Chapter 26: The first event is, of course, the Spring Festival

Spring festival.

I internally thought, ‘Ah, it’s finally here…’ and lowered my head slightly.

Takamari Academy’s spring festival is not just a school event.

Takamari Academy is one of the most prestigious academies not only in the region but also in all of Japan.

Therefore, the spring festival has more meaning than just an event for students to enjoy.

A large-scale event attended by students from nearby schools, local dignitaries, and even famous celebrities.

It’s an important occasion to show off the academy’s status both internally and externally.

‘Celebrities will come this time too, right… The team to which that middle school idol, who is called one of the four beauties of Takamari Academy, belongs will definitely come…’

Speaking of celebrities, maybe the voice actor I liked will come too.

How surprised I was when I first found out that the works I enjoyed watching in my past life also existed in this world.

But… the reality is that after school, I’m so busy with catching up on my studies that I don’t have time to watch them properly.

I stared blankly at the festival plan, and suddenly the contents of the novel came to mind, and I looked at Aya.

‘Ah…’

The middle school plays a supporting role to the high school in the event.

In the end, the actual operation and overall management are the responsibility of the high school.

In particular, most of the 3rd-year students are absent due to preparations for entrance exams, and the 2nd-year students play a supporting role based on practical experience, so the 1st-year students are in charge of the actual operation.

This festival is a golden opportunity for new students to prove their abilities… and a test with tremendous pressure.

And the person leading those new students is ‘Yukikawa Aya’.

Only by successfully completing this festival will the green light come on for Aya’s succession to the vice presidency.

‘So all this burden is on Aya…’

I quietly turned my head and looked at Aya.

Aya’s fingertips, quietly looking down at the documents on the desk, were subtly trembling.

She looked calm as usual, but the ends of her eyebrows were subtly lowered, and her lips were slightly hardened.

In the novel, Aya overdid it during the preparation process for this festival and eventually collapsed from stress.

In the end, it was a development where the protagonist helped Aya and successfully overcame the crisis.

But… I don’t want Aya to collapse.

‘I’ll help her.’

Aya is pretending to be calm as usual, but I know.

That she’s feeling a tremendous amount of pressure right now.

If it fails…

No. I don’t even want to think about it.

Aya’s fingertips were quietly brushing over the documents.

‘I know the contents of the novel.’

I joined this student council to be by Aya’s side.

And… I’ll help Aya so she doesn’t break down.

“Now, as you all know, the main players in this festival are the 1st-year high school students.”

The atmosphere in the student council room became even heavier at Hiiragi senpai’s calm declaration.

Although the main players of the festival are the 1st-year high school students, the most important responsibility lies with Yukikawa Aya, who is in charge of planning.

Everyone’s gaze naturally turned to Aya.

“This year, too, the 2nd-year students will play a supporting role for the 1st-year students. I believe Yukikawasan will do a good job.”

Hiiragi senpai said with a smile.

Then Tachibana senpai adjusted her glasses and added.

“I’m counting on you, Yukikawasan.”

Aya answered in a slightly trembling voice.

“…Yes, I’ll do my best.”

Her voice was calm, but it was subtly trembling.

‘Aya… will she be okay?’

Aya looks perfect, but it must be too hard to bear everything alone.

I clenched my fist tightly internally.

‘I want to help. I want to be a strength to Aya somehow.’

But, the work of the student council will be more difficult than I think.

I’ve just joined the student council, and I wasn’t sure if I could actually help.

However,

‘I chose it.’

I can do it.

Instead of irresponsibly letting Aya collapse like the protagonist, I will become a person who supports Aya.

***

We listened to a brief explanation about the spring festival from the 2nd-year seniors and came out.

When I arrived home, the sun was setting.

“I’m home.”

As usual, when I opened the door and entered, my mom poked her head out of the kitchen and welcomed me.

“You’re late again today? Are you doing club activities?”

“Yeah… I joined the student council.”

“Oh my? Really? The student council of Takamari Academy?”

“Yeah…”

Mom’s eyes widened, and her face immediately brightened.

“Oh my! What a windfall. That’s amazing, my daughter! I’m proud of you.”

Mom hugged me tightly as if she were moved.

Uh… is it this much? I thought, but I didn’t dislike the warm embrace.

“Yeah… that’s how it happened.”

“Oh my, I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life.”

I smiled lightly.

If mom is happy, that’s enough.

Thanks to that, the dinner table was a feast.

Dad was also smiling all evening… how much he liked it…

***

After dinner, I returned to my room.

Now it’s time for review.

“Phew…”

I sat at my desk and opened my math book.

When I flipped through the pages, familiar yet unfamiliar equations were full.

“We started with calculus on the first day, and we’ve already gotten this far. It’s only been two weeks… Are they planning to finish calculus within the first semester?”

The equations in front of my eyes quickly passed by.

But Rina’s brain is much better than mine in my past life, so I understand it better.

The problems in Takamari Academy’s classes were similar to the types of problems I solved countless times during my retake year.

4-point questions on the SAT, problems that take more than 5 minutes to solve.

The problems I usually had to solve at the very end.

The novel described Takamari Academy like this.

‘An academy where even geniuses aiming for the top fall out in droves. Even the descendants of prestigious families just do their best to attend school.’

“Tsk…”

Still, I’m glad I’m much more used to it now than in the first few days.

Mizuki and Aya and… uh…? Kissing each other indirectly…

Phew… I don’t know how many nights I’ve lost sleep over that scene…

Just thinking about it makes my face flush again.

Speak of the devil, or so they say?

I got a Li○e message from Aya.

Aya: Rina.

Rina: Uh…! What’s up?

Aya: What do you want to do at the spring festival?

A sudden question.

‘What do I want to do?’…

Well, I want to successfully hold the spring festival, and uh… also…

But, other than making it successful, what do I really want to do?

Ah,

Aya is in charge of planning.

Is she asking because she wants to do what I want?

But this shouldn’t involve personal feelings.

The protagonist of the festival should be Aya, not me.

If I want to help Aya become the student council president, this is where the real start begins.

Rina: It would be good to do it big, right?

I looked at the screen and slowly moved my fingers.

This was also a word to myself.

I closed my eyes and calmly thought about the contents of the novel.

First, the numerous problems.

Students are burdened to meet the increasing standards of the festival every year.

In the end, from a few years ago, they started to withdraw from the planning stage and rely on external companies.

However, some clubs do not have strong sponsors or support, so they cannot secure a sufficient budget,

and as a result, the quality of the events they prepare themselves is seriously lower than in the previous year.

‘I liked this event last time, but it’s not here this time?’

Every year, the scale of the festival grows, but some departments or clubs fall behind in quality, failing to meet the expectations of visitors.

As this disappointment accumulates, the interest of the local community is gradually decreasing.

Also, there will be a matter of receiving budget support from OB seniors who graduated with insufficient budget.

This is what the protagonist in the novel did. It was originally what Aya had to do, but because she collapsed, the protagonist took her place and negotiated.

And the problem of cooperation with the local mayor.

After the incident a few years ago, the participation of the local mayor was cut off.

As a result, the night festival had no choice but to gradually shrink.

But…

At the end of all these worried, the face that comes to mind is, as expected,

“Aya…”

My face flushed.

Even while thinking about these problems, I end up thinking of Aya, really…

At that moment, the Li○e notification rang again.

Aya: Not that, what Rina really wants.

Rina: Ah… me?!

What I want…

What do I really want?

Until now, I’ve only thought about ‘what I have to do’, I’ve never really looked into my heart.

‘Ugh… To give me such an ordeal, Aya…!’

But, when I looked into my heart carefully, I saw the answer.

I, with Aya…

Rina: I want to make memories.

Aya: Memories?

Rina: Yeah, memories that will never be forgotten.

Aya: Wow, that’s difficult…

Seeing Aya’s message, I smiled.

Somehow, it was cute. I can imagine Aya rolling around beyond the screen.

Rina: It’s… difficult, right?

Aya: Yeah, if it’s a memory with Rina, it seems like it should be something special.

Rina: I, is that so? No! Not at all…!

If Aya says it’s special, something really special will come…

Actually, what I want to enjoy is this youth rom-com world itself.

To regain my high school life that I lost due to Korea’s tight entrance exam system.

That’s what I really want…

Even if it’s simple, just being with Aya is enough.