, having changed back into her regular school uniform.

...I'm not disappointed or anything, seriously.

"Hey."

"Is the watchdog duty going smoothly?"

"I may as well be homeless in the future if I can't do this job smoothly."

To think she would come talk to a guy like me during the much-awaited after-party. Does she just have a bottomless amount of free time?

"Want to switch if you're bored?"

"No thanks. I'm not on duty for the after-party, and I want to leisurely enjoy it as a guest."

Saying that, Hanamitsuji stood side-by-side next to me, for whatever reason.

For a while, the two of us stared silently at the campfire.

Among the silhouettes dancing around the campfire, I could see Hoshigasaki holding hands with Hiiragi. Looks like she was shrewdly enjoying the after-party too.

From the looks of it, Hiiragi was quite a good dancer.

However, Hoshigasaki was disastrous when it came to both tempo and choreography, and it seemed Hiiragi was being dragged down and thrown into chaos because of it.

Tangling her feet, Hoshigasaki dove right into Hiiragi's chest, causing them both to lose their balance.

Ah, they fell.

Falling to the ground on her back, Hiiragi made an exasperated face and delivered a chop to Hoshigasaki, who was lying on top of her stomach.

Hoshigasaki instantly clutched her head and burst out laughing, and Hiiragi caught the contagious laughter and started laughing too.

"Ruri looks like she's having fun."

I looked at Hanamitsuji, who mumbled that out quietly.

"Yeah. I just hope they realize this after-party is built upon my sacrifice."

"Sacrifice, you say."

Hanamitsuji gave a wry smile, but it's a magnificent sacrifice, you know?

If things had gone normally, I would be at home leisurely reading light novels right now, but instead, I'm watching plastic jugs in the corner of a campfire.

The BGM changed, shifting into a song with a slower tempo than before.

When I casually glanced to the side, I made perfect eye contact with Hanamitsuji somehow, so I instinctively averted my gaze.

Why is she looking at me? Did I smell bad, or did I accidentally mutter something out loud? I'm probably just overthinking things.

But, well, there doesn't seem to be any other reason for her to look at me anyway.

In fact, between the class duties and searching for Shiramine today, I feel like I have sweat quite a bit. Ugh, I suddenly want to die. 

Just as I was thinking about wanting to be a shellfish in my next life, Hanamitsuji slowly parted her lips.

"Say, Nanamura-kun."

"What?"

"You're free, right?"

"Well, besides watching the plastic jugs, I don't really have anything else to do."

"Then…"

Hanamitsuji paused for a moment.

I heard the sound of her taking a small breath.

"Since we're here, do you want to dance together?" 

Time stopped.

Of course, I don't have time-stopping powers, so it was just an illusion.

My gaze was drawn to Hanamitsuji. She didn't look away either, just staring straight at me. We remained like that, staring into each other's eyes.

I couldn't take my eyes off her perfectly sculpted face, like that of a statue. The shadows cast by the lantern and the campfire amplified her beauty.

My mouth opened as if I was about to say something.

But I didn't even know myself what I wanted to say to her.

Two seconds, three seconds passed... and then, a sudden cheer erupted from the direction of the campfire.

My gaze was instinctively drawn over there. Apparently, a guy had just confessed to a girl or something. Talk about a reckless hero.

 

 

Turning my head back with a "good grief", I saw that Hanamitsuji was also looking toward the campfire. Feeling somewhat relieved, I let out a small breath.

"...I'm technically on the job, you know?"

I managed to squeeze that out as a reply to her earlier question.

Hanamitsuji had a blank expression for a moment, but soon burst into a small laugh.

"Hehe. So you would have danced with me if you weren't working?"

Looking at her grinning face, it seems I was just being teased. That was close, I almost got swept up in the atmosphere and accidentally said something weird.

Hanamitsuji peered into my face in amusement. Feeling my cheeks growing hot, I abruptly turned my face away.

"Aww. If you had just said, 'Please let me dance with you', I wouldn't have minded dancing with you for a bit."

"I'm not so full of myself that I would dance at the after-party. A loner getting carried away at a campfire is just too painful to watch, isn't it?"

"You think so? Well, if you say so, Nanamura-kun, I guess it can't be helped."

Hanamitsuji let out a small hum and stretched. With her hands still clasped behind her back, she started walking toward the campfire as if showing off to me.

Watching her retreating back in a daze, I let out a deep sigh.

Just before disappearing into the crowd, Hanamitsuji turned halfway back and smiled.

"You really worked hard today, Nanamura-kun."

"Yeah, I'm really exhausted."

When I waved my hand dismissively, Hanamitsuji nodded in satisfaction.

Apparently, someone had been watching the situation from nearby for a while.

Her black hair melted into the night, and her strikingly pale skin was illuminated by the light of the campfire and the lantern.

Shiramine let out a huff from her nose after comparing me to the campfire.

"Are you two dating after all?"

"How does it look like that from any angle?"

With her arms crossed, Shiramine glared up at me.

"If you ever end up dating, tell me early on."

"Why?"

When I shot back without thinking, Shiramine averted her eyes as if troubled. Just as I thought that was a rare reaction from her, she mumbled an excuse.

"Well, that... there might be various complications. Maybe not right now, but, you know, in the future or something..."

"Huh?"

"...Never mind, don't worry about it."

Shiramine sighed and gave up.

Then, she raised her head and asked in her usual tone, looking like she had thought of something.

"Come to think of it, Nanamura-kun, what are you doing for the class after-party?"

It seems our Class 1-A is having an after-party at a nearby yakiniku restaurant after the post-festival party ends.

The post-festival party ends around 7:00 PM. The FestCom members are scheduled to wrap up around 7:30 PM. There is plenty of time to make it if I want to go.

By the way, the plan is to douse the campfire embers with water today to put them out and leave them overnight. Tomorrow morning, the Baseball Club, who uses the grounds, will supposedly gather the trash for us. Thank god for that.

I answered Shiramine's question bluntly.

"I'll go if I can."

"That's the answer of a guy who's absolutely not coming."

I mean, it's not like I helped with the class preparations or anything. It's awkward to go to the after-party just because I tended the stall a little on the second day.

Besides, since it's yakiniku, it probably means five or six people will be sitting around the same grill. In my case, it would probably create an awkward atmosphere no matter who from the class I end up sitting with.

And if I do go, I would feel bad because Hoshigasaki and Shiramine would probably go out of their way to look after me.

I don't really have anyone to talk to besides those two, but they have plenty of other friends. I can't just make them play the "person in charge of Nanamura" at the after-party.

"Well, I figured as much."

Shiramine seemed to have anticipated my response and accepted it easily. It was probably just a courtesy ask.

That was close. If I had gotten carried away and said, "Well then, maybe I will go since you're inviting me," I definitely would have caused trouble for her. Talk about a trap. Human relationships are just way too difficult…

Just then, FestCom Chair Kambara-senpai walked over.

"Oh, Shiramine-san and Nanamura-kun. Perfect timing!"

A senior waved at us with a smile, to which Shiramine greeted her with a question.

"Senpai, are you okay being away from the headquarters?"

She gave a single nod and glanced over at the outdoor tent.

"Our excellent subordinates are holding down the fort. The only thing left for me to do is drop a banger of a speech at the end of the after-party."

I don't think it really needs to be a "banger", though.

Returning her gaze, Kambara-senpai said, "Right, right"  and smiled at Shiramine.

"This is sudden, but Shiramine-san. Do you want to join our student council?"

"Eh?"

Perhaps because the words were unexpected, Shiramine's eyes went wide.

"Ah, when I say student council, I mean the 'next student council'. I'm running for the next student council president, and I'll definitely win. I've been looking for kids on the FestCom to select as officers for when that happens. And that's why I've had my eye on you, Shiramine-san."

Ohh. This is exactly the development Shiramine predicted.

"If you're interested, what do you say?"

For Shiramine, who joined the FestCom to become a student council member, this should be exactly what she wished for. I looked back at Shiramine next to me.

"Good for you." 

"Ah, yeah... I suppose."

However, Shiramine's expression was gloomy. It seems there's a reason she can't just easily accept.

Her gaze darted back and forth between Kambara-senpai's face and the ground a few times.

Then, she hesitantly opened her mouth.

"But I couldn't do well as a FestCom member. I clashed with everyone in my team, and in the end, I had to have you help me, senpai. When I think about whether someone like me is fit to be a student council officer, I just don't have the confidence."

Shiramine pressed her lips tightly together.

I recalled what Hanamitsuji told me, about how the previous Shiramine didn't join the student council. As expected, the incident with the Event Team was still weighing on her mind.

"I think you did a good job though, Shiramine-san?"

"...You think so?"

Shiramine seemed puzzled after Kambara-senpai said that.

"I did?"

"That's right."

"But that was only because Nanamura-kun called you over, Kambara-senpai..."

"Right, Nanamura-kun?"

Senpai looked at my face after suddenly throwing the topic at me.

"If Shiramine-san hadn't pointed out the problem with the Event Team, would you have dragged me into it?"

"That wouldn't have happened. It's a pain to stick my neck into another team's problems, and to begin with, I wouldn't have even noticed the injustice."

Kambara-senpai floated a smug expression, as if to say, "See?"

"That's how it is, Shiramine-san. Being able to stick to the claims you believe are right even when you're at a disadvantage isn't something just anyone can do. For a healthy organization to operate, we need people like that. That's why I want to welcome you as a student council member."

Hearing those words, Shiramine let out a small gasp.

She tightly clenched her small fists near her chest.

"I won't force you if you don't want to, but what do you say?"

Stared straight at by those serious eyes, Shiramine fell silent for a moment.

There must still be some conflict within her. About whether it's really okay for her to join the student council. Even if she joins, there's no guarantee she'll do well.

But, eventually, with a look that suggested she had made up her mind, she slowly nodded.

"Understood. If you're okay with someone like me, I would love to."

"That's great! Alright, with this, I have secured one loyal subordinate!"

Kambara-senpai said this in a joking tone and lightly placed her hands on both of Shiramine's shoulders.

Shiramine smiled wryly and replied, "I look forward to working with you."

Then, as if it were an afterthought, Kambara-senpai looked at me and smiled mischievously.

"Oh, right, how about you join us too, Nanamura-kun?"

"I'll pass on being part of Shiramine's package deal."

"Ahaha! Believe it or not, I actually value you quite highly, you know?"

"I appreciate the words, but I think you're overestimating me. According to my little sister, I'm penniless, spineless, and have no future prospects."

"Ohh, that's a sister with quite the eye."

"Senpai, weren't you just saying you value me?"

"Well, it's not like I value those aspects of you."

With my money, spinelessness, and prospects all shot down, I feel like I don't have any redeeming aspects left, though.

"So, Nanamura-kun, is it really a no-go?"

"I have done a lifetime's worth of selfless devotion on the FestCom, so I respectfully decline. If it were a relationship based on favors and service, I might consider it, though."

"Hmm, but I can't pay you a salary, you see. Alright. How about when you want to be praised, I give you head pats?"

"I don't need that kind of favor."

I flatly rejected her. Getting my head patted by a senior I'm not even that close to would probably elicit more embarrassment than joy.

"Ah, right, Hoshigasaki is also on the FestCom. She's from my class."

I tried saying that with the intention of offering her as a human sacrifice.

Drawn by my gaze, Kambara-senpai looked at Hoshigasaki, who was still dancing at the campfire.

She was paired up with a different girl than Hiiragi now, but she was still skillfully tossing her partner around with steps that were subtly off-rhythm from the melody. Why she was tossing her partner around, I have no idea.

"Ah, Hoshigasaki-san... Yeah, well, she did work hard for us. She's cheerful, cute, and I think she's a really good girl."

For some reason, Kambara-senpai's response was unusually evasive.

"It's just, well, a lot of the student council's work is stuff you really can't mess up on..."

She muttered that with a distant look in her eyes.

It seems Hoshigasaki's stock had plummeted at some point through the FestCom.

Sure, the Food Safety Team leader was worried about her too, but... just how bad was she at her job?

 

 

Late October, about two weeks after the cultural festival.

Before I knew it, the maximum temperature was no longer exceeding 25 degrees. It was about time for autumn to set in earnestly.

The sports festival, which was pure hell for a gloomy loner like me, also passed by while I emptied my mind. I wonder if time will heal these wounds quickly enough.

Hanamitsuji and I were sitting across from each other at our usual family restaurant.

Come to think of it, it's been a while since I had a family restaurant meeting with Hanamitsuji. We were both busy during the FestCom's activity period, and after that, the sports festival and public holidays happened to fall on Mondays.

Gathering just the two of us like this was the first time since the end of the first semester.

"Mashiro joined the student council this time, didn't she?"

Hanamitsuji gave the straw in her glass of iced tea a little twirl.

"Yeah."

Kambara-senpai was elected as the student council president in the elections last week. I wasn't interested, so I didn't look at the detailed results, but apparently, it was a landslide victory with double the score of her opponent.

And as promised, Shiramine, having received a recommendation from Kambara-senpai, also took office as a member.

In the end, you could say things were mostly resolved peacefully.

I took a sip of my cola, savoring the bite of the moderately weakened carbonation.

The day after the student council elections. During break time, Shiramine pulled me out into the hallway, saying, "We need to talk."

In the corner of the connecting corridor, Shiramine turned around and looked straight into my face.

"Nanamura-kun. Let me thank you once again. Thank you for everything."

"It's not like I really did anything that was that big of a deal."

Honestly, I have no memory of doing anything that specifically warranted being thanked for.

Ultimately, all I did was honestly tell Shiramine that she deserved to be rewarded and drag her out of the library.

The problem Shiramine is dealing with hasn't been solved at all. To begin with, it's an issue with how this world works, so there's no way I could do anything about it anyway.

And there's absolutely zero prospect of me being able to do anything about it in the future, either.

That's something Shiramine has to manage on her own. Just like how most things on this planet are.

Looking down at the courtyard from the window in the connecting corridor. Perhaps moving to another classroom, several students were chatting and laughing as they crossed the courtyard.

Ever since the cultural festival, a tense, tightened atmosphere had filled the school. Probably because the third-years had entered serious exam-prep mode.

After a little while, Shiramine muttered quietly.

"We talked about this before, didn't we? About how this world isn't fair."

"It really is a worthless world."

"Yeah. I said that back then, but I think I'll try believing in it, just a little bit more."

"...I see."

I don't know what kind of change of heart she had.

But, rather than just giving up and compromising, I feel like this is much more like her.

"That's going to be rough on you again, though."

"Yeah, but you know. I've finally started to think that maybe, just maybe, this world isn't so bad after all."

With that, Shiramine looked at me and gave a soft smile.

"Since there's also someone rooting for me, too."

"I-I see..."

I looked away out of embarrassment.

It would have been nice if I could have said something clever, but if I had that kind of ability, I wouldn't be a loner right now.

I vigorously scratched my head and continued to cover it up.

"Well, you know. If you ever build up a bunch of stress or whatever, I can hear you out. You can just treat me to the drink bar in exchange."

"Haha. That might be nice once in a while, too."

Shiramine said that and let out a small laugh.

Cutting my recollection short, I headed for the drink bar.

When I returned after pouring myself a refill of Calpis Soda, Hanamitsuji was resting her cheek on her hand, staring blankly outside. More than half the people walking by were wearing long sleeves.

Has it already been half a year since my second high school life began?

It's been the same amount of time since I started talking to Hanamitsuji, too.

It feels like it's been long, yet also short. It's a strange feeling that could go either way.

"This year is ending in two months."

"Yeah."

I remember that during my first year of high school the previous time, I still felt a sense of specialness about the new year. I had this vague expectation that maybe something would change.

But right now, I don't feel any deep emotion about it.

I guess somewhere inside, I have realized that crossing over into a new year doesn't mean anything major is actually going to happen.

"Come to think of it, your family runs a shrine, right? Are the New Year holidays tough after all?"

"Well, it is our most profitable season, after all."

"...Is it really okay for a shrine maiden to call it a 'profitable season'?"

"Why not? For me, it's just a period where I have to work hard, helping with the family business. Though, since I get a bonus on my New Year's money if I help, I don't hate it too much."

Even for the same annual event, it seems people perceive it in all sorts of different ways.

Even so, the usual Hanamitsuji never shows even a hint of her family circumstances, but it turns out she properly helps out at the shrine during the New Year holidays.

When I went there before, I'm pretty sure there were miko in the shrine office. I guess when it gets busy, they don't have enough hands with just the full-time miko.

Reaching that thought, a jolt of electricity ran through my brain.

…Does she wear one when she's helping out as well?

Hanamitsuji probably sensed something and looked away since I was staring at her intently.

"Do you have something to say?"

"Not really. I just wondered if you wear a miko outfit or something when helping at the shrine."

"...Well, I have no choice since it's a job."

"...So you do wear it."

"...I wear it, obviously."

Resting her cheek on her hand, Hanamitsuji fell silent with a faint blush on her face.

She really does wear it…

Come to think of it, she was relatively calm during the cosplay cafe, too. Could it be because she's used to cosplaying at her parents' place?

I feel like I would be cursed by the gods if I equated a real miko outfit with cosplay. But I also feel like I saw on the internet that there's a demand for that sort of thing among girls who apply for part-time miko jobs.

There's also the tiniest bit of me who wanted to see her in that outfit, too.

...Maybe it's okay for me to look forward to this year's New Year's Eve, just a little bit.

Right then, my shin was kicked hard.

"Ouch!"

"Nanamura-kun, are you thinking about something weird?"

I quickly averted my eyes from Hanamitsuji, who was giving me a deadpan glare.

"...I'm not."

Telling a painfully obvious lie, I took a big gulp of Calpis Soda to cover it up.

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