Chapter 30: Embarrassment lasts longer than you think (2)

“Well then, I’ll go get the materials.”

Tachibana-senpai stood up and left the room to gather some documents, leaving the three of us alone. I relaxed, leaning back in my chair, and Mizuki, as if waiting for this exact moment, poked me in the side.

“Rina, do you really think you can secure sponsorships?” she whispered, her expression screaming, “Are you serious?”

“I’m surprised too. How are you planning to do that?” Aya added, tilting her head, her eyes wide with surprise.

I smiled confidently. “It’s possible.”

“…Don’t lie. You’re a transfer student, Rina. You don’t have any connections with local businesses or famous brands.” Mizuki’s tone was sharp, her expression unusually serious.

“This is the 21st century,” I replied, holding up my smartphone and opening Twitter, Japan’s most popular social media platform.

Aya and Mizuki looked at the screen, their expressions puzzled. “…Social media?” Aya asked, tilting her head. Mizuki still looked skeptical.

“Exactly. These days, companies value ‘word of mouth’ more than traditional advertising.” I continued confidently.

“Our academy is famous nationwide. And many companies are run by our alumni. Plus, we have actual celebrities and influencers attending our school. If they post about the festival, it’ll generate a lot of buzz.”

“Oooh~” Mizuki’s eyes widened in admiration. “So, you’re using social media to subtly convince companies that our festival is worth investing in?”

“Precisely!” I grinned, snapping my fingers.

But Aya, as always, saw the flaw in my plan. “There’s still one problem. How are you going to contact them?”

Social media promotion alone wasn’t enough to secure sponsorships. We needed to contact them directly and negotiate. I turned to Mizuki, clasping her hands in mine.

“That’s… where you come in, Mizuki! Please!”

“…Huh?” Mizuki’s jaw dropped, then she sighed dramatically. But then, she shrugged and grinned. “Fine, it’s our job, after all.” She flicked my forehead playfully.

“But warn me next time, okay? You surprised me.”

“Ow, sorry,” I mumbled, rubbing my forehead. Mizuki still looked surprised, but her expression wasn’t serious, suggesting she approved of the plan.

Just then, the door opened, and Tachibana-senpai returned, carrying a stack of papers filled with dense charts and figures.

“What were you talking about?”

“Rina suggested using social media for promotion,” Aya replied calmly.

Tachibana-senpai raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Social media?”

“Yes… using social media to promote the festival and increase community engagement. We have celebrities and influencers attending our school.”

“Hmm, interesting idea. But I’m not sure if social media promotion alone will attract sponsors.” She crossed her arms, her gaze piercing.

I’d anticipated this question. “It’s not just about promotion, but about demonstrating the value of investing in our festival,” I explained, holding up my smartphone again.

“Takamari Academy is a prestigious institution. We have students who are active celebrities and influencers. Getting companies interested in our events shouldn’t be too difficult. The key is to show them the potential return on investment. If we generate enough buzz on social media, they’ll see the value.”

Tachibana-senpai flipped through the documents, her expression thoughtful, a flicker of interest in her eyes. “Indeed, instead of relying solely on traditional media, generating real-time buzz on social media could attract corporate sponsors. The question is, who will handle the logistics? The execution is key.”

I smiled confidently. “I’ll reach out to influential students and prepare sponsorship proposals.”

Tachibana-senpai nodded, satisfied. “Good. Prepare a detailed plan and present it at the next meeting.” She tapped the documents. “Now, I have something to discuss with Kurosawa-san.”

Ah, here it comes. The dreaded moment. And… that mountain of paperwork.

I glanced at the stack of documents Tachibana-senpai had brought. While they appeared neatly organized, each page exuded a distinctly analog, Japanese feel.

‘It would be so much easier to manage this digitally…’

But tradition dictated otherwise. Manual paperwork was still a part of the school’s system. I sighed, resigned.

“Let’s begin,” Tachibana-senpai said.

And so, for the remainder of lunch break, I received a crash course in student council duties, from filing paperwork and using the official seal to sorting documents. One thought kept echoing in my mind.

‘How can I digitize all this…?’

Honestly, just digitizing the system would be a major contribution to the academy…

****

After the lengthy meeting with Tachibana-senpai, I returned to the classroom, letting out a deep sigh. Lunch break was almost over, and the classroom was buzzing with students preparing for the next class.

“You’re finally back…” I mumbled, sitting down and resting my forehead on my desk. Student council work… it was more demanding than I’d anticipated. The meetings were one thing, but the paperwork…

“Oh, you’re back~?” Mizuki’s playful voice greeted me. I looked up to see her leaning against my desk, grinning. Aya stood beside her, watching me quietly.

“…Yeah,” I replied weakly.

Mizuki grinned. “We were just talking about what you said earlier, about the sponsorships.”

“Yeah. I didn’t expect such a grand plan,” Aya added, tilting her head slightly.

I’d assumed Aya, with her sharp mind, would have anticipated something like this. She might not have expected social media to be the key, but she knew something drastic was needed. The protagonist in the novel had relied on Mizuki’s help, so I was confident we could pull this off.

“It just… came to me,” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

But Mizuki and Aya still looked intrigued.

“Rina, Tachibana-senpai seemed really impressed.”

“Huh? What did she say?”

“She’s not usually that nice to people she’s just met.”

“Oh… I see.” Knowing her reserved nature, I wasn’t surprised.

“You know, Rina, you seem to be a good fit for the student council~? Why were you so reluctant to join?”

“W-Was I?” I mumbled, flustered. I’d been trying to live a quiet life as a background character… and honestly, I hadn’t thought I could handle student council work.

“Thank you for your hard work, Rina,” Aya said softly, her praise easing my anxieties.

Mizuki nodded in agreement. “Yeah~ you sounded so professional when you were talking about sponsorships!”

“I-It was nothing…” I scratched my head, feeling myself being pushed into the spotlight. But it was for Aya, so…

Just then, the classroom door opened, and the teacher entered. Mizuki quickly straightened up and returned to her seat.

“Alright, settle down and prepare for class.”

The classroom instantly fell silent. I quickly followed suit.

This prestigious academy took its classes seriously.

****

After school, as the final bell rang, I stretched, relieving the tension in my body. It had been a long day. But at least I didn’t have any student council duties today, so I could go straight home. Mizuki, having packed her bag, stood up.

“Let’s go home~!”

Her cheerful voice energized me, and I stood up as well. “Should we stop by the convenience store like last time?” Aya suggested with a smile.

“Sure!” I agreed without hesitation. But then, the memory of our last convenience store trip surfaced. The indirect kiss with Aya and Mizuki while sharing pudding…

‘Ugh… why did I have to remember that?’ My face flushed, but I quickly hid my embarrassment and followed them. But… unlike last time, being with them felt… comfortable, familiar.

Walking to and from school together… I wished these moments could last forever. As we walked towards the convenience store, Aya suddenly brought up the lunchtime conversation.

“By the way, Rina,” she started, and I turned to look at her.

“You were very serious during lunch, when you were talking about sponsorships.”

“Yeah! You sounded like a pro~” Mizuki added, playfully nudging my side.

“It’s just… I thought it was possible, so I said it,” I replied, waving my hands dismissively.

Mizuki’s eyes sparkled. “But how did you even think of that? It’s not something an ordinary student would come up with.”

“I… I think I saw something about it online…?” I offered a vague explanation.

But Aya was still watching me, her expression thoughtful. “Hmm~ are you sure?”

“…What’s wrong?” I asked, feeling a sudden unease. Aya’s expression was more serious than usual.

“It’s just… you sometimes seem to know things we don’t.”

“W-What? No way,” I chuckled awkwardly. Aya’s serious expression was… unsettling.

“You’re not hiding anything, are you?”

“No, of course not!”

“Hmm… alright,” Aya replied, a faint smile returning to her face. But she still seemed to be thinking about something.

Lost in our lighthearted banter, we arrived at the convenience store.

“Chocolate~ where’s my chocolate~?” Mizuki sang, skipping into the store. We exchanged smiles and followed her inside.