103. Then, the School Festival of Resolve. (7)

Time flows on incessantly. As the school festival approaches, the once austere school building has become draped in colorful banners. The notice boards, previously occupied by mid-term examination rankings, are now covered in various promotional slogans for the festival and posters crafted by different classes and clubs.

Due to the requirements of the school festival committee, Tsukigami Yue—who had previously been a solitary student—finds himself being approached frequently on his way to school, most notably by first-year students. It is not exactly a nuisance, yet Tsukigami cannot quickly grow accustomed to this change. Accepting it too readily would leave him with the absurd feeling that his worldview had shifted. To put it simply, it would confirm that the previous version of Tsukigami Yue was nothing more than an insufferable fool plagued by excessive self-consciousness.

Regardless, Tsukigami has no intention of remaining isolated from everyone as he once did, nor does he feel the need to reject their overtures; he even responds proactively on occasion. There is no particular reason for this; he simply feels that this is what he ought to do, or perhaps, it is what he truly wants to do. High school boys are fickle creatures; even their personal preferences can change over the most trivial matters. This principle applies to everyone, and Tsukigami Yue is no exception.

During this morning's homeroom, the students discussed the class uniform, and Sakura Sakurakoji, acting as the festival committee representative, recorded each student's size. Had it been anyone else, Tsukigami feels he likely would have been overlooked, left to stand out in his regular uniform while all his classmates wore matching outfits on the day of the festival. While such a scene would not have devastated him, it certainly would not have been a fond high school memory. However, Sakura Sakurakoji is clearly not the type to do such a thing; it was impossible for her to forget him.

As for Tsukigami Yue’s current standing in the class, it remains somewhat ambiguous. First, one must establish that not everyone dislikes him. Even if he is a rumored philanderer, a man branded as the absolute scum of the earth, the logic remains simple: in this country, the standard operating procedure for high schoolers is to dislike or shun those deemed "sinful" because they are unable to make independent judgments and are instead consumed by the prevailing atmosphere. If everyone else is shunning someone, one must follow suit, or risk becoming the outcast oneself. It is the easiest and most convenient path. But once the number of people holding that view shifts, their conviction falters; once the proportions become balanced, they find themselves feeling that, ultimately, it makes no difference either way.

It is what one might call "not my problem." Tsukigami Yue is currently at that stage: he is neither popular enough to be showered with constant flattery, nor is he detested by the entire class to the point of being treated as invisible. When it comes down to it, they are not the victims; only those who had their hearts broken by Tsukigami harbor true resentment toward him. Compared to the outcasts in literature who are genuinely treated as freaks, Tsukigami has one advantage: he is remarkably handsome. That alone is enough to make the girls willing to interact with him, provided he does not harbor that subconscious "keep your distance" attitude he once held. For a time, that thought had been his guiding principle—the belief that anyone who got involved with him would only meet misfortune. Those who did not know him merely saw his behavior as arrogance—arrogance born of his beauty, his intelligence, and his uniqueness. Naturally, it was only expected that a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old would be disliked for such traits. Once Tsukigami cast aside that arrogance that sought to distance himself from others and began to accept himself as an ordinary high schooler, his transformation came naturally.

During lunch, Tsukigami sat alone in the back row by the window, staring blankly at the sky. It wasn't long before Sakura Sakurakoji walked over with a stack of documents to speak with him. With the festival drawing near, she had been using "festival committee work" as a pretext to chat with him during lunch. It must be said that this excuse is incredibly convenient; by now, the rest of the class has grown accustomed to their interactions. A month ago, Tsukigami could never have imagined speaking openly with Sakura in the classroom. A few boys, feeling uneasy, would pretend not to care while straining their ears, only to find that the two were indeed talking about festival business. Though they found it hard to believe, they had no choice but to accept it. Thanks to Sakura, Tsukigami’s reputation in Class 2-A has improved by a negligible, yet present, degree.

"Sakurakoji-san, Hasebe-sensei wants to see you in the faculty office."

During lunch, Tsukigami and Sakura were sitting face-to-face, discussing the promotional materials for the festival spread across their desks. The other students in the class were well-acquainted with this sight; if anything, the blatant openness of their interactions had started to make the others look forward to this year's festival. As the front door opened and a girl called out Sakura’s name, she replied, "Understood, thank you."

Tsukigami looked at her, puzzled. "What's that about?"

"Heaven knows. Perhaps it's about the arts and sciences streaming," the girl replied with a shrug, looking entirely unconcerned.

"You haven't submitted yours yet?"

"Nope. Not just that, my career preference survey is still stuffed in my drawer."

Tsukigami had nothing to say. He personally felt that one could just scribble anything on those forms—or, if desperate, draw a bear on it—and it would likely pass. Probably.

"You wrote that you're planning to go to university, right?"

"I suppose that’s what I wrote," Tsukigami nodded.

"Then I'll just write that too. Hasebe is such a pain."

To say "then" so casually—my childhood friend is quite the delinquent. Tsukigami thought to himself. Sakura stood up reluctantly, returned to her desk, pulled out a crumpled sheet of A4 paper, and left the classroom unwillingly.

Before long, a third-year senior appeared at the doorway. Her magnificent, azure-colored hair immediately drew the eyes of most of the boys. With an elegant smile playing on her lips, she looked toward the boy in the back row, then turned to the student sitting near the door.

"Excuse me, could you please call that boy over there who is busy acting so deep? Yes, just tell him I’ve come to invite him to lunch."