After a long hiatus (sorry about that!), I bring to you all new chapters of Everybody Loves Shuichi! Yay! Anyways, this chapter starts the three-part cultural festival arc! More craziness ensues, even poor Shuichi starts losing his cool, and Namiko takes charge! Not to mention Miss Nagai has one of my favorite lines in this chapter and the rest of the characters continue their crazy antics (some of which are even more apparent in the next chapter...).

Anyway, thanks to all who have been reading and/or reviewing! I hope you all enjoy this newest installment of Everybody Loves Shuichi!

Chapter Eleven: The Approaching Cultural Festival! The Chaos Ensues!
A couple weeks after they had returned from their hot springs trip, Miss Nagai called for another mandatory cabinet meeting after school, much to Shuichi's dismay. He was not alone, however, as the rest of his cabinet and the cabinet for class 3-5 reluctantly dragged their way to their seats as Miss Nagai cleared her throat, standing in the front of the room, and readied herself to speak (Mr. Fukuda, on the other, hand, lazily leaned back in the seat behind the teacher's desk, lecherously eyeing Miss Nagai's backside until Miss Nagai shot him a vicious glare that frightened him enough to be subdued for the time being).

"Now then, as you are all aware, Mieou Academy's Cultural Festival is approaching," Miss Nagai began. "And as we are responsible to finish paying off the incredibly high bill of that ridiculously overpriced inn we stood at during our school trip since it unfortunately put us over our allotted budget, it is imperative that we use the cultural festival wisely in order to raise the needed funds to pay back the school. Therefore, our initial plan to work competitively against one another must be put aside for the moment; although both class 3-4 and 3-5 will still be setting up their own separate shops during the cultural festival, it would be most beneficial if we attempted to work together to ensure that both classes get a substantial amount of customers to at least solve our current financial dilemma."

The two cabinets frowned while Mr. Fukuda smirked and remarked, "So you've finally succumb to my charms, Chiyo, sweetie."

"Hardly, Mr. Fukuda," Miss Nagai scoffed, trying to fight off the urge to gag. "Now, will the class representatives please stand up and entertain the cabinet with their own remarkable ideas for the cultural festival that I'm sure won't conflict with one another in the slightest."

Both Shuichi and Tasaka frowned at the cutting, sardonic edge to Miss Nagai's disdainful voice, but bravely rose and went to the front of the class, anyway. Shuichi smiled, again having thought little about his plans for the cultural festival, and began, "Before I share any of my ideas, I'm first interested in hearing the ideas of the different members of my cabinet. After all - "

"You can't use that same excuse twice, Minamino!" Seita flagrantly interrupted, standing up and pointing an accusing finger directly at Shuichi. "Don't think I don't see through your façade! You said the same thing last time with our school trip!"

Shuichi frowned while the stern Miss Nagai unfortunately decided, "Mr. Hachirobei's right; get on with your own plans."

Clenching his hands to fists, Shuichi forced a visibly strained smile accompanied by an unpleasant chuckle that even made his devoted follower Namiko squirm a little in her seat; ever since their trip to the hot springs, Shuichi had started to notice how much people - particularly the cabinets of Class 3-4 and 3-5 - had been getting on his nerves. Still, he calmed down slightly, realizing that all eyes were on him and that his reputation was on the line (and, more importantly, that he actually cared that his reputation was on the line), and reflected for a moment. It was then that he was grateful that he had been blessed with a quick wit and intelligence, for he smiled genuinely and suggested, "How about class 3-4 and 3-5 have shops that compliment each other? One of us could offer lunch while the other could offer dessert. That way, neither of us will be conflicting with one another and the customers will be able to stop for lunch and then walk only a few feet to get dessert."

"Wow! What a great idea, Shuichi!" Namiko quickly cheered. "You're so smart!"

Seita, in the meantime, grumbled to himself, "Stupid Minamino…" before trailing off into a series of profanities under his breath, irate that Shuichi had again managed to weasel himself out of another tough situation and end up on top.

"Can we do dessert?" Ritsuki asked eagerly, a sly grin on her face.

Tasaka scowled, crossed his arms, and bitterly questioned, "How is it that you make everything sound so dirty?"

"Come on, Tasa-chan! You know you love me for it!" she teased, causing both Tasaka's face to turn red in annoyance and Hiroshi to snicker.

"Then it's settled," Miss Nagai declared abruptly. "Class 3-4 will make a diner of some sort and class 3-5 can make up some café that sells dessert."

"But…don't we have to have a vote on it or something?" Kyoji innocently asked and Miss Nagai shot him a glare.

"Must you find it necessary to always question me, Mr. Hoshino?" she callously interrogated with a fervently twitching brow.

Slumping in his seat, Kyoji nervously mumbled, "No, ma'am…"

"Good," Miss Nagai flatly replied. "Now then, class 3-5 can disperse so that class 3-4 can secretly discuss the rest of our plans for the cultural festival; after all, there's still a rivalry involved."

"Of course, Chiyo; whatever you say," Mr. Fukuda lackadaisically said as he stood up and gestured to his students. "Come on, kids; we've got a café to plan."

Tasaka, Maya, Hiroshi, Ritsuki, and Kyoji all rose and followed Mr. Fukuda out with cries of, "Goodbye!" and "See you!" for Cabinet 3-4 coinciding with Ritsuki squealing, "This is going to be so much fun!" and Hiroshi slyly asking, "Can I make the uniforms?"

That left Shuichi, Seita, Namiko, Kaito, and Miss Nagai to plan for their restaurant. As soon as Mr. Fukuda and the cabinet of 3-5 were gone, Miss Nagai's eyes narrowed fiercely and she declared, "We must come up with a strategy to ensure we get more customers than class 3-5!"

The severity of her demand made her students from nervously. Shuichi, who had already taken his seat back in the front row, leaned forward a bit and cautiously inquired, "Correct me if I'm wrong, Miss Nagai, but aren't we supposed to be working with class 3-5?"

Miss Nagai's brow twitched; obviously, her students knew little about the cunning of war. "Of course we want class 3-5 to have a fair share of customers in order to pay off that ridiculous bill," she exclaimed, refraining her temper despite the visible tic in her eye. "However, that doesn't mean we want them to do exceptionally well or surpass us - we still have the opportunity to crush that idiotic man and his equally idiotic cabinet with that intolerable Yamagashi, that infuriating Hoshino, and that insufferable Sunada. We will not be disgraced!" After a moment of silence for dramatic emphasis (which was merely awkward and unbearable to her students), Miss Nagai cleared her throat and asked, "Now, are there any suggestions?"

"What we need is some sort of gimmick, right?" Kaito bravely offered first.

Miss Nagai seemed to approve as she gave a contemplative nod and mumbled, "Yes, yes."

"Hey, maybe we can give some sort of prize out with lunch," Namiko then suggested, a sudden eagerness sparking in her. "Like some sort of toy or something."

"That's a good idea, Namiko," Shuichi warmly complimented.

"That's a stupid idea, Minamino!" Seita immediately snapped, having readied himself to tear down whatever Shuichi suggested or advocated.

Namiko shot him a vicious scowl while Shuichi attempted to laugh Seita's comment off. Then, turning back to Shuichi, Namiko grinned, blushed, clasped her hands together, and cooed, "You really think it's a good idea, Shuichi?"

Shuichi let out an embarrassed laugh; why was it that lately every time he attempted to be nice ended with him feeling uncomfortable or miserable? Still, he simply reiterated, "Yes, Namiko…"

Meanwhile, Miss Nagai rubbed her chin in deep deliberation, "The only problem is that prizes require us to actually spend a substantial amount of money. Is there anything that we can give out that is incredibly cheap or free?"

"Um…" Namiko trailed off, unable to come up with anymore ideas for the moment.

Shuichi, on the other hand, replied thoughtfully, "Perhaps we could provide some sort of additional service with the meal…"

"That's a stupid idea, Minamino!" Seita retorted again as if it had become merely a reflex.

"Did you even hear what Mr. Minamino said, Mr. Hachirobei?" Miss Nagai countered fiercely, eyeing Seita with doubt.

Seita blushed, stumped for an answer. "Uh…well…"

"Hey, I know," Kaito then chimed in. "How about lunch and a kiss? If you buy a meal, you get a kiss from one of our pretty waitresses."

"No way!" an irate Namiko protested as she slammed her hands on her desk. "You can't just exploit the girls of the class like that! It's completely sexist!"

"That's pretty hypocritical of you considering what happened at the Kurama Onsen," Kaito reminded her with a lingering bitterness and Namiko's face turned bright red in embarrassment.

In the meantime, Miss Nagai interjected harshly, "Miss Tatsuya is absolutely right; we will not prostitute our female students to make a buck." She then narrowed her eyes and icily questioned, "And what exactly happened at the Kurama Onsen that I have not been made aware of, Mr. Kaito?" The color drained from both Kaito's and Namiko's faces as the sharp, cold words bit into them.

"We can try to make something," Shuichi urgently offered, hoping to deflect Miss Nagai's attention and spare Kaito and Namiko from her wrath.

"That's a stupid idea - "

"Mr. Hachirobei!" Miss Nagai nearly shouted, cutting off Seita, who now cowered and recoiled in his seat. She then cleared her throat, the irritable tic still in her eye, and adjusted her suit jacket slightly. "Now, then - what is it, Mr. Minamino, that you suggest we make?"

Shuichi cringed. In truth, he hadn't actually thought that part through. Moreover, he had never been particularly interested in arts and crafts nor did he know if he even excelled in them. He certainly had no idea, anyway, on what his class could possibly make that was both innovative and sellable. But, as Miss Nagai seemed to be on her last nerve, he decided it would be best if he offered something to the table, specifically something exceedingly vague and general, and suggested with little time to contemplate, "Maybe an ornament or trinket of some kind…" As soon as the words came out, he cringed regrettably.

Miss Nagai's brow twitched as she glowered down at Shuichi, apparently disgusted by his weak answer. Flatly, she cracked, "Mr. Hachirobei, I believe that's your cue."

"That's a stupid idea, Minamino!" Seita complied and Shuichi grimaced bitterly as his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. Miss Nagai, on the other hand, was at last satisfied with Seita's sole contribution to the meeting

Surprisingly, Namiko did not come to Shuichi's rescue; instead, she excitedly said, "How about we make a bunch of different things? We can make different kinds of beaded jewelry and little stuffed animals and hair ribbons; then, whatever prize you win can be a surprise. We can get a jewelry kit and a sew making or doll making kit for pretty cheap and I'm sure that the art department has got lots of supplies, too. It'll be great!"

"For the girls, maybe," Kaito rebutted cynically. "But what guy is going to want to come for that?"

Namiko, however, shrugged off his complaint. "Who cares? Everyone knows that all the girls will drag their boyfriends along with them, anyway. Besides, there will be plenty of cute waitresses - who do not have to be exploited - that I'm sure guys will come to talk to. Not to mention that we've got Shuichi! I mean, every girl in school is going to come and see him and I'm pretty sure that a lot of girls outside of Mieou Academy will want to come, too, as soon as they see how absolutely and perfectly wonderful he is!"

Shuichi gave a modest, uneasy smile while Seita grumbled, "Stupid Minamino with his stupid fan club…"

"Then it's settled; we will follow through with Miss Tatsuya's plans," Miss Nagai proclaimed. "Miss Tatsuya, I leave you in charge of this ordeal as our class representative has proven to be inept this afternoon." She callously eyed Shuichi without any mercy or sympathy as Shuichi frowned and sighed, trying his best to not feel too offended despite this clear jab at him. Then, Miss Nagai declared, "Cabinet dismissed."

"Ha, ha! You lose,Minamino!" Seita immediately and spitefully mocked as soon as the cabinet meeting was called to an end and Miss Nagai left. "How does it feel to be usurped from your rightfully earned position by some arrogant, know-it-all schmuck, huh?"

"He's still the class representative, you moron," Kaito retorted in exasperation, rising and shaking his head as he headed for the door.

"I knew that," Seita insisted, although he blushed, and then followed begrudgingly behind Kaito.

Meanwhile, Namiko excitedly exclaimed, "Wow! I can't believe it! I get to be in charge of the cultural festival!" She then frowned and turned to Shuichi, crying desperately, "I'm so sorry, Shuichi! I didn't mean to take the cultural festival away from you!"

"It's all right, Namiko…" Shuichi insisted, trailing off with a chuckle.

"But, I mean, you're so smart and talented and perfect!" Namiko, however, persisted. "I'm sure you'd do an excellent job!" She bit her lower lip at this as a long silence followed between them. A conflict stirring in her eyes she began, "Of course, you know I'd put you in charge, Shuichi, but you know how Miss Nagai can be…I mean, she would never let me decline, so why even bother asking, you know?" Namiko coughed a laugh that rung with worry and Shuichi frowned; how loyalties wavered when faced with self-interest.

"Oh, no, Namiko, really, I'm glad Miss Nagai put you in charge. I think you'll be great," Shuichi told her; after all, he hadn't really wanted the responsibilities of class representative when he was initially elected. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that Miss Nagai had felt it necessary to berate him for a large portion of the meeting. At least now some of the pressure would be off him for a while until after the cultural festival.

Some doubt still flickered in Namiko's eyes, but she said, "Okay, Shuichi; if you say so…" She then smiled and added more confidently, "Don't worry, Shuichi! I'll do my best!" Then she gave him a wave of goodbye and hurried out of the classroom, leaving Shuichi alone. He sighed and gathered up his things, telling himself once more that it was all for the best. Yet for some reason he could not shake this underlying feeling that something was going to go very wrong.

Shuichi found himself becoming more and more irritable over the course of the next two weeks while he and the rest of class 3-4 set in motions Namiko's plans for the cultural festival. It seemed that everything he did Namiko found some fault in - Namiko, of all people - and proceeded to instruct him how to correct it. By the early morning of the cultural festival, the whole thing had became a vexing routine: she would first begin with exceedingly incessant flattery, listing off all his numerous perfections and talents, then interject with that ever loathsome and heavy "But…" which made him cringe and have a sudden desire to stab something. Then, she would explain another way for it to be done, all the while insisting that his way was just as good if not better, and then Shuichi would strain to smile, laugh, and comply, changing to fit her whims. That morning she had two problems - his flower arrangements for the tables and the color of his uniform.

"Hello, Shuichi," she first began, eyeing his flower arrangements more so than him.

Shuichi forced a smile, though he knew perfectly well what was ahead. "Good morning, Namiko…" he said with feigned pleasantness that made him wonder if he really was as political as Kaito insisted he was. "How are you?"

"You know, these flower arrangements…" she began, tapping her finger to her chin.

"Yes?" Shuichi asked, feeling ready to burst a vein. Perhaps he really had become arrogant, he wondered, if he had found it so difficult to accept criticism gracefully (although he still somehow managed to do so); but what was the world coming to when even the people who supposedly worshipped him found faults in everything he did?
"Well, they are lovely," Namiko began, cueing another round of flattery. "I mean, spectacular even! You just do such a wonderful job with everything, Shuichi, and these flower arrangements are just so beautiful, just like you! I wouldn't change them in the slightest!" She paused and then came the heavy "But…" Shuichi forced himself not to wince and keep his polite smile plastered on his face. "Well, I was thinking - not that there's anything wrong with your arrangement, because it's perfect in everyway - but I thought that maybe instead of keeping the red and white roses as separate centerpieces, we could have a mix in each vase, so that every table gets white and red. I think it might look a little more elegant, and the red and white petals compliment each other so nicely…" She trailed off before then insisting, "But, of course, Shuichi, it's really up to you."

Shuichi coughed out a laugh. "Oh, no, no, Namiko; I think you're absolutely right," he lied through clenched teeth - after all, whoever heard of mixing the white and red roses together? It wouldn't look elegant at all, but incredibly gaudy. But he laughed amicably again and said, "I'll get right on that…"

"Thanks, Shuichi," Namiko said with a smile, before frowning slightly again. "Um…Shuichi…?"

"Yes?" Shuichi asked, raising his eyes reluctantly from the flowers once more.

"Well…it's just that…the vest you picked out…" she began hesitantly, pointing at the pale yellow vest he had chosen from the waiter and waitress uniforms made for the class. "It's just that…I think that your hair might clash with it…a little…"

The rest of the class stopped what they were doing and turned around to face the two in shock. Shuichi, for what seemed to be the first time in his life, felt stunned. "What?" he managed to ask with a weak, incredulous laugh and defensively grasped onto a lock of his red hair.

"I mean, it has nothing to do with you!" Namiko insisted, noticing the distress in Shuichi's face and the vicious glares of the rest of the Shuichi Minamino Fan Club ready to rip her limbs apart. "Of course it doesn't! Your hair is just so beautiful and wonderful that that vest just simply doesn't do it justice! It's not that your hair clashes with the vest - it's that the vest clashes with your hair. You see, just a mix up of words. I mean, I think your hair is gorgeous - really, it is - the color is so absolutely vibrant and all! That's why I think - to make it really stand out - you should go with a black or a white vest…or some other more…um…neutral color…" Her voice faded into a nervous giggle. Then, noticing that Seita was standing the closest to her and was wearing a black vest, she took hold of his arm and yanked him forward, declaring, "Here! Seita will switch vests with you!"

"I don't want to switch vests with stupid Minamino!" Seita protested angrily.

"Just do it!" Namiko snarled back, worriedly glancing over at the violent stares of her fellow colleagues at the Shuichi Minamino Fan Club and giving another awkward chuckle.

Grumbling a few profanities under his breath, Seita unbuttoned his vest and begrudgingly relinquished to Shuichi, who tried to smile as he took off his own, for the sake of his reputation, not to mention Namiko's safety, and traded.

"Thanks, Shuichi; the black looks really handsome on you!" Namiko then said, before hastily retreating to her other duties as the head supervisor for class 3-4's portion of the cultural festival. As the rest of the class returned to their work again, Shuichi let out a sigh and went back to working on his flower arrangements for the centerpieces, trying his best not to feel bitter and fall into the same hole of character flaws and personality defects that it seemed most of his recent friends had fallen into some time ago. And yet it seemed that fate - or at least the cultural festival and the impending misery it would soon cause him - would simply not allow him to keep his integrity wholly intact.

For by the end of the day, Shuichi Minamino would be successfully defeated.