Chapter 385: Leo Karumi [19]

After all the chaos in Leo’s classroom, they finally cheered and rushed toward the gym, where they’d built their haunted house.

Leo decided to go with them. There was still half an hour before everything officially started—enough time for last-minute checks and final adjustments.

When they arrived, he saw the structure hidden beneath a large cloth draped over it like a shroud. Even so, the scent of fresh wood leaked through.

’Not bad.’

He nodded in quiet approval, like some inspector passing judgment, and a few of his classmates hurried over, practically bouncing with anticipation.

"Leo!" one of them blurted.

"Do you want to go in as our test sub— I mean, as our first?" They rushed on without taking a breath. "You don’t have a costume anyway, so if you just stick with us all day it’ll be a waste, and you’ll stand out like a sore thumb. Not that you’d probably stay, but—you know what I mean, right?"

Leo nodded. He wasn’t planning to spend his whole day here anyway. And even if they tried, no one could

force

him—especially not when he was the captain of the festival committee.

A hand-painted sign hung crookedly above the entrance:

ENTER IF YOU DARE

The letters were uneven and the brushstrokes were obvious, but that only made it better.

Leo studied it for a moment, then looked back at their expectant faces.

"...Alright," he said. "I’ll go in."

"Yes!" someone shouted.

"Everyone—Leo’s going in!"

A wave of excitement rippled through the group. Their attention snapped to him all at once, eyes bright and eager—like a hungry pack of hyenas waiting to see him get torn apart.

Leo’s lips curved upward, just slightly.

’I wonder if they can really scare me.’

*****

"Are... are you a robot, Leo?"

"There’s no way... you didn’t even react once..."

"Is it us? A-are we the problem?"

"Don’t be disheartened, Micah! It’s not you—it’s him!" another student snapped. "It’s that freak of a superior being who’s better than you and me!"

"You are

not

helping!"

Leo stepped out from behind the black drape, leaving the haunted house behind him. The moment he emerged, he was met by a line of sulking, drooping classmates standing right in front of him, looking like they were about to drown the floor with their tears.

Leo ignored them at first and glanced back at the entrance. Instead of looking at their hunched shoulders and defeated faces, he pinched his chin, thinking.

’Honestly, the quality isn’t bad. The jump scares aren’t bad either. I’m sure a lot of people will come out pale and shaking... maybe I should bring Nathan here?

’

The thought barely formed before he dropped it.

That guy was a storm in his otherwise peaceful life, and inviting a storm was never a good idea.

’Still... this is going to be a real attraction. Everything is solid.’

With no excuse left to hide behind, Leo found himself... pleased.

He turned back around—and paused.

The stares aimed at him were strange.

They were clearly disappointed they hadn’t managed to squeeze even a single flinch out of him, but beneath that, Leo could still see it: something needy, expectant. Almost like—

Puppies waiting for praise.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his teacher in the back of the gym, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She lifted a hand and waved at him, like she’d been waiting for this moment.

’What is she doing, trying to look cool...?’

The situation struck Leo as absurdly funny.

Before he could stop himself, a bright smile split across his face—and he laughed.

The sound stunned everyone.

He laughed for a full minute while the students around him stood frozen, blinking like fish trying to process what they were witnessing.

When he finally wiped the tear that had formed at the corner of his eye, he was still smiling—only now his features had softened. He looked at his classmates warmly.

"The haunted house is really well made," he said.

"I can tell you worked hard. Every one of you did an amazing job."

"..."

A silence spread through the gym.

There were other classes nearby—at least four of them—and even they froze, heads turning as the words seemed to travel across the room.

As for Leo’s classmates... he could’ve sworn they were trying not to cry.

Then he realized they weren’t trying hard enough.

Tears were already spilling.

The next time Leo blinked, a pack of weeping children was sprinting toward him.

His whole body tensed on instinct, ready to bolt—but then he caught his teacher shaking her head.

For some reason, he listened.

He pressed his lips together, then sighed in resignation.

A second later, he was tackled to the ground.

A pile of warm, sobbing bodies crushed him as they tried to bury him—crying directly into his face like they’d waited years for permission.

"WAAAH! LEO! IS THAT REALLY YOU, LEO?! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!"

"Argh—why?! Why did we only find out you had a sweet side

now

?!"

"I-I don’t want this year to end anymore! I want to be friends with you!"

"Ugh, why do we only find out at the very end that you were chill like this...? This is unfair!"

"Teacher, please fail us all! There’s still time! Let us redo the year, pleeease!"

With no real choice, Leo just lay there and endured it—wearing a troubled, uncomfortable, wry smile he had to force into place.

Somewhere in the distance, his teacher was laughing.

And the students from the other classes stared at the scene like they were watching a live show.

*****

With great difficulty, Leo eventually managed to escape his weeping classmates—who had done a complete one-eighty in how they viewed him and were suddenly reluctant to let him go.

Unfortunately for them, Leo hadn’t planned to spend his day with them. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t. He didn’t have a costume. He hadn’t practiced anything with them. Aside from being the reason they had costumes in the first place—and saving their budget so they could improve the haunted house—he hadn’t done much.

Yet they treated those small contributions like an act of God.

’Seeing Dave sulk against the wall was funny, at least.’

Though if Leo had to choose, his father was a far more entertaining person to annoy.

’Maybe I should’ve teased Dave about me knowing his father...’

Thinking nonsense like that, Leo walked down the hallway, which was steadily filling with students. The waiting period was over; the festival had finally kicked into full motion.

Everyone was in costume—something tied to whatever their class or club was running—worn alongside bright, energetic smiles. Leo, meanwhile, strolled toward Nathan’s classroom.

When he arrived, he was met with a long, neat line of students waiting to enter.

Scratching his cheek, Leo held back a scowl.

’Do I really need to wait in line?’

he thought—then shook his head at the sudden, entitled impulse.

Still, irritation lingered. Nathan was the one who’d told him to visit their class "no matter what," and now Leo was being forced to stand in a line like everyone else.

Unless he wanted to act like the "evil prince" again, he had no choice.

So he joined the line.

He’d promised Lea. And honestly, Leo wasn’t heartless enough to ruin a week like this—when everyone was so innocently excited.

Besides... Leo himself had decided to do something strange: actually participate instead of skipping the festival. It didn’t even make sense to him.

Now that he was standing there, he couldn’t help overhearing the conversation of two girls in front of him, their voices full of excitement.

"You heard, didn’t you? Apparently the one taking the shift from this morning until lunch is that handsome senior—Nathan."

"I want to see him in a suit, acting like a proper butler." She sighed.

"God, that would make my day."

"Right?"

For some reason, Leo felt a sharp, petty irritation.

’I look much better than Nathan in a suit...’

And yet, at the same time, Leo would rather be caught dead than be in Nathan’s position. That idiot had somehow convinced his entire class to do one of the most cliché festival ideas imaginable: a maid café.

’How did he get them all on board with something that stupid?’

It genuinely baffled Leo. Nathan was intelligent—undeniably so—yet he insisted on acting like a fool half the time, obsessed with manga, anime, and light novels.

"Ah!" One of the girls suddenly covered her mouth.

"I just realized—won’t the Prez be on shift this morning too?"

’Prez?’

Leo’s attention snapped in instantly.

"Oh, that’s true!" the other girl whispered, practically vibrating.

"Senior Nathan

and

the student council president in the same shift? God, what luck!"

"If only Senior Leo was in that class too..."

Leo’s eyebrows shot up.

"Right? All three of the most handsome and beautiful—together. In butler and maid uniforms, serving us..."

Both girls let out tiny, muffled squeals.

Leo’s entire body went uncomfortable.

’Should I come back at another time?’

"Ugh," the first girl muttered, "I’ve barely even seen Senior Leo, but I heard from rumors he’s really mean..."

The other nodded immediately.

"They say he can spit venom from his tongue like a snake."

"Ew, that’s really sca—"

"I wasn’t aware I’d developed such a cool ability."

The girls flinched in perfect sync. Then, like robots, they slowly turned their heads and looked up at him—

and went pale.

"S-senior...!"

Leo sighed.

Then he did the one thing he probably shouldn’t have done.

He stepped out of the line.

And walked straight to the front.

Instantly, several students started shouting, offended.

"Hey! What are you—"

But the moment they recognized Leo’s face, their anger died in their throats.

At the front stood a boy dressed in a black suit and a checkered vest, clearly part of the class staff. He looked startled.

"H-hey—what are yo— eek!"

Leo’s blank stare made him recoil mid-sentence.

"Leo..." the boy said cautiously, lowering his voice as if addressing a dangerous animal.

"What are you doing?"

Leo answered calmly.

"I’m checking classes to make sure there aren’t any problems or rules being broken, as captain of the festival committee."

A blatant lie—one only Leo was aware of.

"Ah... but..." The boy hesitated.

"Aren’t festival committee members supposed to wear an armband—?"

He stopped himself, swallowed, then forced a brittle smile.

"Y-you know what? You can go in. Just... please don’t glare at the customers and staff like that."

"Glare?" Leo repeated.

"Am I glaring?"

The boy nodded, dead serious.

"Yeah. It’s really scary."

Leo rubbed his eyes, genuinely confused.

’Since when have I been glaring?’

"What about now?" he asked.

The boy studied him, then nodded with visible relief and gave a thumbs-up.

"Much better!" he said, impressed.

"As expected of you, Leo."

Leo nodded once and walked inside.

At the entrance, a hand-painted sign leaned against the doorframe:

Welcome Home, Master & Mistress ♡

Seeing the sign, Leo felt an immediate urge to turn back. An ominous feeling settled in his chest.

When he stepped inside, the classroom barely resembled a classroom anymore.

Pastel ribbons were strung from wall to wall, crossing overhead like a web, each knot hiding a small paper charm or bell. The windows were veiled with thin pink curtains. Someone had even gone through the trouble of taping cardboard frames around the windows, painted white and trimmed with frills, turning them into mock café panes.

The desks were unrecognizable. They’d been pushed together in pairs and draped with tablecloths, each topped with a small vase of plastic flowers. Menus lay neatly at the center of every table, laminated and decorated with cartoon cats and hearts. Someone had even printed a logo for the café, stamped it onto napkins, and taped matching copies onto the backs of chairs.

The lighting did most of the work. Cheap LED strips lined the ceiling and the edges of the walls, glowing warm instead of harsh, softening everything they touched. The room felt smaller—cozier.

Maids and butlers moved through the room with rehearsed ease, the contrast deliberate. Frilled skirts and crisp aprons brushed past tailored vests and pressed sleeves—lace and ribbons offset by bow ties and polished buttons. Stockings matched. Headpieces sat straight. The butlers’ uniforms, though simpler, were clean and sharp enough to sell the role.

"Welcome home, Ma—oh, it’s you, Leo!"

A maid who was supposed to guide customers to their seats recognized him mid-line. She instantly broke character, averting her gaze with an embarrassed flush.

"Don’t get shy now," Leo said dryly.

"You idiots chose to do this."

She glared at him, clearly feeling attacked.

"W-well, when else do we get the chance to roleplay like this

and

have the money for it?" she snapped.

"What’s so wrong with wanting to have a bit of fun and take it seriously!? Make fun of me all you want—I don’t care!"

Leo blinked at the sudden counterattack. He scratched the back of his head while she crossed her arms and stared at the floor, cheeks still red.

"...I wasn’t planning to."

"Huh?"

She froze, then looked up.

"R-really?"

Leo nodded.

"Really."

"...Really?" she asked again for some reason, making Leo’s lips twitch.

"Really."

"Al... alright."

Suddenly, she clapped her hands together and forced a bright smile so strong it looked like her face might glow.

"Then please follow me to your table, Master~!"

"...Right."

’So it’s fun to serve people?’

Leo didn’t understand it. But he was curious enough to go along with it.

A butler pulled out a chair for him. Leo sat, and the butler placed the menu down with exaggerated formality before stepping away.

Not wanting to linger, Leo ordered a parfait. The maid and butler left, and the room carried on around him.

Every so often, a bell rang.

Near the blackboard—now repurposed as a counter—the back staff worked like a real café. Parfaits were assembled in neat layers, whipped cream piped with care, drinks poured into clear cups stamped with custom stickers. The smell of sugar and coffee hung in the air, blending into something convincingly café-like.

Nothing felt sloppy. No one hesitated. They barely needed to look at each other for cues.

For a school festival, it was excessive.

For a class with a budget, it was impressive.

This didn’t feel like a joke or a half-committed theme. It felt like something they’d taken seriously—money and effort poured into every detail.

...but why?

The answer came immediately.

’Right... they want to make memories they’ll never forget.’

That was why they were throwing their hearts into something as ridiculous as a maid café.

And now that Leo thought about it—this was also partly because of him.

Because... he’d helped.

The reason so many of them had the chance to build these happy moments was because Leo had stepped in and made things smoother.

His thoughts drifted back to earlier: his classmates panicking because he didn’t have a costume... the haunted house, how they’d wanted him to test it first... the way they’d gotten emotional the moment he praised them...

’What is this...?’

Something unfamiliar and warm spread through his chest.

Leo clenched his hand tightly, suddenly anxious—almost afraid of that feeling. It was comfortable in a way that made him sad, for reasons he couldn’t put into words.

’I... I should leave.’

Leo pushed his chair back—

"Here is your order, Master!"

A plate appeared in front of him, stopping him mid-motion.

And with it came the familiar face he’d been wishing to punch since earlier.

"Nathan."

Nathan stood there in a suit, smiling stupidly down at him.

"So?" he said brightly.

"What do you think? Our class is pretty impressive, right?"

He looked so genuinely pleased that Leo couldn’t bring himself to insult him like usual. Leo glanced down at the parfait.

"...Yeah," he admitted.

"It’s impressive."

"There you go again—today, my friend, you won’t damp—" Nathan stopped.

"Eh? Wait. What did you just say?"

He froze, eyes widening.

Leo looked up, scowling.

"I said this café—though stupid—is impressive."

Nathan’s gleeful expression twisted into something worried. His voice dropped, gentle in a way that immediately irritated Leo.

"Leo... are you alright?" Nathan asked.

"Are you sick?"

Leo leaned back, instinctively creating distance as Nathan leaned forward to peer at his face.

"You look pale," Nathan said.

"What’s wrong?"

"I’m fine," Leo snapped.

"Mind your own business."

"Like hell I am."

Leo gritted his teeth. This would only go in Nathan’s favor if it dragged on, so he steered the conversation somewhere else.

"Where’s Lea?"

"Lea?" Nathan echoed, surprised by the sudden mention. Leo nodded.

"I heard a lot of students were excited about seeing her in a maid uniform," Leo said, glancing around.

"But she’s nowhere."

Nathan gave an awkward smile.

"Ah... well. She’s back there."

He pointed to the back of the classroom, where a long black curtain hung—presumably a resting area for staff.

"She actually couldn’t participate today," Nathan continued. "She forgot to get a maid uniform. Even after a bunch of people reminded her. She kept saying she wouldn’t forget, but... yeah." He scratched his cheek. "She worked really hard last week."

Leo’s eyes settled on the curtain.

"I see," he said quietly.

"So she forgot one too."

"As well?"

Leo froze mid-reach for his parfait as Nathan stared at him in shock.

"Et tu, Leo?"

"Shut up."

"Ahhh!" Nathan groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. "Why are the two supposedly smartest people in our school suddenly so forgetful at the most important moments of your lives?"

"I’d say this is hardly the most—"

"I don’t care," Nathan cut him off, suddenly annoyed, his glare sharp. "You won’t get a costume in one day unless you spend insane money. You’ll have to rent one, but most places will be booked out."

He leaned closer, voice lowering like he was sharing classified information.

"Luckily, my mom’s friend owns a cosplay shop. I asked her last week to keep a few costumes aside, and she agreed. Her store is in the local mall, but you need a member card to rent anything from there." Nathan’s eyes flicked to the curtain again. "I was going to give you the card... but I gave it to Lea. So go with her, alright?"

This time, Leo stared at him like he’d grown a second head.

"You..." Leo said slowly. "You knew I would forget?"

Nathan huffed.

"How long have we known each other? I wouldn’t be your best—and only—friend if I didn’t know you were going to mess something up. Intentionally or unintentionally."

Leo could only manage a wry smile at being predicted so perfectly.

Then his expression shifted as he looked back toward the curtain.

"Why is Lea resting back there," Leo asked, "instead of going around and enjoying the festival?"

Nathan’s face tightened. He looked uneasy, eyes lingering on the black curtain.

"I thought the same," he admitted. "But... unfortunately, the Prez said she doesn’t feel well today and that she needed to rest alone."

Leo’s chair scraped back sharply.

Before he even realized he’d decided, he was on his feet—leaving Nathan and the parfait behind—and heading straight for the curtain where Lea was resting.