Be careful with the laid-back beauty who took a liking to me. Otherwise, it will be too late! - Chapter 45: An Unpleasant Incident Before the Cultural Festival

Chapter 45: An Unpleasant Incident Before the Cultural Festival

The day before the cultural festival. Today was dedicated to preparations, and I had plans to meet up with Saya. However, before that, I had a meeting with Mai Sakura at a nearby park.

Arriving a little earlier than the meeting time, I found Mai already sitting alone on a bench.

“Mai Sakura, sorry to keep you waiting.”

Noticing my voice, she looked up and smiled brightly.

“It’s fine! I just got here too. Why don’t you sit down?”

“Ah, sure…”

Not wanting to sit too close, I took a seat on the bench with some space between us.

Mai had said she wanted to talk, but it seemed difficult for her to get the words out. She stared vacantly at the playground equipment in front of us for a while before finally speaking up.

“How’s it going with Koga? Are you two getting along well?”

“Koga? Yeah, we’re doing well,” I replied, surprised that she was asking about Saya.

“I see… About the message earlier, is it still too much to ask? Even if it’s not for a long time, I just want to be with you a little.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“…No, I understand I’m being unreasonable. It’s better to decline, since being seen with me might cause misunderstandings. Let’s just enjoy the cultural festival separately.”

Mai said this with a smile and extended her fist toward me. I gently bumped my fist against hers.

Then she stood up from the bench and walked toward the station without saying anything else.

Saya and I walked to school together, and when we entered the classroom, it felt unusually noisy. I wondered if something had happened, so I approached Asahi, who was nearby.

“Good morning, Asahi. What’s going on?”

Several students were gathered in the middle of the classroom, so it was clear something was up.

“There’s been a little incident…”

Asahi pointed toward the maid café sign. That sign was something the sign-making team had worked hard to finish just the day before, but now it was in a terrible state.

It had once been beautifully painted, but it was now covered in various colors of paint.

“Who could have done this…?”

I heard Saya murmur next to me, her voice filled with anger. It didn’t look like an accident; it seemed intentional.

As I stared at the sign, I heard Shina’s voice nearby, surrounded by several classmates.

“I was the last one to leave. But I didn’t do this. And—”

“But who else could it be if not you, Shina?”

It seemed that Shina, who had locked up the classroom the previous day, was being accused of this mess.

I was about to speak up against this baseless accusation when Saya grabbed my hand.

“Stay here, Hinata. I’ll handle this.”

“Um, okay…”

I watched her back as she approached Shina.

“Akari-chan didn’t do this. She was with me when we locked up and when we returned the keys to the teacher.”

Saya addressed those accusing Shina. Since she was well-respected in class, her words had weight.

“You’re right, I was with Saya after we returned the keys. I didn’t have any time alone in the classroom.”

Although Saya’s support was helpful, some in the class still murmured doubts, insisting Shina was the culprit.

However, not everyone believed Shina was guilty. She had a good reputation in the class, and there were those who trusted her.

“Let’s stop the blame game. If we keep this up, the atmosphere will be tense by the time the festival arrives.”

A girl close to Shina gently rubbed her back as she spoke to the group.

After her words, Maruyama enthusiastically agreed, raising her hand.

“Exactly! Just like she said, pointing fingers won’t fix the sign. Let’s cooperate and make a new one!”

People exchanged glances, and a few nodded in agreement.

Though the classroom had felt tense, the mood lightened when everyone resolved to recreate the sign.

I approached the sign-making team to see if I could help, and they asked me to bring some additional brushes and paint from the art room. I decided to go with Saya, as it would be difficult to carry everything alone.

As we headed to the art room, Saya seemed lost in thought.

“Saya, is something wrong?”

Worried, I asked, and she flashed a faint smile.

“I’m not giving up on finding the culprit. Someone framed Shina and ruined the hard work of those who created the sign.”

“Are you planning something risky?”

“Hehe, it’s nothing dangerous. I just want to identify the culprit and give them a warning.”

“Uh… Saya, have you already figured out who it is?”

Her expression suggested she might have an idea, so I asked, and she looked at me with a knowing smile.

“Hehe, I might have seen someone suspicious yesterday, so I think I know.”

As we talked, we quickly arrived at the art room. Before borrowing the brushes and paint, Saya approached the art teacher.

“Excuse me, was there a student who came to borrow paint around 5 PM yesterday?”

Saya asked if anyone had come in after she left with Shina.

“Yes, there was one student who came in at that time. Although many were returning supplies, that student said they would come back soon after borrowing some.”

“Do you know their name?”

“Uh, let me check. Borrowers usually sign in, so let me look at the list…”

After receiving a paper from the art teacher, Saya and I examined the list for names around that time. Just as the teacher had said, there was indeed one student’s name.

Saya slowly read the name aloud.

“Hinata Kawai.”