In the last full week of September every year, there are actually only two and a half days of classes.
The cultural festival starts on Thursday and ends on Saturday afternoon. After the last class on Wednesday morning, the rest of the time is used to prepare.
This year is no exception.
"It's already getting lively," Shangzi said.
Naruse turned to look outside the classroom. Students were coming and going in the corridor, and everyone had a bit of excitement on their faces.
"Eat quickly."
"Yeah."
No matter how important the cultural festival is, we have to finish lunch before talking about it.
The two of them whispered while eating their lunch boxes, while the classroom and corridors were already filled with the screams and laughter of anxious students.
"Ah, everyone is so happy——"
Hikaru Takigawa dragged a chair and sat down next to him, still looking outside.
Naruse turned to look at her: "I finished eating so quickly today."
"Well, Yue didn't have a good appetite today, so I only ate a little."
"Sister Yue, are you okay?"
"Don't worry." Takigawa Hikaru smiled, "It's also because of the cultural festival tomorrow. Even though it's a third-year baby, I'm still looking forward to it as much as a first-year baby."
"Because Tsuga's cultural festival is really exciting." Naoko on the other side said.
"Yeah."
Naruse thought of another thing: "After the cultural festival, it will be the school trip for the third grade."
"That's right." Hikaru Takigawa nodded, "The result of this year's voting is Kyoto, but in previous years it was basically Tokyo."
"Kyoto..."
Naruse thought for a while, "Besides Tokyo, what other higher-ranking options are there?"
"Let's go to Hokkaido."
"Then I would rather go to Hokkaido."
Takigawa Hikaru smiled and said, "When we reach the third grade, it will still be the mainstream to choose to go to Tokyo."
Naruse shook his head, having nothing to say, and continued to eat his bento, while Hikaru Takigawa was called out by his friend after not sitting for a while.
"I will also vote for Hokkaido when the time comes."
"Haven't Naoko always wanted to visit Tokyo?"
"I don't think so now."
"Okay, then we have two votes."
After finishing their lunch, Naruse and Naoko were sitting in their seats chatting. Cultural festival executive committee member Tanaka Koji suddenly walked up to the podium and announced that the lunch break was over, and preparations for the cultural festival would begin. All non-relevant personnel should leave the classroom as soon as possible.
"It's almost time for me to go to the club room." Shangzi stood up, carrying his schoolbag.
All the desks have to be pushed to the back of the classroom and stacked. If you have anything to take away, you have to take it now.
"Yeah. Ah, Shangzi, help me put my schoolbag in the locker."
"Okay."
Naruse handed out his schoolbag, but when Naoko was about to take it, he suddenly withdrew his hand.
"..."
She glanced at him with a smile.
He stretched out his hand again, "Do you need my help at the handicraft club?"
Shangzi took the bag and said, "No need."
Naruse looked at her: "Where is Naoko?"
She smiled slightly.
"No problem."
He didn't say much, and Shangzi didn't stay any longer, and quickly left the classroom of Class C of the first year.
"Naruse, stop sitting and come and help move the tables and chairs to the back of the classroom."
"Coming."
Moving is underway here, and decoration work has begun on the other side.
All kinds of posters, stickers, banners and other decorations that had been prepared a week or two ago are climbing up every corner inside and outside the classroom at an alarming speed.
And this is just for one class.
Naruse took a break from his busy schedule and peeked out from the back door of the classroom, only to realize that the entire corridor on the third floor had been completely dyed in the colors of the cultural festival.
"It's amazing." Hikaru Takigawa suddenly appeared and put his arm on his shoulder.
"Yeah."
She raised her arms high, "Look forward to it, this is the Tsugao Cultural Festival——"
Naruse glanced at her and said, "You also come in to help."
"Coming~"
In Tsuga, which has many cultural clubs, the only students who can stay in the classroom to help out are people like Naruse who have no clubs, and the rest are basically members of the sports club like Hikaru Takigawa.
After putting down the last desk, Naruse breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned around and saw Hikaru Takigawa standing on another desk, pasting something on the wall, with three or four girls surrounding him.
"Be careful, light..."
"Don't worry."
The venue has been vacated, and the students on duty are taking the time to clean it. The next thing to do is to assemble the soundproof room.
The materials prepared previously are stored in the school warehouse, and Tanaka Koji has already brought a few boys there.
Naruse came to the corridor and looked at the other first-grade classes that were busy on the same floor.
Class D's project is a tacky maid cafe. He has heard about it for a long time. At this time, students from Class D were coming in and out, but he hadn't seen any of them dressed as maids.
Further ahead is Class E.
According to Morimi, as early as June, Class E had already decided on the project for the cultural festival: to make a homemade movie with a doomsday theme.
And she was the screenwriter - she wrote the script in one night and then never took care of anything else. She had no idea about the final completion of the homemade movie.
But judging from the excited expressions on the faces of Class E students, there should be at least one piece of content that can be played.
While Naruse was watching, Tanaka Koji and others appeared from the stairs next to Class E carrying materials. He immediately went over to help.
Moving things to the classroom, facing a pile of wooden boards covered with double-layer soundproofing cotton, Naruse was given a rubber hammer.
"Everyone, please be careful when assembling. Don't break the board." Tanaka Koji said.
Naruse smiled, swung the rubber mallet, and tapped it lightly in the palm of his hand.
"I'll try my best."
......
If the level of excitement can be described in specific numbers, then the excitement level in Tsugao just after noon is absolutely astronomical. And now, just before school is out on **, the excitement level is still much higher than usual.
Shangzi thought as he looked at the excited faces in the corridor.
"Shangzi?"
Suzuki Kazumi, who was walking in front, turned back and asked, "What's wrong? Are you in a daze?"
"Here we come." Shangzi followed quickly, holding a trash can in his hand.
The layout and decoration department produced a lot of unnecessary things, such as packaging bags and scraps. They came down to take out the trash, and this was already the fifth trip.
Kazumi lowered her head and glanced at the cleanly emptied trash can, "I probably have to make two more trips."
"If there is no new garbage." Shangzi nodded and smiled at her again, "Let's work harder."
"Well——"
Kazumi stretched and looked at the students passing by in the corridor, "The cultural festival is finally about to begin."
"Yes."
"I have been looking forward to it for so long, and now that it is here, it feels a bit unreal."
Shangzi just smiled.
Kazumi looked back at her again, "After the cultural festival, there will be a celebration party at the station. Does Naoko plan to attend... I mean, it will definitely be Takahashi-senpai and the others who will dominate the atmosphere of the celebration party. We still have
Do you want to go?"
"I will participate." Shangzi said, "This should be the last off-campus gathering of the handicraft club this year, and I feel that I shouldn't be absent."
"That's what I said..."
Kazumi sighed, "I'll go too."
"Don't force it."
"I can't leave Shangzi there alone."
"It's not like a person..."
And Kazumi has already moved to the next topic: "Generally speaking, after the cultural festival, the second-year seniors in the club will gradually reduce their activities... Although it will basically be next spring, when they enter the third grade.
Only then will I retire."
Shangzi looked forward, "Under normal circumstances, this is the case."
"I hope Takahashi-senpai and others can also have this kind of self-awareness."
"Who knows."
Returning to the handicraft club's office, the two of them continued to pack away the extra scraps, and sure enough, it took them two more trips to sort them out completely.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Thank you for your hard work——"
As the minister, Ritsuko Sugiyama stayed until the end.
"Everyone, go back and rest early today, and be full of energy to welcome the cultural festival that starts tomorrow."
"Okay——"
When she was about to leave the club room, Shangzi saw her nodding to him, so she nodded in response.
Passing through the connecting corridor between the main and auxiliary buildings, she came to Class C classroom. She saw Naruse standing with his arms folded outside a soundproof room that had been assembled, not knowing what he was thinking.
"What's wrong?"
"Shangzi...is it over there?"
"Yeah."
Naruse opened the door of the soundproof room and showed her the inside: "When you close the door, it's pitch black - Tanaka said he forgot to consider lighting."
Shangzi looked inside and said, "Forgot?"
Naruse was a little helpless.
"The actual situation is that the soundproofing cotton costs too much money, and the budget is not enough. I have to bring a desk lamp by myself tomorrow."
Shangzi laughed, "Then take it. Is one enough?"
"Just take one and let others consider the rest. Go home."
"Hmm."
When the two of them went downstairs and walked out of Tsugao, Naruse looked back.
The simple school gate has been decorated with the most gorgeous decorations, colorful and bright. A huge flower arch spans both sides, with words cut from colored paper in the middle.
"The cultural festival is finally about to begin."