[Chapter 160]
[The Last Cultural Festival (2)]
For 3rd year high school academy students, participation in the cultural festival was voluntary.
However, among students, public opinion was forming that they should participate in the cultural festival even more since it was their last school life.
The academy's atmosphere has changed a bit compared to before the regression.
Eun-ha gave a bitter smile at the current flowing through the academy.
Unlike his previous life, students didn't blindly pursue meritocracy.
3 years and another 3 years.
The efforts of friends like Jung Ha-yang had borne fruit.
Even so─.
─This atmosphere will probably disappear once we graduate.
Eun-ha couldn't hide his bitter smile again.
The reason friends' wishes had sprouted in an educational atmosphere that forced competition was entirely because there were skilled people who supported such an atmosphere.
For example, himself and his friends.
But since he and his friends would graduate next year, the sprout that had just emerged would die again.
Because there would be no one with absolute skills to dominate the academy.
In the end, the academy's tone will return to its original state from next year.
Perhaps his friends sensed that too.
"─There's no need to participate in the cultural festival unconditionally. Just those who want to make fun memories together can participate."
So let's make the last cultural festival so spectacular it won't be forgotten.
Friends suggested planning the last cultural festival by volunteering to be the center of the 3rd year.
Thus, among 3rd year students, those who wanted to participate in the cultural festival were divided into two groups and having meetings.
"─Since it's the last cultural festival, I'm thinking of making booths with completely different plans than before. I'd like you to keep in mind that we'll try to avoid booths planned by juniors as much as possible."
Min-ho, standing on the podium, spoke without even looking at the script in his hand.
It meant he had prepared a lot for today's meeting.
The students seemed to know that too, as they listened to what he was saying.
A completely different type of cultural festival than before....
While quietly listening to the meeting.
Eun-ha was lost in thought.
He recalled the cultural festivals he had participated in so far.
He had grilled dumplings, played the role of a ghost in a haunted house.
Sometimes he had helped at booths his friends participated in.
Last year he couldn't even see the cultural festival because he was hospitalized....
Well, I'm not planning to do anything, so I'll just watch quietly.
Of course, Eun-ha, who was going to the comprehensive division competition finals, had no intention of participating in the cultural festival.
The reason he was sitting here was just because he was bored, and because friends had requested he attend as a figurehead.
Then he ended up in the group where Mok Min-ho was conducting the meeting as they divided into two groups.
It was then.
"─Me! Me! Me!"
"Sigh..., is there no one else?"
"Me! Me! Me! Mok Min-ho! I'm raising my hand right now!"
"...Ariel. Say it once."
While students were pondering plans different from existing ones.
Ariel raised her hand high from far away.
Min-ho, who tried to ignore her at first, reluctantly allowed her to speak.
"How about we open a hot club? And have guys wear maid outfits, and girls wear butler outfits to serve!"
"Rejected."
"Ah, why!!"
"It was fresh in its own way, but a club and those outfits are too radical. Let's do something that fits our country's sentiments."
"Mok Min-ho is totally old-fashioned! Why can't you keep up with the times!?"
"Next person."
Ariel's opinion didn't even make it onto the monitor screen.
Meanwhile, Yoo Do-jun, who was taking meeting minutes, was laughing while holding his stomach.
Ariel's opinion wasn't bad, but she should have understood Mok Min-ho's tendencies.
Eun-ha shrugged his shoulders.
There was no way such a proposal would work on the old-fashioned Min-ho.
But maid outfit is a word combining English and Chinese characters, why isn't butler outfit made that way?
The meeting was just boring.
Soon Eun-ha yawned while having useless thoughts.
Meanwhile, other students put forward a few opinions.
Yoo Do-jun diligently wrote their opinions on the monitor screen.
"Since it's the last cultural festival, I'd like to make a ton of profit this time. Doesn't anyone have ideas for that? It doesn't have to be novel."
It was then.
Yoo Do-jun turned on the microphone and said to the students.
Let's make a ton of money this year and use it for a grand after-party.
The students agreed.
Then─.
"─I thought of something good!"
"...Okay, Jin Pa-rang. Say it once."
Jin Pa-rang raised his hand.
Mok Min-ho sighed first before allowing him to speak.
"If it's something that can make money, of course it would be that, right?"
"What is it?"
"What else, eating money with money! How about running a casino!? What do you think, Eun-hyuk? Don't you think my idea is really good?"
"Um.... It might be okay as long as it's limited to wholesome entertainment. But hyung, if we run a casino, what job would you take?"
"Me? I don't particularly know any games, so I'd just wear a butler outfit and serve.... Then conspire with the dealer to deceive people!"
"Me! Me! Me! I recommend guys in maid outfits and girls in butler outfits! Then it would go with mine!"
"...Rejected. That's rejected too. And Ariel, I didn't give you permission to speak. Keep your mouth shut."
Saying it was wrong to trust him.
Mok Min-ho openly lamented into the microphone.
Then Jin Pa-rang caused a commotion, and Eun-hyuk sitting next to him hurriedly tried to stop him.
"Is there no plan that's more wholesome and novel.... And if possible, with high profitability?"
""""..."""""
"If not, I'll choose from the opinions that came out now."
The meeting was facing a total crisis due to Ariel and Jin Pa-rang's uproar.
Mok Min-ho rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.
"No more opinions? Then I'll decide the plan here─."
All possible opinions had come out.
If the meeting continued like this, he'd end up being carried to the infirmary.
Min-ho, who judged so, looked around and opened his mouth.
There was no one else raising their hand.
Just as Mok Min-ho was about to end the meeting─.
"─Wait."
"Okay, Jin Seo-na. Go ahead."
Jin Seo-na raised her hand.
Jin Seo-na, with her triangular ears standing straight up, stood from her seat.
"I know something innovative and highly profitable."
"What is it?"
""""..."""""
Triumphantly.
Jin Seo-na wagging her tail while clearing her throat.
She aroused students' curiosity and made them focus their attention.
"We're going to be players, and when we go out into society, we'll receive requests from people, right?"
"So?"
"Let's introduce a request system as a way to experience that in advance."
"Request system? What does that mean?"
"Listen carefully─."
Including Mok Min-ho and Eun-ha.
While friends were puzzled.
Jin Seo-na held up one finger and continued speaking.
"Simply put, we're selling ourselves. Using an auction system, we put a set number of people on stage once a day, then receive bids from people and fulfill requests from those who win the bids."
"Isn't that slave trading?"
"Slave trading? Do you think I'd suggest something like that at an academy with history and prestige?"
Yoo Do-jun expressed curiosity.
Jin Seo-na retorted to Yoo Do-jun's question with a tsk.
"Of course 19+ requests are prohibited, and people going up for auction naturally have the right to refuse requests. If that happens, we can refund the bid amount or partially refund it. If the winning bidders are bad people, instructors or we can make a separate security organization to drive them out."
"Even so, it's better to block potential controversy in advance..."
"Min-ho, you don't know because you don't know, but this is a golden opportunity for us graduating next year!"
"A golden opportunity?"
Jin Seo-na wagged her tail gently.
Eun-ha clicked his tongue at the sight of her puffing out her chest while wagging her tail.
She's buttering them up now.
The fox is preparing to lie.
She fired the loaded bullet.
"From the perspective of students who have to graduate from the academy next year and join some clan or party, we need to appeal ourselves to industry officials as much as possible. Isn't that why the comprehensive division competition is held too?"
"That's true, but..."
"The cultural festival I'm planning is similar. It'll be an opportunity to appeal ourselves to industry officials. Going on stage and showing our talents will attract people's attention, and by fulfilling requests after being bid on, our evaluations will be possible too, right?"
"It makes sense, but..."
"This is a chance! A chance! It'll be tremendously helpful for our careers."
"Hmm..."
The fox's persuasion.
Mok Min-ho had an interested attitude.
"─Okay, fine. I'll put it on the voting list for now. But we'll vote by majority and the results..."
""""Agree!!!!""""
"..."
Mok Min-ho was almost convinced.
And students trying to raise their value had been convinced long before.
They shouted in unison.
Mok Min-ho had no choice but to ask Yoo Do-jun for a vote.
Thus, the voting result─.
"─Then since it's over half, this year's cultural festival will be Seo-na's.... What's the name?"
"Slave...! No, Introducing Noh Eun-ha and Classmates! Abbreviated as Nodongso!"
"...Then we'll adopt Nodongso."
"Why is my name being mentioned?"
The vote was processed quickly.
Eun-ha, who had voted for Jin Seo-na's plan thinking it was an interesting proposal, was startled.
It felt like a bolt from the blue.
When he raised his voice and asked Jin Seo-na sitting far away─.
"─Of course we need name value, right? Eun-ha, suffer a bit for your classmates."
"I don't plan to..."
"If we're going to promote with Noh Eun-ha's name, I think it's better for Noh Eun-ha to go up on the last day. That way we can create hot public opinion, right?"
"Oh, good idea."
"No, Yoo Do-jun, Jin Seo-na. Listen to my opinion. And I'm a 3rd year so I don't have to participate unconditionally..."
"What are you saying! Noh Eun-ha is mandatory? You guys agree too, right?"
""""Please do your best!!""""
"Damn it..."
Thus.
Noh Eun-ha became a slave.
☆
At that time, Kim Min-ji's group was also having a meeting.
"─They'll probably try to decide on an innovative and novel plan anyway, so let's not rack our brains too much over one plan."
Kim Min-ji standing on the podium.
She said to the students.
The students were relieved at her words.
"I'd like you to give as many diverse opinions as possible. It doesn't have to be novel, and it's okay if it's not a highly profitable plan."
"Me."
"Okay, Su-bin. Go ahead."
Kim Min-ji encouraged the students.
Students started raising their hands one by one to give opinions.
Then Bae Su-bin raised her hand.
Kim Min-ji pointed to her.
"How about opening a fortune-telling house? I think it suits the academy."
"Fortune-telling house? Why a fortune-telling house?"
"Love fortune, job fortune.... We show some plausible magic while telling fortunes for people visiting the cultural festival."
"Hmm..., not bad. Somehow only telling good fortunes so people visiting the cultural festival can enjoy comfortably while we feel rewarded too..."
"What are you saying? What kind of fortune is that? How can there only be good results in the world?"
"Huh?"
"Of course there can't be only good fortunes. That's life. Especially for love, the younger you are, the more likely you are to break up..."
"Okay, I'll reject it."
It sounded plausible at first.
But the latter part just made her sigh.
Kim Min-ji hit the desk with the microphone while cutting off Bae Su-bin's speech.
"Any other opinions?"
"Min-ji, me."
"Okay, Eun-woo. Go ahead."
"How about taking photos of people around the academy? And also holding a photo exhibition."
"We can't all do it together, but that's good. Let's take applications for this separately. Any other opinions?"
Cha Eun-woo's opinion was accepted.
Kim Min-ji listened to other people's opinions as well.
It was then.
"─Me."
"Okay, Gu-rae. Tell us."
"How about doing face painting? I'm confident in makeup, and I know how to do face painting too."
"Hmm.... Not bad."
"It's not that hard to learn either. I can teach you guys the skills in a day. From A to Z. I'll kindly teach you one by one."
"Okay. But since this seems difficult to do all together too, I'll set it aside for now."
"Hehe, thanks."
Various opinions came out after that as well.
Jung Ha-yang typed the opinions they suggested on the monitor screen.
I wonder what Eun-ha's group is doing.
Then Ha-yang's thoughts turned to Eun-ha, who would be having a meeting in the other group.
So even she, the owner of
"Is there no one else?"
At that time, Kim Min-ji looked around.
"Ah, Kaede. Do you have anything?"
"..."
Just then, she made eye contact with Hoshimiya Kaede.
Kaede flinched.
"...No."
"Still, let me know if you have anything. Is there nothing you want to do this time?"
"Not really... nothing..."
"Well, if there's nothing, it can't be helped."
Kaede rolled her eyes.
Kim Min-ji was about to turn her gaze away when she didn't answer.
If Kang Si-hyung hadn't spoken.
"Kaede is mumbling something?"
"When did I."
"...Didn't you just say something?"
"When did I."
"S-sorry..."
Kaede immediately glared.
Kang Si-hyung was intimidated.
Meanwhile, the gazes of Min-ji and other students who were turning away all gathered on her.
"Hah..."
In the end, Kaede had no choice but to open her mouth.
"Two years ago guys did crossdressing, so how about girls do male cosplay this year? I think the response was pretty good back then."
"Ah, that's a good idea."
It sounded like she was just saying anything that came to mind.
But most students nodded at Kaede's words.
The male students who were pushed into crossdressing by female students two years ago thought they could get revenge.
On the other hand, female students didn't feel that much aversion to male cosplay.
"─Then I'll plan the cultural festival with the three that get the most votes!"
Thus, the male cosplay contest was chosen.
And Jung Ha-yang, whose mind had wandered elsewhere in the middle─.
"─Ha-yang agreed to participate in the male cosplay contest too, right?"
"Huh? When did I?"
"You said 'yes' earlier, didn't you?"
"Huh?"
"Don't you know the kids voted for the male cosplay contest because of that?"
"Huh?"
She had only intended to supervise the students participating in the cultural festival.
Before she knew it, she ended up participating in the male cosplay contest in addition to supervising.