Chapter Seven: Festival Prep

"So…what are they doing here?"

I smiled at the student body president. "They're my assistants." I looked over at Fuuko and Yukine, who returned my smile. "I'm helping them with their…situations, so they've agreed to help me in return."

Sakagami nodded, but her expression was unreadable as she looked at them. "Ah. I see."

"So, where are you in the process?" I asked. "Where do I – or we – come in?"

She brushed a lock of silver over her ear. "Well, most of the clubs are taking care of their own booths, so as far as any construction it'll be kinda here-and-there. What I needed you for," she said while pointing at me, "is to help coordinate which club is supposed to be in what space." She handed me a sheet of notebook paper. "That's the general layout of the festival. It's not to scale or anything; it just shows where displays are supposed to be…relative to each other."

"I see," I said as I studied the map. I pointed to one area. "You sure this is enough room for the Machine Club? They make some pretty big things, don't they?"

"Not this year," she replied smoothly. "They asked for this much because it's what they said they'd need."

"Okay," I said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to step on any toes."

She smiled. "It's okay; at least I know your head's in the game." She looked over at my 'assistants'. "I guess they could help you with coordination. I really don't want them lifting anything heavy; they look a little too…fragile…for that sort of thing."

"Ouch," Yukine said while wincing, though she smiled as she did so.

"Fuuko's strong," my occasionally-intangible assistant protested.

Sakagami gave them a mildly amused look. "I appreciate that you want to help, but as Student Body President I feel responsible for the safety of all the students." Her look softened just a little. "You can help Okazaki with coordination and I'll use him when I need some heavy lifting done, okay?"

Both girls nodded; Yukine with a smile but Fuuko with a look of defiance.

"Calm down, Ibuki-san; this isn't worth getting all worked up over," I offered.

She glanced at me before returning her glare to Sakagami.

I sighed and deliberately put myself between the two of them, and she looked up at me. "Look, you didn't even have to agree to help in the first place." I smiled at the intensity of her expression. "Let's take your persistence and find a good way to use it, okay?"

She gazed intensely for a few more moments, then her expression softened. "Okay, Okazaki-san; Fuuko will do it your way."

I gave her a pat on the head before turning back to Sakagami. "Is there any particular area we should concentrate on?"

She shook her head. "No, but I'd like it if you'd start at the entrance to the school and make your way around, checking to make sure that the different groups are where they're supposed to be, not in other groups' spots…" she shrugged, "…things like that."

"I assume you want me to help with construction if I come across a club that needs it?"

She nodded. "Yeah, that'd be good. You should be able to measure off their spaces while you're at it, which should help."

"Got it," I said, then turned to my assistants. "Well, let's get started!"

"Ugh," I groaned as I flopped down onto the grass and threw my arm over my eyes. It turned out that pretty much every group needed help, so I spent most of my time hammering, carrying, fitting, and just overall sweating to get everyone squared away. Tomoyo would have helped, but she got called away on some kind of Student Council business or something. She had apologized a bunch of times, saying that she'd return the first chance she got, but apparently her 'first chance' wasn't until after all the work was basically done. I didn't hold it against her, of course, but it was pretty inconvenient not having her there.

So I lay on the grass, feeling every muscle fiber in my body until a voice interrupted my 'musings': "Here." I uncovered my eyes to see Tomoyo kneeling next to me, holding a water. "I'm sorry I was gone so long."

"Don't worry about it," I said as I accepted the bottle. "Thanks."

"It's the least I can do for everything you've done," she said as I sat up and uncapped the bottle.

I snorted. "It's not like I did much. The clubs did most of the work."

She was quiet long enough to cause me to look over to find her looking at me with disbelief. "Are you serious, Tomoya? I talked to the heads of most of the clubs, and what they told me…" She shook her head. "Damn, Tomoya; you're a monster."

I snorted again. "I'm not a monster." I rotated an arm. "If I were a monster I wouldn't be so sore."

"Where are your assistants?" she asked.

"Inside," I said, jerking a thumb toward the school building. "Miyazawa-san started feeling faint so I had Ibuki-san take her inside to rest." Noting Tomoyo's amused expression I said, "Hey, don't knock them; they were really helpful with the coordination part of things. For what it's worth, I'd recommend them to the student council."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said dryly. "What about you? Are you okay? You said you're sore."

"Yeah…I'll be all right," I grunted. "A good night's sleep should take care of this."

"Where do you hurt?"

Something in her tone told me that I'd better answer. "Nothing major, just my biceps – GAH!" I cried as she took hold of my arm and started kneading. "Leggo Sakagami! I said I'm fine!"

"We need to work this out or you'll be stiff for days," she insisted. "Just hold still."

I tried to pry my arm free, but that woman held me with something like a death grip. She finally let go and I was able to catch my breath, only for her to grab my other arm.

"You're such a baby sometimes," she scolded as she tortured my other arm.

After she released my other arm she sat back on her heels. "Anywhere else?"

"No!" My legs hurt, but I really didn't want her 'massaging' them or I may not have been able to get back home.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Tomoya, I think you're lying to me. I don't like it when people lie to me."

"And I don't like it when people grab me without my permission!" I countered. "To be honest…my legs hurt, but please do not touch me."

She looked taken aback. "Have I offended you in some way?"

I sighed. "Yes and no. You didn't ask me if it was okay for you to…do what you did. I didn't like that."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Stop hurting Okazaki-san!" I heard a voice cry out, and I turned to see Fuuko running toward us. Yukine followed her at a noticeably slower pace. When she got close enough Fuuko threw herself on me, putting herself between Tomoyo and me like some kind of shield. "Sakagami-san shouldn't hurt people!"

I heard a gasp and looked up to see Tomoyo with a look of…horror? "I…I didn't mean…OH NO!" She bolted to her feet and ran inside the school.

I quickly pried a protesting Fuuko off of me. "Wait here," I told them before ordering my legs to follow Tomoyo. They complained, but complied…my legs, that is.

I found her in one of the school's many hallways, thumping a wall with her fist while chanting 'idiot' over and over again.

"Sakagami…?" I called. "Why'd you run off like that?"

She looked at me, and her eyes widened. "No, get away! I don't want to hurt you again!"

I leaned heavily against the wall and hobbled toward her on rebellious legs. "I'm fine, Sakagami. My arms actually feel a lot better thanks to you. It was just…intense while you were working on them."

She still looked wary. "So…I didn't hurt you?"

I shook my head with a smile. "You didn't. It hurt, sure, but it's more like…" I paused to think of a good analogy. "…it's like when the doctor gives you a shot. The shot hurts, but it protects you from a bigger hurt later, right?"

She nodded wordlessly.

"So…please don't run away again." I started hobbling toward her again. "I don't think I could catch up if you did."

"Why are you troubling yourself like this?" she asked in a strained voice.

"Because," I grunted, "you obviously need me to forgive you whether I think I need to or not, so here I am to forgive you."

She took a hesitant step toward me and reached out. I smiled and took her hand. "I forgive you, Sakagami-san. I know you didn't mean any harm."

She said nothing but threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around me and shaking. I also wrapped my arms around her, gently caressing the back of her head and saying every comforting thing I could think of.