Thursday morning began with tension.
Not the loud, dramatic kind—but the quiet type, like the air before a summer storm. Everyone at Qingchen High felt it. Something was brewing.
Leo felt it most of all when he walked into homeroom and saw Rin, Yuki, and Hana sitting in the same row.
Together.
Which they never did.
Ever.
Rin was reading a novel, Yuki was messing with her phone, and Hana was tapping a pencil against her notebook like it owed her money.
Kai whispered beside him, "Did you finally break the timeline?"
"I don't know what happened," Leo murmured back. "But I don't like it."
---
It all started the day before, when the school announced the annual Cultural Festival Planning Committee. Each class could nominate two students to help design and coordinate their class booth and activities.
Leo hadn't volunteered.
Naturally, he was selected.
By a unanimous vote.
With enthusiastic cheers from several corners.
Especially from Rin, who spoke up in her soft voice: "He's responsible."
And from Yuki, who added through the PA system: "He's famous now. He'll attract customers."
And Hana, who crossed her arms and said, "He owes me. I carried him around the track like a sack of wet potatoes."
Leo had died internally three times that day.
And now… here they all were.
---
Planning started in the student council room.
It was… tense.
The other committee members, sensing danger, slowly migrated to the corners, leaving Leo and the three girls in the middle of the room like the center of a social black hole.
"So," Leo said carefully, "our class needs a theme for the booth."
Yuki beamed. "Let's do a haunted house! I can dress as a ghost bride."
Hana raised an eyebrow. "We'll lose half the customers if you scream in their faces."
Rin spoke without looking up from her notebook. "A traditional tea café would be calmer. And easier to organize."
"Boooring," Yuki said.
"It doesn't require costumes," Rin replied.
"That's the boring part."
"Not everyone wants to wear fishnet stockings and face paint."
"Not yet," Yuki grinned.
Leo cleared his throat. "Okay. Let's brainstorm. We could also do a photo booth, or a game stall."
"Game stall sounds fun," Hana said. "I'll manage the throwing game. Anyone misses, I get to hit them with a foam hammer."
"That's not… quite how it works."
"You sure?"
Leo nodded slowly. "Unfortunately."
---
After an hour of debating, posturing, and mild threat displays, they settled on a concept:
A combination café with mini-games and a photo corner.
Something for everyone. Tea for Rin. Chaos for Yuki. Competition for Hana.
And stress for Leo.
---
The next few days were a blur of after-class meetings. Leo had somehow become the default team manager. Yuki designed the flyers (with far too much glitter). Rin managed the schedule (down to the minute). Hana was in charge of construction (and nearly broke two desks with her hammer).
One day, as they were decorating the hallway, Leo stood on a stool pinning a paper lantern when Rin suddenly held it steady for him.
"You're going to fall," she murmured.
"I'm fine."
"You say that. Then you fall."
He glanced down. "You're worrying again."
"I always worry."
There was something in her voice. Not annoyance. Something softer.
Later that same day, Yuki cornered him by the supply closet.
"You're too nice to her," she said.
"To who?"
"You know who. The quiet storm cloud."
Leo blinked. "She was helping."
Yuki pouted. "Whatever. I'm just saying, you better be this nice to all your girls."
"I don't have girls."
"Liar. Your hair's too good for you not to."
Leo sighed.
Then—during cleanup—Hana tossed him a cold drink and said, "Don't let them bully you."
"I think I'm already bullied."
She smirked. "Yeah. But you handle it well."
Leo looked around at the glitter-strewn room, the chaos of paints and posters and clashing personalities.
He exhaled.
Maybe this was what having a life looked like.