We had taken a bit of a detour, but we eventually got around to our original task: collecting cardboard. However...
"Even after hitting the supermarkets and convenience stores... is this really all we managed to get?"
Our haul from the supermarket consisted of five elongated boxes, flattened and tied into a single bundle with string. From the convenience store, we had received exactly one small, hand-sized box.
I carried the bundle of flattened cardboard tucked under my arm, while Miyama held the small box in both hands.
(This isn't nearly enough... At this rate, we'll barely have enough to make a single tree for the background.)
"Do you think we've completely missed out?" Yuria asked, looking discouraged.
"Seems like it. The Cultural Festival is still a ways off, but every other class is playing for keeps..."
Near the school, every store had already been picked clean by other classes. Some groups had even negotiated with the managers ahead of time, reserving a week's worth of scraps in advance.
Even though we were only officially allowed to start festival preparations today, I knew every class would move fast—I just didn't expect it to be this intense.
"Sorry, you guys," Airi said. "It took so long because I was busy eating that popping candy ice cream."
"It’s not your fault at all, Airi," Yuria countered. "If anyone’s to blame, it’s that pick-up guy over there who tried to lure you with sweets."
"I-I’m not a pick-up guy! Besides, you were eating it too!"
"That was—! Well, whatever! Between Snoto and today, you're clearly trying to buy Airi's affection with food!"
Setting aside whether I was actually trying to "lure" her, it was hard for me to voice a flat denial. Deep down, I did harbor the wicked thought that feeding Miyama delicious food might help her chest grow even larger.
"Ryouta the pick-up man~"
"I told you, I'm—"
"Hey, you know..."
As Yuria and I were bickering, Airi suddenly cut in.
"I was just thinking. You and Yuria seem awfully close, don't you?"
"Huh?" we both blurted out in unison.
"The way you act around each other... it's like you've known each other for a long time."
Did she... catch on?
To Miyama, who didn't know about the Arcade Incident, Yuria and I were supposed to be nothing more than a popular gyaru and a loner who happened to sit next to each other. We shouldn't have been in a relationship where we'd engage in such petty, familiar arguments.
(This is bad, this is bad...!)
"If you're going to say that, aren't you close with Ryouta too, Airi?" Yuria interjected, trying to deflect. "You even went to Snoto together!"
"T-That’s... wait. Went together?"
Airi trailed off, her brow furrowing as she fell into deep thought.
What was going on?
"Airi? What’s wrong all of a sudden?"
"Together... with Ryouta... That's it!"
Airi nodded to herself as if she'd just been struck by a bolt of lightning. Before we could react, she suddenly started running.
"Airi just thought of something great!"