[AFTERNOON – CLASSROOM 3B]
The atmosphere was tense.
"We need a theme," the Class Rep declared, slamming her hand on the podium. "The School Festival is in two weeks. Class 3A is doing a Rock Band. Class 3C is doing a Takoyaki Stand. We need to crush them."
The class murmured in agreement.
"Maid Cafe!" a boy shouted.
"Haunted House!" a girl yelled.
"Why not both?" Noah suggested from the back, spinning a pen. "A Haunted Maid Cafe. The ghosts serve you coffee."
The room went silent.
"That's..." the Class Rep adjusted her glasses. "...Brilliant. It combines horror and service. The market gap is huge."
"The 'Dead Maid Cafe'," Lilly whispered. "It sounds morbid."
"It sounds profitable," the Rep corrected. "Motion passed!"
[ROLE ASSIGNMENTS]
The Rep began assigning roles.
"Cooking team: Sato-san (the girl, not Noah). Costume team: Tanaka. Marketing: Lilly (you look mysterious)."
"And for Logistics..."
The Rep looked at Noah.
Everyone looked at Noah.
They remembered the erasers. They remembered the melon bread incident. They remembered the men in black suits cleaning the sidewalk.
"Noah Sato," the Rep said gravely. "You are in charge of Procurement."
"Procurement?" Noah asked.
"We need decorations. Costumes. Props. Make it scary. Make it realistic. Can you do it?"
Noah thought about his allowance. He had about $20 left after buying groceries.
"I don't have a big budget," Noah warned.
"Use your... connections," the Rep whispered, terrified. "Just get it done."
[THE CALL]
After school, Noah stood behind the gym. He pulled out his phone.
He scrolled to "Daisuke (Eraser Guy)".
Ring. Ring.
"BOSS!" Daisuke answered immediately. "Do you need an extraction? Is the perimeter compromised?"
"No, I need decorations," Noah said. "For the school festival."
"Decorations, Sir?"
"Yeah. Horror stuff. Skulls, chains, maybe some fake blood. We're doing a Haunted Maid Cafe."
Daisuke was silent for a moment.
"You want... horror supplies. To instill fear in the civilian population?"
"Exactly! We want them to scream."
"Understood," Daisuke said, his voice dropping an octave. "I know a guy in the Prop Department. Leave it to me."
(Daisuke did not know a guy in the Prop Department. He knew a guy in the Torture Department of the Northern Syndicate.)
"Thanks, Daisuke! Keep it cheap!"
"For you, Boss? It will be free."
[THE DELIVERY]
Two days later. Saturday morning.
The class gathered in the classroom to start decorating.
"Where are the props?" the Rep asked Noah.
"My friend is bringing them," Noah said, looking out the window. "Oh, here they are."
A convoy of three black trucks pulled up to the school entrance.
Men in jumpsuits jumped out. They began unloading crates.
The class watched from the window.
"That's... a lot of crates," Lilly noted.
"I told him we needed to fill the room," Noah said.
[THE UNBOXING]
The men brought the crates into the classroom and left without saying a word.
"Okay!" the Rep cheered. "Let's open them!"
They pried open the first crate.
CHAINSAWS.
Real, gas-powered, rusty chainsaws. (Without chains, hopefully).
"Whoa," a student said. "These look... heavy."
They opened the second crate.
COFFINS.
Authentic, wooden coffins. One of them still had dirt on it.
"Is that... grave soil?" Lilly asked, touching the wood.
"It adds texture!" Noah said brightly.
They opened the third crate.
SKELETONS.
"These represent the medical anatomy models," Noah explained. "Daisuke said they were 'surplus'."
Lilly looked closely at a skull. It had a gold tooth.
"Noah," Lilly whispered. "This isn't plastic."
"It's high-quality resin," Noah assured her.
[THE CENTERPIECE]
"And finally," Noah said, pointing to a large object covered in a tarp. "The main attraction."
He pulled the tarp off.
It was an Electric Chair.
It sparked when Noah touched it. Zzzzt.
The class screamed.
"It works!?" the Rep shrieked.
"It's just for lighting effects," Noah lied (he hoped). "It sets the mood."
[THE CONTROL ROOM]
"Sir," the analyst said, face pale. "We have visuals on the School Festival preparations."
"How does it look?" the President asked.
"It looks like a dungeon, Sir. They have procured Class-B torture devices and... possibly forensic evidence."
"Forensic evidence?"
"The skeletons. We are running dental records now."
The President rubbed his temples.
"He's turning a high school festival into a psychological warfare experiment."
"Should we shut it down?"
"No. If those skeletons are real, he just solved three cold cases for us. Let the festival proceed."
[BACK IN CLASS 3B]
The classroom looked terrifying.
The lights flickered (thanks to the electric chair). The smell of dirt and rust filled the air.
"This is amazing!" the Rep cried, tears of fear in her eyes. "We're going to win! We're going to traumatize everyone!"
Noah smiled proudly.
"I knew Daisuke would come through."
Lilly stood in the corner, holding a 'fake' severed hand that felt suspiciously warm.
"I need a vacation," she whispered