The school courtyard was bustling with activity, students roaming from one end to the other as preparations for the Midori Yama High Cultural Festival kicked into full gear. Posters hung from windows, banners were being painted, and the excited chatter of students echoed across the grounds.
In contrast to the bustling preparations for the cultural festival, Kaito Fujimoto sat in the shade of a large tree, headphones around his neck and his eyes closed, like he hadn't a care in the world.
While students moved from place to place, setting up stalls and arranging decorations, Kaito remained unmoved, arms behind his head, content with watching the chaos. A few of his classmates occasionally glared at him with questioning looks, wondering why he wasn't contributing. But they didn't ask. They knew better by now.
Kaito is a well-known figure in the school, a brilliant mind who rarely ever puts in more effort than necessary. He coasted through exams with no study, solved problems that others found impossible, and still managed to charm his way out of most responsibilities. His attitude toward the cultural festival was no different. While everyone else is working hard to make it perfect, Kaito was observing from the sidelines.
"Are you seriously just going to sit there all day?" Aoi's voice cut through the lazy afternoon air.
Kaito opened his eyes to see Aoi standing over him, arms crossed, a playful grin on her face.
"Why aren't you helping with the festival preparations? We need someone to handle the tech stuff."
"Eh, it's not my thing," Kaito says, rolling over. He stretched out lazily and said, "Still, pretty much, I have done my part."
Aoi raised an eyebrow. "Your part? I don't remember seeing you lift a finger since this whole festival started."
Kaito chuckled, pulling his headphones off his neck and letting them rest around his shoulders. "That's because you're not paying attention. I handled all the sound system wiring yesterday. Everything's set up. Easy."
Aoi stared at him for a moment, half-impressed, half-annoyed. She had to admit, the sound system looked flawless, and knowing Kaito, he probably set it up in record time with minimal effort. Still, it bugged her that he was roaming lazily around while everyone else was working hard.
"We could use your help with the stage setup. Or, you know, anything.", says Aoi.
Kaito shrugged, clearly not in any rush to move. "I could help… but everyone seems to have it under control. Why ruin their flow?"
Aoi sighed, annoyed. "You're impossible."
She turned to walk away, but then paused, a thought crossing her mind. If there was one thing Aoi knew about Kaito, it was that he didn't like putting in effort unless there was something in it for him.
"You know," she said, glancing back at him, "the faster we finish setting up, the more time we'll have to chill. Maybe you will be able to even play a few rounds of that game you're obsessed with."
Kaito's eyes said with interest. "Now we're talking."
He sat up, stretching his arms above his head. "Alright, alright. I guess I can lend a hand. Just don't expect me to do anything too heavy."
Aoi smiled and said, "Deal."
As they headed toward the stage, where a group of students were struggling to set up some of the larger pieces of some equipment, Kaito couldn't help but notice the mess they were making. With a lazy sigh, Kaito realized that if he didn't step in, they'd probably spend hours trying to fix it.
"Alright, step aside," Kaito said, taking a look at the setup with his sharp, analytical eye. "This isn't going to work."
The other students exchanged glances, not sure whether to be relieved or annoyed that Kaito was finally going to help. But only Aoi knew. Kaito had a way of fixing things in minutes that would take others hours to figure out.
With a few simple instructions, Kaito quickly directed the team on how to adjust the beams and secure the spotlights properly. His voice was calm, and detached, like he was solving a puzzle rather than handling a physical task. Within minutes, the stage was stable, the equipment properly arranged, and the whole setup looked professional.
"See?" Kaito said with a lazy grin. "Simple."
Aoi shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You really are a genius when you feel like it."
"Eh," Kaito shrugged again, clearly unbothered by the compliment. "I just don't see the point in making things harder than they need to be."
As the rest of the team continued setting up the rest of the work, Kaito leaned back against the side of the stage, looking like he was ready to retreat back to his laziness. But something stopped him, he glanced over at Aoi, who had gotten back to painting, carefully working on one of the festival banners.
For some reason, watching her work so diligently made him pause. Despite his usual laid-back attitude, he couldn't help but admire Aoi's determination. She wasn't the type to let things slide or take shortcuts, and in a strange way, that made him want to contribute—if only a little.
"Hey," Kaito called out to her, making Aoi glance up from her brush. "Want me to do the lettering on that? My handwriting's decent, you know."
Aoi blinked in surprise. "You? Offering to help? What's the catch?"
"No catch. Just figured I'd save you some time. Plus, it'll look better than you trying to freehand it."
Aoi smirked. "Fair. Alright, go for it."
Kaito walked over, casually taking the brush from her hand and kneeling down in front of the banner. His strokes were quick and precise, the letters forming perfectly with minimum effort. Aoi watched him work, a little envious of how easily everything seemed to come to him.
"You know," she said after a moment, "if you actually put in effort more often, you'd be unstoppable."
Kaito smiled, not looking up from his work. "Yeah, but then life wouldn't be fun."
To be continued...