AN: I struggled to release this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it! Between being caught up in some series with games and struggling to write other stuff, I simply couldn't find the time, but here it is now! Some things I put in are there for a reason, so don't get too hasty with those reviews unless it's a legit error on my end! As for things like whether it's a harem or not, you'll just have to read to find out. I don't think the outcome will be unpopular, but I've been wrong before.

In my eyes, a changed Hachiman with a youth to live wouldn't care about some trivialities some commenters have been worried about. I'm not sure what some have been talking about, but I think in due time most things will become clear. I can't give away my playing hand just yet.

Last time I updated, people reviewed that I was alive. This chapter is here to inform you that again! I hope to see a lot of reviews.


Oh how I miss you.

Summer Vacation, a dream.

Please come back to me.

It's a nice haiku right? I wrote it up in five seconds while in Hiratsuka-sensei's class. Coming back from summer break was really a shame as I was getting used to lying around every day, warding off anyone who made me get up.

Of course, I inevitably lost most of those fights, but it's effort that matters!

Man, you'd think that the huge typhoon Chiba was under yesterday would do something to affect our class today, but it didn't. So now I sit here, waiting for Hiratsuka to finish her lecture so I can rest more properly.

Hiratsuka-sensei sure loves teaching though. For a Modern Japanese teacher, she weirdly loves her lab coats. Don't worry, Hiratsuka-sensei, you do look moderately cool with that labcoat on.

Uh oh, it looks like she's saying something important. I better listen in or else something troublesome might happen to me.

"Since the Cultural festival is coming soon, each student will have to volunteer as usual for a position."

Ah, the Culture festival. I have many ways to say how much I don't really care about you. I'll withhold any critiques out loud for now. There's two pairs of eyes on this cultural festival so in some capacity, I feel as if I need to make their experience special.

I didn't really care what part I had to play in this festival. I just hope I get an unimportant job to sit at a stand for hours on end because that means I can pretty much do whatever I want.

"Is anyone up for the Culture Festival Committee representative position? We need a male and a female to represent this class. Anyone who volunteers will be involved in very important decisions. Are there any takers?" Hiratsuka's gaze almost immediately went to me.

No! Not happening! There's no way that-

Sharp gazes stopped that line of thought as I recognize that both Ryuu and Ais look to have an expression of anticipation.

They're likely thinking back to my work in Orario where I was the one to organize our party and other resources, sourcing the raw materials we needed for weapons and getting it to the talented blacksmiths at a cheap price. Not like they'd muster their own talents if I wasn't leading. Yeah… I don't think I can escape my fate.

Might as well get to it before someone else nominates me. I raised my hand. "I'll be the male representative." Hiratsuka-sensei's grin made me instantly regret my decision.

"Well you certainly wouldn't be the female one," Hiratsuka-sensei quipped, listing me on the board.

Har har. Just like a puppet, I feel as if my strings have been pulled as Hiratsuka-sensei has manipulated my actions. Curse you, you meddlesome teacher! My fate was sealed even without Ais and Ryuu's prompting!

Unexpectedly, Yuigahama's hand went up after her comment, saying, "Sensei? I'll be the other representative."

Immediately after I heard her say that, I heard a very quiet 'tsk' sound coming from someone in the class. If I had to guess, it was Ryuu considering her expression. Ais, on the other hand, was staring at me with a pout. It seems that those two wanted to be a representative as well.

Hiratsuka-sensei's face had a strange smile on her face as she said, "Alright then. We have our two Culture Festival Committee members! Now your class will have to decide which event to do." She looked at the clock and seeing the time, she said, "You'll each have to decide your positions after class. Think about it carefully. We'll vote on what event your class does next time."

With those words, class dispersed, leaving me to wallow in my mistake. "Let's do our best, Hikki!" Yuigahama said, having come up to my desk.

My eyes rose to meet hers as I responded. "Yeah, let's make it a fun festival." Even if I don't want to do it… it would be Ais and Ryuu's first school festival. It's only right that they get a good one. Not that I'd be the sole factor in that.

Yuigahama was taken aback slightly, perhaps surprised by my words, before she regained her bearing, giving a bright smile, "Right!" With that, she went back to the other side of the room to talk to a curious Miura by the look of it.

Ryuu came up to my desk right after. "I was too slow on the draw, I could've been a representative with you."

"You're going to be happier that you're not. It's a lot of thankless work that for most members, is in the background."

She put a finger to her mouth. "Perhaps, but it would've been an excuse to spend more time with you."

My face burned at her words. Thankfully, she said it at a volume no one else could hear, but that didn't include the other unhappy ex-Orario resident. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her react, looking over at the two of us. Ignoring her, I said, "...We'll have plenty of chances to talk later. You would do better getting closer to your classmates."

"That's not why I'm here right now, Hachiman, and you know it."

I almost squirmed at her words, recalling our talk at the festival. "Depending on what activity the class puts on, you might be the best person for the job."

Ryuu rolled her eyes "Somehow, I don't think we'll be doing a restaurant of any kind. From what I'm hearing, there's to be a certain play with you as a lead."

Ryuu was referring to the dangerous ideas Ebina was currently spouting off to Ais and Miura. It was almost impressive, the amount of vigor of that woman. "I'm a committee member, remember? I'll be too busy to do anything else for the class."

Ryuu hummed. "Doesn't sound like she cares about your committee duties."

"I'm going to make DAMN sure I communicate my duties when I refuse the part!" Maybe I can convince Hiratsuka-Sensei to recommend the class to choose a maid cafe.

Regardless, I am not going to participate in whatever perverted machination that girl has thought up. If I'm already locked into doing committee work, this is at least the compensation I need!

(-)

After school had ended, my day was unfortunately not done yet. The first committee meeting met that same day. It was exactly 3:45 when I had decided to make my way over to the conference room. Ais decided to check out the Kendo club and after a light warning, I think she'll be fine holding back her strength. Ryuu wasn't scheduled tonight at the cafe, so she decided to help out the Archery club as well.

I didn't exactly get a reason why the two of them were suddenly interested in clubs, but something told me those two were on the same wavelength. As for me, a certain side bun-haired girl was sticking to me the entire way to the conference room.

"Hey, you better not be thinking of anything rude!" Yuigahama said, as we walked side by side. How the women around me gain telepathic powers in regards to only myself, I'll never know. Not that I'll ever admit to fault here.

"I'm just wondering how this meeting is going to go. The Cultural Festival is a big deal for the school and all," I replied with a partial truth.

"Oh, the Cultural Festival is going to be so much fun!" Yuigahama said, "We'll make sure that's the case. Right, Hikki? Let's try our best!"

"Yeah," I said. Yuigahama was always a bubbly girl, but she seemed way more enthusiastic and laid back than normal. Did something good happen to her? Could it be…

"Hikki? Are you ok? We're at the conference room y'know?" Yuigahama poked my side, getting my attention.

"It's nothing!" I said, a little too quickly. Thankfully, it seems Yuigahama didn't think too much of it as I opened the door to the conference room, allowing both of us to walk in.

I could feel the eyes of the many different people that were already in the room, but at this point, I was used to a lot of looks. Sitting myself in an empty chair, Yuigahama did the same, right beside me.

The door opened, only to reveal Yukinoshita followed by a grinning Hiratsuka-sensei. Yukinoshita gave both Yuigahama and myself a glance, probably surprised by both of our involvement in something troublesome like this. Yuigahama especially is not exactly Festival Committee member material.

While I wouldn't call myself Festival Committee member material either, my time in Orario has proven otherwise unfortunately.

Soon, an upperclassman rolled on into the room, putting herself at the front of the room which got everyone's attention. A familiar face that I've talked to before.

"Hi! I'm Shiromeguri Meguri, your student council president. I'm really glad to be able to join all of you for another cultural festival this year! Let's do our best!" Although Shiromeguri-senpai's face was bright, there was a hint of nervousness in there.

The students clapped for her as the room gained a pleasant atmosphere. Although I called into question the legitimacy of her presidency before, she certainly is capable.

"Unfortunately, I'm not able to be selected as the chair of the Cultural Festival Committee as a third year, but I'm sure there's someone capable among you!" She wasn't very subtle in who she wanted to be the Chair as she glanced at Yukinoshita.

Yukinoshita didn't seem too enthused. She looked away from Shiromeguri-senpai, bringing her some confusion. "Eh? You don't want to do it? I thought Haru's sister would be great as a Cultural Festival chair. At least, Haru was."

"My apologies, but I wish to work as a normal committee member," Yukinoshita said, bowing her head a little. If you asked me, I'd say there's more to it than that if her sister was a Committee chair before. She likely doesn't want those expectations thrusted into her even if she could fulfill them. Knowing Yukinoshita though, she'd fall into a few pitfalls.

Shiromeguri-senpai looked a little dejected at Yukinoshita's refusal. "That's a shame…" Her eyes shifted over to a dangerous direction as her eyes brightened up in recognition. "Well, how about you, Hikigaya-Kun? You seemed to be on the same wavelength as Haru last time we chatted!"

Hey! That was not necessary information to disclose! Eyes turned to me as all of them probably thought 'who the heck is this fish-eyed guy she's talking to.' Unfortunately, I didn't have a good answer for them.

Oh right, I needed to answer her. "I'm not sure I'd be a good fit for the job."

Shiromeguri-senpai chewed that excuse up and ate it for breakfast. "Oh, that's no problem! I'm sure you'll be a good leader!"

Uh, she seems dead set on making me the Committee chair. Why didn't you try this hard for Yukinoshita? Is this some sort of favoritism? "Uh, I don't think-"

"You can do it, Hikigaya," Hiratsuka-sensei said, encouraging me. In reality it felt like I was being forced into the role, just like with being a Committee member.

"Just think of this as a request to the Service Club," Shiromeguri-senpai winked. Uh, this is going to be troublesome isn't it?

Atsugi, the gym teacher, appeared to have his mind made up. "Well, now that that's settled, make sure to give the school your 100% Hikitiki! Make sure to put some passion into this Cultural Festival!" As he addressed me incorrectly, my eyes flashed as I envisioned him in a green jumpsuit with a bowl cut shouting about youth.

Huh, I guess my role has just expanded a bit from before. At least, I'll craft a festival more directly just for our two Orario natives.

Shiromeguri-senpai wrote my name on the board as the Committee chair, before bringing her hands together. "Alright, now it's time for everyone to commit to a role! I wrote a small explanation of each section in the meeting overview so be sure to give it a looksee!"

Looking at my own sheet, I perused the sections. Publicity and Advertisement, Accounting, Volunteer Management… there's a lot of sections to divide everyone up into. Personally, I lean more towards Accounting due to money management being something I'm mostly familiar with, however Records seems the easiest.

At least, that would be my assessment if I had a choice in the matter.

"Has everyone had a chance to look at each section?" Shiromeguri-senpai said before looking at me, "Then, over to you, Hikigaya-kun!"

Ah, she wants me to establish myself as a leader then. Fine, I guess now is when we decide who does what. Simple enough. "Publicity and Advertising then… who wants to do it?" I asked.

Radio silence. It didn't appear to be a popular section to volunteer for. Nevertheless, I needed an answer.

Putting some weight behind my words, I gave my attention to the entire room. "This section needs someone outgoing who will be able to talk to a lot of people to advertise for the festival. If no one decides to do it, I'll be deciding for myself who'll be involved." I made sure my tone carried a hint of killing intention as the potential for being assigned a job you're unsuitable for was a possibility.

Thankfully, my old trick worked well. That's what teaching some adventurers will do for you! Quickly, a few hands were raised with a few disgruntled voices behind them. I'll take it. Your sacrifice will not be in vain.

Glancing over at Shiromeguri-senpai, her face beamed with the expression of someone who was right.

(-)

The meeting wrapped up soon after everyone volunteered for their roles. Thankfully, it seems my threat was useful for settling things, however, as I foresaw the amount of work, I just got a little tired at the thought.

"To think that you would become the Committee chair," a smug face said to me. The Service Club was able to gather for a short time since the Committee meeting started late at 4:00.

"I didn't really have a choice," I explained.

"Yahallo, Yukinon!" Yuigahama greeted, "Let's hope our leader doesn't give us a lot of work," she said, jabbing at me.

Ryuu, however, was confused. "Is it that strange for Hachiman to be a Committee Chair? I thought it seemed fitting," she said, with Ais nodding in agreement. I had caught the two of them back up to speed after we walked back to our respective houses. Ais seemed to have slept over at Ryuu's place with Shio-san's permission.

It's not surprising that Ryuu and Ais' frame of reference is so different. Either way, what I was seen as didn't matter to me. I was instead focused on being able to manage my time efficiently for the festival ahead. There was only one month left, after all.

Thankfully for me, their tutoring has mostly been able to fade to the wayside as they've gone through school and learned the common sense of this world. I won't have the time to be so attentive to them.

"Eh? Well, Hikki's image has changed a little bit. He does have that reliable side to him. He's still Hikki though!" Yuigahama said.

"Hikigaya-kun certainly suffers from being a Hikigaya. Thankfully, you do have your uses," Yukinoshita agreed.

What does that even mean! Is she trying to suggest Komachi isn't perfect! That's too far. Being insulted by my own name. How original of you two. "Saved you from the fate of being a Committee chair, didn't I?"

"It appears so. Speaking of, I didn't know you had met my sister," she glared as if I was supposed to offer that information up on a silver platter.

"I don't tend to retell unpleasant experiences."

"That's rude! I'd like to meet Yukinon's sister. If she's anything like Yukinon, I'll like her," Yuigahama said, giving a smile to Yukinoshita. One that Yukinoshita returned with a pointed look.

"Hmm, I think it can safely be deduced that you and your sister are not on good terms?" Ryuu asked. Ais didn't know how to process this information, merely looking to her for an answer.

Yukinoshita sighed. "While I once adored my older sister, things got difficult one day, so we strayed away. She's very…"

"Cunning?" I offered. Her social skills definitely showed someone capable of manipulation. For someone like Yukinoshita who is very… private, being forced into situations she wouldn't want would be very aggravating. She has a lot of bite behind her unspoken bark.

"Indeed," she confirmed, "I'd rather not talk about her." Her tone suggested we didn't continue with this line of questioning.

Yuigahama coughed. "Ehe, what's your class doing by the way, Yukinon? For some reason, Hina-chan's play was shut down and instead, Yumiko-chan wanted to do a maid cafe."

Yes, Miura did suggest the class activity be a maid cafe, but she only had the idea because I asked Ais to pitch the idea to her. I did not want to leave anything up to chance with Ebina and her fantasies. Also, it was a good chance for Ryuu.

"Really? I did not expect that from her," Yukinoshita said, "My class is writing calligraphy and allowing visitors to tour and look at all of them."

"Isn't there a club for that?" Ryuu asked, sneaking me a look. She's probably aware of my involvement with the maid cafe coming to be.

"A lot of its members are from my class, so it had a lot of push. I certainly didn't care which class activity was done."

"You're a committee member too." Ais pointed out. While committee members were free to join in, they were primarily tied to general activities and with me at the helm, I wasn't going to lose any to their classes. I don't want anyone shirking their work and others having to pick up the slack.

Yukinoshita nodded, "Indeed, however I'll be able to submit my own piece later as it's not too challenging to write one."

"Just make sure you get your work done in Records," I said, "Oh, and help Yuigahama when she messes up."

"Hey! I think I'm good enough to finish my own work," Yuigahama said, huffing. "But, If I do need help, please do help me, Yukinon."

Yukinoshita nodded. Closing her book that she was reading when we walked in, "Speaking of help, I'm afraid to say that club activities will have to be suspended due to the Cultural Festival."

"Not having to take a request will be nice. Although, I think I've won the bet at this point," I said.

"It is a shame, although I'm not quite sure what bet you're talking about," Ryuu said. Everyone else wasn't here for when Hiratsuka-sensei egged us on, so naturally only Yukinoshita could react accordingly. To which, she ignored me. I guess she's still somewhat competitive over it.

"It's nothing," I responded.

Ais decided to speak. "Then, I'll help with the class and with the Kendo Club."

"Oh? Have you joined them? I hope you're not leaving the Service Club, Ais-chan!" Yuigahama said, hugging AIs.

Ais shook her head. "Just helping. They need my help." Well maybe to a talented swordswoman like Ais they needed help, but I bet the Kendo club is fine overall. They are probably hoping they can steal her from us. She's better than all of their members combined after all.

"I see," Yukinoshita said. "Then, we'll all tend to our classes and other responsibilities in the meantime. Is that acceptable for everyone?"

"Fine by me," Ryuu said. She was mostly helping out Shio-san anyway. The Archery Club is a side activity for her, but the Maid Cafe will be taking more of her time now.

"It's only natural," I said, shrugging with Ais nodding in agreement.

"Afterwards, we'll be back full force!" Yuigahama said. Although I wouldn't say it with the same amount of enthusiasm, I had to agree with Yuigahama.

(-)

Right on time, the Cultural Festival Committee started at 4:00, with myself opening the meeting. I had already assigned some groups their own projects to work on, so the reports for that needed to come in. We did only have 3 weeks, after all.

"Publicity and Advertising, have you finished posting notices on all the school boards and on the School website?"

The section lead answered, "Nearly. We spent a lot of time after the meeting yesterday to make a good notice and post it on all the billboards, but I'm waiting on confirmation from the administration to be able to upload the notice on the website."

I nodded, giving some encouragement. "That's fine. Get with Hiratsuka-sensei now to upload the notice immediately. We need to be able to give guests the time to be able to get their schedules together." Signaling to Hiratsuka-sensei who was overseeing the committee again, the section lead exited the room with her.

Turning to the next section, I continued. "Volunteer Management, how many groups can we expect and who are they mostly made up of. Do you have a time table for the stages?"

"We have 15 groups and most of them are local with 5 groups being regional. We're currently working with each class to get an idea for how many staff is needed. I can submit a rough demo of a time table I wrote up."

"Right then. Continue to recruit volunteers and make sure our promotional lines meet the standards of the groups volunteering. Next, Health and Sanitation."

As the section head for that group opened her mouth, a door flew open, interrupting the meeting. I sense trouble.

"Yahallo, everyone! I'm here to help!" Trouble said, I mean Haruno Yukinoshita said. I wonder who invited her…

Glaring at Shiromeguri-senpai, I got an answer. "S-sorry! I thought we could use her experience and since I ran into her, it seemed like a good time to ask for her help with the band since she did it in the past." Uhuh, likely story. I have a feeling there's more to that story, but I could care less about the specifics.

"Oh, cmon, Hikigaya-kun. You could use a capable person like me! I'm thinking of getting some Alumni to lead a volunteer orchestra for the festival! I can lead it, right?" Her familiarity with me was something I was going to have to address later. If I didn't stop her now, I was going to lose control over the committee and we can't get behind so early into the game.

"Yukinoshita…san," I drawled, not wanting to mix her up with her younger sister. "Please refer to the Volunteer Management so that we can organize what a group like that will look like. Practice at the school if you must, but be mindful to not cause trouble for the people working around you," I said with a pointed look at her.

"Brrrr," she said, fake-shivering in place as she took a seat in an empty chair. You're no fun, Hikigaya-kun… and you could at least call me Haruno-senpai!"

With deadpan disgust, I affirmed while looking away, "...Haruno-san."

"Boo, poor effort!" she replied, "You gotta look me in the eyes when you say it too!" I moved on to Health and Sanitation.

There was a lot more work to be done.

(-)

Speaking of work, Class 2F had hit a snag the next day in terms of progress.

"Eh? Really? Are we that strapped for money, Yumiko-chan?" Yui asked. Miura was heading the work on the maid cafe front, designating everyone in the class to specific work.

"Well, yeah. We can't just order several uniforms like that and enough ingredients for the festival. Decorations have mostly been handmade, so it'd be like, suuuper fab if we had someone who could sew some cute maid and butler outfits!"

My attention was caught with head movement and eyes shifting from someone. Maybe, just maybe. Whispering my idea to Ais, I wanted to enlist the help of two people.

Ais took my idea and pitched it to Miura whose eyes quickly shifted to me. Guess I made it too obvious this time, huh. Nevertheless, she ran with the idea.

Walking over to the lone person in the room, Kawasaki Saki (Hey, I remembered her name this time), Miura had a small grin on her face as she ordered, "You, can you make us some cute maid uniforms and suits for the maid cafe?"

Alarmed by this question, Kawasaki sputtered out an excuse, "B-but I've never done a full outfit before. And a full suit would be too complex with all the stitching and other fabrics that would need to be done. It would be too much!"

"What if you had a physical reference," I asked, catching her attention as she thought about it, crutching the level of difficulty in her head.

"That… might be more doable," She said, nodding her head, "But, I am nowhere near talented enough for this. What if I mess up!"

"Oh come on, Saki-chan! Your school uniform alterations are cute and isn't that scrunchie handmade? It's adorable!" Yuigahama pointed out. Both points of course, Kawasaki tried to cover up to no avail.

"You'll be fiiine," Miura said, "And hey, if anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility." She winked. "What type of physical reference were you thinking, Hikio?"

"Ryuu," I called her over. Seeing as she had a pout on her face, she knew where this was headed. "Could you ask Shio-san if we could use some of her uniforms as a reference for our cafe?"

"Oh right, you work at a maid cafe," Kawasaki said, realizing what I was asking. "Those uniforms would be great material to work with!"

Ryuu gave me a blank stare before giving a neutral gaze to the others. "Sure, I don't see why not."

Miura grabbed her shoulders, understanding now what she worked as. "Heey, Ryuu-chan, why don't you show us the proper attitude of a maid," she asked, wishing to take advantage of having a professional.

Ryuu, startled by the sudden attention from Miura, was in a daze as she and Kawasaki were dragged around by Miura. "I think they have it from here, " I whispered to Yuigahama.

"You sure helped them out a lot, Hikki," Yuigahama said.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't," she teased, "It's too bad for Hina-chan though. She seemed so excited about her play though." She pointed over to a sulking Ebina.

"She'll learn to accept it. I know I'm not the only one who dodged a bullet."

"Eh?" Yuigahama blinked as she wasn't following. Looking over at the two people I heard who would've been the main characters in the play (excluding me), I saw Totsuka working hard as usual. He had been a consistent friendly face to talk to during the down time of class. Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to hang out with him or Zaimokuza more.

The other main character, Hayama, was making his way to us now. "Yuigahama, why don't you help with Ais right now. She could use a hand with decorating the banner," I said. Yuigahama, sensing the reason why, compiled without a comment, giving a supportive smile as she went to help Ais.

"I hope I didn't scare Yuigahama off. I just wanted a few words," Hayama said, scratching the back of his head with a laid back smile.

"Whatever you wanted to say doesn't need her around to hear it," I said, silently pulling up a barrier around us. It wouldn't stop Ais and Ryuu if they wanted to break it, but they won't. They had learned to trust my judgement, now more than ever, having chased me into another world.

They were too much, really…

Hayama laughed. "You're a little protective of her, aren't you. You're not wrong though, Hikitani!"

"So, what?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

"First, my thanks," Hayama said, glancing over to Ebina. "It would've been… an inconvenience to take part in a play like that."

I shook my head, "I think Miura doing her best should be emphasized more than whatever part I played." The fire queen is doing this partially as a way to show off to him. I'm sure the other part is her friendship with Ais. Regardless, I'm sure that Hayama is aware of all of this.

"While I do like to see her bringing the class together, there was an initial push that is unmistakably your handiwork. In fact, from what I can tell, your handiwork is going to be all over the Cultural Festival."

"Who told you that?" I asked, not really caring about the answer.

"Haruno did. She stopped by yesterday and from what she told me, she was impressed," Hayama said, giving a serious expression. It seems that he has a history with her that goes a bit further than his relationship with Yukinoshita. Is it because of their families knowing each other?

Regardless, I wouldn't let any of that bother me. "What Yukinoshita-san says doesn't really matter to me. And I'm not sure where this is going."

"Look," Hayama said, giving a casual look around, one that wasn't suspicious at all to the spectators, but to me it showed worry. "Maybe you're prepared to deal with her, but in my experience, she is usually able to get what she wants in the end. So best be prepared to deal with it."

"Is that a warning from you or her?" I asked. I didn't really mind a sort of challenge like this. When you've torn through crowds of monsters with only a blade and magic that you've only kind of gotten the hang of, a battle of wits with as low stakes as the Cultural Festival made me almost want to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. How much trouble could a normal person be?

Hayama smiled. "Think of it as both, Hikitani-kun. If you can handle her, I'd say you have one over me," he said, walking away.

As if I cared about anything like that. My hands were full, juggling two transdimensional immigrants!

I removed the barrier and gave a glance to Saki, who was hard at work, coordinating with Ryuu on the uniforms. Miura was bouncing around every group as the leader, directing and correcting when needed. Ais and Ryuu had drawn a small drawing of colorful stars and rainbows just as a small way to decorate the room.

I'm very grateful that I wouldn't be doing a lot here, but it sure was nice to see things start to piece together. Now, it was my duty to keep up the background work for the festival, and if a certain Yukinoshita gets in my way, I'll have my own methods to solve it.

(-)

Those three weeks were gone in a blink of an eye. It was only a few days before the festival itself and what was I doing? Playing bowling.

I could only watch as Yukino rolled a ball down a lane, erupting the pins as they flew against the way after being hit. Looking over across myself, I saw Ais observing her with a careful eye, probably trying to adjust her strength preemptively. Ryuu, who had more control, was only happy to not be doing anything seemingly, sitting quietly listening to the talkative Yui next to her.

What? I'm supposed to be working for the festival? That's what I thought too, but a few days after working to make sure everything goes just right, Yukinoshita had dragged me out with Yui's assistance out to play. Ais and Ryuu shortly joined us, having to get permission from Yumiko and finish some vital work for the maid cafe.

"What's wrong, Onii-chan? Has all that Committee work fried your brain? Oooh, don't worry, Komachi will make sure you're all rested to work hard tomorrow!" she winked, prompting me to give her some Onii-chan points.

"I'm fine," mentally and physically. "While we're not exactly behind schedule, I would've liked to take advantage of that time to finish up approvals leftover."

"Isn't everyone in need of a break at some point? The Records section has been hard at work and I dare say everyone is at a good point to take a breath and relax. As the Committee Chair, you need to set a good example of proper self preservation," Yukinoshita admonished.

"If I slack off, everyone else is bound to do the same. I didn't know you were the Yukinoshita I had to look out for!" Surprisingly, Haruno hasn't been a problem so far. Sure, there's the double entendres and the dangerous looks she gives, but for right now, it's not a problem.

"You need time to relax," Ais disagreed with me also. Maybe it was a chance to take advantage of the time and to be able to enjoy some of my resumed youth, but for some reason, I found it hard to relax. Although I could enjoy the night of those fireworks, there wasn't anything going on then!

"Ais-chan is right, Hikki! Also, if I had to read one more report and record it, my head was seriously going to exploud!" Yuigahama pointed out.

"You were having a particularly difficult time. I had to help a few more times than I would've liked," Yukinoshita nodded.

After her words, a loud crash caught their attention. Ryuu had rolled a strike.

"This is going to be a close game," I muttered.

"Arrgh! Everyone is too good! Onii-chan, avenge me," Komachi said, walking up to take her turn. She had already accepted her defeat. Her stance was pretty exemplary but her power didn't make up for it.

Komachi deflated upon taking her seat. "It's ok, Komachi-chan," Yuigahama said, patting her shoulders, "I'm no good at bowling either. In fact, you're a lot better than me!" It probably hurt her slightly to admit that out loud since she had a difficult time getting anywhere near our score.

Admittedly, it took a few turns to get Ryuu and Ais accustomed to the rules, but them getting strike after strike had really done a number on our less athletic club member's morale.

"Yui-chan!" Komachi said, crying crocodile tears into her arms. Although competitive, Komachi wasn't actually that sad. She just likes to be a little dramatic. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't avenge her though.

"Another strike for me," I said, calmly taking a bowling ball and rolling it down to the pins. "I wonder who will mess up first, me or Yukinoshita." We both had a perfect score at the moment. Honestly, it was commendable for such a dandy girl, using skill to keep up.

"Although I would never get riled up by a provocation like that, you best know that I don't intend to lose." Yukinoshita's competitiveness suited her skill. It was odd that she was still leading the two Orario natives in points, but having a slow start meant they weren't able to match a perfect score from the get go.

Ais glanced at Yukinoshita as she bowled another strike. "She's slowing down." As expected, her stamina is still her weakness. Ryuu nodded beside us, silently sympathetic to the thinner girl's plight. The rich girl had done well for herself, but to no avail.

That meant, it was only a battle of endurance which was an easy competition. It came down to the last frame. Yukinoshita had rolled 2 strikes, leaving only one more for her to mess up. As she winded up her arm, I could sense some strain on the ball during the release.

The bowling ball sailed across, barreling into the other pins, erupting them as they fell down. However, 1 in the corner still stood tall. She had just barely missed a perfect game.

I had this locked in. My turn came around so I marched up to the alley, giving it a look. I just needed to get 3 straight strikes and then I will have avenged you, Komachi!

Winding up my arm, I sent the ball into the center, causing all of them to fly to the back. One strike down. The pins were replaced as I received my ball again. Taking a deep breath, I rolled the ball down again. Another strike! Almost there.

While I waited for the ball, I overheard the girls talking about what to do next. There were some suggestions from shopping to hanging out at Shion-san's place.

They didn't seem too interested in the game anymore, sort of accepting their score. I received my ball and got my stance ready.

"What about Karaoke?" Komachi suggested.

Those words passed a shiver down my spine as I threw the ball straight into the gutter. I heard some giggles in response to Komachi's question, causing further embarrassment. Hey, Yukinoshita! I see that fist pump you did just now! She won out in the end.

I'm sorrrrry, Komachiiii!

"Heeheehee, Hikki has a hard time with singing, I think," Yuigahama said, clarifying for the questioning Komachi.

"I've practiced since I'll have you know!" Shutting oneself in a karaoke booth was a lonely but necessary task if I wanted to not embarrass myself later on. Although it's not as if there wasn't music in Orario, I never exactly interacted with it outside of a few formal dances. I hadn't sung a song in years.

"For our sake, I hope your singing skills have improved to somewhat match your bowling skills, but something tells me that your last throw foreshadows a different tale," Yukinoshita verbally jabbed.

(-)

And so the start of it all had come. The one and only Sobu High Cultural Festival. The Festival committee had to be opened up with a ceremony, so I was backstage waiting for everything to start up.

The slogan had been discussed weeks before. It took some back and forth from the committee members, but thankfully, it came out fine: These Youthful Moments of Ours will Create Lifelong Memories. It's essentially a declaration for everyone to take back their youth and have fun.

But I won't be having fun though. Coordinating with other background workers, I had to give a small speech after the opening performances which will come after our charismatic Student Council President. Her job is to hype everyone up, introducing the Festival's slogan.

"Are you all culturing!" she screamed, causing a roar of cheers from the crowd. "Chiba's specialties: Dance and…"

"Culture!" The crowd cheered.

"These youthful moments of ours will create…" she started.

"Lifelong Memories!" The crowd finished.

With those words, Shiromeguri-senpai stepped aside as people like the Sobu High's cheerleaders performed for the crowd. Various groups were on stage to dance to the music and get the crowd going. One of the background workers told me that I was on soon.

I scratched the back of my head as I wracked my brain to remember what to say. At this point, nervousness wasn't an option and wasn't my style.

"Next, a speech from the Culture Festival Committee Chair." Shiromeguri-Senpai said, cueing me in.

I walked in silently, attracting the attention of the crowd as I turned to face them. "My name is Hikigaya Hachiman, your Cultural Festival Committee chair. I wish to make sure that everyone is able to come out of this Cultural Festival with a good memory. That is all!" Turning on my heel, I left, but to my surprise the crowd left me with cheers. It seemed short and sweet was a good choice.

I could hear in my ear piece a certain Ice Queen giving her feedback. "I didn't expect that sort of heartwarming sentiment from you."

She and Yuigahama were around in the background, likely below the stage and behind the crowd. Since their job of records was now largely unneeded as everything was going on, they were reassigned to other jobs like taking pictures and timekeeping.

"It got the job done anyway," I said, not wanting to dwell on a public channel about any sentimental thoughts. "How's the crowd looking, Yuigahama?"

"Oh! Everyone is moving out from the auditorium to go to their class. Pockets of students are around to tour the exhibits," Yuigahama reported. The first day of the festival was closed to the public so that the students could experience the festival themselves. While I didn't have too much work as the chair while everything was going on, it feels as if it's only right that I visit and comment on each class' hard work.

"Alright then. Everyone stand by for today. The last day of the festival will be the big finale, so until then, do your best to create some memories," I said to everyone working.

"Righty-oh Chairman/Got it/ Alright then!" came from everyone. Everyone could relax for the time being.

And so naturally, I visited Class 2-F's Maid Cafe first.

"Ah, it's the head honcho himself. Like, good work up there Hikio!" Miura said, slapping my back. I just know if I wasn't as strong as I was, that'd hurt a lot! They had already gathered a small crowd due to the eye-catching beauties of the class, specifically Ais and Ryuu. However, the real hit with this cafe has been Hayama who was expectedly in a butler-esque outfit. His crowd of girls was undeniably a source of annoyance for Miura.

"You've done a good job too it seems. I saw the cooks in the back. Hopefully it's enough food for the duration of the festival. How's Ebina faring?" She seemed to be going through the motions mostly before, so I was curious now.

"Hina-chan? See for herself." Miura said, pointing to Ebina who was drooling over Hayama or rather Hayama and Totsuka, who was also in a butler outfit.

"The confident top vs the bashful bottom. What a stimulating work environment, hehehe," I could hear from that perverted girl. Her nose started bleeding and so Miura had to go over to tend to her.

"Hina-chan, oh. Not again! You're cuter without the nosebleeds," she trailed off, mother henning her friend.

Looking over at the two popular maids, I walked up to them to chat with them for a bit. "You two look busy."

"You don't," Ais said, handing the order she wrote down to a classmate who'd take it to the cook. "Are you here to help?" She asked. Her eyes sparkled slightly, making me suspect her intentions.

"As much as he claimed to not want to help others, Hachiman just can't help himself," Ryuu said calmly as the experienced maid movements served her table's food with etiquette befitting a professional.

"Oi, I'm only here to supervise!" I said. I didn't want to get wrapped up into wearing a butler outfit and working in the cafe. "The only one here to serve is you."

"We could make an exception for our Committee Chair," Saki said, overhearing our conversation. "I remember a certain outfit I sewed that would be perfect for you."

"The one that the school denied? I thought it was suitable as well," Ryuu said, nodding in agreement.

I sensed trouble at those words. One might think that they're referring to a butler uniform when they say that, but I'm almost certain they're trying to put me into the complete opposite. I won't let that happen.

"Ha, that's a nice joke, Kawasaki. You really got me. I'll just… go visit some other class. Good job on the uniforms by the way." Kawasaki lightly blushed at her comment before turning away, back to work.

Before I could run though, my collar was grabbed by Ais. "Is it cute?" she asked. Did someone put her up to this? Hiratsuka-sensei, is this your fault?

Sighing, I took a good look at her. For a warrior princess, she sure fits the dainty maiden image well. "Yes, you look very cute," I said. Thankfully, this wasn't in earshot of anyone other than Ryuu, whose expressions made me inclined to compliment her too

"You look cute too," I muttered to Ryuu whose face burned with blush. "I gotta check out the other classes now." Situations like those could get dangerous very quickly.

I recomposed myself as I toured around the other classes, from sculptures, to paintings, to other food stands, Sobu High looked to have a good festival on their hands. Of course everything was handled in the background. I was able to get a lot of sponsors and volunteers. Haruno was playing nice and had her team ready to perform tomorrow during the finale.

Walking up to class 2-J's exhibit, I was reminded that this was the "smart class", Yukinoshita's class. Walking into it, I was bombarded with pretty handwriting in the form of Calligraphy. For the entire class to agree on that, it made me think that most of them were already in the Calligraphy Club.

It didn't take a lot of the class' staff to manage this exhibit, so most of the class was already walking around enjoying the festival.

Inspecting 2-J's writing, it appeared they were all definitely skilled, not that I can particularly tell at a certain point. I was more interested in taking a look at Yukinoshita's writing. Her handwriting was smooth yet powerful. Her strokes were practiced and refined, offering a dynamic word art. Her word was confidence "jishin", perhaps giving some insight to what Yukinoshita thinks about. Just why would a strong person like her be gathering confidence? Perhaps because she's not as strong as I think.

I can only imagine what a high-class family's expectations are, but from my time in Orario and judging from Haruno, she's going to need her friends. She has one in everyone in the Service Club even if she doesn't admit it herself.

I moved on from Class 2-J. Everything was in order and it was a prim and proper exhibit.

Instead, I wanted to check out the 3rd years. Unfortunately, someone stood in my way, Shiromeguri-senpai.

"Hikigaya-kun! That was an awesome speech you gave during the opening ceremony! I just know you were the right person for the job. I can already tell tomorrow is going to go great!" She said, all bubbly and smiling.

"I appreciate the compliment. I don't think I compare to our Student Council President personally," I nodded towards her. She was an effective leader and the entire student body likes her. She has a much wider reach than me.

"Oh stop! Maybe it was a shame that Haruno's sister didn't get to try her luck, but I think she was happy where she was in the Records Section. Haruno-chan herself was pretty satisfied." I don't know if Haruno's approval is really a good thing, but I don't wish to ask her why.

"Is everything going smoothly among the 3rd years? The 2nd and 1st years were working well as expected."

Shiromeguri-senpai put a finger to her mouth as she thought. "Hmmm, from a Student Council standpoint, I thought everyone did a good job. No one has had any accidents yet and everything out there has been approved."

"A few days ago I had to track 3-B down as they had changed their Trolley Tour into a Roller Coaster. Everything else better be what was submitted," I said with an evil look in my eye. While I wasn't necessarily a stickler for rules, I didn't want to get blindsided by something a class does behind my back.

Shiromeguri-senpai laughed, "I have some friends there that told me about that. For a 2nd year, you sure scared them!"

"They must've never met Yukinoshita-san," I muttered.

"Oh, that's a funny joke, Hikigaya-kun! Don't you know half the 3rd years look up to her. Even I do," Shiromeguri-senpai said, with a placid smile on her face.

"Oh, is someone talking about me?" a voice said from behind the two of us. As expected, you speak her name and she appears. "Yahallo, Meguri-chan, Hikigaya-kun!"

"Yahallo, Haruno-chan!" Shiromeguri-senpai greeted.

"Yo," I nodded my head.

"I hope you've taken good care of my cute little sister! Where is she anyway? I thought you'd be with her." Haruno stated with her comfortable confidence.

"We're both working hard. She's recording pictures as expected from her section. Why?"

Haruno giggled at my words, "Maybe she could use some help from the Committee Chair. After all, it doesn't look like your 'work' is holding you back." As much as it was embarrassing to get called out for not working, Haruno wasn't wrong however her insistence for me to stick around Yukinoshita is suspicious. Just what is she planning?

I looked away. "Maybe I'll see if she has anything to report to me about," I said, nodding my head before leaving, waving goodbye to Shiromeguri-senpai who had waved first.

And so I was on the move again. Quickly I went to my phone to send a text to Yukinoshita when I got a text from someone else.

Yuigahama: Yahallo Hikki! How about we check out some classes together with Yukinon! Himeko-chan and Hina-chan don't get a break for another hour :'(((

Huh, maybe it's the same for Ryuu and Ais. I can ask them later if they'd like to walk around with me. Going with Yuigahama and Yukinoshita isn't a bad way to spend my time. Both of them have had a tough time with all the festival work, so it'd be a good chance to let loose. I won't let down my guard just yet though.

I walked over to the agreed upon place and it looked as if both of them were there. Yuigahama noticed me first waving. I walked up with a nod.

"Festival is going well," I said.

"Everyone is having so much fun! I'm so glad I decided to do my part to help out!" Yuigahama smiled. Her big orange shirt with a cloud shooting out a rainbow caught my attention. Yuigahama looked good in casual clothing.

"Class 2-F did make working in the food industry look more fun than what I would expect."

"Food service is only ever as bad as the customers," Yukinoshita said. Coughing she continued, "The Cat Cafe I visit sometimes for example I believe would be a pleasant workplace." Yukinoshita held a big camera as she went around to take pictures of every part of the festival.

"Of course you'd say that, Yukinon!" Yuigahama giggled. "C'mon, let's go have some fun!"

Yuigahama dragged us all over the school, mostly browsing the area. We visited a snack place and Yukinoshita was particularly interested in a popup petting zoo that class 3-E was hosting. It was a fun time. Yuigahama wondered about bringing Sable and giving her to someone here, but I pointed out that Sable had a tendency to wander, so thankfully, she decided otherwise.

Yukinoshita, of course, was charmed by the cats there, but she didn't want to show her affection so openly, so it took some time for her to really settle in with a cat. For some reason, I was popular with some of the cats. Maybe they were interested in the smell of Kamakura. A particular set of cats appeared to be twins, so for some reason I was feeling nostalgic. Nevertheless, we exited after a while.

We happened upon the light music club's exhibit, one of the few clubs that were approved for an exhibit.

Yuigahama seemed very interested in the small performance going on. They had a light and airy atmosphere going on with the singer of the band allowing the audience to join her in singing. The singer was a 3rd year and a pretty swell singer although I'd argue I've heard better singers.

"Why don't you go on and have a turn?"

"Eh? Hikki? I-I couldn't. It'd be sooo random to get up there and try my best," Yuigahama sputtered.

Yukinoshita spoke up, "Why not? You're a competent singer and it doesn't seem as if it'd be random of all. They even have a small line so that they can queue guests singers up at a good time."

"Uh… well," Yuigahama said, nervous about it all. She's definitely suited for singing and if I recall during Karaoke, she mentioned liking it. "Do you guys really think it'd be okay?"

"It'll be fun. If you don't get up there, maybe I will," I joked. Let me be clear: I would NEVER go up there willingly EVER.

"Oh, please spare the school from that fate, Yuigahama!" Yukinoshita said.

Yuigahama giggled at our antics, "Alright, alright! I'll give it a go! Cheer for me, alright?" She winked and got into the short line of singers.

Honestly, as much as I'm not really one for parties, it was a lighthearted enough atmosphere to be enjoyed moderately. I'll probably stop by tomorrow with Komachi.

"I spoke to your sister," I narrowed my eyes. I didn't want to be a mood killer, but I think I need to know whether she knows anything about what she wants.

Yukinoshita sighed. "Thankfully, I've avoided her for the most part, although I've had the displeasure of getting cornered during the meetings that coincidentally coincided with her meetings." Coincidentally, right.

"She didn't talk about you too much, she just wanted for me to look after you strangely enough."

Yukinoshita got quiet. "Just ignore my sister's nonsense. As long as everything with the club stays as is, she won't cause trouble."

"With the club? Hmmm," I had a few ideas about what she's talking about but that would be crazy. "Eventually, something is going to change with the club. We're almost 3rd years."

"While fundamentally I agree, nevertheless, there have been moments as a 2nd year that've been… fun," she said, not looking at me as she smiled. Yuigahama had gone up as it was finally her turn.

A clear and energetic voice filled the air. She really was a talented singer. She didn't get too much time during karaoke unfortunately, likely because she felt awkward to do it alone, but I'd consider her similar to Yukinoshita in skill.

Yukinoshita didn't have the desire to stand out in that way. Although she's not afraid to show off her skill, she simply would rather do something like that among friends. Yuigahama, on the other hand, is much friendlier and that personality simply lends itself to a desire to sing. There are hints of longing in Yuigahama's voice beyond what I can see. Maybe she'll reach those dreams one day.

(-)

"Onii-chan, I permit you to sing outside in the open now," Komachi said as if she was a sage. "You have passed the Komachi Rite of Passage."

I wilted at what I was just forced to do. I just wanted to show Komachi the Light Music Club's and maybe have her sing… but I was made to sing. Practice thankfully paid off and I didn't make everyone's ears bleed. In some ways though, I wish I had.

"I better have gotten at least a million Onii-chan points for a thing like that," I grumbled. Today was the last day of the festival, the day that the public could see. Naturally, the plan was to lead Komachi around til she got bored of me.

Although, I did promise to make it up to Ryuu and Ais. I didn't get to tour them around as they got more busy with the lunch rush. They were promised a break today, so I'll be able to lend them some of my time.

Walking around with Komachi, we eventually came to Class 2-F. The line wasn't too long yet, so it was a short wait.

When we did finally make it inside, I had two very unhappy maids taking my order. Komachi was happy to see them though.

"Yahallo, Ryuu-chan, Ais-chan!" Komachi said as those two greeted her back. They were always especially kind to her. I saw similarities in how they treated other people in their lives back in Orario.

They had a conversation that I didn't care to overhear as we received our order.

With our order though, both of the maids were out of their uniforms and ready to play. "Bye, Onii-chan! I'm going to go find something fun to do. Entertain Ais-chan and Ryuu-chan well!" Did that girl even know where she's going? Sometimes I worry about her.

"So, did Miura release you two of your duties?" I asked.

"Yes! She still owed us from yesterday so we got off early," Ryuu noted. Ais nodded along.

"Let's go, Hachiman!" Ais said. Both girls were eager to get out of working even if they were the main maids of Class 2-F. They would have to make do without them. Kawasaki and Miura will pick up the slack, I guess.

Outside was where we started. There's a large variety of fun to be had here with the many stands of food being sold, the games being played, and the greeters set by the committee to help any visitors. The food was here to lure people in. The games were here to keep people to stay. The greeters welcomed people into the festival. Together, it synergizes to become a hot spot of activity.

In particular one game was my favorite as I pushed for it: The Shogi Expert vs the casual player. It was a stand dedicated to challenging opponents to a round of shogi. If by some chance they won, they'd get a small prize that's been sponsored for the festival. Winning, however, is designed to be difficult because it's against an expert.

"Wow, Missy. You're one smart cookie!" I heard the Shogi player say. I-I stand corrected? I played with the old man before so I knew of his skill. That could only mean that whoever beat him is exceptionally intelligent. A quick glance and the only thing I saw of the person was green hair. Hmmm, it's not really important.

"Cmon, Hachiman! How about we go check out the other classes?" Ryuu asked, taking my attention. The outside trivia game wasn't going very well for her. She was doing well for someone with her situation, but there were limits.

Ais was just happy, munching along to some Jagamarukun, better known as Potato Croquette here.

"Sure, we'll move on. I'll go to one of the classes I haven't visited yet. Maneuvering around the crowd and up some stairs, we were there, class 3-D's Movie Theatre. They had gotten together with the Drama Club to make a short film. Buying some popcorn from them, I sat near the back. Ais sat on my left while Ryuu on my right. At this point, the two of them had already seen a few films, but the concept of films was still new enough that they still retained child-like curiosity for it.

The film in question was a little all over the place in pacing. As I watched it, a few of the characters had weird reactions, and the framing showed that it was an amateur project. It was still pretty fun to watch nonetheless.

My companions' reactions held a certain innocence to movies that I could never have. Ais held a curiosity in her eyes that appeared no different from her usual expression for outsiders. She leaned her head against my arm, perhaps to get comfortable.

Ryuu was similar, being more attentive in expression. I'd imagine her previous ears would twitch with some scenes. Although, she would never admit it. Ryuu took a shine to a few things, and films were one of them. Perhaps, it reminded her of fantasy nature of her home dimension

Elves were just fictional creations here. The film ended without fanfare, either from the team running out of time with filming or running out of budget. Either way, it ended up a moderately enjoyable experience. Maybe I was just happy to sit down for 30 minutes though.

Looking at the time, it became apparent that I wasn't going to be able to tour around with them much longer. "I gotta go to the auditorium soon to prepare for the ending ceremony." Even though it was early, there were a lot of procedures and people to take into account, so it was necessary.

That was the wrong thing to say. Ais pouted and looked away while Ryuu had a scary expression on her face. "I thought we would have more time. Didn't I hear about you going around with Yuigahama and Yukinoshita?" Ryuu tried to angrily stare to assert her point, but looking at me seemed to have the opposite effect. The embarrassment took over, and her face melted into a flush, as she hastily looked away.

Although her anger wasn't dangerous at all, I wanna know who told them about that! It's not like I planned initially to tour the school with them! I just ended up with nothing to do really. I didn't have any rebuttal though, so hopefully this will appease them. "I'll make it up to you two later. A weekend for each of you."

"It's a promise," Ais said, clutching my shirt and pinching my side. It didn't hurt, but I got the message. Coincidentally, I spotted someone outside that might be able to take their minds off everything. "How about you lead Shio-san and Aki-chan in the meantime. They're at the front entrance right now."

Ryuu's face was flush with embarrassment at my earlier suggestion.. Her thoughts flickered across her revision, as she looked out the window to see that my words were true. "Uwaa, I told them they didn't have to come."

"From what I've seen of them, they'd want to come to see you."

Ryuu looked away from me as I saw the tip of her ears brighten with red. Recomposing herself, she got ready to leave, but before she did, she said, "Sometimes, you play unfair, Hachiman."

As she walked off, I got a pinch of reminder that someone else needed a distraction. "What about me?"

A quick thought came to mind. "Just follow me. Hiratsuka-sensei will be nearby since she's supervising all of this. She could use a break, right?"

Ais nodded, satisfied with that answer. I bet they haven't had nearly enough time together thanks to how hard Hiratsuka-sensei works at school. Hiratsuka-sensei, if you ever wanna be a good mom, you need to be able to work less at school!

Why can't someone marry her already?

(-)

Upon leading Ais to Hiratsuka-sensei, I was bombarded with staff both asking and telling me what was going on. I took command of the situation, getting an understanding of where everyone was by asking Shiromeguri-senpai, and directing everyone to their positions. Yuigahama was ready for support, having gotten a sense of when the audience would settle in the auditorium. The schedule for the Closing Ceremony was the Orchestra led by Haruno and the alumni, some performances on stage, and my speech.

It had to be accomplished in a timely manner to make sure everyone's out on time. Some bands had rehearsals before, so I told them to practice now because there wasn't going to be time later. The lights crew was ready, the pictures crew was… sorta ready. Where was Yukinoshita? That was her position to cover.

"Onee-chan, not right now." I could hear Yukinoshita say. Ah, the troublesome sister, I see.

In the front of the orchestra, she got caught by Haruno and her sister wouldn't let her go easily. "I thought I'd be able to have some fun with my sister, but she avoided me the whole day. Boohoo!"

"I- There just wasn't enough time," Yukinoshita mumbled.

"Oh, there wasn't, huh?" Haruno said, catching sight of me. "Oh no! The scary Committee Chair is going to yell at me!" It seems the rumors caught up to her and she was having some fun with it.

"Yukinoshita-san, please. We're on a tight schedule and need your sister in the back to film. You're the opening act, so don't you need time to rehearse?" We didn't have much time for a full orchestra/band, so it was going to be tough.

"Aw, don't worry about it, Hikigaya-kun! We've practiced a hundred times already. We'll be great, just like I promised." The older sister had a tricky expression on her face. I couldn't tell where her sincerity ended and her deviousness started.

"And your sister?"

Haruno pouted. "You really are no fun. Well, at least you took my words to heart yesterday it seems." Yukinoshita looked away, seemingly taking that as the chance to leave to go to her position. Curiously, she didn't look back. Haruno sure did tire me out.

Thankfully, someone gave me the excuse to bail quicker.

"Excuse me, Committee Chair. It's time to get into position. The entire school is being directed here now."

"Gotcha. I'll be back in a second," I said, waving off the staff before turning to Haruno. "You're up then. Make good on that 'promise' then."

"You don't seem too enthusiastic, Hikigaya-kun," Haruno said, amused. "Do you not want a good performance?"

"I do want you to do a good job, don't get me wrong," I corrected, "Just… don't do so well that people start saying that this festival is better than when you were the Committee Chair."

Haruno laughed at my request. "My my, I don't think I can do anything about that though."

I left it at that, going backstage.

"Yahallo, Hikki! Performance starts in five minutes!" Yuigahama told me through her headset.

"Got it. Begin the countdown when there's 10 seconds left and then signal to Yukinoshita-san. Yukinoshita, be sure to get a lot of good pictures during the performances."

"...You may need to differentiate myself and my sister a little more. Your commands can get confusing," Yukinoshita said.

"I'll take that into consideration…" I muttered. The crowd rolled in with smiles and laughter. It seems that the Cultural Festival had largely served its purpose. Spying a few familiar faces, I could see Aki-chan holding onto Ryuu with Shio-san smiling over the two of them. Hiratsuka-sensei was in the front, still watching over everything, but Ais was right there with her, keeping her company. Still, I felt a familiar presence somewhere, but I can't let that take over my thoughts.

Yuigahama started, "10 seconds left, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 ,1!" The light dimmed, causing everyone to go silent. Yuigahama signaled Haruno.

Haruno waved her baton, starting the orchestra with their music. An ocean of upbeat interesting melodies bursted into the air, causing a lot of people to nod along. The strings brought an upper class feel to everything while the horns brought a certain richness. The entire composition was definitely the right mood for the festival.

"She certainly is talented," I said over the network. I heard mumbles of agreement and praise. I had to tell them to cut it before the chatter got too much.

After a long performance, 2 bands got their turn to come in and play. Now, it was down to the third and final band. They were on standby, waiting to get signaled in. I was surprised they had the time to even practice with all the class stuff to prepare but-

"Hikitani-kun, you really are special, huh," Hayama said, interrupting me from my thoughts. He and his crew had somehow formed a band and had time to register it for the ending ceremony. Must've been why Miura needed so much help yesterday along with the lunch rush.

"I don't want to hear that from you." If Ebina was in earshot, her nose would be causing trouble.

"Uh, Hikki, was it really ok to leave Yukinon with my job to sing with Himeko-chan?" Yuigahama asked. I was already informed prior that she would be performing with them, so all it took was asking Yukinoshita.

"Would I allow it if it wasn't? You're sounding like a broken record now," I said, referring to yesterday.

"Ok, ok! I won't worry anymore!" Yuigahama said, running back to her friends as they waited for Yukinoshita to cue them in. It was a sight to see her freely happy, I guess. Not sure why she would fret so much though. Did they not trust me?

All I had to do was sit back and wait my turn.

So the festival was finally ending. That takes a massive weight off my shoulders, I'll say that! I didn't want to get involved in something like this, but I think it's an inevitability with the Service Club and Hiratsuka-sensei's meddling. Honestly, a forgone conclusion that I would be involved; I should've had the foresight to tell. All I can hope for is these future days to be kind to Ais and Ryuu. I'm going to have to answer for a few things I know, but for now I hope what I'm doing for them is enough.

I will forever be grateful that they were too engrossed with the movie to learn how much my heart raced.

As Yuigahama and Miura finished their song, the audience's applause was my cue to enter. Upon their exit, passing me and a wave of applause, I approach the microphone, quieting the audience. From my side, the committee crew goes up onto the stage behind me. Shiromeguri-senpai stood beside me giving a smile. Crew members like Yuigahama, Yukinoshita, and every other person helping out were called to the stage. I could see out in the crowd many smiling faces, and it almost made me crack a smile.

Hm. I did enjoy myself so…

Best I could do was a small grin, as I closed the ceremony. "Thank you for showing up for Sobu High's Cultural Festival. The people to my sides are those who made up the committee that has planned everything you've seen. I thank each of the classes for their hard work, the school for helping out where needed, and everyone who showed up to have a good time. I hope these moments of youth for my fellow students and for friends to be cherished as precious memories."

With that applause everyone cheered, signaling that the Closing Ceremony was over. At some point after cleaning up, I fell asleep, whether from mental exhaustion building up, or from some sort of habit. Whatever the case, I was happy that it was over. Now I'll let this comfortable sensation my head is feeling whisk me away to sleep.


Omake: The Intelligent Rival

There's a certain person on my mind. Initially he wasn't anything of note, but now I find myself wishing to prove something to him.

"For someone not associated with any major familia, you sure are the subject of many rumors, Hikigaya."

"And, are you a person who listens to stuff like rumors?" he replied, snappishly.

"They can be valuable information sometimes even if they're inaccurate. An adventurer's reputation is sometimes their most important feature initially."

"Well, my reputation is predictably bad. I can't see much use of that." Oh, if only you knew of what the younger adventurers say of you…

"Perhaps so. That flippant attitude of yours isn't a good look."

"You are someone who doesn't want to be talking about looks, Old Lady."

Arguments such as this were a common conversation that could be heard at the Loki Familia. It was strange that he seemed intent on messing with me, but it appeared he had his reasons. I remember one time he let it slip that our arguments remind him of someone he met. It was unclear whether that person was important to him or someone he met once, but I won't forget his expression.

Oh, not this again! "You do not want to go there. For your information, I'm frequently in the top 10 of 'Top Adventurer Beauties That Could Kill You'."

"They just don't wanna mess around with the Loki Familia. You are a part of the upper echelon of popularity in Orario. Challenging that would be pretty stupid."

"... Now I see why Hachiman has been going around as a new insult."

"What? Who is weaponizing my name again?"

"Just rumors I hear." It wasn't necessarily a lie. Heh, Tiona would use it.

I assumed I was successful in biting back my smirk until he perked up. He smirked, clapping back. "Why don't those rumors ever talk about my superior magic abilities? I may have my faults in other areas like strength, but I'm confident in magic."

He was a newcomer who shot up the ranks thanks to his magic. He never spoke too much about how his magic works, but I've been able to see it enough times in action to be able to judge its effectiveness. It was frustratingly a powerful weapon he wields. Sometimes I wish he was a part of the Loki Familia.

This nonsense again. He's boasting to specifically rile me up. "You keep on bringing up these sore topics. Do you not have any new material?"

"Nothing that would rile you up so much. Usually that frown would stay a straight face. You're too serious and this is coming from me."

"You know, Loki feels like it's a competition to get me to react since you do it so often. I've tried multiple times to explain to you and Loki that it's just a racial trait, not like it's a bad thing."

"Your seriousness is a bad thing if you're that uptight. Being the Vice Captain of a big familia is bound to cause some stress."

Whatever. "Some stress is necessary. It takes a lot to make sure everyone is safe, especially the younger ones. They can get overconfident." I need to have them trained soon. Maybe I can make some use of him.

"I recognize that look on your face. If you're going to make me do something for you, you better pay up first."

"Always a stickler for getting paid first. Something something, not working overtime for free like a wage slave." Sometimes he had weird ramblings like that. Barely anyone could understand his words.

"I think the concept of getting paid for the product of your labor would be elementary for someone who has lived for that long." He really is getting too cheeky with those comments.

"And this competitiveness you inflict on me is childishness that even Loki's youngest children don't exhibit." He gave me a knowing stare. "Ok, maybe a few are competitive." Bete comes to mind. "Regardless, you boast your magic and your weird concepts so often, I'm inclined to believe you think highly of yourself."

He wasn't rattled. "As do you. Level 7 is no small feat. It implies some confidence, whereas lil young me has no one to show off to." I didn't feel inclined to respond. He wasn't wrong, but it feels frustrating as if I've lost a battle of wits. "Practice some magic with me later," he said, "That, I'll take as payment."

His suggestion surprised me in more ways than one. He is frustrating, but something in me felt at ease hearing that offer. He was routinely an annoyance, bother, and a bore, but that intellect he had and that heart he showed sometimes attracted people to him. I wasn't like the others though hmph.

"Hmm, that can be arranged, but I can't help but ask why?" Our magics differed from each other ever so slightly. There was some variety in his magic I can't replicate, but I was fundamentally stronger for now.

"Even if I am satisfied with my magic enough to boast," his eyes shifted to me, "I could use some private tutoring from the best mage in the world."

Hmph. I hate how good that comment feels.

It shan't temper my criticism.