The School Festival Date (1)
Class 3-1: Tapioca Inn
“Wow, this place is really popular!”
“Class 3-1 is… let’s see… a tapioca specialty shop?”
“Oh wow, they went all-in on a trending theme. Right in the middle of what’s popular right now.”
“It’s sunny and hot today, so they’re practically reeling in customers. As expected of the third-years—they’ve got way more experience than us first-years.”
Inside Class 3-1’s classroom, the atmosphere was absolutely bustling.
Visitors entering the school stopped by one after another to buy tapioca drinks.
“Maybe our class should’ve done tapioca drinks too. I saw on TV that they’re actually pretty easy to make.”
“Really? That’s good to know—let’s keep it in mind for next year.”
“And the name ‘Tapioca Inn’ is kind of funny. It gave me a little chuckle.”
“Yeah, it’s a clever pun on ‘Travel Inn.’ I laughed a bit too once I got it.”
“They really thought this through. It’s pretty clever.”
“Don’t worry, Hasumin. Your idea for ‘1-5 Strawberry Scarlet Café’ is just as good.”
“Haha, thanks~”
Class 3-2: Smoothie Spot
“This place has such a cute name.”
“Looks like a smoothie shop.”
“Another drink-focused booth, huh?”
“It’s still hot during the day, so drinks are definitely a strong choice.”
“And smoothies are super easy to make, too.”
“All you really need are frozen fruits and a blender. Plus, getting approval to bring in a blender is almost guaranteed.”
“The third-years have been through three festivals, so they know what’s easy and popular.”
“Yeah, that’s true. But if I had to point something out…”
“If you had to?”
“The more popular the theme, the higher the chances of overlapping with other classes. That’s something I’d worry about.”
“Ah, yeah, you’re right. If neighboring classes have the same idea, that could be rough.”
“And for some reason, one booth always ends up thriving while the other is completely empty.”
“Uh, yeah… that’s not something to laugh about.”
Class 3-5: Tapioca Specialty Tappina
“Huh? This is another tapioca shop, but compared to Class 3-1, it’s not busy at all. What happened?”
Looking at the nearly empty classroom with a puzzled expression, Hasumin murmured.
“Looks like it, yeah.”
“Maybe their drinks don’t taste good? Or are they overpriced?”
“Hmm, I think it’s probably due to the layout. I doubt there’s a huge difference in quality or price between high school festival booths.”
“Layout?”
Tilting her head slightly, Hasumin looked confused.
“Class 3-1’s ‘Tapioca Inn’ is right at the top of the stairs at the main entrance, right? People coming in from the hot outdoors, thirsty, will naturally stop there first.”
“Oh, I see. If I were hot and thirsty, I’d probably grab a drink there too.”
“Exactly. Once they’ve bought a drink, they’re unlikely to stop at another tapioca shop all the way at the far end of the building, like Class 3-5’s.”
“Ah, that makes sense now. I get what you’re saying.”
“And Class 3-1’s ‘Tapioca Inn’ is packed with customers.”
“Wow, it’s like they lost before the fight even started. They got unlucky with their location.”
“Yeah, their luck ran out when their competitor got the prime spot near the entrance. That’s rough.”
“It’s so sad… The seniors in Class 3-5 look completely defeated, like it’s a funeral in there.”
“For the third-years, this is their last high school festival. It must be especially tough for whoever’s in charge of their booth.”
“Ugh, just imagining how the person in charge feels makes my stomach hurt…”
If I were in their shoes, I’d probably feel overwhelmed with guilt toward my classmates too.
Thankfully, our “1-5 Strawberry Scarlet Café” got off to a great start, thanks to Robo Tomoya and the handsome Date pulling in crowds like pros.
“We’ll use this as a lesson for the future. Anyway, how about we buy a drink here? I feel for the person in charge—they must be having a tough time.”
“Haha, Shuhei-kun, as the person in charge of Class 1-5, you really understand how they feel, huh?”
“Completely. I can only imagine how much effort they put in to make this their best festival yet.”
“Then I’ll get a drink here too. All this talk has made me thirsty.”
When we placed our orders, the seniors in Class 3-5 looked genuinely happy.
They even filled our cups to the brim as a special service. With drinks in hand, Hasumin and I resumed our festival reconnaissance—or, rather, our festival date.