The Half-assed Prince

Culture Festival: Part 1

We only had a week before our culture festival and each class was busy preparing for the event. Our class opted for a yakotaki stand. The boys were occupied building the stall, while the girls were making the recipe. I wasn't able to help them though because I was already busy myself, running for errands everywhere.

Somehow it made me sad. It was my ever first culture festival in high school and yet I wouldn't be able to enjoy it. Ever since the preparations for the festival started, I'd been even busier. All of the committee representatives roamed around the school, checking for any unexpected incidents or helping those who needed a hand.

But the thing that made me sad the most was that I couldn't find a way to spend time alone with Kei. We barely saw each other, honestly. I would only see him in class, but then I would have to leave immediately. He also couldn't walk me to the station like he usually did. I always had to stay in school so late and I couldn't let him wait for me since the volleyball team was also busy. I heard they would be doing some exhibitions so they were out practicing after school.

I had been walking alone to the station for about a week. It was so lonely without Kei. I was so used to having him by my side, walking in that narrow and dark road together, feeling his warmth, making me feel secure. Sometimes I selfishly wished that I should've let him wait for me. But of course I wouldn't do that. I couldn't bother him even more.

The cultural festival was just two days away. Even though I was already exhausted, I had to do my job. Our class' stall was already built and was now standing near the gate of our school together with the other class' stalls. The only help I could give them was to make the schedule of our duties. I made sure that Kei and I had the same break time so that I could walk around school with him. After distributing the schedule, I went straight to the student council's office for the last meeting together with the other representatives.

The meeting ended later than usual. It was already 8:30 pm when we got out of the student council's room. The representative of the Class 1-B, Yoshio-san, offered to walk me to the station. I declined, of course, but he insisted. He said that he couldn't let a girl walk alone in this dark. I hesitated because that road was special to me, it was full of my memories with Kei… and having another guy walk together with me on that same road was a bit lonely. I wished it would be Kei, but I was sure he already went home. In the end I accepted his offer.

As we got nearer to the gate, my eyes caught a familiar person. His back was leaning against the wall, his tall frame relaxed but still intimidating. When he turned around and faced our direction I was surprised to see it was Kei. My heart started beating fast. Was he waiting for me? I couldn't hide the happiness that I felt when I saw him.

Before I knew it, my feet were moving, running towards him. I couldn’t stop a giggle from escaping my lips. It had been so long since we last walked together. But when I saw his face I slowed my pace. Kei looked upset. I couldn't explain how he looked mad: his eyes were cold than usual, his eyebrows furrowed in a seemingly permanent scowl. Then I realized that I was walking with another guy who was supposed to walk me to the station.

"Kei, I didn't know that you were waiting for me. Yoshio-san offered to walk me and I kind of accepted. Well, now that you're here, I'll tell him that I'm going with you."
His expression didn’t change at all; it was like he hadn’t even heard what I just said.

"No, you can go with him if you want. I'll just leave so that I won't be a bother to you." He flatly said.

"Kei it's not what you think! He just really--" But he turned around and headed to the opposite direction. He didn't even let me finish my sentence before he left.

I told Yoshio-san that he didn't need to walk me and that I could manage myself. He seemed to have understood the situation and didn't try to insist anymore.