Chapter 4: The Cultural Festival Is Here

"And now… let the 44th Akagawa Academy Cultural Festival… begin!"

Pop, pop, pop, pop!

With the student council president’s declaration, the sound of party poppers erupted, and confetti rained down from all directions.

In response, a roar of excitement from the students shook the gymnasium.

The day of the cultural festival had arrived.

Amidst the roaring excitement, I quietly let out a sigh of relief.

…The week leading up to this day had been a complete and utter whirlwind.

We’d somehow overcome the trouble with our orders, but then a sewing machine broke, delaying work on the costumes. After that, a fight broke out over the classroom layout. One problem just seemed to pop up after another. Even the play’s cast only just managed a full run-through at yesterday’s rehearsal.

We had been walking a tightrope, and we only just barely, just barely made it to today.

Honestly, everyone was exhausted before the main event had even started. I was so stressed that I’d even started giving out orders in my dreams, so we decided to postpone the after-party. I'm pretty sure I'll just be an empty husk for a while when this is all over.

As I was vaguely thinking about that amidst the clamor, I saw Zomu-kun joking around with some of the other boys in our class. A little ways away, I could also see Mii-chan having a meeting with the rest of the costume team.

…And then, near the back.

There was Oomori-kun, all alone, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

—Lately, I hadn't spoken to anyone in our group about anything other than festival coordination.

Part of it was simply because we were busy, but the main reason was that I wanted to keep my distance as much as possible.

…If the affection I sensed from him after school that day was just a misunderstanding, then fine.

But if I was right, then there’s nothing waiting for us but an unhappy future where not a single one of us would be smiling.

I knew I had to figure out a way to handle it, but right now, I didn't have the mental space to spare. In a situation like this, I had no idea how I was supposed to act around everyone, so I ended up avoiding them.

Either way, I couldn't drag the rest of the class into our problems. If this blew up into a major incident, all the hard work we'd put in could be for nothing.

Right now, the success of the cultural festival was more important than anything else. We had to put our own issues on the back burner.

Besides—it’s fine. Oomori-kun wouldn't do anything reckless during the festival.

He’s not the type to get swept up in the festive mood, and he has to know that acting rashly won't gain him anything.

No… that’s not it.

He wouldn’t make a choice where he stood to gain nothing and lose everything. He just wouldn't.

"—Alright, will all classes please begin their preparations? First-year students, please head to the exits in order—"

Hearing the announcement from the speakers, I slapped both of my cheeks.

◆

The cultural festival ran from 9 AM to 5 PM. The food stalls would be open until 2 PM, and for the remaining three hours, the entire student body would gather in the gym for stage performances.

Our school’s events aren't generally open to the public, so our only customers were students from other classes.

Of course, those students also had their own class and club activities, so they had to manage their free time wisely to visit other classrooms. This structure was supposed to prevent the problem of a massive crowd of people flooding the stalls during lunch.

…Yeah.

It was supposed to prevent that, but…

"What?! We're out of whipped cream?! Isn't there more in the fridge?!"

"We already used it all!"

"And we're way short on meringue, too!"

"Where's the extra equipment?!"

"Agh, this is the worst! The batter isn't rising at all!"

"Forget that, what about the orders?! How far are we?!"

"Why did we suddenly get so many orders?!"

"And it's so hot! Is the damn AC broken?! Shit!"

—Thanks to business being far, far busier than we'd anticipated, the Class A maid cafe’s kitchen was in a complete frenzy.

Apparently, our decision to focus on food quality to stand out from the other classes had backfired.

Just as I had struggled with the application, handling food that requires actual cooking is a huge pain. Every other class had opted out, choosing to serve pre-packaged goods instead. As a result, if anyone wanted to eat something decent, they had no choice but to come to our class.

It was 11 AM. If things were this bad before noon, we were bound to collapse the moment the lunch rush started.

"Zomu-kun and the others are getting more equipment, so just hang in there a little longer! Use two hot plates at once to save time! Any guys with free hands, focus on making whipped cream and meringue! And don't rush the pancakes, or they'll fail, so stay calm! For now, prioritize serving drinks!"

I, for my part, was shouting a constant stream of orders, all while dressed in my maid uniform.

I was supposed to be doing a final check for the play right now. But we were so short-staffed that the entire class was working at full capacity just to keep the cafe running.

"Mei, sorry! I'm getting LINE messages from the floor calling for help!" Mii-chan, who was in charge of costumes and communications, shouted as she peeked out from the back.

"Okay, okay! I'm on my way!"

I replied and bolted out of the kitchen.

The hallway, which had no air conditioning, was sweltering, and a drop of sweat trickled down my cheek.

Someone mentioned it earlier, but it really is hot today… though maybe it just feels worse because I'm in a maid uniform.

Wiping the sweat from my brow with my hand, I reached the upper floor where our classroom was, and my eyes immediately fell upon a long, winding line. It was clearly snaking out from Class A's room, which meant they were all our customers.

We are completely over capacity… The line goes all the way to the end of the hall.

Looking closer, I could see that the classroom itself was in some kind of uproar.

With a bad feeling in my gut, I called out to Mattsun, who was organizing the line at the entrance.

"I'm here! What happened?"

At my call, Mattsun spun around, her maid skirt fluttering.

"M-Mei…!"

Her face was unusually pale, which made me blurt out my next question in shock.

"W-What's wrong?! Is there trouble?!"

"It's chaos in there! We have to do something…!"

She grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the entrance.

Peeking through a gap in the line, I saw the classroom—

"Hey, we've been waiting for 20 minutes!"

"I-I'm so sorry!"

"Hurry it up, we want to check out other places!"

"Please wait just a little longer!"

"You guys aren't acting like maids at all!"

"This is false advertising!"

"Give us some fan service!"

"Give us our money back!"

"Get the person in charge out here!"

The room was in an uproar, filled with a cacophony of complaints and my classmates' frantic apologies.

"Ah, M-Mei!"

The girl in charge of the floor—Fujimi Rio-chan—rushed over to me.

"What do I do? I can't get it under control at all…"

I could see tears welling up in her eyes.

Fujimi-chan was the leader of the largest group of girls in Class A and the one who had proposed the maid cafe idea.

The Fujimi group was a tight-knit bunch, and in situations like this that required teamwork, they had always been the backbone of the class. That's why I'd been confident they could handle this… but it seemed the chaos was too much even for them.

"It's okay, calm down! But why did it suddenly get like this…?"

It hadn’t been this bad when I'd checked earlier. We were at full capacity, but we were just barely managing—wait, huh?

"Don't tell me you added more tables?!"

Looking inside, I saw that several makeshift tables had been added. Of course, they were all occupied, and the classroom was packed to the brim with customers waiting for their orders.

"B-But, the line was just getting longer and longer…"

I see…! So that's why the orders suddenly spiked!

She must have made a judgment call on the spot, but carelessly adding more seats was the wrong move.

There’s a limit to the service we can provide, and it was obvious we wouldn't be able to handle the orders. I’d specifically chosen not to add seats to avoid this kind of chaos.

But it was my mistake for not properly explaining the reasoning. I was so caught up in the rush that it didn't even cross my mind…!

"What's happening with our order?!"

"Hey, these are all out of order!"

"Who's not following the rules?!"

"It's not my fault…!"

"I can't take this anymore…!"

"Forget it, this is impossible!"

Everyone inside was in a full-blown panic, unable to even manage the scripted responses we had practiced.

Worse yet, they were openly complaining, which meant the cafe had already lost any semblance of professionalism.

"What do I do, what do I do…!"

Fujimi-chan had lost her usual leadership composure and could only stand there, panicking.

I thought for a brief moment—

"—Alright. I'll buy us some time."

It was the only way, I decided.

"Huh…?"

As I retied the ribbon on my waist, I gave instructions to a dumbfounded Fujimi-chan.

"The main cause of this chaos is the delay in the kitchen. But we're over capacity right now, so there's no way to speed up service. We have to hold the line until we can get production ramped up."

"W-What?"

"Fujimi-chan, get everyone together and sort out the orders. Prioritize them starting with the drinks that are quickest to prepare and send them to the kitchen. Just leave me the people managing the line and the register here, that's all I need."

"W-Wait a minute, Mei!" Fujimi-chan cried out, her voice a mix of utter confusion. "Buy time? What do you mean…?"

Steeling my resolve, I pulled the ribbon of my maid uniform tight—

"—We'll get through this the way any proper maid cafe would."

◆

"Welcooome home♡ Masters and Mistresses♡"

And with that…

I planted myself in the center of the classroom and spoke in a sickly sweet, singsong voice I’d never used before in my life.

The classroom fell silent—and all eyes were on me.

Good…

Without missing a beat, I grabbed the hems of my skirt, beamed a radiant smile, and curtsied gracefully on the tips of my toes.

"Thank you so much♡ for visiting Class 3-A's maid cafe today♡"

Then, with a snap♡, I blew the most calculatedly cute wink of my life.

That follow-up attack sent a wave of murmurs through the male students.

"Whoa, whoa…?"

"Wait, is that… Kiyosato…?"

"It's Mei-chan…! I can't believe it, Mei-chan's a real maid!"

"UWOOOH, THE MAIN EVENT IS HERE!"

Heh heh, just as planned…

Okay, yeah, this is going to be mortifying once I snap out of it.

Forcing down the heat rising in my cheeks, I continued.

"It's time~ for Mei-chan's 'Moe Moe♡ Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament'~♡"

"UWOOOOH!" A roar thundered through the room.

"The final winner will receive♡ a special caramel latte art made with lots of Mei-chan's love♡ and a two-shot photo with me, as a present, nyan~♡"

Saying that, I made cat paws with my hands, lifted my right foot in a cute pose, and twirled, my skirt fluttering as I struck a perfect pose.

—

ZAWAAAAH!

"Perfection! Absolute perfection!"

"Huh? That's dangerously cute, what the hell??"

"S-So this is the school's number one beauty as a maid…!"

"Marry me."

"Also that skirt is way too short!"

"It's an overwhelming barrage of pure adorableness."

"Can we touch?! Are we allowed to touch?!"

"Ahaha♡ Not even a single finger, 'kay♡"

And no videos! Please, no videos!

I screamed internally while carrying out my duty.

"Allriiight, all you Masters and Mistresses who want to join, please raise your hands~♡"

""""""""""Heeeeere!""""""""""

Ahaha, ahaha.

Haaaah…

…I bet people who do this for a living have it really tough…

◆

—And so on, and so forth.

I managed to get the chaos under control and only left the classroom once the line finally started to shrink.

After changing back into my school uniform in the changing room, I slumped into a chair, my mind a complete blank.

"Um… for what it's worth, great job."

With an incredibly awkward look on her face, Mii-chan offered me words of praise and a sports drink.

The reason she looked so awkward was that she had witnessed me performing my full-power, all-out "Make it yummy~♡" spell. The cringe is real.

"Well… if it gets us through this, it's a small price to pay. I'd be a pretty lousy leader if all I did was boss people around from the sidelines."

"…"

I may have lost a great deal, but the crisis was averted.

The cafe portion of the day was winding down, and now it was time to switch gears for the play.

I let out a long sigh, "Fuuu," then slapped my knees and stood up.

"Alright. I'm off to do the final prep. Take care of the cafe!"

"…Yeah."

After getting a nod from Mii-chan, I hurried toward the gymnasium.

Due to the need to move large props onto the stage, all the theatrical performances were scheduled for the beginning of the showcase.

Our class was up first. The opening act gets a little extra prep time, so I'd asked a friend on the student council to arrange it for us.

An hour remained until the start of the stage performances. I wanted to get in as much acting practice as possible before then. Based on the rehearsal, I was still worried about Mattsun's long, continuous scene, so I figured it would be best to focus on supporting her there…

With that plan in mind, I entered the gymnasium and headed for the wings.

"Sorry, I kept you waiting!"

The acting cast was already gathered in the dimly lit wings. They all wore tense expressions, looking restless as they stared at their scripts or reviewed their lines.

"Hey, Director… Wait, is it just you, Mei? Where’s Matsubara?" Zomu-kun asked as soon as he saw me.

"Huh? Mattsun isn't here yet?"

"Nope. Figured she'd be coming with you."

That’s strange. Her break should have been over long ago.

I’d asked her to manage the line when we were short-staffed, but I let her go on break early so she could practice. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen her since.

She wouldn't have forgotten the meeting time… Maybe I should go look for her.

"Ah, looks like she's here. Hey, Matsubara!" Zomu-kun called out and waved before I could make a move.

Oh, thank goodness. She was just a little late.

I turned and saw Mattsun walking up the small set of stairs to the stage.

"Huh…?"

…But.

Something was wrong with her.

It was only a three-step staircase, yet each step she took seemed heavy. She was walking with a hand on the wall, as if leaning on it for support.

—Then, just as I thought that, her body swayed.

"...Mattsun?!"

I broke into a run and caught her from the side as her body slumped against the wall.

"Mattsun! What's wrong?!"

Her face was deathly pale.

And despite the heat, she wasn't sweating at all.

Which meant—

"It's heatstroke…! Zomu-kun, give me a hand! To the nurse's office!"

"R-Right!"

I yelled for Zomu-kun and helped a staggering Mattsun to her feet.

"…I'm… fine…"

"You idiot! Of course you're not fine! Why would you let it get this bad before…!"

Since when?! When she was managing the line, she—

The memory of her then sent a chill down my spine.

—Don't tell me… the reason she looked so pale earlier was…?

SLAP! I smacked my own leg with all my might.

Idiot… You absolute idiot! Why didn't I notice then—!

In this heat, wearing an unfamiliar outfit like a maid uniform, no less. On top of that, she was managing the line in a hallway with no air conditioning. Her stamina must have been low from the grueling schedule of the past few days, and she was probably nervous about the performance. It wasn't surprising at all that she’d feel unwell.

This was the worst… the absolute worst.

There's nothing to laugh about here!

"I'll carry her! Yuta, help me out!"

Zomu-kun rushed over, and they got Mattsun onto his back before heading to the nurse's office.

Unease spread like wildfire among the classmates left behind.

"Wh-What are we going to do?! We can't do the play without the main character!"

"Is she going to recover in an hour…?"

"What if she doesn't? Are we going to have to withdraw?"

"No way… After all this work…!"

"Who made her work until she collapsed like this?!"

"I don't know! Stop yelling at me!"

PAAN!

"Everyone, calm down!"

I clapped my hands once, sharply, to stop the panic from spreading.

—I can't lose my cool here, too.

I have to do what I can.

All I can do is make the best possible choice right now.

Once I confirmed everyone had quieted down, I began to speak slowly.

"…For now, let's wait for Mattsun to recover. Everyone else, keep practicing so you're ready whenever she comes back. Especially the stage blocking."

I spoke methodically, as if trying to convince myself as well.

"I'll go ask the teacher about her condition later. We'll decide what to do for good at that point."

"Wh-What do you mean, 'what to do'?! Are you saying we should give up if she can't make it?!" someone cried out.

I closed my eyes and steadied my breath.

—At this stage, switching actors is impossible.

Everyone had been so focused on their own roles that no one had memorized anyone else's lines. And Mattsun was the lead; she was on stage for almost the entire play. It wasn't like a minor role with only one scene.

Naturally, this wasn't something we could fix by tweaking the script, and there was no way the play could go on without its main character.

In other words… we were completely screwed.

"No way."

—No.

I won't let that happen.

We… we all worked so hard to get this far. If we give up now, it'll all be for nothing.

Mattsun would feel guilty and hurt, and everyone else would be left with the bitter taste of an unfulfilling cultural festival, their efforts unrewarded.

That’s not funny at all.

No one would be smiling then. Not a single person.

That’s why—I won't give up.

"If Mattsun's condition doesn't improve—"

There's only one thing to do.

If I have to do it for everyone's sake—

Then there’s no reason not to, right?

"—I'll… take her place."

◆

Thirty minutes later, in the nurse's office.

"—She's settled down quite a bit now. She's sleeping in that bed over there."

"I see. That's a relief…"

Hearing the school nurse's report, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"But just to be safe, she should be seen at a hospital. I'm contacting her parents now to have them come pick her up."

"...Yeah, I guess so."

I clenched my fists on my lap.

I’d suspected as much, but she wasn't in any condition to return right away, was she?

"...Kiyosato, I can't have you causing problems."

My homeroom teacher, Shimokitazawa-sensei, who had been standing in the corner of the room with his arms crossed, spoke with a bitter expression.

"I trusted you and put you in charge because you said you could handle both the food stall and the play. If things like this happen, I won't be able to say the same in the future."

"...Yes. I'm truly sorry."

"Now, now, Shimokitazawa-sensei. This sort of thing happens all the time around this season," the nurse said, trying to smooth things over, but it was a fact that I had made a mistake that betrayed his trust.

From the start, the teacher had been worried about me taking on both projects. I was the one who insisted I could handle it, so it was only natural for him to be angry.

Shimokitazawa-sensei let out a heavy sigh, then opened his mouth.

"In any case, you should go back now. We teachers will handle things here."

"Yes… Excuse me."

I bowed my head one last time and left the nurse's office.

"—How's Matsubara? Think she can do it?"

Zomu-kun, who had been waiting outside the whole time, asked with a worried look on his face.

I silently shook my head.

"I see… Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. It's not like it was your fault, Mei."

And on top of it all, he offered me such kind words.

…Thank you, Zomu-kun.

But I don't deserve your kindness.

"Actually, I'm the main reason this happened. I'm the one who made her work, and I'm the one who failed to notice. I need to go apologize to Mattsun's parents later."

"Hey, Mei—"

"I'm fine, thanks."

I smiled as if to show I wasn't bothered and continued.

"Either way, let's just do our best with what we can do now. If we give up here, that'll be what really lets Mattsun down."

Zomu-kun frowned, looking as though he wanted to say something more.

"You know, why are you always—"

"Come on, let's hurry back. We're running out of time."

"Hey, wait up, Mei!"

Signaling that I had no intention of arguing, I cut the conversation short and started walking quickly toward the gym.

◆

The nurse's office was located in the back of the school building.

There were no classrooms being used for food stalls nearby, so it was quiet, as if separated from the festive clamor of the cultural festival.

As we walked, I explained to Zomu-kun that I would be the understudy and laid out our next steps.

"—So that's the plan. I've already coordinated with everyone else, so you're the last one, Zomu-kun. I know you must be worried since we haven't rehearsed together at all, but I'm going to do the best I can."

"...Nah, it's you, Mei. I'm not worried about that part. That part, at least."

Zomu-kun replied, his face still looking dissatisfied.

It was an uncharacteristically vague thing for him to say. I know he’s worried about me, but if he keeps this up, it’s going to affect our performance.

Just as I was wondering if I should say something, Zomu-kun suddenly stopped walking.

"Hey… I know this might be a bad time to ask, but…"

I looked at him and saw that his face was dead serious. His eyes held a look of what seemed like resolve.

A bad feeling crept over me, and I tried to cut him off.

"Zomu-kun, we should hurry back now, okay? Everyone's waiting."

"...If we do that, I don't know when I'll get another chance to talk to you. You've been avoiding me lately, haven't you?"

His words startled me.

…He noticed? I was trying so hard to act like I wasn't.

As if seeing through my inner turmoil, Zomu-kun clicked his tongue in frustration.

"I knew it… That day. Did Asahi say something to you?"

—Thump.

My heart skipped a beat.

"That… day…?"

"Yeah… the other day. After school, when Kamiizumi screwed up the orders."

"…!"

"The truth is, I went to bring you guys some snacks. But then I saw you, Mei, bolting out of there like crazy."

No… Don't tell me he saw me?

But how? I didn't see Zomu-kun anywhere, and I don't remember passing him in the hall… No, wait. I didn't check the other direction, so I can't say for sure…

Zomu-kun let out a sigh and continued.

"I asked Asahi, but he wouldn't tell me anything. So… I was just thinking… maybe he said something… weird to you."

Guessing what he meant by "something weird," a chill ran down my spine.

"…Not really, nothing at all? We were just chatting. I think the reason Oomori-kun didn't say anything is because it wasn't anything worth talking about."

I answered as calmly as I could, trying to suppress the frantic pounding of my heart.

I wasn't lying. I was the one who got scared of "something weird" and ran away.

Zomu-kun's expression soured.

"No, there's no way. If that were true, you wouldn't have run away like that. It's too weird."

"That was to turn in some documents. I had to hurry before the student council office closed."

"Don't lie to me. Even I’m not gonna be fooled by that."

Zomu-kun's face twisted in clear displeasure as he brushed his bangs back.

"You two have been acting weird ever since. You've talked to him even less than I have."

"…"

"If something happened… just tell me. If you always just say 'I'm fine,' I can't understand anything."

I bit my lip, desperately trying to figure out what to do.

—Trying to deflect any further is probably a bad idea.

But there's no way I can tell him everything right here, right now.

The truth is nothing but poison, and it would definitely make our relationship awkward. There's no way we could perform in the play like that.

On top of that, everyone is already exhausted from all the trouble we've had. If Zomu-kun and I, the two pillars of the group, are like this, it'll negatively affect everyone's performance.

That would be an absolute disaster with zero benefits. It’s the furthest thing from the best choice, a terrible move guaranteed to fail.

So, for now—

"Hey, Me—"

"Zomu-kun."

I ignored the ache in my heart and cut him off sharply.

"For now, let's focus on the play, okay? We've… we've worked so hard to get this far."

"…"

"When the cultural festival is over… I'll explain everything properly. Okay?"

—For now, I have to put it on hold.

The priority is to make the cultural festival a success. Our own problems can come after that.

I'll figure out what to say and how to say it later.

I will, so please, just let it go for now.

That has to be better for everyone than just spilling everything right here on the spot…

"…"

"...Come on, let's go."

Taking Zomu-kun's silence as an agreement, I took a step toward the gymnasium.

—But a moment later, from behind me.

"Then, Mei! After the festival is over—I want you to listen to what I have to say, too!"

"…ah!"

I gripped the hem of my skirt tightly and clenched my teeth.

—Ah…

What he wants to talk about…

I already knew, without even having to ask.

I just wished, so, so badly…

I begged him not to cross that line.

…So I'll make the first move.

"Zomu-kun. I don't want to hear it."

I said it clearly.

An assertion, without stating the subject.

"Tch!"

"Instead of that… you know, I'd rather we all talked about things that are more fun, things we can laugh about together. If it's that, I'd be happy to join in anytime…"

"—…"

"…Or something like that. I'm just saying weird stuff now. Ahaha, sorry, I guess I'm a little nervous after all."

The flimsy excuse made me sick, but I forced the conversation to an end anyway.

But… right now, it’s still not too late.

I can just put a lid on my own feelings.

I can rewrite these feelings that have been left in limbo into something else.

…So, please.

Please, I'm begging you. Just like before, choose the path where we can all laugh together.

"...We're out of time. I'm going on ahead."

Unable to bear the silence any longer, I walked away.

I don't know what kind of expression Zomu-kun was making behind me.

I don't know, but—

I'm sure he wasn't smiling.

"You won't even… let me say it, will you, Mei."

—…I'm sorry.

◆

"And now for program number one: The 3rd-year Class A volunteers present the stage play, 'A Promise to the Blue Sky of Tomorrow—'"

With a roar of applause, the curtain began to rise.

I took a deep breath, then exchanged nods with everyone around me.

And with that, I took a single step onto the stage.

—The plot of the play was this:

A group of middle school students living on a small, remote island in Japan are living out their boring, yet peaceful, everyday lives.

But one day, they learn that in a few months, the world will be destroyed by the impact of a giant meteor.

Faced with an inescapable death, the protagonists decide to live out their unchanging daily lives until the very end, but as the final day approaches, doubt begins to creep in.

The protagonist and heroine, who are both childhood friends and step-siblings, agonize over what kind of relationship they should have at the end. Finally, with only three days left until the world's destruction, the story reaches its climax.

…Somehow, now that I'm actually standing on stage as an actress, the play's theme feels like it's foreshadowing our own future, and it's unsettling.

No, you idiot. What am I thinking?

I can't let my personal feelings get in the way. I just have to focus on becoming the character.

Pinching my thigh hard as a reprimand, I took in a long, slow breath.

Breathe deep. Let my voice travel from my whole body, out through the top of my head, and reach the far end of the gym…

Repeating the words like a mantra in my mind to calm myself, I waited as the curtain finally finished its ascent.

In the darkness, a single spotlight illuminated me.

—The play begins with the heroine's monologue.

"—God, please tell me. Is there any meaning in a promise that can never be kept?"

Woah, I heard the underclassmen sitting right in front of the stage gasp.

"Amazing, Kiyosato-senpai is like a pro!"

"She has such a great stage presence!"

"Wait, was she even scheduled to be in the play…?"

"Who cares? She's a perfect fit."

…Okay. Not a bad start.

Though, my enunciation might have been a little off. I should try to enunciate each word more carefully, and speak a little more slowly.

"In just three days, this world will end. How should I face the end with him? As Wataru-kun, my childhood friend? As Wataru-chan, my family? Or… as Wataru, my love?"

Yeah, that was okay.

It's fine, I've got the lines memorized. It’s not a very long play, and I’m glad I took the precaution of memorizing the entire script.

I continued my monologue for a while longer.

Then, the entire stage lit up—

"Hey, Umi! It's morning!"

Zomu-kun's clear voice echoed through the gymnasium.

As he appeared on stage, a chorus of high-pitched squeals erupted. "Kyaa! Nozomu-senpai!"

The fact that the cheers came from every direction was proof of just how popular he was with students from all grades.

"G-Good morning, Wataru-kun."

"Whoa, your bedhead is insane! And you're drooling!"

"Wha?! No way!"

"Totally kidding."

"Hey! Honestly, Wataru-chan!"

The two of them bantered back and forth, just as they always did.

…Okay, good. Zomu-kun is completely in character, too.

I let out a sigh of relief and focused on the scenes to come.

—From there, the play proceeded without a hitch.

◆

The two of them ate breakfast, went to school, and finished their last class.

The once peaceful island was now filled with sorrow, a constant reminder that the end was drawing near.

Amidst it all, the two of them rowed a boat out to the secret base they had made on a small islet when they were young.

On the wall of the small cave, carved out by the sea, was a shared umbrella with their names under it, and a message that read, "when we get big we'll get married."

"Haha… I completely forgot about this."

"…It's going to end before we can get big, isn't it?"

"…Yeah."

They huddled together, watching the sun sink below the horizon for a long, long time.

—And then.

The story finally reached its conclusion.

"Lower the backdrop! Slowly, slowly—"

Having temporarily retreated to the wings, I gave an order to the stage crew before wetting my throat with a sports drink.

Alright… the final scene.

Atop a lighthouse overlooking the entire island, the two of them are gazing at the star of destruction, about to fall at any moment.

In the end, they chose not to choose any single relationship. To choose one thing meant throwing something else away, and they were still too young to choose everything.

And so, they would face the final moment thinking only of the blue sky of tomorrow, where all their ideals were packed away—

…Yeah. There are no more difficult lines or acting parts.

All that's left is to see it through to the end.

And then, everyone's hard work will be rewarded.

"Alright, let's nail this last scene!"

Suppressing my own excitement, I gave Zomu-kun a light pat on the back.

"Nn."

But Zomu-kun's response was unusually terse. His eyes weren't even looking at me.

…?

He's been acting perfectly fine up until now. Why, all of a sudden—

"Backdrop's good! Go, go!"

Urged on by the stagehand, I returned to the stage, though a part of me was still reeling.

—No, I don't have time to think about it.

Right now, I just have to finish the play.

"This was… for the best, wasn't it?"

I narrowed my eyes as if looking far beyond the horizon, and acted as though I were holding back tears.

From the silent audience, I could hear a few sniffles.

…Good, it looks like they're moved. You made the perfect script choice, Mattsun.

Feeling a deep regret that the person responsible for this success wasn't standing here, I focused my mind for the final push.

"Tomorrow will never come… but entrusting our greatest happiness to the blue sky of tomorrow isn't wrong."

"—"

"So… our answer can just be 'see you tomorrow,' right?"

"—"

…?

His final line isn't coming.

I thought maybe it was for dramatic effect, but—

"—"

Something is clearly wrong.

Zomu-kun was still looking down.

His fists were clenched tightly, with far too much force for it to be just acting.

His line wasn't even difficult. All he had to do was say one thing: "Yeah, see you tomorrow." And the curtain would fall.

So why—?

"—"

Sensing that something was amiss, the audience began to murmur.

In a panic, I ad-libbed to fill the silence.

"Wataru-kun…?"

At my call, Zomu-kun finally looked up.

His face, illuminated by the spotlight, was filled with a powerful resolve.

—And then.

"I—"

His eyes.

For some reason.

I felt like they were… directed at me—

—!

No way!

"Wait—!"

In an instant, the blood drained from my entire body.

I forgot my role, my position, everything.

Please, not that.

Anything but that.

I reached out my hand as if in prayer—

And then.

"—I love you, Mei."

—

—…No.

From the stage, from the audience.

Every sound disappeared.

And then.

A beat later—WHOOSH.

The entire venue erupted as if it had burst into flames.

"…Huh?"

"What did he just say?"

"A c-confession!"

"That was a real confession, wasn't it?!"

"UWOOOOOH, this is insane!"

"KYAA! KYAA! That's amazing, so bold!!"

Why…?

How…

Of all times, here?

In a place like this, he confessed—

The strength drained from my hands, and I stood there, utterly dumbfounded.

"Go for it, Mitaka!"

"Tch, I hope he gets shot down!"

"If she says yes, they'll actually become a couple, right?!"

"Hey, Kiyosato, hurry up and answer him!"

"What are you gonna do, Kiyosato-senpai?!"

"Answer him already!"

"Answer! Answer!"

"Hey, hey, this isn't part of the play anymore!"

Hearing the jeers, my mind started working on autopilot.

—I can't let the play be ruined.

But at this point, the script was already in tatters. It was impossible to get back on track. I had to give some kind of answer.

…Then, at the very least.

So that the story has some semblance of a proper ending.

I have to give an answer properly, as 'Umi.'

—And besides.

I'm sure that answer…

Is the same as my own.

"—I'm sorry. In the end, I can't choose just one answer."

For the sake of protecting as many smiles as I can…

The path that leads to only one smile—I won't choose it.

"Huh…?"

"No way, did he fail?"

"He totally failed, didn't he?"

"Whoa, Mitaka got rejected!"

"Aww, why?!"

"Ahaha, sucks to be you, man!"

"You're so lame, Nozomu!"

I turned on my heel and walked off the stage.

"—Lower the curtain."

"Uh, ah, yeah…"

As soon as I reached the wings, I uttered just those words.

Covering my ears, covering my eyes, I crumpled to the ground.

—Why.

Why, why, why.

I should have known this would happen.

I should have known this was the only way.

Why, Zomu-kun?

Why did you do it, Zomu-kun—!

"Why… why did you have to make the one choice you absolutely shouldn't have…!"