Chapter 25: The first event is, of course, the Spring Festival

The Spring Festival.

I inwardly sighed, a sense of foreboding washing over me. Takamari Academy’s Spring Festival wasn’t just a school event. It was a major event, attracting students from neighboring schools, local dignitaries, and even celebrities, a showcase of the academy’s prestige.

‘There will be celebrities again this year… And the middle school idol, one of Takamari’s Four Beauties, will definitely perform with her group…’

Perhaps even some of my favorite voice actors would attend. I’d been surprised to discover that many of the anime and games I’d enjoyed in my past life existed in this world as well.

But… the reality was that I was too busy catching up on schoolwork to fully enjoy such events. I stared blankly at the festival planning documents, then a thought from the novel struck me, and I looked at Aya.

‘Ah…’

The middle school students played a supporting role in the festival, the main responsibilities falling on the high school students. And since the third-years were busy preparing for university entrance exams, and the second-years mostly assisted, the first-years were left to manage the bulk of the work.

The festival was a chance for the first-years to prove themselves, but it was also a tremendous burden. And leading the first-years was Yukikawa Aya. The success of this festival was crucial for her path to the vice-presidency.

‘So all this pressure is on Aya…’

I glanced at Aya. Her fingers, resting on the documents, were trembling slightly. She maintained her usual calm facade, but her brow was furrowed, and her lips were pressed together in a thin line.

In the novel, Aya, overwhelmed by the pressure of the festival preparations, had collapsed from stress. The protagonist had then stepped in to help her, saving the day. But… I didn’t want Aya to collapse.

‘I’ll help her.’

Aya was pretending to be composed, but I knew she was under immense pressure.

If the festival failed…

I didn’t even want to think about it. Aya’s fingers traced the lines on the documents.

‘I know what happens in the novel.’

I’d joined the student council to be with Aya. And… I would make sure she didn’t crumble under the pressure.

“As you all know, the first-year high school students are in charge of this year’s festival,” Hiiragi-senpai announced, his calm voice adding to the already heavy atmosphere in the room. While the first-years were in charge, the ultimate responsibility rested on Yukikawa Aya, the planning committee head. All eyes turned to her.

“As always, the second-years will be supporting the first-years. I have faith in you, Yukikawa-san,” Hiiragi-senpai said with a smile.

Tachibana-senpai, adjusting her glasses, added, “We’re counting on you, Yukikawa-san.”

Aya’s voice trembled slightly as she replied, “…Yes, I’ll do my best.” Her words were polite, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her anxiety.

‘Aya… will she be okay?’

Even Aya, who seemed so perfect, couldn’t shoulder this burden alone. I clenched my fists.

‘I want to help her. I want to be there for her.’

But student council work was demanding. I was a new member, and I wasn’t sure how much I could actually contribute.

But…

‘I made this choice.’

I could do this. I wouldn’t be like the protagonist, standing by idly until Aya collapsed. I would be her support.

****

We received a brief overview of the Spring Festival from the second-year students and headed home. By the time I arrived, the sun was beginning to set.

“I’m home,” I announced, opening the door.

My mother peeked out from the kitchen. “You’re late again. Are you doing club activities?”

“Yeah… I joined the student council.”

“Really? The Takamari Academy Student Council?”

“Yeah…”

My mother’s eyes widened, then her face lit up. “Oh my! That’s wonderful! I’m so proud of you!” She hugged me tightly.

It was a bit much, but the warmth of her embrace was comforting.

“Yeah… it just happened,” I replied, chuckling softly.

I was glad she was happy. Dinner that night was a feast, and my father, beaming, couldn’t stop praising me.

****

After dinner, I returned to my room. Time to study.

“Sigh…” I sat at my desk and opened my math textbook. Familiar yet foreign equations filled the pages.

“They started with calculus on the first day, and we’re already this far. It’s only been two weeks… are they planning to finish the entire calculus curriculum in one semester?”

The equations blurred before my eyes. But Rina’s mind, far sharper than my past self’s, grasped the concepts easily. The problems in the Takamari Academy curriculum were similar to the ones I’d struggled with as a repeat student. The kind that were worth the most points on the university entrance exam, the kind that took at least five minutes to solve.

The novel had described Takamari Academy as a place where even gifted students struggled, where even those from prestigious families had to give their all just to keep up.

“Well…”

At least I was more adjusted now than I’d been during the first few days.

Mizuki and Aya… sharing an indirect kiss… Ugh… the memory had kept me up at night for days… Just thinking about it made me blush.

Speak of the devil… A message from Aya popped up on my phone.

Aya: Rina.

Rina: Oh…! What’s up?

Aya: What do you want to do for the Spring Festival?

It was a sudden question. ‘What do I want to do?’

Well, I wanted the festival to be a success, and… um… But besides that, what did I truly want?

Ah, Aya was in charge of planning. Was she asking because she wanted to make my wish come true?

But this wasn’t about my personal desires. The festival wasn’t about me; it was about Aya. If I wanted to help her become student council president, this was just the beginning.

Rina: I guess we should aim for something big, right?

I typed slowly, the words a reminder to myself.

I closed my eyes, recalling the events of the novel. First, the pressing issues.

The students felt pressured to meet the ever-increasing expectations for the festival. As a result, many had begun outsourcing the planning to external companies. But some clubs lacked the necessary funding and support, resulting in a significant drop in the quality of their events compared to previous years.

‘That event was great last year, why isn’t it happening this year?’

While the scale of the festival grew each year, the quality of some events had declined, failing to meet visitors’ expectations. This growing disappointment had led to a decline in community interest.

And then there was the issue of securing funding from alumni. That was something the protagonist had done in the novel. It was originally Aya’s responsibility, but she’d collapsed, so the protagonist had stepped in.

And the issue of collaborating with the local mayor. After an incident a few years ago, the mayor had stopped participating, leading to a gradual downsizing of the evening festivities.

And… after considering all these problems, the face that came to mind was…

“Aya…” I blushed. Even while thinking about these issues, my thoughts kept drifting back to her.

Just then, another message from Aya popped up.

Aya: Not that. What do you, Rina, truly want?

Rina: Oh… me?!

What did I want? I’d been so focused on what I should do, I hadn’t considered my own desires.

‘Ugh… Aya, why are you putting me through this…!’

But as I searched my heart, the answer became clear. I wanted… to be with Aya…

Rina: I want to make memories.

Aya: Memories?

Rina: Yeah, unforgettable memories.

Aya: Wow, that’s tough…

I smiled, reading her message. She sounded so cute. I could almost imagine her rolling around in frustration on the other side of the screen.

Rina: Is it… too difficult?
Aya: Yeah, if it’s a memory with Rina, it seems like it should be something special.

Rina: Is it? No! Not at all…!

If I told Aya I wanted something truly special, she’d probably go all out… But what I truly wanted was to experience this youth romantic comedy world. To reclaim the high school life I’d lost to Korea’s rigid education system.

And that… was enough. Even simple moments with Aya were enough.