Chapter 78 - Toward the Culture Festival
For once—or rather, for the first time—I walk to school together with Reo, chatting casually as we go.
Apparently, Mashiro’s class, the neighboring Class 1, has been working hard in preparation for the culture festival. Word has gotten around, and now our class is starting to wonder if we should begin planning too.
It seems Fusekawa Raito is stepping up as the class representative, showing some real motivation. He’s planning to gather all the classmates during lunch break today to discuss what theme we should go with.
“Mashiro-san’s class is doing a maid café, right? That’s bound to be popular. I mean, it’s a rare chance to see Mashiro-san in a maid outfit.”
“I’ll be honest, I want to see that too. Mashiro’s really fired up about it—she’s determined to make a high-quality maid costume, and her enthusiasm is off the charts.”
“I heard Mashiro-san’s good at sewing too. She’s great at cooking, kind, and on top of that, super cute. Ryusuke’s childhood friend is seriously amazing.”
Reo crosses his arms and nods repeatedly, clearly impressed. Hearing Mashiro praised like that somehow makes me feel happy too.
If Mashiro had overheard this conversation, she’d probably be blushing furiously right now. But with Reo, there’s no sarcasm at all—his compliments are so sincere it’s almost ticklish.
As we continue our lighthearted talk, the school gate comes into view before we know it. Students in uniform stream into the building one after another. Reo pauses for a moment and turns back to me.
“I’m gonna head over to the gym for a bit. I skipped morning practice today, but I want to at least say hi.”
“Got it. Thanks for coming to check on me today.”
“No big deal. Anyway, I’m glad your cold’s better. See you in class.”
Reo waves lightly and heads off toward the gym.
Even just walking, his bright smile and graceful demeanor exude elegance, and the girls around us are completely captivated.
Mai was surprised by how handsome Reo is too, and honestly, I think he’s one of the coolest characters in Fusekoi.
He’s got a great personality and a refreshing vibe. Just imagining enjoying the culture festival together with Reo makes me smile.
But the problem is, in the original story, the culture festival is the event where the villain, Shindo Ryusuke, starts making serious moves.
So while I’m excited, I can’t help but feel a little uneasy as I head to the classroom alone.
***
“Hey hey, Raito-kun. What do you want to do for the culture festival?”
“If we’re thinking about popularity, food-related stuff is probably best. Class 1’s doing a maid café, so we should avoid overlapping. In that case, I think we should focus on the kind of food we serve to draw people in.”
“Hmmm… Raito-kun’s opinion is really helpful.”
Lunch break.
While waiting for all the classmates to gather, Fusekawa Raito discusses the culture festival plans with Hanasaki Yuna.
Hanasaki Yuna and Fusekawa Raito.
These two volunteered to be the coordinators for our Class 2’s culture festival, so they’re holding a preliminary planning meeting like this.
I imagine our classmates have all sorts of ideas—some want to do a haunted house, others prefer a simple flea market, and some just want to enjoy free time to check out other classes’ events, so they’re fine with a basic exhibit.
Coordinating all that is tough, and getting your own idea approved isn’t easy. But if you step up as a coordinator and skillfully guide the class’s opinions, you might just get to enjoy the festival doing what you want.
If things go according to the original story, Raito’s proposal for a “sweets café” will win everyone over, and the class will dive into preparations. Raito will take the lead and rally the class forward.
Originally, Shindo Ryusuke would start interfering as the villain, trying to sabotage the protagonist’s efforts with the sweets café. But now, I think I’m actually the most cooperative person when it comes to making the sweets café a success.
I’ve got a scary face that makes students flinch with just a slight furrow of my brow, but despite appearances, I love making sweets. In my previous life, I worked part-time at a café, and I’m confident I can serve up top-tier desserts that’ll look great on social media. Of course, I’ve got the customer service skills from that job too.
More than anything, the culture festival in Fusekoi was a dazzling, lively event that students dream of. Now that I’ve reincarnated into this world, I can actually experience that magical day for real.
There’s no way I’d ruin that. I want to weave radiant memories of youth together with the people I care about.
I’m so excited for the discussion to start that I’m practically bouncing, and as Raito and Yuna continue talking about the festival, Raito gives me a curious look.
But there’s one thing that worries me.
It’s the heroine, Himeno Karen—something’s off about her.
In the original story, she volunteers alongside Raito to be a coordinator, but now she’s just sitting at her desk, staring blankly out the window without saying a word. Normally, she’d be eager to join the discussion, but there’s no sign of that at all.
Maybe the beach volleyball incident during summer break is still weighing on her. It feels like there’s a distance between the protagonist and the heroine.
And Raito’s the protagonist—what’s he doing ignoring the heroine? I get that it’s awkward since it’s his own fault, but still, I wish he’d be kinder to her.
As I worry about Himeno Karen, the classmates finally finish gathering.
Reo returns to the classroom and walks over to Raito’s desk, giving him a quick “Good luck with leading the discussion today,” fulfilling his role as the protagonist’s best friend character perfectly.
Then Raito stands up from his seat, walks to the front of the blackboard, and looks around at the classmates.
And so, the discussion for the culture festival begins.