—
“If you need people to help you against Robin, I can mention a few names,” Hoshi-senpai said. “Let’s see… Song Kuo, Hisae Gouhara, Bruce Schmidt, and Mineki Fukushima.”
I nodded, mentally noting each name. If I remember right, the first two were her classmates, and Bruce was from Class 3. But the last name—
“Fukushima-senpai,” I said slowly, “isn’t he Robin’s classmate? Wouldn’t that cause issues for him?”
Hoshi-senpai chuckled. “A fair question. People say our year has been the most united in the school’s history. And there’s some truth to that. We’ve worked hard to keep the peace since Year 7, even through occasional infighting.” She paused, choosing her words. “But now that it’s our final year, people are letting go of those old bonds. That unity we worked so hard to maintain is starting to unravel.”
“Each class has two or three factions now. Different agendas, different motives—the whole kit and caboodle. The unity everyone admired was always more fragile than it looked,” she added.
Year 12 had always been praised for their cohesion, something other years could only dream of. I used to wonder how they managed it, but now I understand it was all a fa?ade. Beneath the surface, cracks had been forming for years.
“My point is,” she continued, “if you can get those people on your side, they’ll have enough sway to rally support from their classes. Just keep in mind they might share my mindset and choose not to get involved.”
“I understand. Thank you for telling me.”
“Sorry you came all this way just to hear that.”
“Don’t apologise,” I said quickly, bowing my head. “You’ve been a huge help. Thank you.”
Diya bowed as well. “Same here. Thanks for supporting us.”
Hoshi-senpai smiled. “Just doing my duty as your senior. But I should probably get back before my friends send out a search party.” She chuckled, rising from her seat. “Feel free to enjoy the rest of the party.”
“Thank you, but we’ll be leaving,” Diya said, surprising both of us.
“Leaving so soon?” Hoshi-senpai asked, sounding disappointed.
“Yep. She needs rest,” Diya replied, nodding at me. “She wasn’t even supposed to be here, so I want to make sure she recovers properly.”
“Diya…” I began, but her gentle, resolute gaze silenced me. She was truly willing to leave the party for my sake, and while I felt some guilt stirring in my chest, I remembered her earlier words. Was she just trying to ease my conscience, or did she mean it?
I chose to believe her because I knew her.
“Alright,” I said, exhaling softly. “I won’t argue with you.”
A smile appeared on Hoshi-senpai's lips as she looked between us. “If that’s your decision, I respect it. Thanks for coming, especially with your injury.”
Diya smiled back. “Sorry for cutting it short. Please let everyone know.”
Hoshi-senpai nodded before stepping away, blending seamlessly back into the party. Diya and I remained seated in silence for a moment, her fingers tapping a soft rhythm on the table.
“Come on,” she said, standing and offering her hand. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll keep you company tonight and help you with whatever you need.”
“For tonight,” she said with a grin, “think of me as your personal butler or maid.”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
I burst out laughing. “Oh? A maid, you say?” I raised a brow, playing along. “Well then, you’ll need to assist me with five hours of reading.”
I expected her to groan or complain, but instead, she smirked. “Five hours? Alright, let’s do it.”
“Huh? You? Want to read for five hours?” I said, completely surprised.
“You underestimate my dedication to my role as a maid,” she said, raising a fist dramatically. “Do your worst.”
A mischievous grin crept onto my face. “You might regret saying that,” I said, already thinking of all the embarrassing things I could make her do.
—
—
As the electronic timer above the whiteboard hit zero, my pen sat perfectly by the edge of my desk. The sharp beep signalled the end of the exam, and a collective exhale swept through the classroom like a quiet wave. I had finished and double-checked my paper thirteen minutes earlier.
Nomura-sensei stood and began collecting answer sheets row by row. Anyone still writing now risks having their paper voided. Once she had the last one, she returned to the podium and straightened the stack.
“Congratulations on completing your second-term examinations,” she said. “Position rankings will be posted on the bulletin board in two weeks. Detailed reports will appear in your results tab the following day. Be sure to check for any errors and report them immediately. You are dismissed.” With that, she left the room.
A few moments of silence passed before the class erupted into cheers and conversation. It was a tradition we were all familiar with, so it came as no surprise.
After a brief glance at one another, Marcus and I got up and walked towards the front of the class. He stepped up to the podium first as curious eyes turned towards us, and the chatter subsided to a faint murmur.
“Hello, everyone,” Marcus said. “I hope exams went well. I want to take this opportunity to remind you about the festival committee we’re putting together. We’re accepting members starting today, so if you’re interested, please stop by the student council office after this.”
He looked to me, and I stepped up beside him. “For those who might not be sure what that entails,” I added, looking out at the crowd, “as a committee member, you’ll be working closely with the student council. This includes helping with planning, logistics, creative themes, and scheduling events for the festival. It’s a chance to leave your mark and do something memorable.”
Marcus nodded. “So if that sounds like your thing, come find us.”
With that, we stepped down and wrapped up our announcement. As we exited the classroom, students were celebrating their newfound freedom in the hallways. Groups gathered around lockers, already planning after-school hangouts, the tension of exams quickly forgotten.
Walking beside Marcus, I noticed he looked lost in thought. “Feeling confident about this?” I asked.
“Me?” He blinked and turned to me, chuckling. “A bit, I guess. But I can’t shake the feeling no one’s going to join. Well… aside from the usual suspect.”
I could see why he’d think that. Forming a festival committee wasn’t exactly normal, and not everyone would think it was worth the effort. Some might view it as a cover for the council’s inability to handle the event alone. While there was a sliver of truth to that, it wasn’t why we were doing it.
“If that happens,” Marcus said, “we’ll figure something out, right?” He held out his fist, a lopsided grin on his face.
I looked at him for a moment before smiling back and bumping it with mine. “Of course we will, President.”
—
—
We stood in a loose line on one side of the student council office, facing the six individuals who had volunteered to join the festival committee. It was, to say the least, an interesting cast of characters.
As expected, Diya was among them. What surprised me was the other person from our class who had joined her, Nagamine. She had, for the most part, always been an enigma to me, and I hadn’t expected her to show interest in this. But maybe that was to be expected from someone like her. I couldn’t help but wonder what had brought her here.
From Class 3, we had Higuchi and Savannah. I didn’t know much about Higuchi, but Savannah I knew well. We’d worked together on the school magazine team before I quit last year. She had been openly hostile toward me back then, though I never figured out why and decided not to dig. Whether those feelings still lingered remained to be seen.
Class 2 brought a curious pair. Tomiko, the undisputed leader of her class. It puzzled me why she had joined this committee in the first place, and trying to figure that out with anything to really go off on was an issue. And beside her stood Hashimoto—no, Natsumi, as she preferred. I couldn’t help but feel she had joined the committee for one reason: to get closer to Marcus. He hadn’t stopped her, so I figured it was fine. Maybe there was more to her interest, but for now, that was the clearest explanation.
The dynamic between Tomiko and Natsumi was also something to keep an eye on. She had her issues with Tomiko, so seeing them on the same team was... unexpected.
“I formally welcome you all to the festival committee,” Marcus began. “I’m looking forward to working with each of you to make this year’s cultural festival a success.”
I stepped forward with a clipboard. “I’ll collect your contact info to set up the chat,” I said. After gathering everyone’s details, I quickly created the group, naming it Festival Dream Team.
This was going to be an interesting way to end the term.