On top, specifically in the center of Hanabira High School's roof, there is a small shack. Maybe a hut is a better term. It is made of wood with a metal interior as reinforcement. The size of this hut is smaller than a classroom, but has enough room for gardening materials. This morning, a projector was placed on a stool inside this hut, and displayed a slide show about various plants, herbs, and fungi.
The person presenting this was none other than Yōsei Komiri, president of the gardening club, and student council member, Ryuji Nora's girlfriend. Ryuji walked in at 9:02am and saw his amazing girlfriend setting up the equipment and checking her notecards. Her light green eyes were laser focused on her materials. She paid Ryuji and any others who entered no mind.
Ryuji saw that she was wearing typical gardening gear - overalls, white shirt, and a headband. At the waist of her overalls was a belt, holding gloves and clippers. She is really dedicated to this isn't she, how cute. Ryuji thought with a small smirk then he took a seat on the ground near the back and waited eagerly for the presentation to start.
People slowly but sheerly trickled in group by group. This was meant to keep children entertained and get them interested in the outdoors and gardening in general. Parents loved the idea and brought the children in. Many were looking at the view from Hanabira High's rooftop, which is nothing to scoff at.
At 9:13 two members standing guard at the entrance to the hut yelled "We will begin in two minutes, please come in and find a seat."
Looks like her performance sold out. Ryuji thought, having looked around and seeing what appeared to be an endless sea of children's heads.
"Right, let us begin!" Yōsei Komiri said with a big smile on her face. She was glowing as bright as the sun outside. She really was passionate about plants, bugs, and all things outdoors.
The slide show, which was forty minutes long, was split into three parts. Plants, bugs, and how to get into gardening. Each piece contained fun or need-to-know facts, but one was never the other.
Some fun facts that Ryuji learned was that Japan has over 4,500 native species of flowers and that male rhinoceros beetles, known as kabuto mushi, have a horn that resembles a samurai helmet, which is why they have the name. Ryuji, after hearing that, thought how cool it would be if he were to wear a samurai helmet.
The children loved it, and parents were happy with the relaxed nature of the presentation. In Yōsei Komiri fashion however, she got so caught up in telling the facts, that she forgot to leave time for questions. So children were coming up to her afterwards and hounding her for information.
"Why are fireflies so important to Japan?" "Well that is an interesting question because -"
"Will you study bugs after high school?" "Yes"
"What kind of candies do bugs eat?" "Umm?"
"How can I tell if my pet beetle is happy?" "Well there is -"
"What are your favorite plants?" "there are ma-"
"Are there bugs who can eat me?!?" "um -"
"Where do bug babies come from?" "I don't think I -"
She was struggling to answer them and was unable to ever finish a sentence.
"The first kid to reach me gets this booklet for free with all your answers!!" Ryuji yelled standing at the door down to the fourth floor."
All of them, without missing a beat, sprinted towards him. One kid ran so fast his hat fell off, Ryuji handed him the booklet. The children were so focused on their curiosities they didn't realize the woman who gave the presentation had walked past them and went down the stairs.
Ryuji and Yōsei closed the door behind them and the two started to go down the staircase.
"I kinda feel bad leaving your other club members behind."
"Don't worry, they can handle it. That was agreement, I would do the presentation and they would handle sales of the booklet."
"I see, so where do you want to go first?"
"Well I skipped breakfast to prepare, so I am hungry. After that, Emi wants me to check out her haunted house."
Ryuji smiled, "Then let's get going."
"Don't you have student council work?"
"I am doing my student council work, I helped get the children off of you."
"You did!" Yōsei Komiri smiled a bright smile. The two went to get food.
…
Miura Nora wandered around the fourth floor. There were no activities on this floor. Truth was, she wanted to rest, take a break after having run around the last few days.
After seeing nothing needed to be done on the fourth floor, she went into the student council room, and flopped into President Yuuki's chair. "So, this is what it feels like to be the president. This chair is more comfy than the couch."
She looked around and saw all the paperwork laying around. She decided to clean, a break turned into more work.
After cleaning for a while, she messaged her friends and checked in to see what they were up to. Most of her friends were in the literature club.
She went to her chats with Mado, the Vice President of the literature club, and texted, what are you up to?
Her phone immediately buzzed - "We are relaxing in our club room with some tea time. People are taking turns telling scary stories outside the art room. President Gaku took the first shift though."
Miura walked down to the first floor and went into the relaxing atmosphere. The room had paintings, plants, and books all over the place. "What kind of tea and book would you like? Free of charge of course." Mado said, offering Miura a seat. "Green tea, and surprise me."
Moments later she was handed a glass cup filled with green tea and a book, "Why Snow White?"
"Because it was on the president's desk, he usually reads it around this time of year, easier to grab and put back than one on the shelf."
"Fair enough. What is the book covered in notes on his desk?"
"Which one? Kidding, it's Jekyll and Hyde, he helped out the theater club."
"Why do people work so hard, Mado?" Miura asked, feeling guilty about doing nothing since the festival began.
"Some people like working hard, others have to, others simply do not know another way. But I'll tell you what, I bet hard working people want to know how people like you and me can be so lazy."
"Hmm, I wonder." Miura stayed there for a while finishing her tea and talking to Mado. Before too long though, she went out to buy some food from the stalls, narrowly missing her brother.
...
Shino, the Ice Princess, is a walking myth among Hanabira High students. The only people who openly talk to her and know her true personality are some of the presidents, the members of the student council (Gara Nyuga included), and Kimori.
When she is just walking by herself, around the school, she gives off a cold, domineering presence that even adults respect. This act got in the way of her job. Because no club was willing to bother her.
She wandered the halls of the second and third floor for a time, but nothing seemed to need her attention. She wasn't bored per se, but once 9:50am rolled around, she got internally excited to go and see the Jekyll and Hyde play. The themes and genres of the play were right up her alley, and despite Kyo's offer, she was planning to see both versions of the play at some point during the festival.
Shino slowly walked down to the first floor and walked into the theater. She sat down in the front row and watched the play. The A performance was said to be a faithful adaptation to the original, but with a few cuts here and there due to time constraints.
Although everything in the production was perfectly synced with sound effects being timed right and light appearing and disappearing when needed, there was something missing, she thought.
The lead actor playing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde didn't have separate voices for the character. Sure the top hat, which caused a lot of issues previously, was helpful in knowing who was who. Shino was not impressed with the performance.
The best thing was how everything looked and how synced everything was. The fake blood looked realistic due to the lighting, the clothing looked great, and the background, especially the bar, looked amazing. However, the acting was only decent. The setting didn't match the skill. It was nothing against the students or their efforts, it just wasn't common to play serious tones as a high schooler.
Despite all of this, when the curtains closed and the lights in the theater turned back on. Shino was smiling. To the students around her, the smile must have come off as eerie or creepy. However, she was smiling because it had been a long time since she had read the play and was reminded why she liked it so much.
I can't wait to see the other performance she thought as she stood up and left the theater.
After the play she went to the haunted house to experience the new and improved version, narrowly missing Ryuji and Komiri.
…
For the last few hours, Kyo has done his rounds, and helped out here and there. He even helped watch some children at the gymnasium. However, the time had now come for him to help out the board game club and be their knight.
Kyo worked his way over to the giant chess board, a wooden square and properly painted that was laying in the school yard. It was a marvel to look at.
"Oh, Arianagi, you are here! Please put this on." Asobu Shosha, president of the board game club, handed Kyo the knight outfit. In essence, it was a white onesie with a horse shaped head at the top. Kyo's head peered out of the neck.
Shosha's charismatic personality worked wonders in getting audience member participation. Sixteen people, ranging from all age groups, showed up. In fact, there were more than just sixteen people, but Shosha told them to come back at this time tomorrow.
He explained to them how the pawns work and how to read the board. Members of the board game club took over the specialty pieces, some people from other clubs were watching to play these parts tomorrow.
Shosha himself was the King, the other King was Shosetsu Gaku, president of the literature club.
"Lets have a good game Gaku!"
Gaku nodded while observing the board state.
The match had started as quickly as Kyo had arrived.
Chess is a perfect game, there is no random encounter like in most games. There is no unknown information. No strange alteration in the middle of the match. Each piece moves as intended as if bound by law to do so. A game where the only surprise is when your opponent does something unexpected or not seen. This blindness is not a fault of the perfect game, but rather on the player themselves. These two kings are also perfect at strategy, but Shosha always has luck leaning his way. Since this is a perfect game, there is no luck involved, is there?
This was what was running through Kyo's mind as the match was underway. Even he knew not who would come out on top.
White moves first. Shosha moves first. Pawn to E4.
Black then moved pawn to C5.
Shosha called for knight, Kyo, to F3.
One piece after another started to fall. A white pawn fell, then Kyo was moved to take down the pawn that had landed on D4.
Shosha's strategy was rather simple, reinforce the right side of his board, and push forward taking control of three full columns.
By the end of the first shuffle of pieces. The board was in Shosha's favor. His two knights were on D4 and F4 respectively, with a pawn between them and two pawns to the right of Kyo. His Queen had moved up to D2, his bishop was on E3, and his castles were on D1 and H1. Lastly, his King was tucked into a nice corner sitting at C1 with three paws above him going left.
Gaku was being forced back, having his speciality pieces spread across. His queen was on C7, the two knights were on D7 and F6, his rooks hadn't moved from the corners, and his paws were doing their best to block the advancing forces.
Shosha was moving six specialty pieces against Gaku's three open ones.
Who had the advantage was clear. Gaku was being hunted by the president of the board game club.
Gaku forced his King to flee to the corner for safety, but Shosha did not allow for his opponent to retreat. Making Gaku meet his head on. Gaku put on a good front in remaining calm and trying to fight back. But after only twenty moves, Shosha won the first match.
(Inspired by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs Alexander Morozevich 2009).
In the middle of the match, Kyo died, and stepped off stage. However the intense air of the two combatants was strong enough to keep Kyo watching in awe. Despite Kyo's original confusion on who would win the first match, it was clear that Shosha was not always relying on luck, but was simply skilled at the games he played.
Gaku is by no means a bad player, but Shosha is on another level right now Kyo thought as he watched the massacre of black and white pieces take place.
After the match was over Shosha gave a small announcement before stepping off the stage."Thank you all for coming to the human chess match! We will be doing this again tomorrow and Sunday, so please stay tuned!"
He briefly walked over to Gaku "Well played, I doubt I will get so lucky tomorrow."
"That was a good match, forcing the right side was a good strategy. I will think of counter measures." The two shook hands then went around helping people take the outfits off.
"Kyo, how did you enjoy the match?"
"That was awesome Shosha, I would love to play against you again … once I get better of course."
"We can play anytime after the festival is over. What are your plans for the rest of the day?"
"Just waiting for a club to ask for assistance. After standing around in that hot outfit though, I am going to grab a bite to eat."
"Same here!"
The two went and got Yakisoba talking about games, before Shosha had to get back to his club. Kyo went back to the gymnasium and helped out with watching the children until something else would catch his attention.
…
Yuuki Hanami, a second year student at Hanabira High School.
Yuuki Hanami, an average student at this prestigious high school.
Yuuki Hanami, the student council president of this prestigious school.
Yuuki Hanami, a sixteen year old girl who's hobby is reading books with strange titles,
Yuuki Hanami, a girl who has finally reached her mental and physical limit.
On the first day of the festival, Yuuki Hanami was in charge of watching the first floor and the basement. After everyone left for their stations, before eventually abandoning them, except Kyoyota Arianagi, she did just as she told herself she would do. She did wander around the first floor and the basement of the school. After making her rounds and helping carry things. She stopped in front of the door to the napping club.
Yuuki opened the door. Neru, the pink haired bubbly girl who was the president of the napping club, saw all she needed to before coming to the rescue.
Neru's friend, Yuuki Hanami, was tired. Tired may not be the right word, exhausted, drained, one breath from falling over, that kind of tired. How could she not be? For the past month president Hanami has been running around the school rampant picking up where her predecessors left off.
She had to find a new treasurer for the student council.
She had to organize all the paperwork and files in the student council room.
She had to greet all of the students in the morning, go to class, wave them off in the evening, finish student council work, then go home and do homework.
Yuuki Hanami was close to drowning. Even if she did not show it.
Neru saw this, she woke up completely, not dragging her words this time. Neru acted as fast as she could. Grabbing pillows, blankets, tea, snacks, and most importantly, a hug.
Yuuki reciprocated the hug, before laying on the ground. Neru offered her thighs as pillows, and allowed Yuuki to complain.
There was nothing to complain about, not really, this was her dream position, she loved this school, she liked the student council, but she was just a sixteen year old girl who needed a break. So Yuuki did not complain, she did not cry from being overwhelmed, she just asked a question.
"Will the festival be alright without me?"
Neru paused, alright in which way? Was her initial thought, but she responded in the best way she could. "Maybe it will, maybe it won't, but if anything goes wrong, Takiko's replacement will be there to save the day."
"Why mention Kyo now?"
"Because you did all the set up, now he is at the front lines. He has built up connections and knows who can help with what issues. Most people don't remember everyone they meet. In fact, they don't have to. But Kyo? He can meet someone only once and know them on a personal level. The issue with the top hat is a good example. Kyo is someone who can handle the pressure if anything goes wrong. Good work Yuuki, but you are allowed to rest, get some good sleep."
Yuuki thought for a moment, then just said, "right."
Yuuki then did as her friend recommended and took a nap. Correction, she slept. Yuuki entered the napping club at 10am, and did not leave that resting place until 5pm. With everyone running around and enjoying the festivities, no one really questioned where their president had gone off to. Even Kyo paid it little mind.
Neru spoke to Yuuki as she was about to leave, "see, the festival will be ok, you can rest again tomorrow if needed."
Yuuki shook her head, "I am better now, thank you, Neru. I will come to you again if I need to rest and complain."
Neru titled her head as if question marks appeared above her. You didn't complain though… "please do."
With that, the first day of the festival went off without a hitch.