Chapter 6
835words
The very phrase "Cultural Festival" translates to "crowds," "noise," and "forced social interaction"—each element precisely targeting my personal hell. For me, it's nothing short of a multi-day public torture session.
When our class president enthusiastically announced, "This year's cultural festival theme is—Butler and Maid Café!" I "heard" the mental explosion of hormone-fueled fantasies from every boy, alongside the girls' conflicted thoughts ranging from "Ugh, what a pain" to "But those outfits could be cute."
As for me, I just wanted to fake terminal illness and leave the solar system.
"Ayashiro-kun, you..." The class president gave me a concerned look, clearly recalling rumors about my "delicate health."
"I'll just handle dishwashing in the back," I quickly volunteered, aiming for the most invisible role possible.
"Absolutely not, Ai-kun!" An energetic voice cut in. My childhood friend Sato Yui, clutching a thick planning binder, eyes sparkling with determination. "It would be criminal to waste your looks! You're our secret weapon for attracting customers!"
"Please, just kill me now..." I groaned in despair.
"Request denied. Sato-san's proposal has strategic merit." A cold voice interjected. Kurosawa Rin.
She sat beside me, face impassive, but her words chilled me to the bone.
Every eye in class instantly locked onto us.
"Kurosawa-san agrees?" The class rep asked excitedly.
"Affirmative." Rin stood, her model-worthy figure commanding attention. "Based on objective assessment, leveraging Ayashiro Ai's aesthetic assets will maximize our class project's revenue potential, aligning with collective interests."
She paused, then added: "Additionally, butler duties are performed indoors within a fixed operational radius, facilitating comprehensive surveillance. This represents the optimal solution."
...Did you seriously just announce your surveillance mission out loud?!
The class stared at her with expressions that screamed "No idea what that means but it sounds smart."
"Then... what about you, Kurosawa?"
"I decline," Rin stated flatly. "My function is security, not participation in recreational activities."
Talk about a blatant double standard!
Why am I being thrown to the wolves while you get to watch from the sidelines?!
"Objection overruled," she responded to my mental protest. "Your participation serves mission parameters. My non-participation equally serves mission parameters. These positions are not contradictory."
In the end, between Yui's relentless enthusiasm and Rin's cold "logical analysis," I was doomed to butler duty.
I could already envision myself in some cheap rental tuxedo, spouting cringe-worthy lines to customers before collapsing from mental overload.
Cultural festival preparations kicked into high gear.
The back half of our classroom transformed into a makeshift café, boys hauling furniture while girls crafted decorations and costumes. The room buzzed with excitement and—to my sensitive mind—ear-splitting mental noise.
I hid in a corner, pretending to sand a wooden sign while actually focusing on mental self-defense.
Rin stood directly beside me, like a prison guard, meticulously watching the sandpaper in my hand.
"Seriously... couldn't you go micromanage someone else?" I muttered.
"My task is to ensure your safety," she replied. "Woodworking implements are classified as potential weapons, necessitating proximity monitoring."
Then don't just stand there staring!
Just as I was about to protest, that familiar icy malice stabbed into my consciousness without warning.
"Target confirmed... cultural festival... optimal opportunity... eliminate all obstacles..."
I froze mid-motion, cold sweat instantly drenching my back.
The Ouroboros Consortium—again!
The sensation matched what I felt in the library, but now the malice felt stronger and more... widespread?
"What's wrong?" Rin instantly detected my reaction, her eyes sharpening to razor focus.
"They're... back..." I whispered. "Here in the school. I can feel them."
Rin's gaze snapped to the window. Outside, students bustled about setting up festival booths, a chaotic scene of activity.
"Can you pinpoint location and quantity?" she asked through mental transmission.
I closed my eyes, straining to isolate the malicious thoughts.
"It's too chaotic..." My head throbbed painfully. "Too many people, too much mental noise... I can only tell there are several of them... planning something..."
"Calm down, Ayashiro Ai." Rin's voice cut through like an anchor. "Narrow your sensing range. Focus exclusively on malice signatures. Filter all extraneous data."
I took a deep breath and followed her instructions.
The visual world faded, ambient noise receded. My consciousness seemed to float above the campus.
And then I "saw" them.
Several dark nodes pulsing with cold intent, like viral infections within the school's busy organism.
One on the main building's roof, another in the sports equipment shed, a third... blending with workers assembling the stage.
"Three... at least three..." I reported shakily. "Not students. They're... mapping the location?"
Rin's expression hardened to ice.
"Ouroboros operatives never conduct reconnaissance without purpose. They will strike during the festival," she concluded.
"You are their objective, Ayashiro Ai. The festival's crowds and chaos provide optimal cover for extraction or elimination operations."
A chill shot down my spine.
When our class chose the butler café theme, I thought that was my personal hell.
Now I realized the true hell was yet to come on festival day.
