Chapter 14: Countermeasures, Cultural Festival! (Part 1)

Now then—after parting ways with Kaimori-chan, I headed back to my classroom, once again turning the current situation over in my mind. I was worried about the original Shione-chan too. Worried, yes—but still.

The “problem” I’m dealing with—if I had to put a name to it—is Ryūzōji Takahiro. More specifically, deciding who the protagonist’s girlfriend should be. The cultural festival should be the perfect event for that… or at least, it’s supposed to be.

First question: how do I even invite the heroines? Normally, a date is one-on-one, but in this case, I’ll probably have to support things at least halfway. After all, the number of words that guy exchanged one-on-one upon first meeting—even with Kaimori-chan—was four. Just four.

Even if he somehow managed a solo date, with Takamiyagi-senpai it would be zero conversation—guaranteed. Yuno-chan wouldn’t take any interest in someone who only managed four words with Kaimori-chan, so naturally, zero there too. Kaimori-chan herself would probably also be close to zero.

What is this—an eternal zero?

So here’s the plan: I help set up the date → then leave them alone together. If you expect me to take care of him until we’re buried in the same grave, then no thanks—but lending a hand is fine. No need for gratitude, either. Just add “Special Thanks: Yozakura Shione-chan” at the end of your wedding slideshow, and we’re even.

When I returned to my seat, sure enough, Takahiro was there. Actually, he was sitting in my seat without permission. On top of that, with a slightly sulky expression, he immediately started firing questions at me. Apparently, something had bothered him.

…It was incredibly long, so I’ll skip the details, but the gist of it was: “I get worried when you leave your seat.” In his version of Shione-chan, I’m not even allowed to go to the bathroom freely. What am I, a prisoner?

After nodding along with a few “yeah, yeah, got it, sorry about that,” I smoothly—casually—shifted to the main topic.

"...By the way, Takahiro-kun, are you free during the cultural festival? Both days?"

At that, Takahiro reacted like a shocked old woman in a Hollywood movie—clutching his chest, struggling to breathe. Honestly, it was a bit off-putting.

At the same time, the classroom suddenly fell silent. For some reason, it felt like all eyes were on us. …Well, yeah. Anyone would be startled. It’s just plain creepy.

"...I’m free! I’m free!"

"Good. Then could you keep both days open? Let’s go around together."

"We’ll go! We’ll go!!"

"And… there’s a chance some friends might join us. That’s okay, right?"

At that, Takahiro suddenly went quiet. His whole demeanor visibly shifted into disappointment.

Well… I get how he feels. It’s a special event, so of course he wants it to be just the two of us—a proper page of youth. I understand that. But I also understand Takahiro’s situation.

Unfortunately for you, there’s no room to negotiate this time.

After thinking for a moment, Takahiro looked straight into my eyes.

…Oh? That’s the face of someone who’s made up his mind. Since when did he learn to look like that?

"I want to go around with just you, Shione."

"...Oh, really… so that’s how you’re playing it…"

His unexpected response made me want to hold my head. This guy has zero intention of holding back. He’s completely doubling down. …I thought dangling a “date” in front of him would make him bite without question, but…

Then he dropped an even bigger bombshell.

"Because I like you, Shione."

"…………Huh?"

Did I just hear something I absolutely shouldn’t have? Was that my imagination?

In the original story—the game—he’s supposed to confess in Shione-chan’s room. Even setting that aside, there’s no way he’d confess in front of everyone like this.

I must have misheard.

"...Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said I like you, Shione. I’m not lying."

"No, it’s not that I didn’t hear you. We’re this close, after all."

"I thought I’d been telling you this whole time… you didn’t notice?"

"...Hey, can you not move things forward yet? Give me a second. I need to sort out my thoughts."

"Yeah, of course."

I turned my back for a moment, successfully removing Takahiro from my field of view.

Instead, I saw my classmates—somehow looking at me with congratulatory expressions. I could even spot someone starting to write a banner that said “Congratulations!”

Hold on—nothing worth celebrating has happened.

I felt cold sweat trickle down my face. This is bad. I need to deal with this quickly.

But… how?

After thinking for a bit, I reached a conclusion.

…Alright. It’s a bit forceful, but I’ll pretend none of that happened. If I ignore everything and act like normal, Takahiro should eventually give up. Which means the cultural festival is dangerous—it’s too soon. There’s no way he’ll forget that confession so quickly.

"So, uh, about the cultural festival—never mind. You can go ahead and make plans for both days. See you."

"...Wha—?!"

He grabbed my arm firmly, ruining my attempt to slip away. Then, looking panicked, he raised his voice.

"Hey—that’s not fair!"

"Eh…? But you said you weren’t lying, right? Then there’s only one conclusion."

Suddenly, a random girl from the class pulled Takahiro away and dragged him to the corner of the room. She started whispering something to him.

I couldn’t quite make it out, but she was probably trying to talk some sense into him.

I quietly strained my ears.

…Something about a “cute excuse”… “too shy to invite”… “maiden”…?

Why am I hearing words that have nothing to do with me?

After more than ten minutes of deliberation, Takahiro finally returned—and, unbelievably, he completely retracted everything he had just said, including the confession.

What kind of persuasion did they use?

Thank you, random class girl. Also, please teach me that technique later.

"About earlier… I understand. You can take your time with your answer. And… it’s fine if you invite others."

"Thanks. Then it’s settled."

"I’m looking forward to it!"

"Yeah. …Oh, right—I’ll bring my digital camera. I’ll take lots of pictures. If you ever need photos for your wedding slideshow in the future, feel free to ask me anytime!"

To dispel the awkward atmosphere, I threw out that line—and the classroom audience reacted louder than ever.

Anyway, the protagonist is secured. Next are the heroines…

But if I just ask, “Want to go on a date with Takahiro?” no one would agree at this point. Looks like I’ll need some preparation.

After that, I ran all over town getting things ready, then decided to approach the heroines about the cultural festival. Even if it’s a four-target route, it’s not impossible for me—I know all the endings.

First up: Takamiyagi-senpai.

I headed to the rooftop and met up with her. After watching the sky together for a bit, I got straight to the point.

"Senpai, do you already have plans for the cultural festival?"

"No."

"Then… would you go around with me on the first day, in the afternoon?"

"I don’t like crowds."

…Is there even such a thing as a cultural festival without crowds?

Still, this is going as planned. That was a better response than I expected. I thought she’d say, “There’s no reason for me to go with you.” If anything, this means she’d go—as long as it’s not crowded.

…Alright, then.

"If you come, I’ll give you this."

With a quick motion, I pulled out what I had hidden behind my back: a limited-edition cream puff from Mangetsudō, said to be the best Western-style confectionery shop in town.

The moment I revealed it, Senpai’s expression changed instantly.

No surprise there. This cream puff lives up to its “limited” name—it’s rarely sold, practically a phantom delicacy. Heh… but the fact that it quietly appears in stores on the first Wednesday of November?

I had already figured that out.

Senpai didn’t hesitate.

"I’ll go."

"Yes! Thank you so much! Oh, we should check out the food stalls together! I’ve already picked out a few places I want to try!"

"...I see. That does sound… somewhat enjoyable."

In contrast to my excitement, Senpai simply smiled gently.

It only lasted a moment—so faint you might miss it—but somehow, from her expression and tone, I could tell she was already imagining the day of the festival.

And that made me happy.

To present it properly, I held out the cream puff with solemn care. Senpai stood straight in front of me, like someone receiving an award.

"Then, instead of a deposit, I present this deposit cream puff."

"Contract established."

"...Oh, right. Is it okay if Takahiro-kun joins us too?"

The moment she heard that, Takamiyagi-senpai suddenly stopped her outstretched hand and stared intently at my face.

…What’s wrong, Senpai? Why the confusion?

Perhaps reading my expression, she spoke—briefly, almost troubled.

"There’s no reason for me to go around with him."

"...Uh… wait… you’re bringing that up now? I—I mean, there is a reason."

"What is it?"

"...The cream puff includes the cost of going around with Takahiro-kun too!"

I did my best to come up with something, but as she pointed out, there wasn’t a single legitimate reason.

So I just pushed through.

Senpai withdrew her hand and began seriously considering it.

…Wait, does this really require that much thought?

After about thirty seconds of deep contemplation, she hesitantly reached for the cream puff again.

For her, thirty seconds is equivalent to ten minutes for a normal person.

…Even Takamiyagi-senpai—who I thought would be the easiest to win over with food—is this difficult?

I have a bad feeling about what’s ahead…

"...Is Shione-senpai not here today?"

"Yeah… apparently she suddenly said she’d go eat with some other friends…"

"Get a hold of yourself! …Wait, does that mean I have to deal with this today…?"

Beyond the bushes, I could see Takahiro staggering slightly before collapsing onto the grass, clutching his head.

Sorry, Kaimori-chan—just for today, please forgive me. Think of it as practice for your future together.

Inside the hedge tunnel, I slowly crawled forward on all fours. It was extremely cramped, and every movement made branches and leaves brush against me with a soft rustle, rustle. Still, the sound blended into the wind through the trees, so it didn’t seem to draw the protagonists’ attention.

After crawling for a while, I finally spotted my target ahead.

A checkered skirt… and beneath it, a very familiar silhouette.

The master of this secret base—Yuno-chan. Just as I expected.

I moved closer and whispered toward her.

"Hey, Yuno-chan, got a second?"

"—Eep?!"

She jolted violently, jumping in place, and her lower body thrashed wildly in the cramped tunnel.

Crack—snap, snap! Twigs broke loudly.

Uh oh. That was definitely too loud, wasn’t it?

I cautiously peeked toward the courtyard. Through the overlapping branches, I saw Kaimori-chan frowning as she looked around suspiciously.

"...Didn’t you hear something strange? And a voice too…"

"Kaimori, did you say something? Sorry, I didn’t catch that."

"No… must’ve been my imagination…"

"But why would Shione… Maybe I confessed too early…"

"C-Confessed?! Ryūzōji-senpai confessed to Shione-senpai?! What were you thinking?!"

"...What do you mean, ‘what was I thinking’…?"

Nice one, Takahiro.

At that moment, however, Takamiyagi-senpai’s gaze began drifting in this direction, as if searching for something.

And then—

Our eyes met through the leaves.

For a brief second, her eyes widened in surprise. But just as quickly, her expression returned to neutral, and she calmly shifted her attention to the bottle in her hand, as if nothing had happened.

…Wait, that’s it? What exactly am I to her?

"W-What are you doing here…? Why are you here…?!"

Yuno-chan whisper-yelled at me—a surprisingly advanced technique. I responded gently, still facing her.

The tunnel was far too narrow to turn around. I’d probably have to crawl backward just to get out. So yes, visually, this situation is a bit questionable—but it can’t be helped.

"Well, I figured you might be able to talk more honestly here."

"In this situation?!"

I couldn’t see her face, but judging by the way she was fidgeting, she seemed thoroughly annoyed. Fair enough—even I’m not sure I could hold a proper conversation like this.

"More importantly, why is Yozakura-senpai here in the first place?!"

"Oh, that’s easy. The other day at lunch—you were peeking from here, right?"

"...! Y-You noticed…? And… did you tell Ayumi-chan too…?"

"I didn’t. I figured you wouldn’t like that. …Should I have?"

"No! Please don’t!"

I waited for Yuno-chan to calm down. I’ve never judged someone’s emotional state based on how their lower body moves before, but I could make a decent guess.

After a while, her movements settled, so I continued.

"So, the reason I came… is that I have a favor to ask."

"...You want me to get along with Ayumi-chan, don’t you?"

Her resistance was practically radiating off her.

…Huh? Surprisingly, this is working. Are we actually communicating like this? Maybe humans really can communicate more through body language than we think… Though I doubt I’ll ever get another chance to study this phenomenon, so I’ll leave that to future generations.

"Yuno-chan, you really don’t like that idea, do you?"

"Of course not. I hate her."

…Now then, let me explain why these two get along so poorly. The reason lies entirely in their relationship with a certain upperclassman.

First, Yuno-chan belongs to the same handicrafts club as Kaimori-chan. But the reason she chose that club in the first place was significant.

To put it simply: Yuno-chan once had a female senpai she deeply admired—someone who had taken great care of her. That senpai belonged to the handicrafts club in high school. Naturally, Yuno-chan submitted her club application right after enrolling, hoping to join immediately and see her again.

However…

Perhaps because she was physically frail—though not quite as bad as me—her health was poor. Right after enrollment, she fell ill and had to be hospitalized for a while.

And when she finally returned to school—

What she saw was Kaimori-chan, who had already joined the club and secured a place as that senpai’s favorite.

…

Yeah. No one is at fault here.

And precisely because no one is at fault, it’s so difficult to resolve. It’s not something Kaimori-chan can fix just by saying, “Sorry for taking your senpai.” And if she did, Yuno-chan would probably never set foot in the handicrafts club again.

Yuno-chan still seemed to be sulking, but I had no intention of telling her to get along with Kaimori-chan. That’s something the two of them have to decide for themselves.

Though personally… I wouldn’t mind seeing them become friends.

"That’s not it. More importantly—want to go around the cultural festival with me? I’d be happy if we could enjoy it together. I’d also prefer talking face-to-face instead of… like this."

At my words, Yuno-chan seemed to suddenly remember her current situation—having been talked to through her backside this whole time. In the cramped space, she skillfully flailed her legs in outrage.

Somehow, it felt like she was getting used to this method of conversation.

"...If that’s really what you mean! This is seriously the worst way to invite someone! The place, the timing—everything! If you weren’t a girl, Yozakura-senpai, this would be completely perverted!"

The way she said that makes it sound like I’m a pervert on the inside. Cut it out—I’m a gentleman.

…Still, in this state, she’s speaking honestly. During my playthrough, she didn’t drop her “nice girl” persona until much later… It feels like that was ages ago.

At the same time, my old room suddenly felt like something from a distant world, and the thought made me uneasy.

I shook my head lightly to refocus. Right now, I need to convince Yuno-chan.

"...But I’m glad we can talk like this. Maybe we could actually become friends."

"Are you hard of hearing? Why would I go with Ayumi-chan’s senpai… together…"

Yuno-chan suddenly deflated. The word “senpai” must have struck something.

I chose not to comment on the shift in her mood and continued as gently as possible.

"If she’s Kaimori-chan’s senpai, then she’s your senpai too… right?"

"Absolutely not."

Yuno-chan is clearly fixated on the idea of “my senpai.”

Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—that senpai was the kind of saintly person who loved everyone equally.

And that’s exactly why things didn’t work out.

Yuno-chan fell silent.

I shifted my gaze away, waiting.

With nothing else to do, I carefully adjusted my position in the tunnel and lay on my back, looking up.

Through the arch of branches above, soft sunlight filtered in, flickering gently. From somewhere far away, I could faintly hear lively chatter.

But inside this tunnel, it was completely quiet—like being cut off from the outside world.

…It really is a secret base.

It’s a shame I couldn’t see Yuno-chan’s embarrassed expression as she shyly told me about it.

But I’ll leave that moment to the protagonist.

Time passed in silence.

Then, from above me, I heard Yuno-chan’s voice again—soft enough that I might’ve missed it.

"...Why aren’t you telling me to make up with her?"

"Because it seems like you already understand."

"If you knew the situation, Yozakura-senpai, you’d probably say something like, ‘Over something like that…’"

"—‘You fell out over something like that?’ I wouldn’t say that. I don’t know the details, but it must’ve been important to you."

"...I see."

"Things don’t always go the way we want, huh?"

"...I guess not…"

Silence fell once more.

…Yuno-chan probably understands that Kaimori-chan isn’t at fault.

But that doesn’t mean she can accept it.

That’s why the two of them will eventually need to face each other and talk things through. Otherwise, nothing will change.

Still… it’s probably not my place to say that.

As I was lost in thought, Yuno-chan suddenly spoke again—this time more clearly.

"Well… fine."

"...Huh?"

"The cultural festival. …But on one condition: you don’t tell anyone about this place."

"Really?! …Yes! Yes!! Thank you, Yuno-chan!"

I’m not entirely sure what changed her mind, but I’ll take the win.

That said, lunch break is almost over. Time to head back.

As I got back onto all fours and slowly began crawling backward, Yuno-chan did the same in front of me.

It seems that, in this tunnel, this is simply the proper way to move.