After a long period of preparation, the festival finally arrived. The festival begins at 9:00 a.m. and students are required to arrive at school by 8:30 a.m. The gates to the school open at 6:00 a.m. so students can start preparing early in the morning if necessary. 　

The gates to the school open at 6:00 a.m., so if necessary, preparations can be made as early in the morning as possible.

Horikita and I met in the lobby of the dormitory at 6:00 a.m. to go to school. The reason for this was to make sure that there would be no inconveniences before the actual event, and to make sure everything was in order. 　

As soon as we met, we looked at the box we were holding in our hands.

"Good morning. Is that the cardboard box you were talking about?"

"I'm sorry we had to come up with something that wasn't scheduled in our budget."

"It wasn't a big amount, so it won't affect us much. We second years should have been given 5,000 points per student to spend as we saw fit." 　

From the first to third years, we bumped into a few students who were coming early with similar ideas, but not as many. 　

I would stop by the classroom once, dropped off my box, and then made my way over to the maid's coffee shop.

"Did you see the call from Matsushita-san?"

"Yes, I did. It must be hard for her since she was one of the driving forces behind the maid cafe up until this point."

Earlier this morning, Matsushita called and said she would have to take time off because she was not feeling well.

"But it's a good decision at least."

If she had only a slight fever, she might have been able to go to participate, but she began to have coughing spells and other symptoms, so she could not be assigned to a job that required customer service. 　

However, even if we still assigned Matsushita, who is not in good physical condition and would not be able to handle the heavy workload, there's the possibility of her cold spreading and affecting the entire class.

Besides, we prepared for advance for something like to this.

It will not be enough to simply reassign personnel; it will be necessary to know where to fill in the missing positions.

"Have you heard of this? There are rumors that Hasebe-san and Miyake-kun and others may be the ones who leaked the information about our maid cafe."

"It would seem so. But we could have predicted that at an early stage, couldn't we?" 　

I had already heard about it from Kei, who was in close contact with the girls.

"...I know. But I wonder if it's fine to just leave it alone."

"Rumor is just a rumor. It's possible Haruka and Akito did not actually leak the information." 　
Horikita's self-loathing from not being able to help Haruka and the others comes started to come out.

"You shouldn't show your weak side so easily. It will only give them an opportunity to take advantage of you."

"You are always so calm. Even though you're involved in this case, it seems as if it is someone else's problem." 　

I noticed that Horikita was looking at me as if checking my facial expression.

The observation continued for five or ten seconds, and before I knew it, the furrowed brow had turned into a look of difficulty.

"I'd like to ask you something. Do you usually interact with any first-year students?"

"The first years? No, I don't. I talk with Nanase and Amasawa once in a while, but that's about it."

I feel that it is wrong to say that I communicate with them, even though I rarely go to see them myself.

"Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Yeah, that's fine..."

" What about you? You talk to first-years in student council, too, don't you?"

"Well, ..... that's true. I'm starting to get to know the juniors a little better." 　

This year, three first-year students were hired for the student council.

For a long time, Ichinose was the only second-year student on the council, and there was a clear shortage of quality, but not quantity, personnel.

The most recent addition of Horikita was likely a manpower adjustment to fill the gap. 　

There is no limit to the number of members in a student council, but generally there are 8 to 12 members.

At this school, there are currently 3 third years, 2 second years, and 3 first years.

It can be said that the student council is similar to a regular student council.

"At first I thought it was a waste of time. I thought it would be better for me to study in my room than to work for the student council. To be honest though, that feeling hasn't gone away."

Student council work is not the only thing that seems like a waste of time.

Club activities and friendships can also be considered a waste of time. 　

Some of them may turn from club activities to professional life, or from friendships to future work, but for many, they become nothing more than a memory of the past.

On the other hand, if you study hard, it will likely lead to a great future. 　

It is the most solid and safe option available to students.

"There is a lot to be learned in waste though. I'm beginning to see that now."

"Your brother was student council president too."

"My brother is different from me. He was able to carry out his Student Council duties flawlessly while continuing to achieve impeccable results in academics as well. I don't think he ever felt that student council was a burden, nor did he suffer from poor academic performance."

Although I didn't know what his entire situation was like, there was always room for improvement for Horikita Manabu.　

I don't think he didn't put in a lot of effort, but he didn't let it show in vain.

"I am grateful to you, if only for the results. Joining the student council has helped me see things that I couldn't see before." 　

She was honest in her gratitude, but she continued.

"I was reminded of how greater my brother was, and how much work he had to do."

"All you had to do was thank me."

"You have to accept some complaints."

"I have to agree and sympathize with the fact that learning is a very difficult goal for you."

I can assure you that I am not inferior to academics when it comes to pure academics and physical ability.

But if we had been in the same grade under the same rules of the school.

It's just a theoretical what if, but who knows what kind of battles might have ensued. 　

It is certain that he had the power to make me think about that.

PART 1

9:00 a.m. arrived in the maid's coffee shop in the special building, and an announcement was made to all the students at once. 　

Guests start to step in through the main gate and announce that the festival is about to begin.
"I don't know, I'm getting nervous...."

"I've never had any contact with people outside this school since I started here." 　

We could hear the conversation between Shinohara and Ike, who were standing shoulder to shoulder with each other.　

After living in a closed environment for so long, there may indeed be some extra tension. 　

Meanwhile, Sato and the other maids continued to discuss the shift change due to Matsushita's absence. 　

Although the workload on each of us would inevitably increase, the time for adjustments was coming to an end. 　

Sato, dressed as a maid, clasped her hands together with anxiety, but quickly regained her confidence by clapping her cheeks between her palms.

"Come on, come on I can do it!"

"Maya, you'll be fine. I'll make sure to back you up, too."

Kei, who was helping out behind the scenes, cheerfully encouraged them.

"I'll do my best!"　

Since the big breakthrough, the distance between the two of them has really grown closer.

The boundaries that best friends have can't be broken that easily. 　

The only other member I need to worry about is...... 　

I look around and observe the other students.

Sudo and some of the men's team did not even listen to the announcements, and Yosuke and the rest of the team were having their final meeting.

We had to make sure we were all on the same page as to what to do in case of any trouble that shows up.

After issuing instructions, we realized that we were two students short. 　

Immediately afterwards, Horikita and I looked at each other. I guess we were both thinking the same thing. 　

They approach me and speak to me in a low voice.

"Looks like Hasebe-san and Miyake-kun are missing."

"I don't think they went to the restroom." 　

The other students were probably too occupied with their own tasks to notice.

"I knew something was going to happen at the festival, but...."

"I'd rather be thankful if it they are just choosing to skip."

For Horikita, who has not been considered them asset from the beginning, there is no need to be overwhelmed if they are simply just deciding to not help us.

But if they were to sabotage us, that would be a different story.

"But with the rumors, it could add fuel to the fire."

"If they leak information and then skip the festival, well, they've got plenty of blame to go around."

"I've been keeping an eye on this, thinking that only time will tell, but ...... I still think we should take action at an early stage. At the very least, the rumors should be put to rest."

"I know what you mean, but we should focus on the festival today."

"Are you sure?"

"Even if we can debunk the rumors, we can't erase the fact that those two have left. Besides, there is still a possibility that they will embarrass the class in some other way during the festival." 　

If we defend the students with multiple reasons for uneasiness, we may incur unnecessary animosity. 　

We will only take sides when we are sure that Haruka and Akito are not our enemies.

".....Right."

Horikita was a little nervous, but she coughed once to clear her head of any thoughts.

"I have faith that you will be able to handle Hasebe and the others well."

I answered with a glance and welcomed the guests.

Sato's cheerful voice echoed through the classroom, or rather, the maid cafe.

At the same time, the first visitor to enter the store was a male guest in his 40s. 　

A total of six maids waiting in the store responded as they had been trained to do.

"We will show you to your seats." 　

Sato's voice was cheerful, but her movements were stiff and tense. 　

After showing them to their seats, he took the menu list and cold drinks to the table. 　

The only way for her to get back to her practiced routine would be for her to repeat the process and get used to it. 　

Then, slowly but surely, the number of guests began to increase. 　

The age range was similar, but occasionally a teenage boy or girl, perhaps a family member, would shyly start showing up.

"Great turnout, huh?"

The class was not completely full, but it was good that there were no empty seats. 　

Classmates who were present in the school would contact me on my cell phone and give me reports as needed. 　

Which performances were crowded and which were deserted. 　

Since the sales of each class are unknown until the end of the festival, we have no choice but to gather information by foot. 　

Fortunately, since all students are required to take a one-hour break, there are always a certain number of students who are not busy. 　

That is why the reconnaissance will be on our class as well. 　

After watching over the rooms for a while, I decided to check the hallways.

It seems that many guests have already made their way to the special building, and as far as I can see, they outnumber the students. 　

If that man is behind this, there is a possibility that he is already in my line of sight. 　

I don't think he would be looking for me on the day of the event without having done his homework, going from left to right. 　

However, I don't see anyone suspicious at this point. Besides, with so many adults, students, and children in the streets, it's not easy to make contact with them. 　

I should focus on the current students rather than them. 　

Yoshida of Sakayanagi's class is peeking inside our maid cafe without trying to hide it. 　

At the moment, there is no sign of Ryuuen's class students, but they should come to check the situation in the not-too-distant future.

The door to the classroom opens vigorously, and out come Ike and Hondo in a hurry.
"I'm going to go to the food stand to pick it up!!!"

"That's all right, but please calm down a little more and handle the situation a little more calmly." 　

Some of the guests were surprised, wondering what was going on.

"Oh? Sorry....!" 　

The flurry of people running to get their food is not a scene that customers or potential customers should be exposed to. 　

After receiving a warning, the two looked at each other and nodded, then proceeded, albeit at a rather brisk pace. 　

This was the first home delivery, and we couldn't afford to be late.

Today, every time an order came in, we had to repeat the trip.

"Ayanokoji."

I turned around when I heard my name called and saw Kanzaki approaching me.

"Seems like you guys are doing pretty well."

Although we didn't go through the rehearsal, Ichinose's class was presenting a sweets-related event. 　

Crepes and chocolate bananas were among the items offered.

"What about you?"

"The children love it. Adults, however, are not as receptive as expected, so it's not clear if we can aim for higher sales."

"You look good for a guy who's going to have a hard time."

"Well... maybe."

It seems that the first step he took with Himeno may have gone well.

"I'm going to the gymnasium now. I want to learn what I can from the third-year students for the future."

"I see. See you later."

After seeing off Kanzaki, I decided to return to the maid cafe and begin my work.

However, I don't have much to do until "noon" comes around.

In a narrow break space partitioned off from a corner of the classroom, I stand by to deal with any problems as they arise.

I am also supposed to be in charge of taking pictures when guests who wish to have their picture taken show up.

Within a few minutes of my first job of taking photos, the guests who had been watching also began asking for their pictures taken one after another. 　

It is not to say that there are not adults who would like to have a memorable experience with high school students, but it would be better to assume that the guests are paying for the purpose of the school. 　

In a sense, there are not a few people who consider this as their job.

Even so, conversation and laughter gradually spread throughout the maid cafe, and it began to show the side of a café that could be found anywhere.

"New customers, please come this way."　

Horikita's inorganic voice reaches the classroom, which is filled with laughter.

"One customer please come in."　

Sato quickly approaches and begins to guide the new customer to an empty seat.

"Well... I'll bring you to..."

Horikita, who is not very good at being sociable, is in charge of outdoor advertising. 　

She dresses up as a maid to attract customers, but she never smiles. If this were a real maid cafe, I have a feeling Horikita would have been fired during her training period after passing the interview.

However, the premise of Horikita taking a interview at a maid cafe is highly unlikely to occur.

PART 3

Less than two hours into the festival, the maid cafe was maintaining a steady flow of customers. 　
What is important is how much we can sell the products we purchase.

Especially, the cost of film purchased in large quantities which was about 70 points per sheet. 　

At the moment, the our sales seems to be going smoothly, and I, the person in charge of the cameras and photography, am busily flying from place to place in the classroom. 　

The camera costing nearly 9,000 points is not a cheap investment, as I also have a spare in case it breaks down.

"One shot over here~!" 　

The maids' voices echo through the store, and I move out of the waiting room with the camera in my hand. 　

Ichihashi, who was in charge of accounting, immediately receives the points on her cell phone and completes the payment.

"Cheese!"

I took a two-shot of Mii-chan and the customer, who was laughing and smiling, and checked the film that came out of the instant camera.

"As I expected..."

I thought something went wrong at the moment of shooting and I had released the shutter at the moment Mii-chan closed her eyes.

"Ugh, I'm sorry, Ayanokoji-kun... "

"Don't worry, I'll get another shot."

It is a memorable piece, and while it does not matter if the guest's expression has some problems, it is not acceptable to give a photo with a mistake in the maid's expression. 　

This is both a consideration for the guests and for the maids, such as Mii-chan. 　

There is no way the girls would accept a badly photographed photo. 　

That is why, even though we can take pictures for as little as 800 points each, we sometimes need two or even three sheets of film. 　

The second shoot went well, so I handed over the developed photos. 　

When the shooting was over, I quickly returned to the waiting room.

Well, I've been repeating this kind of thing since this morning.

But still... This festival is a great opportunity for that man because there are a lot of people involved in politics. 　

I had assumed that he would try some kind of strategy to get them to do something, regardless of the number of people around him. 　

The same must have been true for President Sakayanagi. 　

However, as noon approached, there was no sign of any change. 　

I was reminded me of the conversation between Tsukishiro and the mysterious student who came to visit the sports festival.

-But no matter how good you are, you are still just a child. You should understand that he has already factored your strength into his plan to send me here.-

-I came here to advise you because I thought that you might be under the misconception that by eliminating Tsukishiro and then eliminating the White Room students, peace would return. That is not the case-

If we were to tie these events together somewhat forcefully, it would be natural to think of using the power of adults who are not students to eliminate me through the cultural festival. 　

In fact, they decided to use Tsukishiro to forcefully hold the festival, so it is only natural that they did so. 　

How could they possibly miss this great opportunity by cheating behind the scenes? 　

No, that is a problem before cheating. 　

Missed opportunity. Of course, the festival is not over yet. 　

But if they did not make any moves at this point, what would they do? It is not mere laziness.

"Ayanokoji-kun, I think I've run out of Darjeeling tea!"　

Seeing Mii-chan run into the room in a panic, she interrupts my train of thought.

We had several varieties of tea on hand, but the Darjeeling, which is made from high-end tea leaves, sold out immediately.

We discussed with them to minimize the number of tea bags we stocked because of the high price tag of 1,200 points, but the sales were going up more than we anticipated.

On the contrary, inexpensive tea bags of black tea sold poorly. Since it