Chapter 381: Leo Karumi [15]

Inside the classroom, dozens of tables had been shoved together into something that almost resembled a circle. Students sat behind them.

The strange part was that, instead of a room full of almost–high schoolers being loud and restless, everyone was whispering—stealing odd, hostile, curious, or admiring glances at one particular student sitting near the "circle’s" corner.

That student was Leo. He had one elbow on the table, his cheek propped on his fist, eyes fixed on the door like he couldn’t wait to bolt.

"Why the heck is he here?"

"I don’t know. Probably because, like everyone else, he got invited today by the student council."

"Yeah, but it’s not like he’s the type to ever listen, right?"

"I don’t understand why everyone’s making such a fuss about him... It’s not like he’s really all that—"

"You’re a first-year, right?"

"Yeah. He totally is. Didn’t you hear the great evil stories about the ’evil prince’?"

"Evil stories about the evil prince? You guys actually call him the ’evil prince’?" The first-year’s voice dripped with disbelief.

"Are all seniors this lame?"

"Hahaha—sorry, sorry. We don’t actually call him that. We just say it sometimes as a joke."

"Yeah. The thing is, since first year all the way to now, he’s never cooperated with any kind of event, so it’s kinda weird to see him here all of a sudden."

"I... guess that makes sense."

Leo blinked slowly and sighed.

"You know I can hear all of you, right?"

At once, the room went dead silent.

One student let out an awkward laugh.

"W-well... yeah. But you always act like you can’t hear us..."

"Well, I’m not acting today. So shut up."

The student’s lips twitched as Leo stared him down.

"F-fine..."

Almost at the same time, the door opened, and two people stepped inside.

"I get why they make a fuss about her, though," someone murmured.

"She really is pretty."

That same first-year whispered it, earning a few quick nods.

It was Lea and Nathan.

They didn’t waste time taking their seats, but the moment Nathan sat down, he clutched his arms to his chest and shuddered like he’d walked into a freezer.

"Did someone turn on the AC in here? It’s so fucking cold!"

"...We don’t have ACs in this school. You know that," Lea said, already sounding exhausted.

"And watch your language."

"Exactly my point!" Nathan shot back. "I’ve brought it up so many times—buy ACs for every classroom—but it always gets rejected! How is this a prestigious school if it can’t even afford basic human necessities?"

"You know it’s winter, right?" Lea said flatly.

"So? Prez, you don’t have any empathy for future generations? You’ve failed as our student council president..."

Nathan was about to keep going, but his mouth snapped shut mid-complaint as another shiver ran through him. Slowly, he turned his head.

Leo was watching him.

Nathan immediately put on a bright, harmless smile and decided silence was the better option.

A few students smiled wryly. Others looked troubled.

"Now that that’s over," Lea said, "let’s start immediately."

She held a stack of papers. She took one and passed it to Nathan, who passed it along; the rest followed, sliding sheets to one another around the circle.

"Every one of you is here because you signed up to join the festival committee," Lea said. "You’re officially part of it now, so congratulations on being chosen."

"Yeah! I knew I’d get in!"

"This means I finally don’t have to be obligated to help our class or the teachers!"

"Right? We can just say we’re too busy and go chill somewhere!"

Lea coughed a couple of times. When that didn’t fully work, she lifted her gaze.

"Not to crush your excitement," she said, "but if you’re caught slacking off instead of fulfilling your obligations—which includes helping your classmates and teachers—you’ll be reported and punished. I don’t know what the penalty will be, but I’m guessing detention, an essay, or extra tests."

A lot of faces fell.

Some stared at Lea like she’d stabbed them in the back.

"These armbands are so everyone can recognize you as festival committee members," Lea continued. "Keep in mind: if any of you aren’t wearing them during school hours this week, it’ll also be treated as slacking off."

"H-hey, President... aren’t you being a bit too strict?"

"Yeah... I mean, it’s just a school festi— never mind."

The girl speaking cut herself off the second Lea narrowed her eyes.

The armbands were passed around until the stack was gone. Despite the earlier complaints, most students were eager to put them on. It looked official, so It looked cool.

Leo, on the other hand, only got his when Nathan flicked one across the table at him. Leo caught it and inspected the band.

His was green, but it had black stripes running across it—unlike everyone else’s.

He frowned and looked up at Lea and Nathan.

"Why is mine different from theirs?"

A sweet smile appeared on Lea’s face.

...And on Nathan’s.

"Because you’ll be the captain of the festival committee," Lea said. "You’ll communicate with the student council if there are problems, represent the committee in upcoming meetings, and handle issues that come up during and before the festival. That sort of thing."

"That sort of thing," Leo echoed.

"So... ’etcetera.’"

His lips twitched at her explanation while the others stared like someone had just knocked the air out of them.

"Why—why does he get to be captain?!"

"President, this is unfair! When has he ever shown any leadership ability!?"

Leo leaned back slightly.

"...You know I’m smarter and more athletic than all of you, right?"

"That’s not the point!" someone snapped. "We’re talking about leadership! You’ve never helped us with anything—you just show off your massive ego, insult us, and look down on us! Who the hell wants to work under someone like you!?"

"Just say you’re insecure when you think of me."

"S-see! This is exactly what I mean!"

"No, no," a girl cut in, pointing at Leo.

"The real question is why the hell you’re even here in the first place."

"Yeah, President—are you blackmailing him? You’ve got something on him, right?"

"Nah," another voice said.

"It’s black magic! She totally used black magic on him."

"Prez would never do anything like that!" Nathan suddenly butted in. He looked troubled, gaze drifting away with an exaggerated melancholy.

"T-the thing is... our beautiful president offered her bod—"

"Nathan!" Lea barked.

She whipped her glare across the room.

"All of you—enough! Stop acting like five-year-olds throwing tantrums!"

Almost everyone flinched and looked away.

"Leo is here because I convinced him to help. Not because he’s here to mess with you or prove who’s superior. He agreed to support us—and the students who are actually putting effort into making this festival a good memory before we move on to whatever our lives bring us next year."

Her gaze sharpened.

"And that’s what I expected from all of you, too, since you volunteered. Yet it seems like—maybe not all, but many of you—have ulterior motives for being here. I swear to God, if you can’t let go of your grudges, your selfishness, or you try to ruin this festival for anyone... I will personally make it my mission, before and even after you graduate, to make your life miserable."

"..."

"..."

The room went still.

Nathan—with a pale face and an expression trying and failing to stay neutral—quietly scooted his chair a few centimeters away from her.

"Am. I. Understood."

"...!"

"Y-yes, President..!"

"I understand!"

"We promise we’ll fulfill our roles as members of the festival committee!"

"Yeah... I want to make this festival the best it can be."

"...I guess having him here would help. As long as he’s being serious."

The group settled—quieter, more docile. Seeing that, Lea’s face eased, her gaze softening just a little.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say students at this school took the end-of-year festival seriously. It happened once a year, but people treated it like a big deal—something worth looking forward to.

The festival lasted a full week inside the school, right before Christmas break, and it wasn’t just booths and decorations. A sports festival—something that used to happen earlier in the year—had been folded into the same week, making everything even bigger. Fairs, competitions, events that let students invite family members... the whole thing was huge.

The school budget could be used for it too, as long as the teachers, principal, student council, and festival committee kept things under control. It was meant to prevent reckless spending, but the budget was still always high enough to keep most students happy.

For the final-year students, it was their last real chance to breathe before the curriculum got even more brutal. Naturally, they wanted it to be fun.

Leo understood that. He offered Lea a polite, perfectly normal smile.

"Don’t worry, Lea," he said.

"I’ll turn these incompetent idiots into competent minions in no time."

Teeth clenched around the circle. A few students looked ready to explode and were seething before they remembered Lea’s warning and swallowed it down.

Nathan smiled like he’d expected nothing less.

Lea lowered her head with a defeated expression.

"This... is going to be a long week..."