Preparing for the School Festival (3)
The day after homeroom, the entire school began preparations for the cultural festival.
As the class representative for Class 1-5, I was tasked with overseeing our class’s contribution to the event. After attending a meeting with the festival planning committee, I returned to the classroom.
“How’s the progress coming along, everyone?”
“It’s going smoothly~”
“Good to hear. Let me know if you need anything or have any requests.”
“Roger that!”
After checking in with the group making decorations and menu boards in the classroom, I headed to the courtyard, where the props team was crafting signs and placards.
My role involved managing the overall progress of the class, attending committee meetings when necessary, and helping out wherever I could during my free time—mainly with props work.
Officially, festival-related responsibilities were split between me and Hasumin, the vice-class representative.
However, since she was also practicing with a band she’d joined for the festival, I took over whenever she had practice sessions.
I had no after-school commitments, so it was an ideal role for me.
Besides, sharing meeting updates with Hasumin worked seamlessly, and there hadn’t been any issues so far.
Honestly, compared to the grueling journey of defeating the Demon King, being the class rep for cultural festival prep felt like crushing a paper balloon—effortless.
As I made my way through the bustling, energetic school grounds to the courtyard, I spotted the boys in the props crew huddled together, deep in discussion.
Curious, I walked over to check on the situation.
“What’s going on? Did something happen?”
“Oh, Oda. Yeah, we’ve got a bit of a problem.”
“Good work on the meeting.”
“Welcome back~”
“So, we got some plywood to make the standing signs, but when we tried cutting it, the edges turned out all jagged.”
“Yeah, take a look. We tried cutting it with a saw, but the edge is super uneven, right?”
“Since we’re making signs, we want the edges to look clean.”
“So, we’ve been trying to figure out what to do.”
“Got it. Let me take care of it. Hand me the saw. I just need to follow this line, right?”
“Uh, yeah, but are you sure?”
Borrowing the saw, I immediately got to work cutting the plywood.
As I sliced through the board with precision, leaving edges as smooth as if cut with a diamond blade, the boys stared in awe.
“Whoa, that’s incredible!”
“How are you cutting it so cleanly?!”
“Are you from a family of blade makers or something?”
“Well, let’s just say I have a knack for using tools like these.”
Of course, it wasn’t due to natural talent. It was all thanks to the blessing I’d received from the goddess Athena in the other world.
As a hero, I had the [Blade Master] skill, which allowed me to handle any blade or melee weapon at an S-rank level.
Without this skill, mastering the holy sword alone would’ve taken years of training.
For heroes summoned to another world, this skill was practically essential.
And with this ability, cutting plywood cleanly with a saw was child’s play.
“Not only have you become more outgoing, but you’ve got hidden talents, too? Oda, you’re full of surprises.”
“You even beat Date, the basketball team regular, in PE class!”
“First, there’s Date, the monster athlete, and now we find out there’s someone even better?!”
“No wonder you and Hasumi-san are on nickname terms.”
“Man, I’d love to call Hasumi-san ‘Hasumin’ just once.”
“Same here! I’d kill to hear her call me by my name!”
“It’s not like that between me and Hasumin.”
“Oh, come on. You two seem so close!”
“Exactly!”
“You’re always together.”
“Didn’t you walk home together the other day?”
“That’s just because our seats are next to each other, and we’re both class reps. Of course, we’d head home together after meetings.”
“Don’t be shy—we all know what’s up.”
“Yeah, you two are a perfect match.”
“No one’s complaining about it.”
“Sigh… Anyway, I’m done cutting the plywood.”
“Already?! That was fast!”
“And look at these perfect edges!”
“You were casually chatting while doing this?”
“No wonder Hasumi-san likes you.”
“If I were Hasumi-san, I’d fall for you too.”
“Yeah, seriously.”
“I’m telling you, there’s nothing between us…”
Amid their playful teasing, I continued working with my lively classmates, focusing on making the signs.
(This is great. This really feels like youth.)
Back in middle school, I’d already embraced my role as an introvert. During festivals, I’d quietly do only what I was told, then retreat to a corner to stay out of the way.
My time as a hero in the other world was spent fighting alongside Riena against the Demon King’s army, leaving no room for frivolity.
That’s why these festival preparations felt like my first real experience working together with peers my age. It was fun, fulfilling, and something I’d never forget.