Chapter 45: I want to go Home

“Don’t stay too late. Go home at a reasonable time.”

“Yes!”

Everyone responded energetically to the homeroom teacher’s words, except me.

…Well, at least I answered.

“Alright, let’s start by organizing the costume team. Tateyama, who suggested the cosplay café, and Ono Dera, who said she knows how to sew…”

Miyauchi assigned the roles to our classmates one by one, selecting the people who were most suited for each task.

So, what exactly am I going to do?

Most likely, I’ll end up with some menial tasks, where I don’t have to interact with anyone, and they’ll just tell me what to do.

At first, I’ll be handed random tasks, but as everyone gets busier or more annoyed, my classmates will probably start saying things like, “Oh, it’s just simple work, right? Could you handle this too?” Naturally, I won’t be able to refuse, so I’ll end up doing it. This will likely lead to an endless cycle of work.

In the end, when the quality of our project isn’t up to their expectations, I’ll probably be the one held responsible…

…That’s terrifying.

Can’t I just refuse if it gets overwhelming?

If I do that, they’ll say, “So you’re going to help everyone else, but not me?”

Then what if I refuse right from the start?

They’ll say, “If all you’re doing is menial work, you can at least help out a bit, right?”

This school festival has been a no-win situation for an outsider like me from the beginning. It’s finally time for my “Social Death Beam”…

“Yano… um, hey, Kayano?”

“Ah, uh…!”

Naturally, it was Miyauchi calling me out of my thoughts.

She was looking at me with a gentle smile.

…Did she hear my startled reaction just now?

I looked around cautiously, but as expected, none of my classmates were making eye contact with me.

At least, no one seemed to be laughing at me, and since my voice is usually soft, I figured it was unlikely Miyauchi, who was a fair distance away, had heard me.

Well, Miyauchi does smile a lot, so maybe I’m just overthinking it.

“Kayano, regarding the festival preparations…”

“Yes…”

Of course, they’re going to assign me menial work…

“Well, I was hoping you could handle some basic decoration-making. Would that be alright?”

What?

“Decorations? Making them?”

“Yes! It’s really just simple balloon art and origami. We even have a printed guide, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Oh, um, if it’s just that, then, sure…”

If it’s only that, I’m all for it.

Besides, if someone tries to dump extra work on me, I’ll have a reason to say no since this isn’t exactly menial work.

“For the daily quota… we’ll bring you colored paper and balloons, and you can just use all of them. We still have plenty of time, and making everything at once would just make things cluttered.”

“Understood.”

“Oh, and would it be okay if I asked you to handle the flyers too?”

Making flyers?

Hmm…

“Um, can I do the flyers at home?”

“Of course! As long as they’re finished on time, that’s perfectly fine.”

Miyauchi continued to smile warmly, and none of the other classmates seemed bothered. Decorations and flyer-making are probably important for a café theme.

…Wait. Are they assigning me something crucial on purpose, so if I fail, they’ll pin the blame on me…? I’ve been tricked.

But I already accepted…

“…It’s over.”

After finishing my tasks, I glanced at the clock. It was 4:30 PM.

…Did I finish too early?

Even though it was my first time doing this, I spent extra time following the guide and adjusting to the process.

And yet, it’s only 4:30. At this rate, I might finish by 4 tomorrow.

…Can I go home?

“Miyauchi, maybe we should add bread to the menu…”

“Wouldn’t lighter costumes be better?”

Looking around, everyone was busy with festival preparations.

Even though I finished my assigned work, would it really be okay for me to leave when everyone else is working?

Of course, I’ll still need to work on the flyers at home, so it wouldn’t be a problem…

But I should ask just in case.

I got up and approached Miyauchi.

“Um, Miyauchi…”

“Oh, Kayano. Is there an issue?”

“The colored paper and balloons… I’ve used them all…”

Hearing this, Miyauchi turned her gaze to my desk, then nodded with a wide smile.

“Great job. Then, see you tomorrow!”

“Is there… anything else I can help with?”

“No, it’s fine. We still have plenty of time, and I assigned work based on each person’s strengths. Besides, you’re going to be working on flyers at home, right? It would actually make us feel guilty if you spent too much time here.”

“Ah…”

If I stayed in the classroom doing random tasks, I’d have less time to work on the flyers at home.

She must have thought all this through when assigning the tasks, but here I am asking a foolish question.

“Th-then, I’ll head home now. Sorry for bothering you…”

“Take care. We’re looking forward to seeing your wonderful flyers!”

Miyauchi smiled kindly as she said this.

“Alright… then, goodbye.”

I slightly bowed my head and left the classroom.

Since it was festival prep season, the hallways were bustling with noise from every classroom.

And here I am, heading home by myself.

It almost feels like an extraordinary moment within ordinary life, doesn’t it? Pretty cool, right?

“Hehe…”

At any rate, I’m happy to be able to head home just like on a regular day.

Maybe it’s time to reconsider the idea that festival preparations are a nightmare for outsiders?

“Sigh…”

Watching Kayano leave the classroom, Miyauchi sighed.

‘Is there… anything else I can help with?’

By deliberately giving her two tasks, with the excuse that she’d need to work on the flyers at home, I’d made sure she could leave as soon as possible.

But then, Kayano finished her balloon art and origami and came back to ask if I needed any further help.

As if she thought it would be rude to leave.

Such consideration was entirely unnecessary.

But Miyauchi, without showing surprise, calmly persuaded her with objective reasons.

‘Then, I’ll head home now.’

Hearing those words, Miyauchi felt she had successfully convinced Kayano.

Yet…

“…Sorry.”

The following words made her swallow hard.

“So, she noticed after all…”

Kayano’s gaze held a hint of sadness, apologizing for being considerate.

That realization weighed on Miyauchi’s heart.

They said, sometimes her gaze was so intense, even with soft eyes, it was hard to breathe.

They said, when she spoke, the air seemed to freeze.

But now, Miyauchi understood.

That her rejections were filled with kindness for others.

That she kept a distance from people to avoid unintentionally hurting them, by acting cold toward others.

Otherwise, if she genuinely rejected people just for herself, Miyauchi and everyone’s considerate gestures wouldn’t have reached her.

“I’m sorry, Kayano.”

Miyauchi whispered softly, so that no one could hear.

What filled her heart was guilt for making Kayano worry with her unnecessary consideration.

But.

“And thank you.”

Alongside guilt, a sense of relief blossomed.

When Kayano left the classroom, Miyauchi had seen her lips curve into a slight smile.

That was probably her way of expressing gratitude, despite it being an unsolicited gesture that might’ve seemed like a burden.

“Kayano, you’re really strong, aren’t you?”

Will I ever be like that?

Miyauchi wondered, but of course, there was no answer.

[【Arcana Shooter】 I finally wanted to try it #StarsFlow#KayanoIzumi]

-But didn’t you say from today, your stream might start after 9 PM? -It’s only 7 now; you’re back earlier than expected.

“Uh, well, things got, solved, somehow. But for a while, the earliest will probably be around 7…”

I guess I can work on the flyers after my stream ends.

If the stream ends around 9, I’ll work on the flyers until 11, then go to bed.