It had been one week since the restructuring of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee. The work, streamlined by eliminating all unnecessary effort, was proceeding smoothly. In the first place, the motivation levels were completely different compared to before. Having a visible goal versus flying blind changed everything about how people moved.
Once we passed the peak of the mountain and the finish line drew near, the executive committee's top brass, Gou-senpai, and I conducted the final check. We verified that there were no typos, omissions, or errors in the completed documents and data. I felt clearly out of place as a mere first-year, but perhaps because I had devoted myself to following Gou-senpai around like a shadow, no one said a word to me. I wasn't planning on letting go of his coattails anytime soon.
"As far as the paperwork goes—everything is finished!"
"Yeahhh!"
The Vice Chairperson, Kimura-senpai, raised both hands in joy. Following suit, the third-year boys from the culture clubs let out rare roars of triumph. In their excitement, they looked ready to start stripping. Seriously, don't do that.
Piled up at the back of the classroom were neat stacks of printed materials. These weren't just single pages; they were bundles of documents and instruction manuals ready to be distributed to every classroom in every grade. The only remaining tasks were those already in progress or currently on standby.
"Everyone... thank you! Thank you so much...!"
"Wait, don’t cry, Tomoka."
The Class Rep, Hasegawa-senpai, actually burst into tears. Kimura-senpai hurried to soothe her as she covered her face with both hands. Looking back, Hasegawa-senpai had been working relentlessly ever since the system change. Even though she was the head of the organization, she had clearly felt responsible for being part of the reason the committee had been driven into a corner. Well, given the original reason was what it was, she probably should feel that way, but I still thought it was impressive. If it were me, I likely would have lost half my hair from the guilt and stress. I wondered if this was the power of love at work... In a sense, Hanawa-senpai was quite the sinner himself.
While the work hadn't vanished entirely, everything that needed to be finished ahead of time was done. This meant there was no longer a need to force ourselves to gather during lunch breaks or after school. Hasegawa-senpai might have been more relieved about that than the actual completion of the work. She seemed like the type to beat herself up over things.
"Hey, hey! Let’s go to karaoke for the first time in a while!"
"Let’s go, let’s go!"
Since we’d reached a natural stopping point, we disbanded for the day. From here on, it seemed we could manage using only the dedicated cultural festival preparation periods the school had slotted into the curriculum. As for me, I felt like I had just been scurrying around acting as an assistant or whatever, but the results spoke for themselves. I felt confident we had achieved more than our original goal of just "making it in time for the cultural festival."
The realization dawned on me a moment late, and I let out a breath of relief.
"Wataru. Sorry, but..."
"You need me for the detailed follow-up work, right? It’s fine, it’s what I’m here for. In fact, right now, I’m happy to have the work."
"I'm counting on you."
Even though we had cleared the minimum quota, this success had been achieved by involving outside help. In particular, monitoring the future movements on Hanawa-senpai's end, reporting to the Student Council, and general information sharing were tasks for Gou-senpai and me. I hadn't expected to be able to go home right away.
"We did it, Natsukawa!"
"Yeah...!"
I watched Natsukawa and that extra guy while I thought to myself. My personal "final goal" was effectively achieved, but we were still a ways off from reaching the port. I didn't have a stable foothold to jump off this ship just yet. From here on, the Student Council would face the real test. Based on my experience with part-time jobs, I didn't intend to just cut them off and leave them hanging. That said, since we’d made the deadline, I wouldn't need to help out quite so intensely anymore. Please, let me slack off a bit soon. Having an RPG on hold for too long makes me restless...
"Shall we head out? If we stay and keep working here, it’ll just make everyone else feel awkward."
"Hmm, you're right."
Even though everything wasn't finished, there was no point in the two of us sitting in the corner of a room filled with a celebratory mood, clacking away on our laptops. It was time to change locations.
"Phew..."
"Really, thank you for the help, Little Brother."
"Eh."
We were in the Student Council Room. I had just finished a segment of work while engaging in my usual prickly banter with my Nee-chan, when Hanawa-senpai—who was visiting the school side after classes for the first time in a while—spoke to me. That was rare. I’d always had the impression that Hanawa-senpai drew a line when it came to me, viewing me as "the guy close to Sajou Kaede." I never expected a personal word of thanks.
"Hehe, was it that unexpected? Well, you really were a huge help this time. You’ve proven yourself to be Kaede's brother, through and through."
"U-uh, thanks."
"Renji, you've never praised me like that."
"I do praise you. You just don't notice it, Kaede."
"Haa..."
My Nee-chan let out a sigh at Hanawa-senpai, who wore a leisurely smile. She must have dealt with that attitude countless times. I thought I understood why she wasn't attracted to him despite his looks. Even for me, he was fine as a senior, but being friends with him would be exhausting. I felt like I'd be crushed if I had to deal with him teasing me while wearing that gentle mask.
Still, if he was praising me, then things must have truly been dire for him as well. There was no way he could keep smiling like that naturally; it was practically a declaration that he refused to show any weakness. He had taken the lead based on that nonsense reason of "responsibility for being loved," but the moment the name "Hanawa Renji" appeared in Yuuki-senpai and Gou-senpai's investigation, it had become a vulnerability. If the cultural festival had been ruined, there was no telling who might have seen those files.
I felt like I finally understood the weight of that "responsibility" just a little bit.
"Wataru. I can handle the rest from here."
"Oh, for real? ...Wait, what am I supposed to do starting tomorrow?"
"You have your own class preparations to worry about, don't you? Step back for now."
"I guess you're right..."
Relieved of duty... that was one way to put it. I had been getting those lunches every day as a reward, after all. My palate was starting to get spoiled. Lately, I hadn't even felt like buying things from the convenience store. My stomach was being held captive by a chef from the Yuuki family whose face I didn't even know. What was I supposed to do about that? Maybe I should go work as a servant for the Yuukis? Wait... that actually sounded like it might pay well.
"Well then, I'll leave the rest to you."
"Good work."
In any case, it meant I no longer had to work through my lunch breaks and stay late after school. Natsukawa wouldn't have to suffer anymore either, and the tension with the seniors in the soccer club was gradually fading. Hopefully, no more weird trouble would crop up. In that sense, my objective was complete, and I really was done.
But...
"............Well, it can't be helped."
Leaving partway through left a strange feeling behind. Since I’d come this far, I felt like the remaining work wouldn't be that complicated, and I might have wanted to help until the very end just to feel that "we did it!" sense of accomplishment. But in reality, I wasn't even an official committee member, and I had to help my own class... plus, my Nee-chan likely wouldn't permit any more involvement.
"Ah, the laptop..."
I had tucked it into my bag, habitually planning to take care of it tomorrow. I should return it to the Student Council Room—no, the loan management ledger was in the committee's classroom. I’m pretty sure the cardboard box we were using to store the laptops was left in the corner over there. I’d drop it off before heading home.
And while I was at it, I’d take one last look at that view.
The brilliant evening sun was dyeing the classroom orange. Unlike previous days, it was a bit cooler today, making the warmth feel pleasant rather than stifling, which invited drowsiness. Thinking about having to walk all the way home made my feet feel even heavier. I decided to linger here just a little longer.
I sat down on a random desk by the window.
It was a bit earlier than the last time I’d basked in the twilight here. The angle of the sun was different, giving the view from the back of the classroom a different charm. Dust motes floated in the air, sparkling as if frozen in time. It was proof of how still the air was. In the gaps of the silence, I could hear the distant shouts of students at their club activities.
This kind of sunbathing was becoming a habit, but it was time to move on. I could do this from my own classroom, but that was in the East Building. If I wanted to immerse myself in the sunset through the window, it had to be the side of the school with the corridor overlooking the courtyard. That was an option, too, though I normally didn't stay at school this late.
"............Hm?"
My phone vibrated. I pulled it out and saw a notification—a new message from my Nee-chan. Honestly, I really didn't want to see it. I hoped it wasn't a "come back here right now" order... I was still close by, so that would be awkward.
[Do it properly.]
"Huh?"
What was that supposed to mean? Do what properly? If anything, I was about to stop being "proper" now that I was free from my duties. From now on, I was a free man; nothing was binding me. I could finally accept Iwatani's invitations to play FPS games. Let's party.
It had been so long since I’d played anything. I barely even remembered which chapter I was on in my RPG. Enjoying the process of remembering where I left off would be fun in its own right... Man, I was actually getting excited.
"Alright, then... huh?"
"Ah..."
"..."
"..."
As I grabbed my bag and lowered my feet from the desk to the floor, I felt someone's presence. What I saw as I landed were someone's indoor shoes. When I looked up, my eyes met Natsukawa's. She was standing right there at the classroom entrance.
............Uh? Why? Why are you here? It doesn't really matter, but being bathed in the sunset like that makes you look way too divine. When exactly did you descend?