The Next Morning
The next morning on campus, everything looked normal again.
Students rushing to classes.
Festival decorations being prepared everywhere.
Music equipment being set up near the stage.
Ren pointed excitedly at the main building.
"The festival is going to be amazing!"
Nanami nodded.
"Hopefully you don't embarrass us."
Akira walked beside Aiko again.
"Morning."
She looked at him.
"Morning."
He studied her expression for a moment.
"…Did you sleep well?"
She hesitated.
Then smiled.
"Yeah."
But the moment he looked away—
Her smile faded again.
Because deep down she knew something.
The festival was coming.
And after it ended…
Everything might change.
FESTIVAL EVENT
The morning of the Institute Festival arrived with unusual energy.
Colorful banners hung between buildings.
Music equipment was being tested near the main stage.
Food stalls lined the central courtyard.
Students rushed everywhere preparing for events.
Ren stood in the middle of the campus entrance looking around dramatically.
"…This."
He spread his arms wide.
"Is the greatest day of the semester."
Nanami walked past him.
"You say that every week."
Yuuto stretched lazily.
"At least there's food."
Rina was already taking photos of the decorations.
"The lighting here is perfect."
Meanwhile Akira stood quietly beside Aiko.
She looked around at the busy campus.
"This place feels completely different."
Akira nodded.
"…Yeah."
Then he noticed something.
"You look tired."
Aiko blinked.
"…Do I?"
"You didn't sleep much."
She looked away quickly.
"It's nothing."
Akira watched her for a moment but didn't push further.
The First Event
Ren grabbed everyone's arms.
"Alright!"
"First stop—festival games!"
Nanami groaned.
"This is going to be embarrassing."
They walked toward a row of small game stalls.
One of them had a ring toss game.
Ren pointed at Akira.
"You're playing."
Akira frowned.
"…Why me?"
"Because you look lucky."
"That's not how luck works."
But Ren had already handed him the rings.
Nanami leaned closer to Aiko and whispered,
"If he wins, we're making him buy snacks."
Aiko laughed quietly.
Akira threw the first ring.
Miss.
Ren gasped dramatically.
"Failure."
Second ring.
Miss again.
Nanami sighed.
"I expected more."
Akira rolled his eyes and threw the last ring.
It landed perfectly.
Directly around the prize bottle.
The stall owner clapped.
"Winner!"
Ren screamed.
"YES!"
Nanami grabbed the prize.
"Free drinks!"
Yuuto nodded approvingly.
"Worth it."
Aiko smiled at Akira.
"…Nice throw."
Akira shrugged.
"Beginner's luck."
Festival Food
Soon the group moved toward the food stalls.
The smell of grilled food filled the air.
Ren bought three different snacks at once.
Nanami stared at him.
"You're not sharing, are you?"
"Of course I am."
Yuuto blinked.
"That's suspicious."
Rina filmed the entire moment.
"Festival food review."
Meanwhile Aiko stood beside Akira at another stall.
She pointed at a dessert.
"That one looks good."
Akira looked at the price.
"…Too expensive."
Aiko sighed dramatically.
"You're such a responsible adult."
Akira quietly bought it anyway.
When he handed it to her, she blinked.
"…You said it was expensive."
Akira shrugged.
"…It looked like you wanted it."
For a moment she stared at him.
Then smiled softly.
"…Thanks."
A few steps behind them, Mizuko saw the exchange.
Her smile faded slightly.
Mizuko Preparing Herself
Later in the afternoon the group sat near the main stage watching performances.
Music played loudly while students cheered.
But Mizuko barely listened.
Her thoughts kept repeating the same sentence.
After the festival… I'll confess.
She glanced toward Akira.
He was talking quietly with Aiko again.
They looked comfortable together.
A small uneasiness returned.
It's fine.
He's just being friendly.
Still…
She couldn't ignore the feeling.
Evening Lights
As evening arrived, the campus transformed.
String lights turned on across the courtyard.
The festival looked even more beautiful now.
Rina whispered in awe.
"This lighting is amazing."
Ren pointed toward another event area.
"There's a couples game over there."
Nanami smacked his arm.
"Don't start trouble."
But the event host suddenly announced,
"We need two volunteers!"
Ren immediately pushed Akira forward.
"HE'LL DO IT!"
Akira stumbled.
"…Ren!"
The host smiled.
"And one more participant!"
Before anyone could react—
Nanami pushed Aiko.
"She'll join!"
Aiko nearly lost her balance.
"Wait—"
But the crowd was already cheering.
Ren laughed loudly.
"This is perfect!"
Akira sighed deeply.
"…I'm going to kill you later."
Aiko tried not to laugh.
"Relax."
The Game
The game was simple.
Two participants had to complete small tasks together.
The first challenge—
holding a balloon between them without dropping it while walking.
The crowd cheered as Akira and Aiko stood awkwardly facing each other.
The balloon was placed between them.
Their faces were suddenly very close.
Aiko's heart skipped slightly.
Akira looked equally uncomfortable.
"Ready?" the host asked.
They both nodded.
"Start!"
They slowly walked forward.
The balloon wobbled dangerously.
Aiko whispered,
"…Don't move so fast."
"You're the one pushing."
"I'm not pushing."
"Yes you are."
The balloon almost fell.
Aiko instinctively grabbed Akira's arm to balance.
The crowd cheered louder.
Ren screamed from the audience.
"LOOK AT THEM!"
Nanami laughed.
"They're going to lose."
But somehow they reached the finish line.
The crowd clapped.
Aiko stepped back quickly.
Her face slightly red.
Akira rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
Mizuko Watching
From the side of the crowd, Mizuko watched everything.
The cheering.
The laughter.
The way Aiko and Akira looked at each other afterward.
Her chest tightened slightly.
Why does that bother me…?
She shook the thought away.
It doesn't matter.
I'll confess tonight.
But somewhere deep down—
She wasn't as confident as before.
Night Approaches
The festival music grew louder.
Lights glowed across the campus.
Ren raised his arms dramatically.
"Best festival ever!"
Nanami sighed.
"We still have tomorrow."
Yuuto nodded.
"And more food."
Rina continued filming everything.
Meanwhile Akira stood beside Aiko again.
She looked up at the glowing lights.
"This festival is actually really nice."
Akira nodded.
"…Yeah."
For a moment neither of them spoke.
But both of them knew something.
The night wasn't over yet.
And somewhere nearby—
Mizuko was preparing herself for a confession that might change everything.