The School Festival is just around the corner. My class is pretty much ready now. How about yours?

Sigh... We really gotta buckle down to get ready in time.

So we won't be able to practice together until the festival's over?

Yup.

Well, it's a special school event.

We should participate and help out.

By the way, can you come to the festival, Kohane? It'd be awesome to see everything together!

Um, it's in two weeks, right? I'm going on a trip with my family that weekend...

Aww, man...

But the festival goes all the way into the night, so you can drop by anytime and I'll show you around!

Okay! I don't think you told me yet what your class is doing for the festival.

Just your standard cafe, but we're gonna have really fancy decor so you gotta check it out!

Yeah, cool! How about you, Shinonome, Aoyagi?

We're doing a haunted house.

But well, that is a shame...

Huh?

I wish you could come. I'd even put in the effort to scare you out of your wits.

Whaaat?! No, no... Th-That's okay...!

I thought you were just the receptionist, Akito?

Yeah, but I can tell the monster team what to do.

Wanna come test your courage?

It's supposed to be pretty scary.

M-Me?! Uh... Sorry, but I'll be too busy with my class and seeing everything else so... Pass!

S-So what are you guys doing, Toya?

A cotton candy stall. We'll have a few different types too, and it'll probably be fun just to see them all.

Different types of cotton candy?

Like different colors?

Let me show you a picture I took earlier.

We're making ones like this for example.

Oh, wow! An, look at that!

That's really amazing!

Hmm? What, is this for real?

It's a teddy bear! That's so cute!

That's really well made.

Wait, you really made those?

Yeah. It's surprisingly easy.

You just follow the instructions.

We can also make bunnies and unicorns.

All of my classmates really liked them too.

Hmph. So you're busy getting a stall ready for the event like a real student.

Well, he's always taken school seriously.

But you're helping with your class' thing too, Akito.

Only during lunch breaks or when I don't have work.

Same here. I'm too busy with my dad's cafe, so I haven't had much time to help out with our class' cafe.

Right...

In my case, I think getting into it because I'm just trying to make up for lost time.

...

What do you mean?

Oh. Until now, I never really got to participate in many school events.

I think it's more like, You weren't allowed to...

What?!

Why couldn't you...?

My parents wouldn't let me. They wanted me to practice the piano rather than waste time on stuff like this.

They always made me spend my weekends playing the piano too. In my dad's mind, school events only got in the way of practice.

My mom was paranoid about me getting hurt and not being able to become a pianist... She even banned me from playing any ball sports.

She wouldn't let me go on outings, camping or even school trips.

That's crazy...

My parents kept telling me I had to practice every single day, or I'd lose all of my progress.

It's like the drivel you hear with sports clubs, like it takes three days to make up for one missed day of training...

Anyway, I don't have to live like that anymore.

I'm taking part in the School Festival this time.

Yeah. That's great...!

It is. That means you have to get as much out of this festival as you can, Toya!

I'll definitely stop by your stall!

I'll bring some friends too!

Yeah. That'll be nice.

Sooo, can I get a buddy discount?

...

Okay. I'll think about it.