The Ohananomitsu High School Cultural Festival was just days away.
The entire school buzzed with the clamor of preparations. The sounds of hammers, the whir of wood-cutting machines, and the melodies from various stage rehearsals echoed through the corridors.
In every classroom, sweaty students were busy carrying decorations, moving furniture, or discussing ideas with enthusiastic faces.
Class 2-B, which had chosen a bunny girl café concept, was no less hectic. The room was filled with coordinated activity.
Some students were setting up partitions to separate the kitchen and dining areas, while others were pasting pastel crepe paper and bunny ear decorations on the walls. In one corner, a group of girls was sewing aprons adorned with round bunny tails.
Amid the crowd, Ren had just effortlessly lowered a heavy wooden table from the stairs with agile movements, not even breathing hard. The physical labor seemed easy for him.
"Thank you for your hard work, Rokuhara-san."
The soft voice snapped Ren out of his thoughts. Yuigahama Yui stood before him, offering a cold bottle of mineral water with a friendly smile. Her small, delicate hands contrasted with the bottle.
"You must think I'm hard to get along with, right?" Ren asked bluntly, twisting open the cap in one motion.
"Ahaha…"
Yuigahama turned her face slightly. Her light laugh didn't deny Ren's assumption. Her expression confirmed that was exactly what she thought.
"Yeah, that's not wrong." Ren nodded, taking a sip. "I'm not the type who can get along with just anyone. I'm not interested in small talk or joining groups just to fit in."
"Isn't Rokuhara-san worried about being ostracized?"
For Yuigahama, who always tried to adapt to her friendship group's dynamics, being a loner like Ren was an anomaly—a dangerous risk.
In the Japanese school environment, being a lone wolf was often an open invitation to bullying.
"Not at all. Sure, some seniors tried to bully me in the past. They thought since I was alone, I'd be an easy target."
"But look at them now? They never come back, do they? The key to avoiding bullying is to fight back!"
"Bullies are fundamentally weak. They only dare to come in groups, hiding behind numbers to cover their insecurities and individual weaknesses. Once they see their target fight back fiercely, showing no fear even after being beaten to a pulp… they'll think twice. They'll be scared of dealing with someone they can't intimidate."
"…"
Yuigahama fell silent, absorbing Ren's every word. The logic behind his harsh, confrontational words made sense to her. It was a perspective completely foreign to her, whose life was governed by the desire for harmony and acceptance.
"But not everyone has the courage to fight back like that…" she murmured softly, more to herself.
"Yui! You're taking forever! Come help me with these decoration ribbons!"
The voice of Yumiko, one of her close friends, called out from where a group of girls was struggling with intricate door decorations.
"Okay! I'm coming, Yumiko!"
As if released from a spell, Yuigahama quickly turned and hurried to her friends, her face lighting up again with awareness of her social responsibilities within the group.
"…"
Ren watched her go, his eyes scanning Yuigahama's silhouette.
"Too bad Yuigahama Yui has short hair. Her body is voluptuous, far above average for a high school girl." He muttered so quietly it was almost inaudible.
If Yui had long, flowing hair, Ren would consider adding her to his harem.
He shifted his gaze from the busy crowd. His work here was done, executed with undeniable efficiency. No one dared complain as he grabbed his bag and walked toward the door.
As he stepped out of the bustling Class 2-B, his mind was already on his next agenda.
"Whatever. Today I have a date with Sonoka. If she still insists on refusing to be mine, I'll have to brainwash her with hypnosis."
With confident steps, Ren left the festival and all its commotion behind.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Right in front of the legendary Hachiko statue in Shibuya, crowds of people passed by, and among them stood several couples waiting for their partners. But one figure stood out, drawing the attention of everyone who walked past.
She was Kikuchi Sonoka, a woman whose beauty surpassed those around her.
She was a graduate of Totsuki Culinary Academy's 89th generation—and no ordinary one. During her school years, she held the 2nd Seat on the nationally renowned Council of Ten Elites. After graduating, her talent and ambition materialized in her own Western cuisine restaurant, 'Shunkatei'.
Her calm, oval face was framed by neat bangs covering her forehead, perfectly highlighting her light blue eyes, as clear as winter ice crystals.
Her soft pink hair, reaching her waist, was loosely tied at the bottom with a simple black ribbon, allowing a few chest-length strands to flow freely. Her posture was graceful, with proportional and captivating curves.
Who would have thought that this brilliant career woman in her mid-20s was waiting for a high school boy on a date?
Many men might scratch their heads in confusion, wondering what special quality this high school student had to win the heart of such an accomplished, enchanting adult woman.
For this date, Sonoka chose elegant yet comfortable clothing that reflected her personality.
She wore a cream linen trench coat, left open. Beneath it was a simple white silk blouse with an open collar. Her pants were black wide-leg trousers that made her silhouette appear even more elongated. A small handbag matching her trench coat was slung over her shoulder.
"Ren-sama said he'd be late because he was helping with the Cultural Festival preparations at his school. Cultural Festival, huh… Should I go? No, what if my presence causes trouble?"
"High school students love to gossip. If they find out Ren-sama is dating an older woman like me, it'll ruin his reputation."
As Sonoka occasionally glanced at the watch on her slender wrist, her focus was suddenly shattered by an approaching commotion.
Five burly Indian men, brimming with fiery enthusiasm, approached her. One of them, with a wide grin, spoke in broken Japanese.
"Beautiful lady! You like goddess! We want give performance for your heart!"
"…???"
Before Sonoka could even react or respond, the five men simultaneously did something completely unexpected.
With agility, they performed backflips on the busy sidewalk, landing steadily, and immediately launched into an energetic Bollywood dance.
Their heads bobbed left and right to their internal rhythm, their hands moving in characteristic gestures, their expressions full of confidence.
In India, such an act might be an honest, passionate way to show interest. They were convinced this display of agility and joy was the key to captivating the beautiful goddess before them.
But in the busy, individualistic crowd of Shibuya, their performance was seen as a strange and embarrassing disturbance.
The faces of the surrounding Japanese locals wrinkled in confusion and discomfort. Some sighed, others whispered.
A few local men who saw Sonoka—standing still with her flat expression—briefly considered stepping in to rescue her.
But when their eyes shifted to the five Indian men, not only numerous but also athletically built and visibly strong, their courage vanished. They abandoned the idea and chose to be passive spectators, only able to watch the beautiful woman at the center of this cultural chaos.