Chereads / Love Overture / Chapter 9 - Festival Vote

Chapter 9 - Festival Vote

The Sun's rays pierce my window giving the living room a cozy atmosphere. The gentle sound of the A/C hums throughout the room as I lay on the couch. My arms and legs are sprawled out in an awkward position because I passed out without even realizing it last night.

Yume and I had been working on a layout for the island stargazing event through the night. We got through a majority of it together, but Yume got tired a little past midnight. I let her sleep in my room while I took the couch. I tried to send her back to her room, but she was being extremely stubborn and I was too tired to deal with it.

My phone alarm goes off and I clumsily scramble to turn it off. In doing so, I got my body all contorted and eventually rolled off of the couch. I sigh and slowly get up to turn it off. I notice my laptop is still open on the screen with everything we had typed up.

I really hope this goes through...

It had been a while since the last time I stayed up that late, especially for a kind of passion project. The more Yume and I got into the smaller details, the more and more I got into it and even when Yume got tired and went to sleep, I was still wide awake. That's honestly how I was able to finish almost the entire project plan in a single night.

Overall, it is a pretty ambitious plan. I think it will easily go through the first phase of the teachers and staff members looking over it, but it will all come down to the students.

I hear my bedroom door squeak open and a smaller girl walk around the corner, still holding onto a blanket that I assume she was sleeping with. Her eyes were only half open as she yawned while she walked into the living room.

"Good morning~" she sleepily got out. She rubs her eyes and makes her way to the couch and plops down next to me. "Were you able to get the rest finished?" she asks as she takes a peak at the laptop.

"Seems like it," I yawn. I push the laptop closer to her. "What do you think?"

She ruffles her hair and leans in toward the laptop, squinting her eyes. "It looks fairly good from what I can tell..." her eyes look down at the page count. "15 pages?! Last time I saw it, we only had three pages done!"

"Yeah, but once you went to bed, my brain kicked it into high gear. I didn't think I added that much, but I let passion take over and that's what I ended up with." I get up and head to the fridge to grab some juice. "You want me to pour you anything?"

Yume had her eye glued to the screen, completely zoned in.

I guess she's too focused to hear me...

I pour her a glass anyways and walk it over to her. "What do you think?"

She looks over at me and it was as if I could see stars reflecting in her eyes from her excitement.

"The plan looks amazing! You even got almost all of the small details down too! I can't believe you got all this done last night! Reading through has gotten me super excited about it!" she exclaims. It was as if she had shed every ounce of tiredness she had left in her. "Did you already send it to Ms. Yunasa?"

I give her a confident nod. "Yup, and she already sent me a reply talking about how there is no way the plan will not make it to the second stage and get into the student voting."

Yume couldn't contain her excitement and she springs up to life. "Okay, don't head to the school without me! I'm gonna go shower and get ready! I'll be back in a minute!" she yells as she runs out the door.

I get up and look out of the living room window. Not a single cloud in sight and the trees sway with little motion signifying the gentle breeze Eden gets everyday. The seagulls are flying in the open sky with not a care in the world. The bright Sun basking the island in heat and humidity, only being held in check by the Sprites drifting along with the breeze.

I can help but crack a smile at the sight. "This is the day." I clench my fist in determination. "I'm going to make this stargazing event a reality this Summer."

After going through my morning routine, I pack a small lunch from the leftovers I have in my fridge. Some basic chicken and rice can go a long way. Yume eventually came back to my room, a lot faster than I thought she would.

"Are you ready to go?! I can't wait for them to announce your idea to the student body! If there is even a single person who looks disinterested in it, I'll punch them in the face so hard maybe I can change their way of thinking," Yume declares as we go down the elevator of the apartment.

I can't help but laugh. "You don't need to go that far for this, Yume. I'll be happy if even a small fraction of the student body seems interested. After all, stargazing is a pretty niche hobby."

She elbows me in my ribs. "No! This is such a good idea, even for people who have never stargazed before, it'll be a fun experience for them!" she pouts. "Plus, you put a lot of time into this, well I mean, it was just one night... but that's still a lot of time considering we only thought of it last night! You should be more proud about it!"

I ruffle her neat hair. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be more proud of it once it gets picked as the festival plan."

She laughs, then undoes her ponytail, and reties it. Guess I ruffled her hair a little too hard.

On the walk to campus, all of the students look more excited than I have ever seen them before. A lot of them are talking about rumors of possible ideas other students may have come up with, or they are discussing their own ideas that they hope will get pushed through.

I hear a pair of footsteps coming up behind Yume and I.

"Have you heard of some of the ideas being proposed this year? I've gotten word that one guy was bold enough to propose a mixer night for all of the people who haven't found a soulmate yet, and it includes teachers and shop owners," Jay trots up cheerfully.

"That sounds like a very desperate attempt for a guy who isn't husband material," Yume retorts.

Even I find that a little harsh...

Jay shrugs and walks up besides us. "Probably, but you can't blame a guy for trying." He notices I'm wearing a backpack, which is unusual because there usually isn't a reason to wear one on this day. "What are you lugging around today? Got your own plan you've submitted?"

"Maybe..." I mutter, looking away in embarrassment.

Not believing me, he looks over at Yume who nods her head in acknowledgement. "I helped him work on it too," she adds.

Jay's eyes are filled with amazement and shock. "I never thought I'd see you take the initiative for anything Kousei..." A small tear was forming in his eyes.

"This isn't something to cry over! All I did was get some motivation from a group I'm a part of and I let the passion take over the rest," I assert. "It was something I had always wished I could see, but have never been able to. But here, its possible and I want to make my wish become a reality."

Jay leans down to Yume. "That was a pretty cringey line if I've ever heard one."

"Don't make fun of someone else who actually puts the effort into doing something they enjoy," a bell-like voice rings from behind us.

All of us jumped at the suddenness of her voice. We all turn around and see Noeri standing there with an ominous smile on her face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm often told I walk silently, so sometimes I scare people unintentionally," Noeri apologizes.

"Oh, it's okay. Honestly, if you were a horror movie killer, you could've killed us all without any of us knowing you were there," Jay responds. "And I love that about you."

Yume and I squint our eyes as we look at the two of them.

"Would you consider that a compliment?" I whisper to Yume.

She shakes her head. "If you told me that, I'd punch you right in the gut."

"Note taken," I reply, nodding my head.

I go ahead and tell Jay and Noeri my idea for the rest of the walk to school. No point in hiding it, and in fact, I'm sure they'd vote for my idea no matter what the other ones are because that's what good friends do.

"Sounds pretty lame," Jay concludes after hearing all of my idea. "So what? All we are gonna do is look up at the sky and see what we see everyday?"

I see Yume slowly approach him, fists clenched, and a glimmer of murder in her eyes. I grab her by the waist and hold her back.

"You're the one that's boring! How dare you say that Kousei's idea is boring!" Yume yells, flailing her legs and arms around, trying to break free from me. "I told him that I'd punch anyone that was uninterested in his idea and I'm here to follow through with that!"

Jay worriedly hides behind Noeri who is standing there casually. Shouldn't that be the other way around?

"Yume, its okay. I prefer Jay to be honest. I figured he wouldn't be that interested in it in the first place, but he has always listened to me ramble on about things I'm interested in and I appreciate him for doing that," I express. "If anyone gets a pass, it's him."

Yume struggles to free herself with one last burst, but eventually gives in and calms down. I let her go and she pats down her clothes.

"Fine... but you still better vote for Kousei's idea."

"That's if my idea makes it through the first stage. I don't wanna get my hopes up just for it to be for naught."

The campus is bustling with students and some business owners. One could argue that this was the most important thing on the island outside of the soulmate stuff. It's the one chance we get to make the island unique and as the hosts, the students get to decide what it's gonna be. I'm happy I came to this island because back on the mainland, there wasn't any school that was willing to go this far for a school.

All of the students were making their way to the gymnasium where the ideas would be announced. There is an app on our phones that came pre-installed when enrolling to the college, that will allow us to anonymously for whatever idea we like the most. It was already close to noon, so the last of the students were strolling in.

"Hey, there's a space off to the side. Let's go there so we aren't boxed in by everyone," Jay says, pointing to the spot.

All of us follow him over to the spot, where a familiar face was standing close by.

"Ai! Come join us over here!" Yume calls out to her.

Ai jumps, scared by the sudden loud voice calling her name. She slowly turns around, but once she sees it's us, the fear goes away and is overwritten by happiness. "Kousei, Yume!" she calls back, cheerfully walking over to us.

"Pretty coincidental that we found you in this crowd of people," I say. "Did you come here with any of your friends?" I ask.

Her eyes darken and become soulless. "Friends..."

I could've sworn she had talked to a couple people in class... I guess my assumption that they were already friends was wrong...

"My bad..." I apologize.

But she quickly reels herself back in. "Oh, have you heard of any of the ideas they are gonna present to us?"

"Just rumors," Jay shrugs. "Though, I do know someone who submitted an idea."

Ai's eye's sparkle with excitement. "You do?! I hope their submission makes it through the first stage! Who was the one who submitted it?" she questions out of curiosity.

Jay smirks, then shoots a glance my way. "Yeah, I think you know them pretty well, don't you Kousei?"

Noeri nudges him. "Kousei submitted an idea," she says. "To be honest, I am quite interested in it myself."

Ai immediately darts over to me. "You submitted one?! What was it about?!"

I explain my idea to Ai, who unlike Jay, looks extremely interested. Her eyes are glowing just as much as Yume's were when she first read it.

"That sounds awesome and very romantic! I'm so jealous that I couldn't think of something like that!" She's emitted such an excited and cheerful aura, I'm having to shield my eyes from the brightness of it.

"It was just something I thought of after seeing some pictures. This is way more of a selfish idea because it's something I want to see myself. And it just so happens that Eden is a perfect spot for it," I admit humbly.

I'm not lying when I'm saying that I'm doing this for myself. I do think it would be a nice experience for everyone on Eden to see since such a sight is extremely rare, but honestly, I just want to take advantage of the opportunities I have to see it with my own eyes. Even if that means exploiting the purpose of the festival for my own wishes.

Maybe I'm more selfish that I thought...

Ai grasps my hands and moves her face close to mine. "Don't worry, if your idea is one of the ones we get to vote for, I'm voting for it!"

I don't deserve an innocent and pure girl like Ai... I can feel tears forming in my eyes from the wholesome warmness surrounding my heart.

I can feel a ball of jealousy to my side where Yume is standing. She isn't moving so I guess she's holding herself back since she has spent a lot more time with me than Ai and Yunasa. I figure it's just best to acknowledge her without making it obvious.

"Yeah, no matter what other options there are, I can't not vote for my best friend's one," Jay adds. "Despite me not exactly wanting to do it or not being interested in it, I can tell how much you want to make this happen." He puts his arm around my neck. "So let's make it happen!"

"Yeah!" Yume, Ai, and Noeri cheer, getting swept in by Jay's charisma.

The students around us all went quiet and looked over in our direction. I hide my face in embarrassment while everyone else is laughing and in high spirits.

After all of the students have made their way into the very crowded gymnasium, we see one of the teachers come forward to speak. She's got flowing green hair, and exudes the maturity and gracefulness that will grab any man's attention. All of the guys stop talking and look at the woman up front, just to soon be followed by the girls who are now wondering what has all the guy's attention.

She taps on the mic a couple of times to make sure it's on and working. "Hello? Can all you guys hear me? Mind if I grab your guys attention?" she voices with her sweet, and motherly tone. The gymnasium quickly goes silent as they give Yunasa all of their attention. "Thank you."

The lights in the gymnasium turn off and Yunasa is given the spotlight. "As you all know, the biggest event on Eden is taking place here in the next couple of months. This is the most exciting time for the island of Eden and its residents. For those of you who don't know, the school and the businesses on Eden sponsor one massive festival that spans throughout a week's time. We have events at the school and small festivals around the island that you can walk around in and have some delicious local food from the vendors. There's a night where we set off fireworks and really get into the Japanese festival spirit." 

You can hear everyone murmuring and whispering to each other, but everyone quickly falls silent again as Yunasa starts to talk about what everyone really came here for.

"But within this week, we dedicate one day of the festival to something only this campus offers. As a way to get students more involved, we have a vote for an idea or a plan that the entire island will work to make happen. In the past years, we've had a normal school festival or a day dedicated to a beach party or even having a concert from a guest celebrity. The possibilities are practically endless and are only limited to one's imagination." Yunasa pulls out her phone and holds it up in the air. "Before letting you guys out for Summer Vacation, we allowed you to submit ideas or plans for this day. All of the faculty and staff members saw and voted on the three best choices to make the one day extra special. We got hundreds of entries but only three will be shown on the screen behind me," she says as she points to a screen with the numbers "1, 2, and 3" on it. "I will now be displaying the three that got chosen. Do not be discouraged if yours didn't make it on the list. We are very strict about the ones being chosen so be sure to really crack down and make your submission as detailed as possible next year."

The tension in the gymnasium is at its peak. I'm sure a lot of students here are praying for their ideas to be shown, but sadly that's not how the world works. I put my hands together and close my eyes as the three that got chosen are displayed on the screen.

"First up, we have an island wide scavenger hunt, followed up with a barbecue. The items for the scavenger hunt haven't been decided yet, but we figured this would be a good way to get everyone up and active. Plus, who doesn't like a good ole' barbecue in the middle of Summer." 

There's a lot of whispering going on, but overall it seemed to have a pretty positive reception.

"Second, we have an island-wide stargazing event." Some pictures I added along with the plan layout were put up on the screen with it. "This is a very simple and romantic idea. Nothing screams a romantic Summer night like stargazing with your special person. This also goes well with the recent soulmate test from a little bit ago, so if you want to go for the more aesthetic and romantic route, this would be the option for you."

My heart jumped out of my chest. My idea made it! I could feel a tug on my shirt, and when I looked over I saw Yume smiling as bright as she could, she looked like she was about to cry tears of happiness.

Jay gives me a friendly nudge. "Congrats on making it past stage one," he whispers.

There is a pretty good reaction from the crowd, especially from the girls. It does make sense that they would be more into the romantic things than the guys, but any kind of reception is a good reception.

The room again quiets down as Yunasa starts to announce the last idea.

"And as the third and final option, we have a large beach party with musical guests coming to have a concert. It won't be just one group or band. It will be like a concert festival with multiple bands and singers that spans for the entire day. The list we have for possible guests is small right now, but as time goes on, we will announce who else would be performing. Truly one of the best ideas for a pure fun and social summer event."

My hands start sweating as I start to feel a little nervous. Yes, the last option was very basic, but who wouldn't want to have a music festival? It's fun and hype! Everyone will be excited except for the introverts, but even then they probably also listen to music. And I have a feeling they don't have a lot of guests at the moment because they want the students to be able to ask for some specific ones if they are available to perform.

All in all, it's a way more summer event than mine will ever be. They are two complete polar opposites which means you either swing one way or the other.

"Alright, now that the three possible events have been announced, please pull out your phone, open the school app, and cast your vote for which you would rather take part in or experience yourself. It is completely anonymous so don't worry about people judging what you voted for. You have five minutes to vote and we will announce the results afterwards." Yunasa bows gracefully and walks off the stage.

The room is full of tension, excitement, and suspense. All three options are great and would be extremely fun for everyone on the island. The room then erupts in a loud ruckus as everyone starts discussing what they are voting for and such. I pull out my phone and obviously vote for my idea. I look over and see Noeri, Ai, Yume, and Jay do the same. But that's only five votes out of the whole student body that is around a couple thousand people in total.

"How are you feelin?" Jay asks, breaking the silence between all of us.

"Pretty nervous, not gonna lie." I look back up at the screen with all three of the voting options. "The other two are complete opposites of mine, but they feel a lot more like a Summer Event than mine does."

Ai, noticing I'm stressing and feeling quite anxious, she grabs a hold of one of my arms and hugs it tightly. "Don't worry about the results, Kousei. We all know that you really put your all into sorting out this idea, so no matter if it wins or loses, you can always submit a better version of it next year."

I really do want my idea to get picked. I don't want to wait for it next year. I put a lot of effort into making this plan up. I hang my head down and clench my teeth in frustration. I knew having hopes is a good thing, but possibly having them crushed right before your eyes is an awful feeling.

Yume grabs a hold of my other arm in an attempt to calm my stress and anxiety down. "Don't worry, we can still go stargazing regardless of the results. But I have faith your idea is gonna win this vote," she says in a stern and confident tone.

Noeri nods her head in agreement. "I concur with Yume. I don't want to jinx it though, so I think we can explain why after the results are announced."

I don't quite understand why those two sound as confident as they do, but I have no choice but to put my faith in what they're saying. I gotta believe that my idea will be interesting enough to warrant getting the needed votes.

After five minutes had passed, the spotlight was back up on stage with Yunasa. She taps the mic to once again gather everyone's attention. 

"Attention everyone, the voting time has been allotted and we officially have our results..."

Everyone's eyes divert over to the screen with the three options and a number next to them. The numbers begin shifting randomly, like any suspenseful game show. I can feel a bead of sweat forming on my forehead, but the two girls on each of my arms are keeping me grounded. I look over at them and they nod and smile earnestly.

That's right, I have to believe in myself. My idea will be the one chosen! And I will make this event one that no one will forget!

After a few suspenseful moments, the numbers stop changing and show the total number of votes it had received.

"Option one, finished with 758 votes."

758 is pretty worrying considering how many students we have. 

"Option two, finished with 1,026 votes."

I can feel Yume and Ai tightening their grip on my arms. We got more than the first choice, so all that matters is beating the last one... the one I'm most concerned of.

"And option three, finished with..."

A drum roll begins playing in my head. I can feel my heart racing, and I can feel every beat of it. I want to know the final count, but I also don't. I'm excited, but also terrified. I start to close my eyes, but I fight to keep them open. Closing them before seeing it feels like running away in a sense. No matter what, I need to see this myself and see it to the end.

"974 votes."

The room goes quiet for a moment.

974 votes... that means... 

"And with that, the stargazing event has won the vote this year! Congratulations!" Yunasa cheered.

I don't know how to react. I stand there, completely stunned in shock.

"We did it..." I muttered. "My idea won..."

"YEAH!" Jay, and the girls all shout. "YOU DID IT KOUSEI!"

I begin being violently shaken by Yume and Ai. They were all shouting as if they had just won the World Cup.

"I knew you would win it!" Yume cheered as she pulled me into a full hug. "I told you so!"

Ai, who had tears running down her face, hugged me from the other side. "I'm so happy..." she happily sobs. "I'm so happy your effort and passion were able to get through..."

There is a mixed reaction from the students, but in the end everyone was clapping and cheering.

"So, without further ado, let's congratulate the person who submitted this plan, Kousei Shimazaki!"

The spotlight immediately shifts over to me. I look up to see everyone looking at me.

"Mr. Shimazaki, would you mind coming up to the stage? I want to ask a few questions about your plan and to help clarify exactly how the event will go," Yunasa said, beckoning me up to the stage with her hand.

"Go get 'em!" Jay yells, pushing me toward the stage.

I anxiously walk up to the stage where I stand in front of all of the staff members and student body. My vision starts to tunnel vision as I gingerly make my way over to Yunasa.

She gently grabs my arm, trying to support me and my now weak legs. "Congratulations Kousei," she cheerfully whispered. "I won't try to keep you up here that long, I can tell you aren't that big on being the one in the spotlight. Oh, and just say the first thing that comes to mind. There's no need to overthink any of these questions," she winks as she helps stand me up.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. When I open them, the room is quiet and everyone is staring at me, waiting for me to talk.

"Um, thank you all for voting for my submission. I really do appreciate it..." I barely get out.

Yunasa laughs as she begins the short interview. "So, how did you come up with a plan like this? Any sort of inspiration?"

I clear my throat and face Yunasa. "I have always been a stargazer. I like the comforting feeling of looking up at the stars and forgetting about everything else in the world. Because of this, I'm a part of a stargazing group and they upload photos from their stargazing nights. And there was one picture that really stuck with me."

The image pops up in my head as if I'm looking at it from my computer screen. A view that I want to see in person and a sight that I know I'll never forget.

"I'm sure you all know you can see stars at night all the time, but because of light pollution, we only see a small fraction of the actual stars we could see if there wasn't any light pollution. When there is no light affecting our vision, we are able to see a lot more stars and even better, we can see the Milky Way Galaxy."

 The room then fills with "ooo's." I can tell that some people don't believe me, so on the off chance that I won, I sent Yunasa a picture of the Milky Way Galaxy from the group, and asked her to put it on the screen. A second later, the picture shows up on the screen, showing the Milky Way in all of its glory.

"This is what I am trying to show everyone on Eden. It's not something you can see normally, but in very specific cases where there are no lights, this sight is possible," I assert as I look over at the picture on the screen. "And truthfully, I don't want to make this a one time thing. I want this to be included in every festival we have from here on out."

I could see the teachers and other staff members starting to whisper among themselves. I know that it is unlikely to happen, but I still want to try my best to plant the seeds in their heads about it, depending on how it goes this time around.

"Pretty bold statement Mr. Shimazaki," Yunasa responds, transitioning to her next question. "So, you said it had a kind of romantic undertone. Can you elaborate on how this can be seen as romantic?"

"I mean, who wouldn't consider gazing up at the stars with your significant other as romantic? I will admit that it is pretty cliche, but I do imagine having someone with me at the event," I answer. 

"Oh? And who would that person happen to be?"

You're really doing this to me now? Despite having all of the student body's eyes on me, I can feel the extreme pressure coming from the one asking me questions and the two that were in the spot I was at but only a few moments ago.

"Uh, that has yet to be decided..." my voice trails off.

Yunasa laughs. "Well be sure to let her know beforehand. No woman likes to wait too long for an answer," she teases.

I let out a sigh to hide my nervousness.

"But onto the last question." Yunasa's expression shifts to a more serious one. "Are you confident that you can turn this idea into an unforgettable event? One that everyone on Eden will remember, and possibly even look forward to every year?"

I take a deep breath and face the student body. I haven't felt this nervous in my life. I have to make sure I can convince them that this will be an event to remember. I need to make my mark.

"Yes! I do believe I can turn this into a night that everyone will remember. The sight of the Milky Way Galaxy will forever be cemented in the minds of everyone who gazes upon it. When you look up and see a sky full of stars, you won't be able to look away. Spending that time with your favorite person will only enhance the experience. I plan on making this the best event Eden has ever had and I am probably going to need some help and cooperation in the upcoming planning stages, but I have hope that it won't be an issue getting it." I bow my head to everyone. "Thank you for letting me do this. I hope you all will enjoy the night when the time comes."

The room is silent for a moment, but is suddenly engulfed in a round of applause. There were shouts in the crowd and some whistling. Everyone looked excited for it now, and now I have to live up to those expectations.

Yunasa walks up next to me and puts her hand on my shoulder. "Nicely done. It seems like you were able to convince everyone that your idea was the right choice. Now be sure to keep them all motivated. Since it was your submission, you are now considered the project director and I will be the teacher that was given the duty to aid you. Let's make this event one they won't forget, Kousei." Her golden eyes strike me with determination.

I nod in agreement. "Yes, we got this!"

After the voting ceremony ends, I get back together with Yume, Ai, Noeri, and Jay. Ai runs up to me and gives me a big hug. Yume gives me a pat on the back.

"You did pretty good up there," Jay says with a smile. "I thought for sure you'd get stage fright and not even get a word out," he jokes.

"I think if it was anyone else asking me the questions, I might've," I confess. "Having Yunasa up there with me did relax me a little bit."

"Yeah, I do have that kind of effect on people," a familiar voice comes up from behind me.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, turning around to see Yunasa walking up. "I thought you'd be with all of the rest of the teachers discussing what to do going forward."

She sets her hand on my head, ruffling my silver hair in the process. "Well, as I told you before, you are the project director. Since I am the teacher aiding you, I am pretty much the messenger between both parties." She looks around at all of us. "And also, you can't do all this by yourself, so you need to gather some project assistants. However, I assume that you won't have any trouble finding them."

Yume, Ai, Noeri, and Jay all look at each other and nod in agreement.

"Obviously we'll help him out. What kind of friends would we be if we didn't?" Jay expressed happily. "Whatever he needs help with, we got him."

Yunasa smiles and starts to walk back from where she came. "I wish you the best of luck on this, Kousei. We'll have all of our meetings here at the school at whatever time and days work best for everyone."

"Sounds good," I reply.

Ai pulls out her phone, then hurriedly puts it away. "Sorry guys! I have to get going or I'm gonna be late for my shift at work!" she shouts at us and she's waving bye.

All of us wave in return and then stand there in an awkward silence.

"I didn't know she had a job..." Jay says, breaking the awkward silence. "Granted, I don't know why. It's not like the university bans it or anything. I guess I just didn't really think about working while I lived here."

He is right. Not one time have I thought about getting a job while living here. Since everything is already paid for, there wasn't really a reason to get one unless you wanted to build up a savings account or have more spending money for other stuff.

Maybe I should get a job...I'll have to look more into it because now that it's Summer, I don't really have anything occupying my time except for planning the stargazing event now.

Yume and I head back to the apartment, where I promptly lay flat out on my bed and proceed to pass out.

Summer is now in full swing. I have to help plan for the stargazing event, and possibly also get a job to help get some extra money, because having extra money has never hurt anyone. This might be one of my busiest and most fulfilling Summers ever.