After the long prep period, festival day arrived. Following the opening ceremony in the gym, students went about their assigned shifts.
Second-years were on plays only — no food stalls — so until our play we had free time.
“Let’s hit the booth tour.”
“Curious which class is the popular one this year.”
“Class commitment varies — quality variance should be high.”
The three of us strolled the festival-decorated school. Last year I’d hidden in the library outside my shifts. This was the first festival I was actually experiencing.
Even at my middle school I’d done the same — I had a long track record of wasting school life.
We started with the high school booths. The first-year classroom was already crowded. Each booth’s name was painted boldly on the classroom walls; clearly readable. The handout pamphlet also listed everything.
“Ryouya, Nee-chan, where first?”
“Maid café and haunted house are self-explanatory — trick room is the wildcard.”
“Yeah, I’m curious too — and the line is short.”
“Got it, I’ll go with that.”
We chose the trick room. Inside, the floor looked warped and a 3D lion mural appeared to lunge at us. Trick art.
“Oh — trick meant trick art.”
“Pretty committed.”
“Quality is high.”
A high schooler-built setup at this quality was unexpected. Probably someone in this class is a professional in the making.
“Ryouya, lie face-down in front of the lion.”
“Like this?”
“Yes, hold.”
Reona was photographing with full enthusiasm. Social media bound. I had stopped resisting.
“Look — Ryouya-kun being eaten by a lion.”
“Looks like it’s about to swallow him.”
“That illusion is amazing.”
“Now me and Riona.”
We photographed at multiple trick-art stations and were leaving when I tripped on the warped floor — there was a step where the illusion suggested none, my brain bugged out, and I almost faceplanted. Reona caught me. Saved. Her hand on my waist was — let’s say — slightly flirty in placement, which I noted.
“Just in time.”
“Thanks — saved.”
“You’re welcome. Saving the princess is the duty of the prince — me.”
“No, no — I’m only a princess in the play.”
Reona had used the play’s Prince dialect-of-speech, and was — for an unreasonable cost — excellent at it. Reona’s drag presentation has a fanbase, possibly.