Chapter 493: The Christmas Blessings of the Little Angels
"Hiikigaya-san, about the venue for the event..."
"Ah, we can coordinate with the local community about the venue. Also, how's the preparation for printing the event posters coming along?"
"The posters should be ready for printing by today."
"Great, once they're done, please put them up immediately. There aren't many days left until Christmas."
"Understood."
"And about assembling the Christmas tree?"
"Once it's assembled, we can place it at the entrance of the community center. Then, we can move it inside on the day of the event."
"I got it."
"…"
Under Hachiman's coordination, the preparations for the Christmas event were progressing smoothly.
The stage, lighting, tables, chairs, and even the costumes for the performances were all being arranged meticulously.
Although everyone was busy, it was much better than the previous situation where discussions were endless, but no actual work was being done.
With an excellent leader, the work of the entire group was proceeding smoothly.
Rumi Tsurumi and Keika, along with their group, had almost finished rehearsing their play. The band had also finalized their part, so overall, the event was shaping up quite well.
Finally, after many days of preparation, Christmas arrived.
In the middle of the community activity room stood a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, setting the festive mood.
By this time, quite a few elderly people had already gathered. They sat at tables in groups of three or four, wearing kind and warm smiles, their faces filled with anticipation as they looked toward the stage.
Although the event was scheduled to start at 4 PM, Hachiman and the others had been busy since the morning. Luckily, it was a Saturday, so they had the time.
Due to concerns about being short-staffed, Hachiman had specifically called on Hayama, Zaimokuza, and a few other boys to help out.
In the kitchen, Yukino and the others were busy preparing cakes and cookies.
Although Hachiman was the better cook, the girls insisted that since he was responsible for overseeing everything, they should handle these smaller tasks.
Wearing aprons, a few graceful figures were busily moving about the kitchen.
As she decorated the cake, Yukino asked Yui, "Yui, have you already packed the baked cookies?"
"Yeah, I just finished packing them," Yui nodded, a look of anticipation appearing on her face.
"Yukino, how about I help with baking the cakes?"
Upon hearing this, Yukino's hand trembled as she was piping the cream, clearly recalling the disastrous experience when a certain someone had attempted to bake cookies before. However, not wanting to be too direct, she found a compromise.
"Yui, why don't you help decorate the cake instead? As for baking, please don't get involved."
"Ah, Yukino, you're so mean!"
Yui pouted in displeasure, but she still joined Yukino in decorating the cake.
Meanwhile, behind the stage curtain, Iroha Isshiki and Hachiman were making their final rounds, checking on the last-minute details.
The performance was about to start, and naturally, they didn't want anything to go wrong.
"We're about to begin, I'm so nervous, Senpai. This is not good," Iroha Isshiki whined as she clung to Hachiman's side.
Unfortunately for her, Hachiman was unfazed by her act. He shrugged indifferently, "What's there to be nervous about? Everything's gone smoothly so far, and the kids' performances are well-rehearsed."
"Even so, I can't help but feel nervous. After all, this is my first time."
When her attempt to gain sympathy failed, Iroha pouted in disappointment.
First time…
Okay, maybe my mind is in the gutter.
Looking at Hachiman standing in front of her, Iroha hesitated before speaking, "Um… really, I couldn't have done this without everyone's help, especially you, Senpai..."
"Well, it's nothing. I did promise to help you out, didn't I?" Hachiman replied with a smile.
"Do your best, President Isshiki."
Iroha was taken aback for a moment, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.
But she quickly regained her composure, stepping back with feigned alarm.
"Senpai, are you trying to take advantage of the situation to win me over? I was a little tempted just now, but I think this is too fast. Sorry, I can't accept."
Seeing her switch back to her teasing persona, Hachiman sighed and waved her off dismissively.
"Go, go. Who's trying to win you over? You're overthinking things."
"Hmph, Senpai, you're so mean." Iroha pouted again at his dismissive attitude, but soon she returned to her usual self, waving at him with a smile.
"I'll go check how things are going over there. See you later, Senpai."
With that, she ran towards the front of the stage. However, halfway there, she seemed to remember something and turned back.
"Oh, right, Senpai, don't forget to check with the vice president about the final timing."
"And the cakes too, please."
"Got it, President." Hachiman smiled.
Hearing this, Iroha also smiled before heading towards the front of the stage without hesitation.
…
Finally, the performance began. As the curtain rose and the lights focused, the band, which had been waiting on stage, came into view.
The first performance was a lyrical piece brought by the band.
The melodious music echoed through the venue, bringing serene smiles to the faces of the elderly audience.
On either side of the stage, members of the student councils from Kaihin High and Sobu High let out a collective sigh of relief.
It seemed their efforts had paid off.
Meanwhile, backstage, a group of children was changing into their costumes.
With the help of staff members, they all donned long white robes with a pair of pure white wings on their backs, resembling a group of adorable little angels.
Saki Kawasaki had also come backstage to help her younger sister, Keika, into her angel costume.
Seeing how cute her sister looked, a smile naturally appeared on Saki's face.
Just then, a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Keika, you look adorable."
Hearing this voice, Saki's heart skipped a beat. However, Keika reacted much faster, immediately throwing her arms around the waist of the newcomer.
"Ah, it's Hachi!"
Sure enough, it was Hachiman.
Ruffling Keika's hair, Hachiman smiled and said, "Thanks for helping out today, Keika."
Then, he looked towards Saki, who was kneeling on the ground.
"Thanks for helping too, Saki."
Saki snapped out of her daze, awkwardly playing with the ends of her hair.
"It's… it's nothing. I just didn't feel comfortable letting Keika come here alone."
"Haha, don't worry. I'm here too," Hachiman chuckled. Then, as if something came to mind, he turned to Saki and asked, "By the way, we're having a Christmas party at my place tonight. If you're free, you can bring Keika and join us."
"Eh? Really? We can come?" Saki was pleasantly surprised but quickly became hesitant.
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"
"Haha, it's no trouble at all. My parents aren't home, so we can have as much fun as we want," Hachiman laughed.
As soon as he finished speaking, Keika, who was still clinging to him, burst out with a happy giggle.
"Keika wants to go!"
Hachiman didn't refuse, patting her head, "Alright, you're more than welcome, Keika."
Then he turned to Saki, "So, Saki, why don't you come with Keika tonight?"
"Alright, we'll join you then," Saki finally agreed, her face slightly flushed.
I'm only going because Keika wants to go.
Yes, that's the reason.
.....
The music performance on stage soon came to an end, and the elderly audience responded with enthusiastic applause.
As the curtain fell and rose again, the young actors took their positions on stage.
Standing in the center was Rumi Tsurumi, wearing a blonde wig.
She was the lead in this play.
"Do your best, Rumi," Hachiman encouraged her with a smile as he passed by.
Rumi smiled in response to his words of encouragement.
"Yeah, I'll do my best."
The curtain slowly rose once more.
At that moment, the lights in the entire venue were turned off, and a voice-over began in the darkness.
"One dollar and eighty-seven cents… that's all that was left…"
As the voice-over continued, a spotlight illuminated the stage, revealing Rumi Tsurumi in her blonde wig. She was counting the coins in her hand, sighing as she did.
The voice-over resumed.
"No matter how much she counted, it was still just one dollar and eighty-seven cents. And Christmas was just around the corner…"
The play they were performing was "The Gift of the Magi", a story about a poor young couple who make great sacrifices to give each other Christmas gifts. The wife sells her beautiful long hair, and the husband sells his family heirloom gold watch, both unknowingly giving up their most prized possessions to buy gifts that complement what the other has sacrificed. The story celebrates the pure and selfless love between the couple.
Because the dialogue was simple and there were few characters, it was an ideal play for children to perform.
As time passed, the plot progressed steadily.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Yukino and the others were still busy preparing the cakes, as they planned to present Christmas cakes to the elderly guests at the end of the event.
Each completed cake was handed over to Zaimokuza, Tobe, and the others, who then delivered them to the waiting "little angels" by the auditorium entrance.
"The time's almost up. Start getting the cakes ready," Iroha Isshiki's voice came through the earpiece, signaling that the play on stage was nearing its conclusion.
As the final line of the play was delivered, Hachiman and the vice president opened the doors to the auditorium. Out from behind them ran a group of children dressed as angels, each carrying a cake, which they gently placed on the tables of the elderly guests.
Seeing these adorable little angels, the elderly audience beamed with joy, their smiles wide and genuine. After all, there's something about children that naturally brings happiness to the hearts of the elderly.
However, the performance was not yet over. The little angels who had just delivered the cakes soon made their way onto the stage, joining hands with the young actors who had performed in the play. Together, they bowed slightly to the elderly audience, their small voices filled with sincerity as they offered their heartfelt blessings.
The lights on the stage mingled with the soft glow of the candles below, creating an atmosphere that enveloped the entire hall in a warm, gentle radiance.
"Merry Christmas!" the children chorused.
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