Chapter 2 | August 3^rd

This year, record-breaking heat continues, and the beach house “Shirahama” is thriving more than ever before.

It seems the owner couple, who temporarily hired our entire student dorm group, had some foresight, because everyone’s been frantically battling the beer and shaved ice flying off the shelves—so much so that even a major event like Ginbei’s confession nearly gets swept away by the relentless workload. This happened one night.

“We’re holding a summer festival!”

After finishing dinner and taking a break, President-san declared this loudly to all of us.

“…Huh?”

President-san being totally out of left field is nothing new, but today she seems especially fired up.

And it looks like everyone felt the same way, because when I glanced at Akiko, Nasuhara-san, Ginbei, and Arisa, they all had question marks practically floating above their heads.

Then, all at once, everyone’s eyes turned toward me.

…Alright, alright, I get it.

Looks like I’m on “President-san duty” again today, huh?

“Uh, President-san?”

“Oh, you mean me, Himenokōji Akito?”

“Summer festival—what are you talking about?”

“Come on, there’s only one thing a summer festival could mean, right?”

Sitting cross-legged smack in the middle of our six-person room, she looked around at everyone in turn.

“The sound of wind chimes, night stall vendors, festival music, Bon dancing. Fireworks, yukata, the Bon dance tower, and aokan… All these things together are what we call a summer festival in Japanese. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that.”

“No, I get that part… But, uh, didn’t something weird sneak in there just now?”

“The summer festival is the main dish of youth!”

Ignoring my comment, Nikaidō Arashi pressed on with conviction.

“You can’t finish the full course of life without savoring this! It’s a big event, so we’ve gotta tackle it with all we’ve got—body and soul!”

“I get that, but that’s not what I’m trying to say—”

“I’m in favor!”

The first to raise her hand was Akiko.

“For once, the student council president has a good idea. Indeed, a summer festival ranks among the top-tier events, and during summer break, it’s an absolute must—something we can’t possibly skip, a top-priority matter… It’s a rare good suggestion from President-san, maybe one in a hundred! There’s no way we’re not jumping on this!”

“Arisa’s in favor too!”

Next, Arisa piped up, practically snorting with excitement.

“For Arisa, you see, the festival is the only time Father and Mother let me stay up late. I can visit the stalls open late at night, join the adults to play games or chat, and do whatever I want! So, I think this is a moment I’ve been waiting for!”

“I’m in favor too!”

Then Ginbei joined in with a full-on smile.

“Come to think of it, we’ve been so swamped with part-time work lately that we haven’t had a proper break. Of course, work is the main theme of this training camp, and I don’t mean to downplay it one bit, but focusing only on that feels a bit barren for healthy teenagers. Refreshing our minds and bodies is part of the job too. Let’s stretch our wings at the festival! And, needless to say, I’d especially like to stretch my wings with Akito.”

“Hey, Ginbei-san, don’t sneak that in like it’s nothing. The one who gets to have fun with Onii-chan isn’t you—it’s me!”

“Heh, as expected, you couldn’t stay quiet, huh, Akiko-san? Sorry, but there’s no room for you here. The summer festival event should prioritize a man and woman with a future ahead of them, and as Akito’s real sister, you ought to step back.”

“No way, that’s not happening! As the sister who loves her Onii-chan, I insist it’s my right to go on a summer festival date with him first and claim both his body and heart—that’s the proper route, and I won’t hesitate to say it!”

“No, if you really love your brother, shouldn’t you step aside to keep Akito from straying off the right path?”

“I’ll pass on that kind of logic, thanks! Besides, Ginbei-san, didn’t you just go on a date with Onii-chan not long ago? As a reward for becoming the nursing champion, at the amusement park! Trying to hog Onii-chan back-to-back is unfair!”

“That was before I confessed to Akito. So it doesn’t count.”

“That excuse doesn’t fly!”

“Um, Arisa also wants to go on a summer festival date with Akito-niisama, Akiko-neesama.”

“Arisa-chan! Don’t butt in and make things more complicated!”

“B-But, since Arisa and Akito-niisama aren’t related by blood, I think I should get priority over Akiko-neesama. Right, Ginbei-neesama?”

“Hmm. Well, that’s a fair point. As someone who likes Akito, I’d love to date him myself. But as his best friend, I also have a duty to keep him from straying. Considering that, supporting Arisa-san over Akiko-san seems reasonable. …So how about it, Arisa-san? Shall we team up and work together to stop Akiko-san from heading down the path of incest?”

“Yes, Ginbei-neesama! Let’s do our best together to guide Akiko-neesama back to the right path!”

“Mmm, it seems an anti-me encirclement has formed without me noticing…! But if you think that’ll break my spirit, you’re dead wrong! After all, it was just recently confirmed that Onii-chan and I are bound by a special bond!”

“Hm? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Heh heh heh. It’s a corporate secret!”

“Hmm. But if we’re talking special bonds, Akito and I have that too. Best friends and lovers at the same time—there’s hardly a more wonderful relationship in the world.”

“Wait a sec!? I’ll let the first part slide, but the second one I can’t ignore! Don’t talk like it’s a done deal!”

“Um, if we’re talking special relationships, then Arisa also—”

“Kah kah kah! Nice, I love the energy!”

Timing her interruption perfectly as the argument heated up, President-san clapped her hands and nodded enthusiastically.

“As expected of my adorable subordinates—things move fast, and that’s a big help. So, we’re basically agreed on this, right?”

“Hold on a moment.”

And then.

Nasuhara-san, who’d been silent until now, raised her hand.

“I have one question.”

“Go ahead. Spill it.”

“You said at the start that we’re ‘holding a summer festival,’ right, President-san?”

“Yep. Sure did.”

“That phrasing raises a question for me. Why did you choose such an odd way of putting it? If you just meant enjoying a summer festival, you could’ve said so normally—so why the unnatural expression? I’d like to hear your reasoning.”

…Huh?

I hadn’t even noticed, but now that she mentions it, yeah, she did say that. I was so caught up in how random it sounded that it flew right past me.

But now that it’s pointed out, it does feel off. It’s not like her Japanese grades are bad or anything, so there’s probably some intent behind it. This is Nikaidō Arashi we’re talking about, after all.

“Kukuku. Nice catch, Vice President—you spotted that, huh?”

Sure enough, President-san narrowed her eyes with a sly chuckle.

“That’s right. I said we’re ‘holding a summer festival.’ Normally, you’d say ‘going to a summer festival’ or ‘checking out a summer festival,’ right? —Hey, Himenokōji Akito.”

“Yes?”

“Why do you think I phrased it that way? Or maybe, what’s the difference between those expressions?”

I thought it over, even though she was being awfully dramatic about it.

“Uh, I’m not sure if this is right, but…”

“Go on. Say it.”

“In modern literature terms, is it the difference between passive and active?”

“Bingo! That’s exactly it!”

President-san flung her arms wide, belting out her words like an opera singer.

“I’m a festival junkie, you see—anything with ‘festival’ in the name gets my heart racing. Especially summer festivals—just the sound of it makes me giddy. Fact is, I’ve never missed a summer festival since I was old enough to remember.”

“Oh. Is that so?”

“But this Nikaidō Arashi has always felt something was missing. Festivals aren’t just about enjoying them—wouldn’t it be pretty cool to be on the side making them fun too?”

“Uh, really? I’m not exactly a festival guy, so I don’t quite get it.”

“It’s not complicated. Think of it like a light novel reader admiring the author—it’s the same structure.”

“Uh, I don’t read light novels, so I still don’t get it. Also, that’s a weirdly specific example.”

It’s a little surprising, but maybe President-san’s into that stuff? It’d explain the chuuni vibe with the eyepatch.

Anyway, I’m starting to see the gist of it.

“Uh, hold on, something about what you just said bugs me.”

“Go ahead. Spit it out.”

“You said ‘the side making it fun.’ Does that mean instead of being festival guests, we’d be the ones hyping it up?”

“As expected of Himenokōji Akito! Big fat correct!”

Flashing a grin with gleaming white teeth, President-san gave me a thumbs-up.

“This time, we’re setting up a stall at the summer festival happening around here! Let’s get pumped and make it a blast!”

“…Huh?”

President-san explained it to us as we blinked in confusion.

According to her, the offer came from the “Shirahama” owner couple.

Seeing how hard we worked at the beach house, the couple felt unprecedented success and planned to boost this summer’s profits even more by opening a “Shirahama” branch stall at the festival. Since this isn’t part of our original hiring terms, they’re apparently offering extra pay for it too.

“So, what do you think? Worth a shot, right?”

President-san leaned forward.

“Being on the stall side lets us peek behind the festival curtain—it’s perfect for some real-world experience. Plus, our job is to boost ‘Shirahama’s’ sales, so if there’s a chance to earn more, we’d be dumb not to take it. And above all, it’s a request from the couple who’ve taken care of us—turning it down would be bad karma.”

“We’re just part-timers, though. Short-term summer ones at that.”

Sighing in exasperation, I thought it over a bit.

“What about ‘Shirahama’s’ operations? Won’t it be tough if we all ditch the beach house?”

“No worries there. Saeki-sensei and Jinno-san will pitch in, and they’ve got other help lined up, so it’ll work out somehow.”

“What about the stall’s menu? Same vibe as ‘Shirahama’?”

“They’re leaving that up to us. We can stick to the beach house menu, come up with something new, or even do non-food stuff if we want.”

“Setting up a stall needs equipment and permits, right? What about that?”

“No need to sweat it. The couple and I will handle the nitty-gritty. I’m the one who brought it up, after all.”

President-san smoothly answered every question I threw at her.

At this rate, huh. She’s probably already got countermeasures for anything I could think of. Which means letting this flow naturally might lock us into running the stall as a done deal…?

Hmm, what to do—I glanced around.

Akiko had a “As long as Onii-chan’s fine with it, I’m good either way” look.

Ginbei had a “President-san’s at it again with something weird” look, staying on the sidelines.

Arisa had a “Both Akito-niisama and President-neesama have a point” look, clearly torn.

“I think it’s fine.”

And then.

Nasuhara-san, the only one whose expression I couldn’t read, spoke up calmly.

“If there’s an offer like that, I see no reason to refuse. Taking it on confidently and doing the job properly is our duty.”

“Hell yeah! That’s my Vice President!”

President-san clapped her hands, looking like she’d found a kindred spirit.

Meanwhile, Nasuhara-san stayed cool as ever.

“It’ll demand more than the beach house part-time work, and that’ll better fulfill the training camp’s goals. It’ll be a good experience too—honestly, it’s a role worth begging for.”

“Yep, yep. You get it, huh!”

“Getting to see the summer festival from the inside is nice too. Just enjoying it normally is fine, but actively shaping it ourselves—that’s a different kind of thrill, don’t you think?”

“Man, exactly! Your insight’s top-notch, Vice President—I’m impressed, even as your boss!”

President-san looked downright delighted at the eloquent explanation.

Akiko, Ginbei, and Arisa also seemed to warm up to it, their vibes shifting to “If that’s the case.”

“By the way, I can already see a vision of success.”

“Oh? That’s big talk!”

President-san leaned in closer.

“Not only do you get my intent, but you’ve thought that far ahead? Man, that makes me happy!”

“Basically, we just need to use every trick in the book to make the stall a hit and draw a crowd, right?”

Nasuhara-san kept her poker face steady.

“A festival needs energy, and energy comes from gathering as many people as possible. I’ve already got a rough plan to make that happen—success is practically guaranteed at this point.”

“Oh, oh, oh, that’s some confidence! If you’re that sure, you must have a killer ace up your sleeve!”

“Heh, obviously. Who do you think I am?”

“Alright, alright, then let’s hear it! What’s the root of your confidence? What are you planning to pull off at our stall?”

“Heh, fine. Listen closely.”

Nasuhara-san lifted the corner of her mouth by a single millimeter.

“The secret to making the summer festival a smashing success is—”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Setting up the debut stage for the comedy duo ‘Ana and Akki,’ formed by me and Akki, right at our festival stall.”

“O-Oh…?”

“Hehe, I can practically see it now.”

With her expression blank but her eyes sparkling oddly, she continued.

“Me and Akki performing our best material, making the crowd laugh so hard their stomachs twist. That’ll be our big break, and we’ll go down in history as a legendary comedy duo—I’d bet on it, the show will be unforgettable. Naturally, the stall will be packed with customers, a guaranteed hit. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.”

“Uh…”

President-san trailed off awkwardly.

Akiko, Ginbei, Arisa, and of course me too—we all just exchanged looks at this wildly unexpected curveball.

“—So, that’s the plan!”

Oh.

President-san totally ignored it.

“You guys, we’re cool with the summer festival thing, right!? Himenokōji Akiko, what about you!?”

“Uh, well, yeah, maybe? If that’s how it is, I guess that’s the flow we’re going with, right?”

“Gin-Gin, you!?”

“U-Uh, sure, why not? This kind of planning gig is perfect for sharpening business skills.”

“Takanomiya Arisa!?”

“Y-Yes, I think it’s a great idea. We owe a lot to ‘Shirahama’s’ uncle and auntie, so I’d love to help repay them!”

“Himenokōji Akito, you!?”

“Of course, no objections here. There’s that saying, ‘To see justice and not act is to lack courage,’ so I’ll do my part!”

“Alright, it’s settled!”

Clenching her fist, President-san declared triumphantly.

While pointedly avoiding looking at Nasuhara-san.

“We’ll hash out the details later, but for now, let’s pour our all into making this stall a roaring success! Countin’ on you guys!”

◆◆◆

—And that’s how it went down.

Only Nasuhara-san, left out in the cold, pursed her lips three millimeters to show her displeasure. But the air-readers among us banded together to keep the blonde Vice President from causing more chaos. It’s always hard to tell if she’s serious or joking…

Anyway.

Her comment ended up being the final push, setting the course for the latter half of our summer break—that much is certain.

In a situation where President-san’s proposal lacked direction, Nasuhara-san might’ve been our savior in a weird way.

…Yeah.

At the time, it didn’t even cross my mind.

That Nasuhara-san’s hard-to-read comment—whether serious or a gag—was dead serious.

And that our makeshift comedy duo would actually end up on stage—man, you really never know what’s around the corner, huh? One inch ahead is darkness, or like the old saying about the old man and the horse. The world’s full of surprises.