Chapter 50: Spring Festival- Main planning

It was a beautiful, sunny morning. The academy buzzed with excitement, the energy from last night’s pre-festival still palpable.

The atmosphere was different from the night market, a more relaxed daytime vibe. Student-run booths lined the pathways, clubs showcased their talents, and external booths catered to the community. It was less of a boisterous celebration, more of a family-friendly event focused on interactive experiences.

But for the student council, there was no rest. From early morning, we were summoned to resolve various issues.

“Class 1’s booth is encroaching on Class 2’s space.”

“But Class 1 has more participants, so their booth is bigger. They should be able to borrow some space!”

“The student council assigned specific areas.”

We arrived at the disputed location. Class 1: Maid Cafe. Class 2: Detective Cafe. The conflict stemmed from both classes choosing a “cafe” theme, and their booths overlapping. The students, faces growing tense, argued their cases. We had to intervene before things escalated.

And at my side… was Aya.

‘…This happened in the novel…’ In the original story, the protagonist had resolved this. Aya, exhausted from the festival preparations, had collapsed, and upon recovering, had stepped in to mediate.

But this time was different. Aya was fine, her usual composed self. Avoiding the Shirasaki Street conflict had significantly lessened her burden.

So, how would Aya handle this? I could intervene, like the protagonist, but that would be stealing her moment.

I watched nervously as Aya stepped forward, taking control with a single sentence. “Class 1, this is the space allocated to Class 2.”

Murmurs rippled through Class 1, but Aya continued, her voice firm, emotionless, her logic flawless. “This decision, based on budget and space considerations, is final. Please return your booth to its designated area.”

“But our space will be too small! We have so many customers!”

“Our booth is doing really well!” the Class 1 students argued.

Aya didn’t waver. “That’s not permitted.” But her refusal was immediately followed by a solution. “If you require additional space, please use the common area. The student council has prepared extra booths.”

The Class 1 students hesitated, then reluctantly agreed. “…Okay.”

The dispute was resolved in under a minute. I was impressed. ‘…No protagonist needed.’

Aya was perfect. Unstoppable. In the novel, she’d been exhausted, struggling to resolve this very issue. But now, she was in complete control.

Yukikawa Aya, the future student council president. She seemed invincible, capable of handling any situation with calm logic and unwavering resolve.

My role had become even clearer.

‘Just keep Aya from overworking herself, and things will fall into place.’ As long as Aya remained calm and composed, any chaos within the student council, budget issues, or interpersonal conflicts would be resolved smoothly.

…And perhaps that’s why I realized, with a newfound appreciation, how exceptional Aya truly was.

And watching her like this… my heart fluttered.

‘Aya… so cool…’ Seeing her handle the situation flawlessly, her gaze steady and unwavering as she turned to me… a strange warmth bloomed in my chest.

‘…Ah…’ And then it hit me.

‘Could it be…?’

I’d always thought that perhaps… because Aya was so special, so incredibly beautiful, I was attracted to her as my past, male self.

But now, I realized… I wasn’t attracted to Aya as a boy.

I… liked her even more as a girl.

Because of her strength, her reliability. Because I wanted to lean on her, depend on her. Because I admired her so much.

‘So… was I the one with forbidden feelings… not Aya?’

I lowered my head, biting my lip, struggling to process this realization. Aya was special. This warm, fuzzy feeling… what was it?

“Rina,” Aya’s calm, firm voice called out. I looked up; she was holding out her hand. “It’s resolved. Let’s go.”

I stared at her outstretched hand, her blue eyes meeting mine, and then, without hesitation, I took it. Her hand was warm, the familiar comfort grounding me as we returned to the student council booth. Whatever these feelings were… for now, I wanted to embrace them.

****

Back at the booth, Aya picked up the microphone and made an announcement. Her voice echoed through the school’s speakers.

[Everyone, please return to your designated areas. The main event of the Takamari Spring Festival will begin shortly!]

Cheers erupted as students converged on the main stage area.

Aya headed towards the stage, and I followed, watching her. Just before she ascended the brightly lit stage, she glanced back.

“Rina.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Was this the main event she’d been planning? She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Um… so…”

“Shh. What I really prepared is for the last night.”

I froze, eyes widening. Aya smiled faintly and stepped onto the stage. A giant game map appeared on the large screen.

The highlight of the festival, “Takamari Academy Survival – Class Competition,” was about to begin. Aya, holding the microphone, began in her calm, clear voice.

[Today’s main event! The inter-class competition!]
[The rules are simple! Each class forms a team, and the first to ring the bell at the center of the giant board game field wins!]
[Various missions are scattered throughout the field. Successfully completing a mission earns bonus spaces!]
[Strategize, overcome obstacles, and work as a team!]

Examples of missions flashed on the screen: Quiz Missions / Performance Missions / Cooking Missions / Sponsor Missions…

And finally…

[The ultimate goal! Reach the central tower and ring the “Bell of Takamari” to win!]

The school grounds erupted in cheers. I watched Aya from below.

“Aya-ring is amazing! She’s such a great MC!” Mizuki, suddenly beside me, whispered with a grin.

“She is, isn’t she?”

“Are we participating too?”

“Nope, we’re on the organizing committee, so we have to be here.”

“Aw… okay.”

“No slacking, Rina.” Mizuki grinned. Right, I was a student council member. Slightly deflated, I followed her back to the booth.

The screen displayed the participating classes getting ready. The second-year class representatives were called up onto the stage. Holding their microphones, they exchanged competitive glances.

“This year’s game will be interesting.”

“We won’t lose. We’ll ring the bell.”

“The quiet lion is always the first to its prey.”

Three boys, two girls. The second-year class representatives were already engaged in a fierce mental battle. Among them… was the “Violet Knight.”

‘He’s… Class 3’s representative…?’ I sighed, watching him confidently declare his intentions on stage, his usual brazen self. And he was on Aya and Mizuki’s team.

Shirazuka Yurika, sipping tea beside me, chuckled. “They’re always like this.” She observed them with a relaxed smile, but I couldn’t afford to be so carefree. I unfolded my slightly crumpled notes on game management that Aya had given me.

‘The game’s starting soon…’ I reviewed the rules, my resolve firm. I wanted to support Aya, to make sure she didn’t have to carry the burden alone.