When I was younger, I used to be quite indifferent about participating in school events.

I went to school reluctantly in the first place, and festivals were only fun for kids with lots of friends. For someone like me who found reading manga at home more enjoyable, I just wanted to go home as quickly as possible.

But you know what?

This place is exactly where all those events from the manga and light novels I read as a child are happening.

Of course I should enjoy it.

I once heard from a friend that overseas travel is fun because we don't know what's "normal" in that country.

Since we don't know what's normal, even small things seem fascinating and special. Apparently, foreigners feel the same way when they visit Korea.

Having never traveled abroad before, I just nodded along, but now I couldn't agree more.

The urban atmosphere in Seoul and Tokyo is surprisingly similar. But when you look at the details, you discover that the ambiance and scenery are quite different.

The language on signs changes. There are as many trains running above ground as below, and many more crossings.

Street food is different from Korean street food in many ways, and the living environment and daily diet are different too.

And the same applied to this school festival.

Having never been to a Japanese school festival before, I didn't know if what appeared in manga and light novels was normal or not. I didn't know if what was happening here was normal either.

So everything that came into view as I walked around was fascinating.

"The tea leaves were better than I expected," Yuka said as we finished our tea ceremony experience.

I could distinguish between green tea and black tea, but I couldn't tell the difference between tea leaves, so I just nodded.

More than that, I was surprised to discover such a place existed inside the school. From the outside, it looked like a regular classroom, but inside was a very Japanese-style room.

The Tea Ceremony Club. It sounded like it would be extremely unpopular, but it was actually located among other popular clubs.

At least it seemed much more popular than the Literature Club.

"Do you drink tea often?" I asked.

"My grandfather likes it."

I see.

I nodded and made a mental note of that.

I'm thinking of giving him a Christmas present or something like that. Not just Yuka's grandfather, but small gifts for everyone who has helped me would be nice.

Come to think of it, I know that people in Japan are very diligent about sending New Year's cards. I should ask Yuka about that later.

"Oh, what's this?"

Walking down the second-year hallway, we stopped following Yuka's footsteps.

Walking around with Yuka meant I didn't have to choose what to enjoy or think about it. Yuka was determined to fully experience the festival and stopped at almost every classroom.

Well, maybe that really is the proper way to enjoy it. She was also taking lots of photos.

Where we stopped, there was a sign.

[Challenge! Death Race in the Swamp of Doom]

What a bizarre name.

Were the students perhaps showing a short film they made? Judging by the covered windows along the corridor, that might be the case.

"It says this is an interactive experience," Yuka said.

Following her words, I read the guidance text, and it was indeed true. Three people could challenge it at once, and the winner would receive a small prize.

People were already lined up at the entrance on the side without guidance text.

Isn't running from one end of a classroom to the other almost instantaneous? Maybe that's why they covered the corridor windows. If it looked too simple from outside, people might not participate.

"...Want to try?" I asked Yuka.

She nodded vigorously.

Well, I was curious too.

We took Koko and walked to the end of the line.

[30 minutes from here]

At the end of the line, a student was holding a sign with those words.

Impressive. It felt a bit like being at an amusement park.

...Maybe I should ask her to go to one together sometime.

I thought this while looking at Yuka, who had an expression full of anticipation.

*

Ah, so that's what it was.

With such a grand name as "Swamp of Doom," I wondered what they had created, but it was a ball pit.

They had scattered small balls like those found in kids' cafes or department store playrooms across the classroom floor and placed stepping stones in between.

There were several stepping stones near the starting point, but only one at the finish line. The simple rule was that only one person could reach the end.

Although it was called a ball pit, they probably couldn't get enough balls to fill the entire classroom floor. Between the scattered balls were thick mats, likely borrowed from the gym storage, and the stepping stones themselves were only slightly higher than the mats and balls.

Even the corners had foam guards like those used to protect children from bumping into things.

For safety, we also had to wear elbow and knee pads, as well as helmets.

That must be why there was a delay between each team's turn!

"Welcome!" a second-year girl shouted enthusiastically as we entered.

"Risk your lives to complete this race! Sweet victory awaits at the end! Welcome to the Death Race!"

Indeed, the prize was a rather large chocolate.

By the way, the participation fee was 100 yen per person, so with three people required to start a race, they wouldn't lose money offering a 200-yen chocolate as a prize.

They probably spent money renting the ball pit, but the school would have subsidized that to some extent.

Maybe they even found it stored away in some school warehouse.

"Are all three of you participating?"

We looked at each other and nodded.

"Great, please follow the safety staff's instructions to put on your protective gear!"

Soon, two ghosts and one ordinary high school girl were fully armored from head to toe.

For some reason, when I looked at myself in the full-length mirror in the corner of the classroom, it was a bit funny. I looked like Sadako preparing for a fall while crawling out of a TV.

After taking a picture of that sight too, we followed the safety staff's instructions and took our positions.

"I won't go easy on you," Yuka said with a smile.

"Neither will I."

"Woah!"

Since things had come to this, I decided to match the atmosphere. It was more fun that way.

"Is everyone ready?" called out the girl who had guided us.

"Good. All three of you, no violent behavior or you'll be disqualified! No hitting or pushing with your hands! You can only fall by failing to step on the platforms. Understood?"

When we nodded, the girl grinned and nodded back, then went to the radio at the back of the classroom and pressed play.

The background music was from the movie "Jaws."

"Then—begin!"

*

The winner was Koko.

We both said we wouldn't go easy—but neither Yuka nor I are heartless beings.

We wanted Koko, the purest among us, to fully enjoy the festival and remember this moment for a long time.

It definitely wasn't because she was already ahead of us before we even reached the middle,

And it certainly wasn't because Yuka and I had a silent agreement to try to catch up but couldn't match her speed.

It absolutely wasn't because I reached out my hand, then belatedly remembered it would be a foul, quickly pulled back, fell sideways, and was disqualified.

...

Well, seeing Koko smiling happily with the large chocolate in her hands made all that irrelevant.

"Here."

Koko broke the chocolate and handed me a piece.

Though I say a piece, it was nearly a third of the whole thing.

"Thanks."

I accepted without hesitation.

Koko gave Yuka a piece as well, so we ended up sharing the chocolate equally.

It was very sweet.

"Hmm..." Yuka, who had been lost in thought for a moment, said.

"Should we head back up soon? Kaoru-senpai and Izumi-senpai should enjoy themselves too. We still have tomorrow anyway."

"Sounds good."

"Woah!"

We both answered Yuka at the same time.

We'd been walking around for quite a while, so taking a break wouldn't be bad.

The Manager and Miki said they'd come tomorrow, right? Then there's nothing else to worry about today.

Let's go upstairs, relax, read a book, and then head home.

The three of us walked together with lightened hearts.

*

However, something unexpected happened during that process.

Ah, it wasn't yokai-related. At least no incidents had occurred at school yet.

If something had happened, there would already be chaos. Unlike the school festivals I remember from my school days, this place was packed with people. Even if just the students and their acquaintances came once, the number would be enormous. Add to that students from other schools who came to visit.

The Manager and Miki said they would come to see, but their schedule was for tomorrow, and Grandfather said he would come a little later in the afternoon. So until then, I was planning to wait leisurely in the Literature Club room.

"So... you're Kotone's mother, right?"

By sheer coincidence, I heard those words while walking down the corridor.

It wasn't particularly quiet around us. In fact, there were many people. The only reason I could hear that voice was because the speaker was none other than Suzuki-sensei.

My face turned in that direction automatically.

Suzuki-sensei was partially hidden by the person she was speaking to, but I recognized the back of the person standing in front of her.

"..."

The person standing there without answering was... none other than Kagami.

Wow.

The atmosphere between them instantly became awkward.

This was their first direct meeting.

When Suzuki-sensei came looking for me, Kagami wasn't there. Even when I went to the police station, Suzuki-sensei had no reason to visit.

The same was true when I was in the hospital.

Of course, Kagami had never visited our school. There was no reason for her to.

But Kagami would certainly know who Suzuki-sensei was. She would have investigated my surroundings, even if she didn't visit in person.

She would naturally have tried to minimize direct encounters with Suzuki-sensei.

"Are you here to see Kotone?" Suzuki-sensei asked.

Conversely, how did Suzuki-sensei know Kagami?

Well, she could have investigated if she wanted to. Maybe she visited Kagami directly, just as she had come looking for me. Since Kagami's current clothes were completely different from what she usually wore, Suzuki-sensei might have asked to confirm.

Only then did my frozen brain begin to thaw, and I realized that Kagami wasn't wearing her usual revealing clothes but an outfit with no exposure at all.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Even for Kagami, she must have thought that her work attire would be inappropriate here.

"Kotone?"

When I fixed my gaze on one spot and stopped walking, Koko called out to me. Yuka, who was walking beside me, also looked at me strangely.

What should I do?

"...Am I not allowed to?" Kagami asked, crossing her arms as she spoke to Suzuki-sensei.

More eyes turned toward them at the sound of her voice.

Suzuki-sensei is popular among students. She probably has a good reputation among teachers too.

She's good-natured, passionate about her work, and listens well to students' concerns.

Even outside our class, there were plenty of students who chatted with her in a friendly manner.

But Kagami was an unfamiliar face among the students.

Even if she was speaking politely, if she clashed with Suzuki-sensei, things could take an unpleasant turn.

And that wouldn't be good for me either.

At Kagami's words, I immediately started walking.

By then, Yuka had also assessed the situation and quickly approached me.

Before Kagami could say another word, I needed to figure out how to completely draw attention to myself.

"...Mom."

The word that left my mouth before I could finish thinking was that one.

After saying it, I felt embarrassed belatedly. Calling Kagami, who might actually be younger than me, "Mom."

Well, it's not like I've never used that word before, but saying it in such a crowded place made me a bit embarrassed.

The attention shifted to me.

Strangely, my name seems to have spread throughout the school, and quite a few students recognized me.

Those students looked at me and Kagami with curious eyes, as if thinking, "So that's this kid's mom."

But none of them showed any further reaction.

I might be famous at school, but it's almost entirely because of my appearance.

And Kagami, as long as she keeps her mouth shut, is just an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

Kagami's eyes wavered slightly when she heard my voice and turned around.

For a very brief moment, she seemed to be wondering what to call me and said nothing.

Then she saw Yuka and Koko following behind me.

But I was the first to speak.

"The Literature Club is this way," I said, reaching out to lightly grasp Kagami's sleeve.

I'm not sure why I acted that way.

Perhaps if I hadn't spoken first, Kagami would have pretended to treat me roughly, as she had at the police station.

Rumors would spread throughout the school, and Kagami's reputation would plummet.

"..."

Though it was difficult to articulate the exact reason, I somehow didn't like that idea.

Her image might already be damaged beyond repair in front of the other kids, but going further here...

"Let's go."

When I spoke, Kagami stared at me with a confused expression.

She seemed unsure how to respond to this behavior.

"Kotone," Suzuki-sensei, who had come to call me by my name over time, said with a serious face.

"If you need help—"

"I don't."

I never needed help from the beginning.

If anything, Kagami belongs to the side that has helped me.

To be honest, I don't know exactly about Kagami or the cult. There are still quite a few shady aspects, and I still feel uncomfortable about money coming from that side.

Just look at what they did to Koko.

But still... I can't help feeling uncomfortable about this situation.

"Let's go," I said once more.

Kagami looked at me with those narrow eyes of hers, then silently moved toward me.

"Kotone," Yuka called me worriedly. Yuka thinks Kagami is "that kind" of person.

I shook my head.

"It's okay."

"..."

At my words, Yuka glanced at Kagami once, then nodded.

But she stuck close to my side.

"Woo?"

Koko tilted her head.

Is she no longer afraid of Kagami? At least she wasn't hissing like a cat, so it seemed that way.

Fortunately, as we headed to the old building, the number of people decreased dramatically, and as we climbed each floor, the number dwindled even further.

Still, there were a few people who glanced at me in my ghost costume, but that was all.

By the time we reached the Literature Club room, there was truly not a single person around.

Kagami didn't say a word until I opened the door and entered.

"Oh."

Seeing me and Kagami enter simultaneously, Kaoru and Izumi, who had been sitting in chairs, quickly stood up.

Between them were the snacks they often ate here. It seemed they were truly relaxing comfortably as they had said they would.

...This is a bit awkward.

"Should we give you some space?" Kaoru asked perceptively.

"...I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Izumi said, standing up after Kaoru.

"Take your time."

"..."

Kaoru and Izumi know roughly about my relationship with Kagami. At least they seemed to think I wouldn't be abused, as they quickly left the Literature Club room.

"Yuka."

I looked at Yuka, who was still standing her ground.

"..."

Yuka looked back and forth between me, Koko, and Kagami.

"I'll come right in if I sense anything wrong," she said to Kagami with an extremely wary expression.

"...That won't happen," I said.

Yuka looked at me again.

Her expression was very complex.

After thinking for a moment, Yuka finally let out a long breath, shrugged her shoulders, and made way.

After watching the door close, I looked at Kagami.

"Did something big happen?"

"No."

Kagami spoke as if she herself didn't know why she was here. Her voice sounded a bit dazed.

"Then... did you come to enjoy the festival?"

"...Maybe?"

It didn't seem like a joke. Even Kagami herself was furrowing her brow and tilting her head.

"..."

What should I do?

Maybe I should run out now and call Kaoru. She might be better at showing the exhibits in here.

"Woo?"

Koko tilted her head as if she didn't understand what the problem was.

Exactly.

The problem is that there is no problem. Usually when I meet Kagami, there's always a "reason."

"...Would you like a tour?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.

Kagami blinked.

"...A tour?"

"There are... no visitors here, but we do have exhibits."

I don't know why I'm saying this, but it's better than saying nothing at all.

Yes, that must have been the reason.