I returned to the meeting room to find everyone looking worried, and I reported that the matter had been resolved peacefully. As I explained the details of how the situation had unfolded, they all wore conflicted expressions while offering me words of appreciation for handling the disturbance.
Well, it was good that it didn't escalate into a major incident, but being jerked around like this was certainly exhausting.
"Good work, Chairperson Hoshino. That was quite a chore for it to end as a wild goose chase."
"It’s good that it didn't turn into a fight, at least... I just wish everyone would get along a little better."
"Haha, it's just because everyone's spirits are high from the school festival. It feels like they're reacting hypersensitively to things they usually wouldn't even care about."
"Perhaps so. I heard things were at a breaking point, but in the end, they were all just having lunch together amicably..."
Recalling the testimonies I'd heard and the sight I'd eventually witnessed, I felt the energy drain out of me all over again.
"In any case, since there haven't been any new reports, why don't you have some lunch, Chairperson Hoshino? If you don't eat before a new problem comes flying in, you won't last through the afternoon."
"You're right. I think I'll take you up on that, Nakano-kun."
I decided to follow Nakano-kun's advice and have my lunch. That said, it was just the bento I had brought from home. Truthfully, I wanted to enjoy the festival atmosphere by buying some yakisoba or something from the stalls in the courtyard, but as the chairperson of the executive committee, I held a position of responsibility. During the peak lunch hour, the stalls were so crowded that it would take far too long to get back, making it impossible for me to leave my post for that long.
If the person in charge is absent for an extended period and the executive committee is unable to act quickly, it can cause minor issues to grow into large ones. Considering the current climate, it was best to nip any seeds of trouble in the bud. It was a shame, but I had to endure it this time.
"Well then, let’s eat."
Savoring the familiar taste of my bento, I finally felt the reality that the first half of the school festival had ended—more or less—successfully. I intended to keep up this momentum and do my best through the afternoon.
The reports of minor incidents continued as we entered the second half of the day, and we members of the executive committee were running all over the place to deal with them.
They ranged from truly trivial issues to disturbances that could have easily turned into a physical confrontation. Perhaps everyone's nerves were fried because they had grown too accustomed to the high-tension atmosphere of the school festival.
"Phew, it's even busier than it was this morning."
"It is. We still have two hours until the end, and yet the volume of issues is already almost equal to what we dealt with during the entire morning."
"I wonder why things have spiked so suddenly..."
"It's because a lot of External Guests have arrived since the afternoon started. Many of the causes in the reports involve these visitors."
When I looked at the handwritten documents summarizing the causes of the disturbances Nakano-kun handed me, it was clear that many conflicts were between External Guests and the students acting as store clerks.
"Dissatisfaction with the service attitude... I see."
"Not every student acting as a store clerk has received professional training, so I think some of that is unavoidable... but according to the interviews we conducted, it seems some were giving rather half-hearted service because they were so busy. Even if it's just a school festival stall, I'd like them to provide at least the bare minimum of hospitality."
"True. From the perspective of the guests, they're paying money, so even if it's a school event, a minimum level of service is necessary."
"Yes. I'm sure the guests understand it's a school event, so if the students just follow basic customer service manners, these kinds of problems shouldn't occur."
I was curious about exactly what kind of service they had provided, but the best we could do was record these incidents so we could issue warnings for next year's festival.
It was already too late for this year.
"Let’s make improving customer service manners a priority for next year. For now, we just have to respond quickly so that problems don't get out of hand. That's all we can do."
"Right. I'll let the other executive committee members know that service manners are the likely cause of these disputes. if we can identify the cause faster, mediation should be a bit easier."
"Yes, please do, Nakano-kun. There's not much left until the school festival ends, so let’s work hard to ensure no major incidents occur."
"Understood."
While I was happy that so many External Guests were interested in our school, I really wished these kinds of problems wouldn't happen so frequently. Perhaps we really should consider introducing a ticket system next time.
If we restricted the External Guests to just guardians and close acquaintances, these types of headaches would likely decrease...
"Excuse me."
As Nakano-kun and I were venting our frustrations to each other under the guise of small talk, the door to the meeting room opened and a male student with a somewhat displeased expression entered.
It looked like another issue had cropped up.
"What's the matter?"
While exhausted by the sheer volume of incidents, I let out a soft breath so as not to be noticed and asked the male student while maintaining a serious expression.
Nakano-kun also wore a professional look and stood beside me, prompting the student to speak with a glance.
"Ah, well, I'm having a bit of a problem..."
"A problem... I assume this is related to the festival? Did something happen with a guest?"
At my question, the male student took a breath, paused for a beat, and then began to speak.
"Well... there's a long queue at a nearby club's stall, and the line is so long that it’s becoming a nuisance..."
"A queue?"
"Yes. There are constantly ten or more External Guests lined up, and it’s creating a sense of intimidation—well, more like an atmosphere that makes it hard for other guests to approach. It feels like the current students are being scared off..."
It wasn't unusual for lines to form, but having more than ten people at all times was rare. And if it was for a club stall, I was a bit intrigued as to what kind of exhibit they were running.
"I see. However, if the queue is long, that is a result of that club's hard work being recognized, so we cannot simply disband the line. What we can do is ask them to organize the queue better so it doesn't obstruct others."
It might sound harsh, but if he was just jealous of another club's success, I had no intention of entertaining it. In fact, I would tell him that if he had time to be jealous, he should be out promoting his own stall to the guests.
However, from the male student's reaction, it didn't seem to be born out of simple envy.
"That's fair. As long as that atmosphere is resolved, we won't ask for the line to be broken up."
"I see. Then we will send a request for them to organize their queue. However, regarding the resolution of the 'atmosphere' you mentioned, please understand that organizing the line doesn't necessarily mean the vibe will change. I want you to be aware of that."
"I understand. If it gets even a little bit better, I think it will be easier for the current students to get through. Thank you."
Once the male student left, I decided to head to the club stall in question myself. Since the request was to improve something as vague as an "atmosphere," I wasn't sure if it could be resolved, but I would at least make them fix the physical obstruction of the long queue.
When I arrived in front of the stall, my eyes unintentionally widened.
"I had heard about it, but this atmosphere certainly does make it hard to approach."
Before me was a queue of over ten External Guests—likely mostly the guardians of our students—who were radiating a palpable sense of frantic agitation. They all looked impatient or deeply anxious, and the synergistic effect of their collective mood filled the hallway with a heavy pressure that made current students steer clear.
"Honestly, I seem to have a strange connection with this place today."
I let out a small sigh as I looked at the problematic club stall at the head of the line.
It probably wasn't the students of this club who were at fault, but they certainly seemed prone to getting caught in the middle of things.
"First, I'll have a word with them."
Just as I gave a slight nod to the people in line and prepared to enter the room while explaining that I was from the executive committee, I heard a voice from inside that I could not ignore.
It was the voice of the scout who had been the reason for my visit to this club earlier this morning.
"...Hah."
It seemed this club truly was a magnet for trouble.
I let out another sigh and eavesdropped to get a sense of what was happening inside.
"It seems they're handling it well, but I'm the one who has to deal with the aftermath..."
After a brief commotion inside the room, a man came rushing out in a panic. It seemed whatever threat had been used against him worked, as he was trying to flee the area in a hurry. Given the incident this morning, I couldn't just let him go.
I chased after the scout as he ran out and called out to him when he stopped at a stair landing.
"Excuse me, could I have a word with you?"
When I spoke, the man's body trembled in surprise. He turned to look at me with a panicked expression, his gaze flickering with fear.
Before he could say a word, I followed up immediately by introducing myself.
"I am from the school festival executive committee. I wish to discuss your scouting activity toward our students just now. Do you have official permission from the school for your presence today and your scouting activities?"
"..."
The man remained silent, the color slowly draining from his face until he was ghostly pale.
When there was still no answer after ten seconds, I let out a long, deliberate sigh.
"It appears from your reaction that this was unauthorized scouting."
"..."
"Would you mind coming with me? This matter is beyond our authority as students, so I will have the school administration handle the final decision."
At my declaration that I was turning him over, the scout's face lost all life and he slumped his shoulders, completely defeated. It would have been a problem if he had resisted, but seeing him embody such utter listlessness almost made me feel as if I were the villain.
Even though he was the one in the wrong... it was a strange feeling.
"This way, please."
I led the dejected scout toward the staff room.
Hah, I'll have to have someone else handle the line organization now.
After handing the scout over to the faculty, I returned to the meeting room and listened to the report from the executive committee member who had taken over the line organization duties.
Upon hearing the report, I finally realized why the guardians in the queue had been so strangely anxious.
"I see... so the exhibit was about the taxes involved in being an explorer. That explains it."
"Yes. I brought back one of the prints they were handing out. If this information is spreading, it's only natural that the guardians in line would be panicking."
"The limit for the exemption for dependents, I see. Most high schoolers wouldn't even think about this. And as a result, the bill comes due at the end of the year..."
"If you're a parent with a student explorer for a child, you'd want to hear this whether it applies to you yet or not. The result was that massive queue and that heavy, oppressive atmosphere."
According to the report, they were able to organize the line itself, but improving the atmosphere was impossible. Well, considering the subject matter, I suppose improving the mood was out of the question.
In fact, it might be better to distribute this print to every student working as an explorer. The document said it was just a simple summary for a school festival presentation, but students who were explorers should use this as a prompt to consult with a tax office or a tax accountant on their own.
"For now, if that student comes back to complain that the atmosphere hasn't improved, let’s explain the situation to him using this print. I'm sure he'll understand the cause of that vibe once he sees this."
"I hope so. Though there's really nothing we can do to fix it..."
"True... sigh."
The print the member had brought back was already being passed around within the executive committee. The committee members who were also explorers were turning pale as they calculated the amounts they had earned so far this year. Some members looked on with pity, others looked relieved because they were safely within the exemption range, and a few were staring at the ceiling with hollow eyes.
It was a scene of absolute pandemonium. And more than likely, it was exactly what would be happening in our students' homes tonight and tomorrow.
"A massive trouble occurred right at the very end, didn't it? Even if it's not directly related to the festival operations."
"Yes, this was certainly unexpected."
"There's no way we could have predicted this."
"...That aside, Chairperson Hoshino, it's almost time."
"You're right... let’s head to the broadcasting room."
Nakano-kun and I left the meeting room, which was now filled with a mix of despair and relief, and headed to the broadcasting room to announce the conclusion.
Once the clock struck 16:00, I made the announcement to end the festival. It felt a bit anti-climactic given the tax-induced shock, but the school festival involving the entire student body had finally come to a close.