Spring Festival || Aki Hayakawa X OC

chapter 2: Dilemma

Niko is glad to walk through familiar doors the next morning. She is even happier to be around their familiar council, yesterday's events all but forgotten.

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and Niko is in a good mood. A bird pooped on her school shirt earlier and that still didn't break her spirit.

She should've know that things would turn out just the opposite soon enough.

The student council room is in shambles when she walks in that afternoon. Shelves thrown to the ground, papers scattered everywhere. Everyone is screaming over each other except the accounting department, who are cowering in a tiny corner together, and Niko has no idea what is going on.

"Guys, what the heck is going on?" she tries to ask, but Haruka from the gardening department only screeches at her.

What could be causing all this ruckus? Thankfully her brother walks in at that moment, and Niko doesn't have to worry about her voice failing to carry through loudly enough.

Ren looks at her with a raised brow, she shrugs in return, then he blows an ear splitting whistle. Everyone freezes on the spot, surprised.

"Come on guys, I know you're all upset but this isn't the way to go about it, clean this up and we'll discuss this," he points a finger across the room at some kids huddled against a wall, one of them drawing a pentagram with coal.

"And art's department, paint over that thing and return the goat from whence it came. There will be no sacrifices offered in our council room today, thank you." someone groans and a knife clatters, but they get to it.

The members mumble half-hearted apologies as they work. All the while Niko is only getting more confused by the second.

Ren turns on his heels and walks back into the hallway, she follows him out.

"I'm kinda curious as to how did they managed to get the goat through the doors without freaking out the guards" he muses, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Why were they like that anyway, what happened?"

Ren looks at her like she's grown a third arm, then his face falls, and Niko can tell that whatever it is, it's bad. He sighs, looking up at the ceiling for a moment then he meets her gaze.

"You were on library duty, right? The deputy principal called us in for an emergency meeting and... well, due to an error in accounting, the budget was way off and it turns out we can't afford to pitch in for this year's interschool festival. The celebration is cancelled."

What? She must have not heard him right.

"Huh? What do you mean? Ren, this festival is literally a school tradition, how could it be cancelled? Why wasn't I told any of this?"

"Niko, calm down, it'll-"

Niko turns to glare at him, fuming. "They can't take away the festival from us, no way!"

"They did though..." Ren says quietly.

"Well I don't accept it! How big of an error was it to cost us this much?!"

Ren looks away and Niko can feel that telltale itch in her throat and she wants to scream in frustration. But she doesn't, it won't solve anything now, but she can't say she's very fond of the accountant department right now.

She stomps back to the council room with Ren trailing behind her like a kicked puppy. The first thing they need to figure out is how they're going to break the news to the rest of their school.

*
*
*

The council members have calmed down, but the atmosphere is dreary. They still can't agree on how to break the news, and time is running out.

"I think we should just go with Jiyoung's idea," Haruka sighs, as she flips through the actual budget sheet for the hundredth time this evening.

"I don't think asking the teachers to pitch in would be a good idea," Nagisa, the head of broadcasting says with a frown.

It feels like they are just going in circles now, everyone is exhausted and upset and they can't agree on anything. Niko is about to ask to postpone the meeting for tomorrow, but the accountants seem to have other ideas.

"I agree with Jiyoung as well, we could ask for a donation," Takeda voices, and Niko shares a look with Ren.

Ren sighs deeply. "No, the principal won't agree to that since it could mean putting their bonuses at stake."

"I didn't mean from the teachers, president," says Takeda with a glint in his eye, this can't be good. "Junpei prep totally has the means to help us, if we just--"

"Hold up," --Haruka raises a hand-- "you want us to beg for money from those Junpei snobs? Are you forgetting how badly they treat us just because our school isn't as prestigious as their's? Hell no!"

"What other choice do we have, Haruka? We won't have a festival this year if we don't, for most of us this is our last chance to celebrate one before we leave for college remember?"

Haruka looks like she wants to say something else, but she sinks into her seat instead, defeated. And it is clear that Takeda has a point because no one else protests, but their schools have never been on good terms, why would they agree to this ?

"I'm willing to give it a shot, and I'm sure the arts department will back me up too," Jiyoung says, glowing despite the exhaustion in her dark eyes. "But everyone should agree on this before we go through with it."

"I agree, so let's put it to a vote," Ren pronounces, getting up from his chair with his hand raised. "We'll do this the same way we make all our other decisions. Everyone in favor of Takeda's idea raise your hand."

Majority vote in favor, Niko records the results and begins drafting their proposal for the principal. She doubts the principal will turn them down but it couldn't hurt to be prepared.

It is past seven o'clock when they end the meeting. Niko is gathering up reports from the club leaders when Haruka slaps her on the shoulder, grinning. "Sorry about screeching at you earlier bestie, I was not in a good place."

Niko had totally forgotten about it, but it's nice that she apologized.

"It's all good Haru, I mean I'm pretty sure I'll have to get ear surgery 'cause of you, but otherwise, no harm done," she smiles back cheekily. Haruka swings an arm around her shoulder, and walks them out into the hallway.

"That's my girl," she says, but then her smile fades and Niko can tell something is wrong.

"What's up?" Niko asks, and let's Haruka lay her head on her shoulder.

"Just... I can't believe we won't have a festival this year. We're going off to college very soon and I-- I feel like I haven't spent the last of my youth the way I should have, y'know?"

She did know, but it still felt surreal to hear it from Haruka, the most carefree, live in the moment type of person she knows. It wasn't something she wanted to think about either.

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: )