Hourglass [Quintessential Quintuplets]

Chapter 11 - Preliminary

Asuka's POV:

''Can you help me study for the exam please!''

''Someone help class 2-F! Shortage supply alert!''

''Where the hell is the student council! They should have brought the decorations an hour ago!!''

''I have no idea what subjects I should study! AAAAAAAAAAH!!''

''The cafeteria is on fire!''

The school is in total chaos. To make matters worse, we're facing a situation that's all too familiar from last year.  Two major events are taking place at the same time: the Cultural Festival and midterms.

I wonder what the hell was going through the school administration when they green-lit this scheduling nightmare. Calling it 'less than ideal' would be an insult to the phrase. Both events needs serious time and attention from every single student and teacher. Midterms kick off in a few days, and the cultural festival starts the day right after the last exam ends. Hence this annual parade of organized hysteria that pops up right on cue.

I weave through the hallway with my hands in my pockets, dodging a duo of boys hauling a papier-mâché dragon the size of a small car on my left while a girl with an armful of textbooks nearly clips my shoulder on the right.  ''...At least the school's got some life to it again.'' 

It's been a while since the firework festival we attended with the quints. Daily life has turn back into its usual rhythm since then, though Fuutarou and I still trek out to the quintuplets' house on certain days. The girls have mostly warmed up to us by now — well, most of them. Nino still acts like she's plotting our downfall, but at least she hasn't made any major moves. Yet. I'd better keep my guard up. Fun fact: statistically speaking, you've got a higher chance of being assassinated walking down the street than winning the lottery.

The loud voices jostling around me eventually pulls me out of my head, and thirst finally registers somewhere behind my throat. I stop in front of the vending machine tucked into the hallway corner. ''Coffee it is!'' I fish a few coins out of my pocket and feed them into the slot one at a time.

Although I don't know the activities of other classes, our class works the same way.
We've decided to make a maid cafe so we can both earn some money and even win prizes in the popularity poll. The can thuds into the slot at the bottom of the machine. I crouch down to grab it, and that's when the entire world goes black. Two warm hands slap themselves over my eyes from behind, and a very familiar voice purrs directly into my ear. "Guess who~"

Lucky for my would-be ambusher, I've got enough brain cells to recognize a voice this teasing from a kilometer away. Who the hell else sounds like they're two seconds away from rigging a prank? ''Ichika.''

''Ding ding~ One point for Asuka-kun, hehe.''

Her hands slide away from my face, and the world rushes back in a blur of fluorescent light and student noise. The gorgeous eldest sister of the quintuplets is grinning at me with her hands still hovering near my shoulders. Must be a decent day for her. Catching her by herself is weird, though — she's usually with her friend group somewhere. ''Yo Ichika. Bet the school atmosphere caught you off guard too.''

''Heh~ Not something I can't handle.''