I set my mechanical pencil down the moment the chime rang. The study session had paid off; I’d managed to weather all the post-summer Confirmation Tests... probably. The results weren’t due back until the first class period next week, but the people who had spent their entire summer vacation playing around were already slumped over their desks in terror.
The test itself didn't have any annoying trick questions; it felt like a light review of the basics. As long as someone had spent the night desperately cramming to recall what we’d learned in the first semester, the difficulty was low enough to avoid a failing grade. Of course, the students who had failed to turn in their summer homework were currently going through hell, as they had to juggle the tests and the makeup deadline at the same time.
"It's over..."
Once I confirmed the proctor had collected the answer sheets and left the classroom, I stretched and murmured softly. The content hadn't been particularly difficult, but the mere fact that it was a "test" made my shoulders stiffen.
While I was savoring that sense of liberation, I realized someone was standing next to my desk.
"You look pretty relaxed, Kokonoe."
"Hm? Oh, Shigemori. What’s up? Why the long face?"
"Well, look around. It’s a field of corpses. I figured I’d ask how the test went for the one guy who looks like he just finished a routine job."
"A field of corpses..."
I took another look at the seats around me. Everyone was indeed slumped over, radiating a thick, dark aura. Yeah, "field of corpses" was an accurate description. I suppose sitting here looking nonchalant made me stand out.
Now that I thought about it, weren't the people sitting near me the same ones who hadn't submitted their summer homework yesterday?
"So, how was it? I didn't think the content was that hard, personally..."
"I think I did reasonably well. We had a study session with the club members yesterday to prep."
"By club members, you mean the usual group plus your sister and the other juniors?"
"Yeah. It's better than studying alone; teaching and learning from each other helps the memory stick. It was a good way to shake off the rust."
Actually, during the study session, I’d discovered quite a few things I’d forgotten. By trying to answer the questions others asked, I was able to identify my own misunderstandings. If I’d stubbornly tried to do it alone, I might have made a lot of careless mistakes on this test.
It was definitely a "glad we had that study session" kind of feeling.
"I see..."
"Yeah. How about you? Did you gamble on specific topics like you usually do?"
"No, the range for this test was a bit too wide for that. I studied broad and shallow. I think I should be able to avoid a failing grade, at least."
I wondered why... considering the situation around us, those words about avoiding a failing grade—which should have sounded modest—felt like a grand, heroic declaration. I’d been thinking about it casually, but I changed my mind when I noticed the sharp, resentful gazes from the surrounding desks. Crap, this might not be the best place for this conversation, I realized.
My classmates, who had been slumped over until a moment ago, were now silently glaring at Shigemori and me while radiating pure malice. It was genuinely creepy, like a scene from a horror movie.
"I see... Oh, right, Shigemori, why don't we go check on Yuji? I'm curious how he did, too."
"Y-yeah. Let's do that."
I suggested moving to escape the uncomfortable glares, and Shigemori, who had clearly sensed the atmosphere turning sour and looked slightly panicked, nodded readily.
Discretion is the better part of valor. Everyone will calm down eventually, so for now, the best move was to run.
Once school was out, we gathered in the clubroom. Mika and the others looked relieved, so they must have felt okay about the tests. Since we’d put in the work yesterday, they probably weren't in any danger of failing.
Thanks to that, an air of relief—that specific satisfaction of finishing a major task—pervaded the room.
"Well, looking at everyone, it seems the tests went okay."
"Yes, well, somehow or other."
"Then shall we start moving toward the school festival?"
Seeing our relaxed expressions, Hashimoto-sensei looked relieved as well. I suppose having club members fail a test is a major headache for an advisor. If too many students fail, people might start questioning the advisor's guidance, wondering if the club activities are so grueling that the students are neglecting their studies.
But since it looked like we’d all cleared the hurdle, Hashimoto-sensei could focus on the school festival with peace of mind.
"We decided on the basic policy yesterday, but let's settle on the specific content. If we spread ourselves too thin without a plan, we might end up unable to organize all the materials we collect. Let's decide on a general direction."
"That's true. Even if we call it an 'Impact Survey,' the scope is far too broad, ranging from everyday life to politics and economics. It'll be easier to organize the materials if we narrow the focus now."
I didn't think Mika and the others would proactively jump into political and economic theory, but it was better to have a set direction. If they just followed their whims, they’d end up with broad but shallow information, and the final result wouldn't be very interesting. They’d just end up exhausted for no reason.
Besides, if we were going to make something, I wanted it to be engaging. The part us second-years were making was already going to be a dry, stiff report on taxes. I could already imagine people asking which tax office produced the exhibit.
"Right. So, I want to hear from everyone. What kind of direction would you like to take? Any ideas?"
As she spoke, Hashimoto-sensei glanced at our faces. We exchanged looks for a moment before speaking up in turn.
Starting with us three.
"To get visitors interested, wouldn't it be better to have a theme based on something familiar? For example... how about dishes using dungeon food? They’ve been appearing on menus in all sorts of shops lately, so I think it's a good fit."
"I think something like Core Crystal power generation would be good. It’s been in the news a lot lately. It’s directly linked to daily life, and people would be interested in how much cheaper their electricity bills might get as it spreads."
"My family runs a restaurant, so if we're doing something related to dungeon food, I can provide 'voices from the field' as a form of research."
Hiiragi-san and I pushed for the food-related angle, while Yuji suggested the Core Crystal power generation angle. Since food is a familiar topic, it’s an easy way to grab a visitor's interest. Even the power generation angle was a hot topic in the news, as Yuji said. The potential for utility cost fluctuations is a matter closely tied to daily life, making it a theme that could easily draw people in.
Hashimoto-sensei nodded and noted our three opinions on the paper in her hand before turning her gaze toward Mika’s group.
"I... think something about small items made from dungeon materials might be good. Everyone in class has been talking about accessories made from dungeon materials lately, so I think it's a popular topic."
"How about clothing made from monster fur and fibers? I saw a news article online about how they're making stab-proof and bulletproof vests by taking advantage of the material's strength."
"I'd like to look into the human element. I've heard that dungeons have created new jobs and lowered the unemployment rate, so I want to see exactly how much employment was created and how much the rates have actually improved..."
"I'd... like to look into how many dungeons have appeared worldwide. I hear on the news that there are tons of them, but I don't know the details of which countries have how many."
Mika and Saori-chan went with consumer goods, while Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san went with the broader social impact. It was a pretty stark contrast. Mika and Saori’s themes were familiar, much like mine and Hiiragi-san’s. They would easily attract interest, and gathering data wouldn't take too long. Conversely, Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san’s themes were about systemic impact, like Yuji’s. Those would take more time to research, and since we already had the tax exhibit, the display might end up feeling a bit too stiff.
Once everyone had spoken, Hashimoto-sensei looked up from her notes.
"That's a good range of opinions. Looking at this... it seems Kokonoe-kun’s group is interested in everyday applications, while Hirose-kun’s group is looking at social impact. Both are interesting, but..."
Hashimoto-sensei hesitated, turning an apologetic look toward Yuji and the others.
"With Hirose-kun's themes, if we combine them with the tax exhibit, I'm afraid the display as a whole will become a bit too rigid. If we're aiming for something the visitors will actually enjoy, I think Kokonoe-kun's themes might be better."
"It's true that having only tax and social impact themes might be a bit stiff. But what if we do both?"
In response to Hashimoto-sensei's concern, Yuji offered a counter-proposal with a calm expression, as if he’d anticipated this.
"Both... does that mean preparing three separate exhibits?"
"Yes. We have the time and the manpower, so I don't think it's impossible. Since everyone has ideas they're interested in, I think it's worth trying."
"...That's true. Since we have the people for it, it might not be a bad idea to give it a shot if you're motivated."
Hashimoto-sensei wasn't dead-set on rejecting the idea. She listened to Yuji's logic and turned her face toward us with an understanding expression.
Ah, so she wanted us to decide? Well, we were the ones doing the work, so I guess that was fair. I glanced at the others and asked for a simple consensus.
"Shall we do it?"
"I don't mind," Hiiragi-san said.
" " " "Let's do it! (We'll do it!)" " " " Mika and the others responded enthusiastically.
Perhaps because it was their first school festival, the juniors were bursting with motivation. It was good that they were fired up, but if they took on too much work, they’d be crying later. The school festival involves class exhibits too, not just the club.
"Then it's settled. For this festival, our club will produce the tax-themed exhibit plus two other exhibits along these directions. Hirose-kun and Hiiragi-san, will you act as the leaders for those two? I’d like Kokonoe-kun to be the leader for the tax-themed one..."
Hashimoto-sensei made the proposal while looking at the three of us, and we all nodded.
"Sure, that's fine."
"I don't mind either."
"I'm okay with that too."
"Thank you. Then Kokonoe-san and the rest of you, do your best on the exhibits under Hirose-kun and Hiiragi-san’s leadership."
" " " "Yes!" " " "
So, the plan for two exhibits grew to three due to the different interests. We still had time and manpower, so it would probably be fine, but preparing three exhibits for a single club seemed like a lot of work... Oh well, Mika and the others were excited, so we just had to see it through.
I watched the interaction between Yuji and the others out of the corner of my eye.
"Well, since that's how it is, I'll be counting on you both until the festival. Tatebayashi-san, Hino-san."
"Yes! Hirose-senpai, we look forward to working with you!"
"We're looking forward to it!"
Yuji looked a bit shy about being put in charge of juniors he didn't know well, while Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san wore motivated, bright smiles. Perhaps Yuji's defense of their ideas had won him some points; they seemed genuinely happy to have him as their leader.
"Mika-chan, Saori-chan, I'm looking forward to working with you."
"Yes! We look forward to working with you, Hiiragi-san!"
"Let's do our best together!"
They were also fired up, showing plenty of enthusiasm for the project.
Um... I’m technically part of that group too, aren't I? Or have I been forgotten?
"Yes, yes, everyone seems to be in a good place. Let's work hard to put out something great for the festival!"
" " " " " "Yes!" " " " " "
"...Yes."
Everyone gave a spirited response to Hashimoto-sensei's encouragement....Wait, what was this? Even though the club was coming together as one, I somehow felt like I was the only one being left out. It had to be my imagination, right? Yeah, definitely just my imagination.
...Anyway. I was planning a day trip to a dungeon tomorrow, so I might as well push myself a bit.
We had decided on three themes for the school festival, but... yeah. It was going to be a lot of work.