On the morning of the second day of the cultural festival, the weather was fine. Naruse woke up from bed, with bright light shining through the window. When he got up and went downstairs, Naoko had already come to prepare breakfast.
Before going to wash up, he said: "I will probably have more free time today, so I won't have to prepare my lunch box."
The cultural festival is a celebration led by students, and shopping and eating have always been the eternal themes of the celebration. He can't be hungry.
Shangzi looked back at him, "Then I'll just eat the bento alone."
"Why are you talking so pitifully?" Naruse was a little helpless.
"Let's go shopping together then. Didn't Shangzi say yesterday that the crepes taste good?"
"I want to try teppanyaki noodles today."
"Whatever you want."
After washing up, he came to the living room, turned on the TV, and then went to the kitchen to help out.
"Let me mix the salad."
"Okay."
When the two returned to the dining table in the living room and started eating breakfast, a morning news broadcast on the local TV station was about to be finished.
["...The fire in Tsugao Prefecture has been completely controlled. The fire chief assured...it will not affect normal classes...In addition, the last three days are the cultural festival in Tsugao Prefecture. In order to eliminate other fire hazards..."
】
Naruse was stunned for a moment while holding the soup bowl, then turned to look at the TV.
"Did someone say something outrageous on TV just now?"
Shangzi blinked, a little unbelievable.
"It seems like a fire?"
"It seems to be Tsugao?"
"I don't know..."
The news broadcast had ended, and while Naruse was drinking wakame miso soup, he searched on his mobile phone, but he could only find a text message.
He picked up the chopsticks again and said, "What happened around eight o'clock last night."
"Is Tsugao really on fire?"
Shangzi still couldn't digest this matter, "Do you have a severe fever?"
"The fire didn't seem serious, and it was extinguished not long after it was discovered."
"That's good."
After breakfast, I went out and while waiting for the bus, other Jingao students living nearby were also talking about the fire last night.
But like both of them, everyone knows very little.
“What a ‘hot’ cultural festival.”
"Be careful of getting struck by lightning if you say something like this."
Arriving at the school and passing by the courtyard, Naoko pulled Naruse's arm.
Without her reminding him, he could see a large group of students surrounding the open space in front of the connecting corridor.
"What's going on over there?"
"Could it be where the fire started..."
The two of them also walked over.
The students surrounding him were not too dense, and Monk Naruse squeezed in easily. One raised his eyebrows, while the other frowned.
"The one that was burned seems to be your tree?"
Looking at the black paper ash soaked in the water, Naruse still remembered the huge paper tree that was originally placed here. Even when looking down from the window on the third floor, it still felt spectacular.
Shangzi frowned and nodded, thought of something else, and muttered: "No way..."
"What?" Naruse asked.
She shook her head.
"I just feel like I'm in big trouble now."
Naruse looked around and saw that there was open space all around. The fire could not spread and did not affect other areas. "It must be an accident."
"Well..."
Perhaps because the handicraft club's annual work was burned to the ground, Shangzi was not energetic, and then said: "I'll go to the club first and have a look."
"Okay."
The two separated in the atrium. Naruse came to Class C classroom. Several students who had come over were talking about the accident below.
"It is said that cigarette butts were found at the scene."
"You mean someone was smoking and accidentally lit the paper tree on fire?"
"After all, it's made of paper, so it's easy to light."
"But it was too clean...didn't I say that the fire brigade would be here soon?"
"Idiot, by the time the fire was discovered and reported to the fire brigade, it was already out of control."
"Such a big tree..."
By the time they went to the gym for roll call, things were getting more and more bizarre. Naruse heard at least five completely different conspiracy theories.
"This is some kind of mysterious religious ceremony, the purpose is to contact the cosmonauts who are observing the earth from outer space!"
Shangzi showed up in the gym on time with a relatively calm expression. Listening to the random speculations of the classmates around him, as a member of the handicraft club, he just smiled when asked.
Naruse came over to ask about the situation at the handicraft club, and she said: "The incident happened suddenly, and the minister and others are discussing a solution."
"Are the exhibits from last year still there? Can we improvise?"
"After the cultural festival, it will be donated or disposed of."
Naruse's suggestions can only go so far.
"By the way, the paper apple tree was designed by second grader Takahashi, right? What was her reaction?"
"Before I came here, Takahashi-senpai never came to the clubroom."
The roll call was at 8:30, and teacher Nakahara Snow showed up about ten minutes early. After the roll call, she gave a special reminder to pay attention to fire prevention.
The morning meeting was only for roll call, and it could be dismissed after it was over. Naoko said hello to Naruse, and then went straight back to the handicraft club's office.
Other members also came over one after another, and when they saw the minister, Ritsuko Sugiyama, Naoko greeted, "Minister."
Ritsuko Sugiyama didn't know what she was thinking. She glanced at her blankly and nodded after a few seconds, "This flower."
The handicraft society suffered such a huge change, and the person who was most affected was the minister in front of me.
"Are you okay, Minister?"
"It's okay. Well, I'm okay..."
This is not a normal situation.
Shangzi did not say this, but instead asked: "Has the result of the previous discussion been reached?"
Ritsuko Sugiyama took a deep breath and regained some composure.
"Because I have to go to the gymnasium for roll call, I have put it on hold for now. Let's discuss it together when everyone returns to the department...Do you have any suggestions?"
Shangzi nodded.
"Before you think of a better idea, it's better to find someone to clean up the place first, then select two to three eye-catching exquisite works from the department, and set up a stall in the original place. It's better to make a sign.
, 'For more works, please come to the handicraft club on the second floor of the annex building to visit', etc., to guide the attracted guests to the department room."
Ritsuko Sugiyama was silent for a while and nodded quickly.
"It makes sense, let's do it."
Shangzi said no more. Giving orders is the responsibility of the minister, and most of the members are still on their way back.
"This flower..."
Sugiyama Ritsuko stared at her for a few more seconds.
"This matter has nothing to do with you, right?"
Shang Zi was startled, then glanced at her and said, "As long as I am a member of the handicraft club, this matter will be relevant to me."
"No, I mean..."
Ritsuko Sugiyama pursed her lower lip and stopped talking, "No, it's nothing. Ika's suggestion is very good. Please ask Komatsu-san to prepare the sign now."
"Okay, Minister."
The members of the handicraft club returned to the clubroom one after another after the roll call, and Ritsuko Sugiyama, who had recovered her senses, also followed Naoko's suggestion just now and intensively took remedial measures.
Selecting works, submitting applications to the Cultural Festival Executive Committee, and setting up stalls for display in the cleared area of the atrium, etc., everything is almost busy, and the time has passed nine o'clock.
Tomoyo Takahashi still hasn’t appeared.
Not only did she not come to the handicraft club, she didn’t even come to school.
"Tomoyo just sent me a message saying that she is taking leave today."
Ritsuko Sugiyama explained to the inquiring member, "She saw the news about the paper apple tree being burned on the news in the morning, and she was not in a good mood, so she decided to rest at home for the day."
Most of the members expressed their understanding. After all, she is the main designer of the paper apple tree. It is inevitable to feel depressed when encountering such a thing.
Shangzi stared at the doll he had sewn in front of him without saying a word, as if he didn't hear anything.
The morning passed very quickly, and there seemed to be more visitors coming and going than yesterday.
As it approached noon, there were finally fewer people, and Shangzi was ready to rest.
Another visitor walked into the department room, attracting the attention of many remaining members.
He walked around in a circle, greeting people he knew well, and finally stopped in front of Shangzi's position, raising his hand to play with her puppet.
"It's so beautifully done. Are these not for sale?"
"Hmm."
"What a shame."
Shangzi laughed, "You can buy souvenirs at the door, and they are all handmade."
"That's not even close."
"——Hey, hey, I heard everything. Are you here to cause trouble?"
Naruse turned to Ogawa Rina and smiled, "Sorry."
Shangzi stood up and walked out, "I'll leave the department to the senior students."
Ogawa Rina waved her hand.
The two left the handicraft club and chatted while walking.
Various ribbons were hung from the top of the corridor, colorful balloons were floating, and there was a faint chorus outside the window.
"Did Chunhai visit a lot of places this morning?"
"Absolutely. I watched the magic show of Class A for three years, went to the gymnasium to listen to the live performance of the light music department, and tasted... I tasted half a piece of hand-made cookies made from pastry. It was so sweet that I couldn't stand it.
."
Going down to the first floor, several first-year girls were holding flower pots and preparing to go upstairs. Their steps seemed not very steady, so they carefully avoided them.
"The Horticulture Department has an exhibition on the rooftop. There are many kinds of flowers and plants, and they are very beautiful. It would be quite relaxing if there were not the sound of snapping photos all the time."
"Although the shogi club downstairs has been making sounds of clicking pieces, the atmosphere gives people a quiet feeling. The members are all minding their own game, not caring about the visitors..." p>
Finally arriving at the atrium, Naruse turned to look at Naoko: "There should be nothing going on at the handicraft club. Let's go shopping together later and go back later."
Shangzi smiled slightly and said, "Okay."
What we need to do now is to fill our stomachs.
There are already a lot of cultural clubs in Tsuga Prefecture, and with this year’s class exhibitions being very energetic, Monk Naruse even felt like he couldn’t get around to them.
"Let's visit the remaining places tomorrow."
"Okay."
The two of them had a great time shopping and were even a little tired. After leaving, Naoko returned to the club room to continue working and take a break, while Naruse went back to Class C to take a look.
Today, there were two boys sitting at the door of the classroom soliciting customers, but the effect seemed to be very average. There was no queue, and the soundproof room inside was mostly empty, which made people feel a little deserted.
Naruse knows very well that the current bleak situation is the real situation. Eighty percent of yesterday's abnormally high popularity came from Takigawa Hikaru.
Today, she dragged Haixing along and continued to wander around. He and Shangzi even met them when they visited the Calligraphy Department.
Naruse's legs were sore from walking around, and he just wanted to sit for a while. He was about to ask one of his bored classmates to change classes, but when he glanced at Class E not far away, he changed his mind again.
"Wait a minute, Naruse! Did you have something to say just now? I can tell! Don't shy!"
"Ah, sorry... Also, Don't be shy."
"Damn it!"
Instead of sitting around doing nothing, why not go to Class E and watch their homemade movies.
When he came to the door, he looked at the timetable posted on the side. The next movie would start in more than ten minutes.
No one was selling tickets, and the movie was free to watch. Naruse walked into the dark classroom, where seven or eight spectators were already sitting, including a middle-aged couple.
Even if the attendance rate is less than one-third, it is still more lively than the private reading club of Class C, he thought sadly.
After finding a seat closer to the front and sitting down, Naruse looked up and saw Morimi next to the podium looking at him with his glasses up.
"Work?"
"Almost."
She gently patted the white foam box in front of her, "Would you like something to drink?"
"What's there?" Naruse asked.
"Cola coffee juice green tea."
After wandering around for so long, he happened to be a little thirsty. He got up and went over to take a look, and finally asked for a bottle of green tea.
Morimi sat still and stretched out his hand towards him, "One hundred and seventy yen."
Naruse glanced at his usual drink and said, "One hundred and twenty yen is right."
"The extra fifty yen is for errands and storage fees."
"..."
After paying the money, Naruse was about to return to his seat with the drink when Morimi grabbed him again and indicated with his eyes the seat in the front row.
He didn't go back and sat down nearby.
"Didn't Morimi say before that the only job is to be a screenwriter?"
"That's right, I'm taking over for your sister now. It's her turn today."
Naruse said nothing, opened the green tea and took a sip.
Morimi looked at him, "Is light the solution Naruse thought of?"
"That's it for now."
"I feel like the compatibility between the two of them is not very compatible. Can it last forever?"
Naruse looked at the ceiling, "Who knows, at least they are more compatible than me."
Other than saying "It's better than staying with those hot girls", Morimi didn't say much.
Almost ten minutes later, a student from Class E stood up and came outside the classroom and loudly announced that the movie was about to start.
Five or six more spectators poured into the classroom and sat in the middle and back rows.
A girl walked up to the podium and played a movie - turned on the projector, moved the mouse, and clicked on the movie file on the computer.
Naruse was looking at the projection screen when Morimi, who was guarding the drink box, suddenly stood up and sat next to him.
"If you want to complain about something, you'd better first consider the feelings of the screenwriter sitting next to you."
Naruse smiled.
It seems that the finished quality of the movie is not in line with her expectations.
The movie started soon, and the first thing that appeared on the screen was a piece of text.
[If anyone can still receive this signal, it means that I am not the last surviving human being on earth.
No matter who you are, please reply to me, please. I am in Aomori, Japan, the northernmost part of Honshu Island.
What I am going to say next is completely based on my real experience in the past three months. If you can find me, I can also show you the photos and videos I took...]
The picture changes from black to gray, and the first scene of the movie is a dark sky.
After a roar, several fighter jets roared past, and the camera panned sharply.
What followed was a big city filled with smoke. Fighters swooped down and opened fire. What was attacked was a large group of zombies occupying the streets.
There was a hail of bullets and blood and flesh flying everywhere. Naruse turned his head and looked at Morimi.
She looked at the screen with no expression on her face, "The special effects are very realistic, right?"
"Well, at least I won't fall asleep."
This level of special effects doesn't look like it could be produced by a group of high school students.
"Because this is a clip taken from a real movie."
"...This is a bit dangerous."
"It doesn't matter, it's just a homemade movie shown at the prefectural high school cultural festival. It's unpopular and niche, so it won't spread... at least it won't spread to the producer of the original movie."
Naruse smiled and shook his head.
"And this is the only one, and all the rest are real shots..."
As soon as Senjian finished speaking, the scene turned to a wilderness, with a familiar mountain peak in the distance.
"Iwakiyama...is this the Soma area?"
"Well. There is an almost deserted village in the mountains over there. All the filming was done there."
The style of the movie also changed suddenly, from a bloody apocalyptic disaster movie to an art film full of monologues from the protagonist.
[...I fled to this rural village far away from the city, waiting for the disaster to end... After a month passed, I couldn't help but start thinking: the meaning of life, is it existence or continuation...]
Maybe it was because the monologue was too long, or maybe it was because the protagonist’s thoughts were so heavy, like a heavy hammer, that directly smashed Naruse into an abyss that couldn’t see the bottom.
Fall, fall.
Continuously sinking.
He gradually lost control of his body and even began to enjoy the feeling of sinking in the darkness:
As long as you haven't hit the ground, sinking is also floating.
"As you can see, I referenced this line from "In Search of Lost Time"... Hello."
Finding that he was asleep, Morimi stared at him sideways for a while, but in the end he just rolled his eyes and sighed.
Is it so boring?
After staring for a while longer, she gently took the drink out of his hand and placed it on the empty seat next to him.
After a day of shopping, his body was very tired, and the noise from time to time helped him fall asleep. Naruse slept for more than two hours at a time.
When he was shaken awake, he only felt a headache, a sore neck, and felt uncomfortable anywhere on his body.
The classroom in front of me was dark, and what followed immediately was a huge feeling of emptiness.
"The cultural festival...is it over?"
Pfft.
He looked over and saw the starfish next to the podium turned around in a panic.
"Well, it's over." Morimi thrust a bottle of drink into his hand, "Today's part will be over soon."
Naruse looked down for a while, and then he remembered that this was the green tea he bought for an extra fifty yen.
"Dear teachers, students and guests——"
The school broadcast rang in time, announcing that the second day of the cultural festival was over.
It took some effort for Naruse to unscrew the bottle cap.