The days counted down to their fated culture festival. Many things had to be done between all the classes, studying, homework, and home life. And in the case of Rinse, working as an idol. Everyone was feeling the pressure, with the exception of Ishi. Despite being one of the major players in ensuring things went right, he was not stressed out in the least.
At this moment, neither was the girl sitting next to him. Though that was probably due to the fact that she had drifted off to sleep as their class session came to an end.
"Wake up." He said, not caring to enjoy a supposedly precious moment that his classmates had asked him about. If they wanted to know what she looked like when sleeping, they'd have see it themselves.
"Hmm?" Quietly, she stirred from her rest. Practically all of her waking hours were spent dedicated to her craft and her school life. Not to mention the number of lost hours of sleep during those late nights where she had to make everything just right. "Is school over?"
"It just ended." He answered by slamming on top of her desk a large stack of papers. That did the trick of providing the girl with a second wind as she shot straight up. "Now help me bring these papers to the teachers office." Youna had asked him to help out with the now completed forms by their fellow classmates for the support needed for their plans. Having the infrastructure to garner votes as well as getting the space on stage for the talent show meant they had more to ask than most classes.
"It's my one day off and you're already wanting to work me like a horse?" She grumbled as she picked up the stack. Despite being a bunch of papers, it weighted like a ton in her arms. That's not to say that she wasn't happy to help out.
"I would've asked Otoya, but he had to leave early to help out his family." They chatted as they exited the room. "Besides, the two of us have to work together if this whole event's going to have shot of working."
"You really do confuse me." She told him as they walked down the hallway filled with students preparing to head to their clubs, go home, or stick around and help with the festival preparations. "All that talk about not caring only to pull this? Do you really not act out what you say?"
"I got people relying on me." That was the only answer he felt like saying to her. "It's not a matter of how I feel." It took no time for them to reach the teachers and give them all the important files. When the adults expressed their gratitude, the pair remained humble in their response.
There were mere days until the important event. However, there was something else that Rinse didn't understand that she needed to ask Ishi about.
"Seems like there's a lot of students training on the track." She said as they peered out onto the view. Something like that would be normal were it not for the fact that there were plenty of students who weren't known for the athletic prowess there as well.
"That's because our culture festival also has a competition side to it." He informed her that the first half of the day, and the second half of the day were vastly different. The first would be filled with games and more importantly, sports designed by the student council. The morning was widely important for most of the students. The teams would be divided by their year, in which the third years had maintained an undefeated streak for as long as anyone could remember. Unfortunately for Ishi, now that he was in that year. Everyone he knew as going to be insufferable about it. They'd make a big deal about how that can't let the tradition die with them and all that jazz.
The second half was the part that everyone had been preparing for all these days now. That would be when these events would come to fruition, and it'd all end with a lovely bonfire as the sun set. That last part he didn't see much of a point with, especially with the significance students placed onto that moment.
All of this was shaping up to be a long day for him. If he could just stay home, that would be nice. Unfortunately, rules were that all student had to attend.
"Sounds like a whole lot of fun." She felt the opposite as him. "I guess that means I should be adding some training regiment for the competition." Ishi sighed. Her enthusiasm was just exhausting to be next to. How she was able to maintain such a positive outlook on life was beyond him. That along with the weight that life put on her, the boy had no clue on why she hadn't broken down yet. There was no way someone could handle all this at once, right?
"Hmm?" Something caught his ear as they passed by the stairs. "Do you hear that?" He asked, feeling like he was going crazy with what he was hearing.
"It sounds like someone's singing." She replied.
"That's… One way to call it." The sounds produced by this person's voice was horrendous. Who ever was singing must've been deaf if they didn't know how they were making his ears weep. Judging from how loud it was, and the direction it was coming from. The two were certain that it was coming from the roof. "Whoever they are, they must be pretty stupid."
"Don't be so mean." She scolded him. "Everyone needs some practice to become good vocalists."
"Well, you know better than me." Ishi didn't feel like arguing with her. Plus, she made a good point, at least to his inexperience mind. "But please don't offer them lessons if they ask."
"I don't time for it." So there were some things that she'd reject. Though it seemed that the conditions had to be right for it.
As they reached the top, the pair peered out the door leading to the roof. When they saw the person behind the screeching in his ear, they were both equally surprised. It was Ryugi standing all by herself on the roof. "Was that really her singing?" Rinse was in disbelief. That girl never seemed to be the kind to suck with her voice. She got her answer when Ryugi began her song once more.
The screeching really grated on their ears. This was too much for Ishi. He was certain that this was what people called torture and he'd rather lay down on the road to get run over by a truck.
"Stop, stop, please." He gave away their cover as he went through the door.
"Hmm?" Ryugi stopped and saw the two making their way to her. "Ah, I see that you two were interested in my singing." She had no humility. "I hope that you liked it, Hattori. I'm planning on participating in the talent show." Her tone revealed her nativity in her own skills. That poor girl, he thought.
"It was awful." Ishi didn't allow the idol a response. "You can't honestly think that you were singing well."
"What?" She was caught off guard by his harsh words. Well, not that off guard. It was that boy of all people. "I know you can be mean, but there's no reason to be so rude."
"I hold no personal feelings about this." Well, he did. Just more in the direction of not wanting to ruin his hearing for the rest of his life, rather than any vendetta. "I'm only stating the facts here."
"Rinse, you don't agree with him, right?" Ryugi asked with caution. "He's just over exaggerating, r-right?" While the pair might've had their difference, there was one thing that this girl knew. It was that he was no liar.
"I mean… You could use some work." Rinse couldn't lie to her, but she didn't want to shatter her feelings either. Though her lack of enthusiasm showed the girl everything she needed to know.
"I see…" This was disheartening to hear, but she wasn't going to let it bring her down. "Then, I'll show the two of you. I'm going to get better and I'll win the talent show!"
"It's not a competition." He reminded her. Rinse's idea was more for fun than to see who was the best in the school. "We're not going to declare a winner."
"Whatever." She responded upset and stormed back down the stairs. "Hirose, you're going to eat those words!" Ryugi yelled back once before leaving the two alone.
"Sheesh, you didn't have to be so mean." Rinse scolded him as they peered out from the rooftop. "Even if I don't disagree, there are better ways."
"There's no point in beating around the bush." He replied. "Besides, she was going to take it poorly either way." Ishi referred to Rinse's manner of explanation. Even though she didn't insult the girl in anyway, it was still treated as such. To him, breaking bad news in a direct manner was the best way. Because there's no point in hiding flaws behind a manner of softness. "I do agree with you when you said she needed some work."
"Don't mock me." He chuckled to her response. His statement wasn't meant to make fun of her. Words said by him, and things done by him weren't for no reason. It takes a little bit of understanding to get people to do, not what he wanted them to do, but what they needed to do.
"Anyway." He brought their topic back onto the festival at hand. "The only thing the two of us need to worry about now is fundraising."