Amakusa Shino held a flashlight, walking alone through the silent campus.
The campfire gala had ended about half an hour ago, and with its conclusion, the Sobu High Cultural Festival had finally drawn to a close.
Considering that the members of the Student Council today-including most of the teachers-were already overworked, Amakusa Shino simply took on the task of patrolling the entire school by herself.
In truth, she was also exhausted after a day without much rest, but as the general planner of the Sobu High Cultural Festival and the Student Council President, the girl chose to grit her teeth and persevere, handling all the heavy work herself.
Being serious, responsible, and having a sense of duty was likely why the other members of the Student Council still supported her so much, even though she often said strange things and dirty jokes that made people feel awkward and unable to resist calling her out on them.
The girl let out a yawn, dragging her weary body and trying to cheer herself up as she walked down the hallway.
The school at night looked completely different from the daytime; after everyone else had left, it became incomparably eerie and terrifying.
If it were a normal day, it would be fine, but today, after the Cultural Festival, strange signs and graffiti were visible everywhere in the hallways. Many classroom entrances still had handmade or cheaply purchased mascot plush toys-they looked clumsy and cute during the day, but at night, they gave off an inexplicable sense of dread...
"Rustle, rustle..."
Just as Amakusa Shino was rubbing her eyes to stay awake, a rustling sound suddenly came from not far ahead, as if someone was rummaging through something.
The girl's heart leaped into her throat, and she cautiously walked toward the direction of the sound.
Suddenly, a figure jumped out, giving her a fright.
"President Amakusa?" That figure stopped and looked at her in surprise.
"Asagumo? Why are you still at school?"
Amakusa Shino, who had been thoroughly spooked, finally calmed down. Using the light of her flashlight, she confirmed it was Asakura.
"Should I say it's an inevitable result after a frenzy, or that I neglected things I should have prioritized..." Asakura scratched his head: "In short, I'm now the one in charge of the trash."
If this were a novel, after a romantic stroll in the sky, the style should have shifted and fast-forwarded straight to the next scene.
But reality is such that no matter how romantic the scene, it eventually hits the ground and continues with the down-to-earth reality of life.
Because he had been running around outside all day for various reasons and hadn't helped out at his class's cafe at all, the cleaning work after the class shop closed naturally fell to him as compensation.
"That's really hard work..."
Amakusa Shino looked at Asakura's clothes, which had become somewhat dusty: "But you can leave the tidying until tomorrow. There's a whole day for cleanup after the Cultural Festival ends, so you can head back early."
"Even if you didn't say that, President Amakusa, I was planning to leave soon. After all, the tidying is mostly finished."
"You're quite efficient at your work. I remember your class was a Haunted House Cafe, right? The things to pack up should be more numerous than a normal Haunted House or cafe."
Amakusa Shino looked at Asakura with some disbelief.
If a whole class worked together, the cleanup could be roughly finished in half an hour, but if it was just one person, the efficiency was a bit too high.
"I am the strongest at odd jobs." Asakura made an exaggeratedly proud expression.
After all, as long as he used a [Snake] on the trash and things that needed cleaning, the rest was just letting them crawl into the trash cans themselves. It was simple and saved effort; Asakura even felt that organizing the classroom alone might be faster and more convenient than the whole class working together.
As expected of me. He puffed out his chest proudly.
"That sounds like the title of a manga that's been popular lately." Amakusa Shino commented.
"If there's nothing else, I'll head out first. Bye-bye." Asakura waved to her.
"Wait a moment."
"Hmm?"
"No, it's nothing... See you tomorrow."
"Ah..." Asakura looked at Amakusa Shino, who seemed a bit uneasy, and suddenly realized something: "Is President Amakusa scared?"
"Ugh..." Although the girl didn't admit it, this non-rebuttal was almost equivalent to a default.
"I recall you shouldn't have moe points like being afraid of the dark or ghosts?" Asakura asked curiously.
"I just don't want to be seen as such a flimsy... cough, flighty woman! If there's someone beside me, there's naturally no problem. If it were a normal Sobu High, it wouldn't matter either... But our students are quite lacking in creativity. Guess how many classes had a 'Haunted House' theme this time?"
Amakusa Shino sighed, complaining with an expression like an old person from the Showa era: "That's why I say this generation is truly fragile! No wonder the recent eroge and adult films can't compare to the flavor of the past!"
"Using those kinds of things to judge a generation is a bit too one-sided, isn't it? Besides, you're a part of that generation too."
Asakura complained.
"In short, Asagumo-san, if you don't mind, could you walk with me for a bit?" Amakusa Shino asked.
"Just walking for a bit is certainly no problem." Asakura nodded.
Actually, he also admired Amakusa Shino. Just based on the thought and energy spent, this girl was likely the most exhausted one during this period. Yet even so, after everything concluded, she could still continue to take on her responsibilities alone. Even just now, when she wanted to ask him for help, she hesitated because she considered his situation. It could be said that even though she hasn't officially taken office yet, as a Student Council President, she is already a very competent person.
"Actually, most of human fear of the dark comes from uncertainty and silence. As long as there is enough sound to break that state..." Asakura said eloquently as the two walked down the hallway, "it's just like how many psychological horror movies can turn into comedies just by changing the BGM."
"That's true." Amakusa Shino nodded, expressing some agreement with Asakura's statement: "Then Asagumo, do you want to try singing a song?"
"Will the President not sing?"
"Not to brag, but my singing isn't that pleasant to the ear."
"Really? I thought the President might have been in a band before."
"Why would you have such a ridiculous idea?"
"When leaving the stage after a hugely successful live performance, you accidentally revealed blue and white stripes or something."
"The setting is too specific! I told you I'm not that kind of flighty woman!" The girl patted Asakura's shoulder with a 'youth is great' attitude. "Hey! This is a presidential order, hurry up and sing!"
"Tōryanse Tōryanse"
"Don't sing that kind of song at a time like this! Are you a demon!?"
"Then I'm going back."
"Ah, I was lying, I was lying! You're an angel! Stay and patrol with me!"