The day after the Management Game safely concluded.
The atmosphere at Kikou Academy was—to put it bluntly—utterly lethargic.
"Hey, Tomonari... got anything interesting to talk about...?"
"Not a thing..."
It was break time. I gave my reply while staring vacantly out the window at Taisho, who looked like he was about to drift off. The conversation died right there, but Taisho didn't seem to mind.
"Tomonari-kun. I ate some really delicious macarons the other day..."
"That sounds nice..."
Asahi-san offered up a topic while mumbling through her suppressed yawns, but it wasn't enough to pique my interest, so I just gave her a half-hearted response. She didn't seem to care either, joining Taisho and me in our collective daze.
It was mid-October. The soft, warm autumn sunlight was a constant invitation to fall asleep.
It wasn't just the three of us. Hinako, Suminoe-san, Kita—everyone in the classroom was in the same state. During the Management Game, heated debates had broken out in every corner of the room the moment the bell rang for break, but now there wasn't even a trace of that energy left. Some students were slumped over their desks; others leaned back in their chairs, staring silently at the ceiling. Everyone was just idling away the time.
The atmosphere... honestly, it was a lost cause.
It was a classic case of burnout. The students of Kikou Academy were generally quite diligent even without the pressure of the Management Game, but right now, they were completely spent.
Even the teachers had slowed the pace of their lessons slightly, perhaps out of consideration for the students' exhaustion. They must have been under a lot of strain during the game as well. For this brief moment, thanks to a rare alignment of interests between students and faculty, the entire academy was enveloped in a hazy, relaxed air.
It reminded me of the atmosphere at my old high school, making me feel a bit nostalgic.
"Um, Konohana-san? There was something I didn't quite understand from the last lesson..."
A female classmate spoke to Hinako.
I really had to admire her for maintaining such a studious attitude in this environment. I’d have to follow her lead and try harder starting from the next break.
As the student held open her textbook, Hinako stared blankly at the page.
"Mmm... too much trouble..."
"Too much... wait, what?"
Oops, this was bad.
She’d let the relaxed atmosphere get the better of her, and her true personality was leaking out.
I slapped my cheeks lightly to wake myself up and stood from my seat.
Caretaker, moving out.