The moment the Culture Festival Executive Committee Chair issued the opening declaration, the air filled with the energetic shouts of students all across the campus trying to lure in customers. Since the festival had only just begun, outside visitors likely hadn't made it past the gates yet; it was probably the eager students from the free-time group making their first moves.
True to form, the free-time group from my own class was already heading for the door after giving a quick nod to the morning group.
"Don't forget when your shifts start!"
"We won't!"
With Azuma-san’s warning ringing in their ears, the free-time group set off to explore the festival, scattering toward whatever attractions caught their interest.
Judging by the welcoming roars coming from the classroom right next door, it sounded like some of them hadn't even bothered to leave the hallway before diving into the nearest attraction.
"All right. Everyone, let's get ready to welcome our guests. I don't know if anyone will come to a cafe like ours this early, but we need to be prepared for whenever they show up."
"Understood. The water's already boiling for the drinks, so we're all set there."
"I've already started defrosting some of the desserts. They should be at the perfect temperature by the time the first customers walk in."
"I’ve double-checked the decorations. We’re ready to receive guests."
I did a final sweep of the classroom, which felt a bit empty now that the free-time group was gone. Being a cafe, it was unlikely we’d have a rush the second the doors opened, but as Azuma-san said, we had to be ready for anything.
There’s always an outlier who ignores the standard rhythm of things... like me, for instance.
"I guess all that's left is to wait... Should we send someone out to drum up business?"
"It might be a good idea eventually, but maybe not yet? I think most people will want to walk around and see everything first."
"I agree. If no one shows up after thirty minutes, we can start then. If we start shouting for customers too early, it might actually keep people away..."
"Fair point. Then everyone, let's wait patiently while staying ready to jump into action the moment someone walks in."
To the backdrop of cheers erupting from other classrooms that had apparently already snagged customers, we settled in to kill time with small talk, staying alert for any visitors.
I felt a slight prickle of anxiety wondering when we’d get our first guest, but I hoped it wouldn't be too long.
About ten minutes into the festival, our first customers arrived. It was a Junior Duo—two girls from the same club as one of my female classmates.
As the pair peeked tentatively into the room, we all spoke in unison to welcome our very first patrons.
"Welcome!"
Perhaps it was the result of Azuma-san’s rigorous training, but our voices were unexpectedly loud.
As a result, the two girls physically jumped in surprise and stared at us with wide eyes. Well, I suppose that was just part of the opening-day charm.
"Welcome! Come in, come in! Don't just stand there at the door!"
Naturally, the classmate who was their senior took the lead, ushering the startled and slightly hesitant pair into the room. The two followed her timidly and took their seats.
Since there was no one else in the room yet, they looked around with restless, anxious expressions. I could relate; even if you’re visiting a senior you’re close to, walking into an upperclassman’s classroom is enough to make anyone nervous.
"I’m so glad you came! You’re officially our first customers!"
"Eh? Senpai, we’re the first?"
"Yep. I’m sure we’ll get more people later, but not many people pick a cafe as their very first stop at a school festival."
"...I see."
She was basically implying that her juniors were weird for coming here first. She clearly didn't mean anything by it, but the two girls had slightly strained smiles as if they’d caught the underlying meaning.
Oblivious to their reaction, our classmate handed them the menus with a warm smile.
"Here you go, here are the menus."
"Thank you."
"Our recommendation for today is the tea and cookie set."
After a brief moment of deliberation, the two juniors ordered the tea sets. It’s hard for a junior to turn down a recommendation from a senior, after all.
"Two tea sets? Coming right up. Please wait just a moment."
With a polite bow, our classmate hurried over to the prep area behind the partitions. A few minutes passed as the two girls waited in awkward silence until she returned with the tea sets on a tray. The look of pure relief that washed over their faces when she reappeared was quite a sight.
The wait was a bit longer than I’d expected. It occurred to me that we might need some background music to fill the silence. We hadn't really considered it, so we hadn't prepared anything. I decided to bring it up to Azuma-san.
"Your tea sets are ready. Please help yourselves to the milk and sugar. Enjoy your stay."
"Th-thank you very much."
The two girls reached for their tea with a certain sense of urgency. I wanted them to relax, but the quiet room was clearly making them uncomfortable.
I spotted Azuma-san and went over to talk to her.
"Azuma-san, do you have a minute?"
"What is it, Kokonoe-kun?"
"I was thinking—shouldn't we have some BGM? Looking at our first guests, it feels like the room is a bit too quiet. Having some music playing might help put people at ease while they’re waiting for their orders."
"Oh, you're right... Looking at them now, it definitely seems like we need something."
Since there were no other guests, their senior classmate was chatting with them, but the juniors still looked incredibly tense. If the room were crowded, it wouldn't be an issue, but a handful of people in a large, silent classroom is a recipe for awkwardness.
We needed a distraction.
"At this stage, I suppose the best we can do is play some classical music from a smartphone..."
"Yeah, we probably won't get permission to borrow any of the school's audio equipment this late in the game."
"True. Let me talk to the others."
Azuma-san called over a few classmates to discuss the BGM idea.
A few minutes later, they reached a conclusion.
"I checked around, and a few people have unlimited data plans, so they’re going to sign up for a free trial on a BGM streaming site."
My classmates were earning a decent amount as explorers, so their spending habits were a bit lavish for high schoolers. I’d heard stories of people buying the latest smartphones in cash or dropping money on high-end gaming PCs.
Apparently, while classical music is often public domain, the actual recordings often carry performance rights that make commercial use a headache. According to Azuma-san, using a professional streaming service was the safest way to avoid any legal snags.
"So the BGM is taken care of, then."
"Yes. I wonder why I didn't think of this during the planning stage..."
"Azuma-san, you were buried in paperwork and logistics. Those of us with free hands should have noticed the smaller details like this, so don't beat yourself up over it."
Though, in our case, we were a bit preoccupied with the whole undiscovered dungeon situation.
Despite my clumsy attempt at consolation, Azuma-san seemed to feel a bit better. She managed a smile, even if it still held a trace of regret.
"Thank you. Let's get the music started right away."
"Sounds good."
After a quick discussion with the volunteers about the playlist, a soothing classical track began to drift through the classroom.
It was amazing how much a little music could change the vibe. The tense, hurried looks on the juniors' faces began to melt away, and their conversation with their senior started to flow more naturally. It looked like we’d successfully cured the awkwardness.
"Yeah, looks like a success."
"I feel bad for those two, but I'm glad we caught the problem before the rush started."
While I was talking to Azuma-san about the BGM, our second group of guests arrived. It was a trio of boys, also acquaintances of one of our classmates.
By the time we’d seated them, a third group walked in. It finally felt like the school festival was starting for real. We sharpened our focus, attending to the steady stream of customers.
Seven groups in the first hour—that was a pretty solid pace for a cafe. Most of our tables were now occupied. While we didn't have a line out the door yet, the flow of people was constant.
At first, it was mostly friends and acquaintances of the staff, but thirty minutes in, we started seeing more external visitors.
"Welcome. Just one? Right this way, let me show you to a seat."
The man who had just entered appeared to be from outside the school—maybe a college student or a young professional?
He was looking around curiously. I wondered if he knew someone here.
"Motogi-san! You actually came!?"
"Hey there. Looks like you're keeping busy. The rest of the guys wanted to come, but a sudden request came in and messed up the schedule. I didn't want to leave you hanging after you invited us, so I came on my own."
"That’s... thank you so much. Um, is everything okay with the request?"
"Yeah, it's fine. It was a rush gathering request and they needed extra hands, but the others have it handled."
A gathering request? Does that mean he’s a member of that classmate's explorer party? I remembered him mentioning he belonged to a party that specialized in fulfilling requests for specific drop items. The fact that he’d come all this way suggested their team dynamic was pretty good.
I suppose that’s the thing about the festival being open to the public; you never know which acquaintances might show up.
"I see... well, please enjoy the festival. Everyone's put a lot of work into it."
"I plan to. It’ll be nice to enjoy the atmosphere and reminisce about my own high school days. But first, I’ll sample what you’ve got here."
"Of course! Here’s the menu. Our recommendation is the tea set."
"Thanks. I'll take a look."
Motogi-san scanned the menu and ordered the coffee set. Must be a coffee drinker.
As more outside visitors trickled in, the event truly began to feel like it had transcended the boundaries of a simple school project.
"Welcome... wait, Mom!?"
Now it seemed parents were starting to arrive as well. My own mother said she’d be coming by later, so I needed to make sure I was ready whenever she appeared.
Seeing my classmate flustered while serving her own mother, I vowed to keep my cool. If I panicked, the others would never let me hear the end of it. I definitely wanted to avoid that.
As we continued working, a new set of guests arrived.
I recognized them immediately. When they spotted me, one of them waved and called out.
"Ah, found you! Kokonoe-senpai, we came to see you!"
"Excuse us."
"Welcome, Tatebayashi-san, Hino-san."
My club juniors, Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san, had come to visit. I signaled to my classmates that I’d handle them and went to greet them.
As I did, I felt the other guys in class drilling holes into me with their stares—like they were trying to set me on fire—but it was probably just my imagination. I thought I saw some pretty scary expressions, but I must have been seeing things. I ignored them as best I could and led the two girls to an empty table.
"Welcome. I'm glad you could make it."
"Of course. We decided to come find you as soon as our free time started."
"It hasn't been open very long, but you already have quite a crowd."
"Fortunately, yes. Though we're a cafe, so the real rush will probably be after lunch."
I doubted guests would stay all day, so I wasn't entirely sure, but usually, people look for a place to sit and rest after they've walked around for a while.
When I handed them the menus, Tatebayashi-san glanced around the room before leaning in to speak to me in a low voice.
"Actually, Kokonoe-senpai... before we came here, we went to check on how the club was doing."
"Let me guess. So quiet you could hear a pin drop?"
"No, the opposite. It was packed. And interestingly, there seemed to be way more outside visitors than students."
"...Huh?"
I let out a stunned reply to Tatebayashi-san’s report, especially seeing the serious look on her face.
A flood of outside visitors? What? Why? I suddenly had a very bad feeling about this... like trouble was already knocking on the door.
Was this already a problem in the making?