When Masashi walked into the classroom after a long absence, the students were a bit surprised but quickly acted as if they hadn't noticed and continued with what they were doing.
"Long time no see, Masashi," Nagasaki Meiichi greeted him with a smile.
"Has anyone ever told you that your smile looks fake?" Masashi replied, crossing his legs and staring at him.
"No, you're the first. It seems Masashi still doesn't like me, which is such a shame."
"Besides men who wear cologne, I'm not fond of pretentious types, either. Since we both find each other distasteful, why pretend to be friendly? Honestly, I find it boring."
"This is basic social etiquette; how could someone as ungrateful as you understand?" Nagasaki's tone grew cold.
"While it doesn't sound pleasant, it's at least more straightforward. If you don't need anything, please leave." Masashi ignored him and pulled a novel from his bag to read.
Nagasaki was finally angered by Masashi's arrogant attitude. Clenching his fists, he snorted and walked away.
Due to the upcoming school festival, all classes in the morning were changed to self-study periods. The homeroom teacher assigned each class leader to organize students for preparations, including decorating the classrooms, rehearsing performances, and assigning roles. Since Masashi's reputation was somewhat infamous and he'd only just come back to school, the class leader didn't assign him any tasks, which suited him just fine.
Though Masashi held some resentment towards Japan because of its history of invasion, and even a lingering anger, he couldn't deny one thing: the Japanese dedication to thoroughness. Even trivial things others might overlook are often approached with an almost incomprehensible rigor. This attitude has played a significant role in Japan's post-war recovery and economic strength, achieving remarkable progress in just a decade.
Finally, the school festival began amidst the bustle.
Early the next morning, students from both schools gathered in the schoolyard to listen to speeches from both principals. To distinguish students from each school, everyone was required to wear their uniforms during the festival. On the vast schoolyard, students dressed in different colors and styles of uniforms lined up in neat rows, looking like two clusters of red and green beans.
While the principals passionately delivered their speeches, none of the students were actually listening. Instead, all eyes were on the students from the other school. It was a rare opportunity to check out all the attractive faces from another school, and no one wanted to waste the chance.
"You see that girl? She looks great. I wonder if she has a boyfriend."
"Forget it. Even if she doesn't, why would she go for us? Aim for someone a bit more realistic."
"Which one did you pick?"
"The girl standing in the second row, third from the left. She looks like a nice girl; I'm going for her."
"You mean the one with glasses? Too plain, don't you think?"
"What do you know? She's got a nice figure. Once I get her, we'll head straight to a hotel."
"That's not my type. I'm going for the beautiful one I mentioned earlier."
"Know your limits, man."
The two guys' back-and-forth was starting to annoy Masashi as he tried to read. With a cold glare, he silenced them instantly. Annoyed, Masashi decided he was no longer in the mood to read. Seeing that the principal's speeches were still going, he muttered something under his breath and slipped out of the lineup.
"Masashi, where are you going? We haven't been dismissed, so you can't just leave," the class leader immediately called after him.
"I'm going to the bathroom. Or would you prefer I put on a show here?" He didn't wait for a response and walked away.
Masashi strolled up to the rooftop of the school building, lying down in his usual spot.
Life as a high schooler was so boring. If it weren't for his mom, he wouldn't still be here. Lost in thought, he drifted off to sleep.
Sometime later, Masashi woke with a start.
"Found you! Slacking off as usual, huh? I can never seem to sneak up on you," laughed Kazumi, who had been approaching quietly.
"Not in this lifetime," Masashi grinned.
Unless he was exhausted, he had an instinctive awareness of anyone approaching within ten meters, like an animal's instinct.
"Come on, big brother. The festival's already started, and Rumi's been waiting for us."
"Is that so? Well, from up here, it just looks like a bunch of kids running little stalls," Masashi said, smiling.
"Oh, stop it, old man." Kazumi rolled her eyes.
"Oh, you're getting cheeky, aren't you?" Masashi teased, pinching her cheek.
"Stop it!" Kazumi laughed, playfully swatting his hand.
Downstairs, they found Rumi looking frustrated.
"So you really were hiding up there. We had a hard time finding you," she pouted.
Masashi looked at her and asked, "Am I seeing things, or is that really our school uniform?"
Rumi laughed, "Our class has been turned into a café, and our advisor rented these server dresses from elsewhere. What do you think?"
She twirled, the colorful embroidered hem of her dress swirling gracefully. Masashi complimented her, saying she looked especially charming in it.
Blushing, Rumi quickly looked down, unable to meet his eyes.
"Let's head to Kazumi's class for some coffee, shall we?"
Kazumi nodded, and Rumi beamed. "Thank you, Senpai! I'll go make preparations."
As Rumi left, Kazumi and Masashi strolled around. They both eyed the half-cooked squid balls and over-grilled octopus skewers at the food stalls with suspicion.
As they reached the second floor, they heard someone call Masashi's name.
Turning around, they saw a girl in a different school's uniform smiling and walking over.
"Masashi, do you remember me? I'm Yuuri Sakurako; we met at the last class reunion."
"Hello. I didn't realize you attended Yagi Private School."
"I didn't expect to run into you here, either! I spotted you during the principal's speech earlier, but I thought I might be mistaken. Are you participating in the sports event this afternoon? If so, I'll cheer for you."
"Sorry, I didn't sign up. I'm just here to look around."
Yuuri seemed disappointed but quickly perked up, asking, "So where are you headed now?"
"A friend's class set up a café, so I thought I'd drop by. Care to join us for a drink?"
"Sounds great! I could use something to drink."
"Come on, let's go," Kazumi urged, watching Yuuri closely, recognizing her interest in Masashi. Aside from Rumi, she didn't particularly welcome other girls around her brother.
They had barely walked a few steps before four people approached them from the other direction. Masashi and Kazumi recognized three of them immediately—they were the guys who'd caused trouble at the last class reunion.
It seemed there really was no escaping fate.