Chapter 070 Cultural Festival Rules / Helping Honami Collect Debts
The first class of the new semester was a homeroom period. Soon, Chabashira Sae walked into the classroom.
"Good work, everyone. You performed very well in the last uninhabited island special exam. Thanks to everyone's efforts, our class has successfully risen to Class A. I hope you all continue this momentum and achieve high scores in every special exam from now on," she praised everyone with a rare, gentle tone.
"As expected, just like when we rose to Class B last time, Chabashira-sensei is becoming more and more gentle."
"I bet the school is going to give her a promotion too."
"Now that you mention it, if we happen to drop back to another class in the future, do you think Chabashira-sensei will turn back into that cold-hearted person from before?"
"Probably not... Hey, don't use that as a premise! Our class has Shimizu and Koenji; we definitely won't drop down easily!"
Chabashira Sae pretended not to hear those comments and tapped on the desk.
"Alright, back to business. Several major events are waiting for you in the second semester. Just like last year, there will be a Sports Festival this year. Students who aren't physically fit should take note: I can tell you clearly that this year's rules are different from last year's. For the bottom ten students, there will no longer be 'painless' punishments like a ten-point deduction per subject. There is a high probability of Class Point deductions, along with punishments for being at the bottom, and expulsion is a possibility."
"The Sports Festival again!"
"The punishments are different from last year."
"Expulsion... it feels like the special exams are getting stricter. Physical fitness is really important."
The faces of students like Ike Kanji, Yukimura Teruhiko, and Wang Mei-Yu didn't look very good. After all, their athletic abilities weren't strong, and there was a high chance they would continue to drag the class down in the next Sports Festival.
Perhaps because they had risen to Class A, seeing the anxious students, Chabashira offered a few rare words of comfort: "You don't need to be so pessimistic. The Sports Festival is in October. It's now early September, so there's still over a month to prepare. The class will also have extra PE lessons. As long as you prepare well, passing shouldn't be a problem."
The group finally sighed in relief. Chabashira continued: "The second major event: the school has decided to hold a Cultural Festival in November. The Cultural Festival will welcome many guests, and you will be required to compete against all classes in the entire school year for the
highest total revenue. You are allowed to apply for as many projects as you want, but the budget is limited.
Also, like the Sports Festival, the school will give you one class period per week primarily to discuss Cultural Festival activities. After the Sports Festival ends in October, you'll be given even more time to prepare until the official opening in November.
Midterms and finals will naturally occur in the meantime, and there may even be special exams.
"In short, you will be preparing for the Sports Festival, Cultural Festival, and various exams while dealing with sudden special exams. It will be a very busy semester. But since you survived the uninhabited island special exam, I believe no matter how difficult it gets, it won't defeat you."
Many people straightened their backs unconsciously. That made sense. During the island exam, they ran around daily to participate in tasks, managed water and food, and dealt with emergencies. If they could survive that, what was there to fear in the second semester?
Horikita Suzune looked at Chabashira Sae with some surprise.
She noticed the woman had changed a lot. At the start of the first semester, she had discouraged them, saying being in Class D meant they were the worst and that Suzune was far behind her brother. She hadn't cared about the class at all. Now, she was not only comforting students but also giving them motivational boosts.
'Is this really her?'
Suzune recalled many people saying she was very similar to Chabashira. Suzune thought to herself: Where am I similar to this woman?!
She certainly didn't have that "indecent" figure! If she were leading a class, she would be dedicated from the start, not just starting to flatter students after they reached Class A.
Kushida Kikyo, on the other hand, glanced deeply at both Chabashira Sae and Horikita Suzune, feeling the two were almost carved from the same mold. Aside from the figure, their hair color, personality, temperament, and tone of voice were about 70% identical. And just like Suzune, Chabashira had been mysteriously nice to her boyfriend since the start of school.
'Are these two really not sisters?'
Shimizu Akira, unaware of the thoughts of his two girlfriends, raised his hand: "Chabashira-sensei, can you explain the specific rules for the Sports Festival and Cultural Festival in detail?"
Seeing it was Shimizu Akira asking, Chabashira's expression softened noticeably, and she even smiled while answering: "For the Sports Festival, I haven't received the specific rules yet. But for the Cultural Festival, I have. Wait a moment, Shimizu-kun, I've sent it to the group. You can check your tablets for details."
Shimizu Akira picked up his tablet and opened the Cultural Festival materials. The summary was as follows:
Each second-year student will be given 5,000 Private Points limited to Cultural Festival preparations, to be used freely within this scope. (First-years get 5,500; third-years get 4,500 as initial costs.) Additional funds will be granted based on social contributions, such as Student Council service, and active performance in club activities. (Classes will be formally notified of details once finalized.) Initial costs and additional funds will not reflect in the final revenue total; any unused funds will be confiscated. Classes ranked 1st to 4th receive 100 Class Points. 5th to 8th receive 50 Class Points. 9th to 12th see no change in Class Points.
After finishing the materials and thinking for a bit, Shimizu Akira asked: "Sensei, what are the specific criteria for additional funds? For example, roughly how much can one get for Student Council service or club activity?"
Chabashira seemed to have expected this. She flipped through her folder and said: "The exact amounts are still being adjusted, but based on previous years, Student Council executive members get about 1,000 to 3,000 points, and club captains get a similar amount. Regular club members get a bit less."
"In other words, the more Student Council members and club captains we have, the more additional funds we get?" Hirata Yousuke picked up the topic.
"You could put it that way." Chabashira nodded. "So, over these two months, students in clubs or the Student Council should contribute well. For those not in clubs, joining various clubs is a quick way to increase funding."
Horikita Suzune became thoughtful; this was indeed a good method. Kushida Kikyo raised her hand proactively: "Sensei, if our class revenue is ranked high, are there other rewards besides Class Points?"
"None for now," Chabashira answered curtly. "However, if an individually managed stall makes a profit, the net gain—after deducting initial costs—belongs to the individual. If you have any handicrafts or snacks you're good at, you can set up your own stall to earn money."
"It really is just a normal Cultural Festival!"
"Exactly! And there are no punishments; even coming in last won't deduct Class Points!"
"Doesn't that mean we can relax a bit?"
Many students' eyes lit up. The ever-unsatisfied Ike Kanji asked with a grin: "Um, Sensei, since it's a Cultural Festival, can we invite our parents and friends to come play?"
Chabashira glared at him this time: "Only you would think of something so convenient. The school is only inviting people associated with the school leadership and some high-ranking national officials. We will not be inviting your parents. Unless there are special circumstances, you won't see your parents or family again until graduation."
Everyone couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. But thinking carefully, it made sense. If it were that easy to see parents, how could this be called a "closed-off school"?
Shimizu Akira found it somewhat amusing. This rule was clearly aimed at regular students. The children of financial conglomerates—like Koenji, Kanzaki, and Ishigami—their parents would absolutely take this chance to meet and speak with them.
"Furthermore, securing a location for your stall on campus is very important. The closer to the main gate, the more you have to pay the school in site fees. This must be paid from the activity budget; your personal points cannot be used."
Chabashira sent another detailed notification about stall locations. Shimizu Akira scanned it. Under the title "List of Available Stall Locations on Campus," there was a map with alphanumeric codes for the locations. The place closest to the main gate was labeled Main Gate 1, with a site fee of 10,000 points. Locations far from the main gate, like Main Gate 12, cost 6,000 points.
The closer to the gate, the more expensive it was. There was also No. 11 near the school building, which was a very remote location and had no site fee at all. But naturally, the closer to the gate, the higher the foot traffic. To aim for a high ranking, they had to choose a rental spot near the main gate.
"It is very likely that your desired location will overlap with another class or year level, but each location can only be used by one class. If an overlap occurs, an auction will be held. The class willing to pay a higher amount to the school for the rental will win the usage rights."
In that case, the most expensive stall could end up costing far more than 10,000 points. They had 39 students; excluding additional points, with 5,000 initial points each, the total was 195,000 points. If a large chunk was spent on the stall, the budget for actual programs and the number of programs would drastically decrease. This needed serious discussion.
"Additionally, until the day of the festival, it will not be made public which class is offering what kind of stall project or where they are located. School rules strictly forbid the leaking of information; if discovered, violators will face severe punishment. Keep that in mind.
When preparing programs, as long as you apply and receive permission, you can order supplies from outside. As long as it complies with the rules, how you use the budget is up to you.
That concludes the explanation of the Cultural Festival rules. While specific preparations and setups won't start until after the Sports Festival, you should use your time from today to
discuss what programs to hold and how to allocate the budget. Any other questions?" Chabashira looked at the students.
"Sensei, I have a question," Hirata Yousuke raised his hand.
"Go ahead."
"Regarding the additional funds, how exactly is the contribution from clubs and the Student Council quantified? For example, if someone is in both the Student Council and the soccer club, can they get two sets of additional funds?"
Chabashira flipped through her materials. "In principle, each person can only use the one activity with the highest contribution as the basis for additional funds. They cannot be stacked."
Hirata nodded and sat down. "Sensei, I have a question too." This time it was Shinohara Satsuki.
"Can one person participate in multiple projects? For example, if I help the class with a haunted house, can I also sell my own snacks on the side?"
"Yes," Chabashira replied simply. "But time and energy are limited; you'll have to balance it yourself."
Shinohara nodded. Shimizu Akira thought for a bit and asked: "Sensei, other students and staff members should also be participating in the festival, right? Does their contributed revenue count toward the total?"
Chabashira stared at the rules for a while. "It doesn't say clearly, but their share should be very small. The festival is mainly for the tourists. Regardless, as it's the first time holding a Cultural Festival, the school's preparations are indeed a bit insufficient. I'll ask the school after class; you'll have to wait and see."
"Any more questions?" Chabashira scanned the room. No one else raised a hand.
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After school, everyone began making specific plans for the festival. Kushida Kikyo stood at the podium and picked up her phone. "So, could everyone please let the group know within the next two days if you're in a club or the Student Council? That way we can estimate our budget level."
"Got it."
"I'm not in a club; maybe I should join one these few days? The budget would increase, after all."
"That makes sense."
After gaining screen-sharing rights, Hirata Yousuke typed on his tablet to show on the large screen: "I've organized the activities everyone mentioned in the group." The screen displayed common projects: haunted house, cafe, fortune-telling, snack stall, handicraft bazaar, mini-theater, game room, and photo exhibition.
"A haunted house... as expected of a school event."
"But we'd need to prepare a lot of cosplay outfits, buy scary props, and do makeup. Space is limited too. Plus, our budget is finite."
"What about a cafe or fortune-telling? They take up less space; we can just use a classroom."
"A cafe is fine; we just need coffee and butler/maid uniforms. But for a fortune-telling booth, does anyone in our class even know how to do that?"
"Personally, I suggest adding a comedy act?"
"I'm a yakisoba master! Let me handle a snack stall!"
Horikita Suzune rubbed her temples. "I see many of you have ideas for various projects. Since today is only the first day, please think about it seriously over the next few days. Then send your proposals to the group, and I'll compile them to discuss the feasibility next time."
Everyone agreed. It was only the first day of school, and they had two or three months; there was no need to rush. After the homeroom ended, Shimizu Akira began packing his things. Horikita Suzune glanced at him. "What do you think of this Cultural Festival? Have you come up with any good ideas?"
Shimizu Akira blinked. "Hmm? You're asking for my opinion? Are you not angry anymore?" Since their "first time" on the luxury cruise, Suzune hadn't reached out to him once. Suzune pursed her lips and rolled her eyes.
"That depends on your answer!"
Shimizu Akira smiled. "Since we're running an event, there's a lot to consider—site size, location, budget, manpower, estimated popularity, prep time, and target audience. You could write a reference guide for the class based on these criteria, letting them try to write proposals in that format. That way, the submissions won't just be impulsive ideas, and it'll be much easier for you to filter them."
Horikita Suzune couldn't help but nod. True. "Anything else?" she asked.
Shimizu Akira's lips twitched—she really wasn't holding back. He thought for a bit and said: "Regarding stalls, food is essential. When people are out, it's common sense to snack while walking. I think yakisoba, fried rice, or teppanyaki would be suitable.
Secondly, for games, since the visitors will be adults, they probably won't stay in one place for long. Games like shooting galleries, balloon popping, or ring toss would be perfect. As for
mini-theaters or plays, I personally don't recommend them. Rehearsals take too much time, and you need to prepare seating. Although ticket prices can be higher, the cost-performance ratio is quite low.
For this festival, it's better to aim for 'Short, Fast, and Small' for all activities."
Short: Customers stay for a short time—buy and leave, play and finish. Fast: Fast serving and results—simple preparation so customers don't wait long. Small: Small individual costs, making it very easy for customers to part with their money.
Horikita Suzune found this strategy excellent. This low-cost, low-entry, high-turnover method—relying on volume to get total revenue—was a very safe strategy in a high-traffic environment like a Cultural Festival. Although it sounded a bit mercenary and would force them to abandon large-scale events, this festival was tied to Class Points. They had to aim for a high ranking, ideally top three, to stabilize their position in Class A.
"Not just fried rice, crepes and milk tea should work too, right?"
"Well, girls do love that stuff, so of course." Girls would also like gold-fish scooping, photo-op walls, and sticker booths. These were all doable.
"How is it, Suzune? My suggestions aren't bad, right? Should your anger be gone by now?" Shimizu Akira asked, seeing her satisfied look. Horikita Suzune huffed. "I suppose your performance was decent."
Shimizu Akira spread his hands and naturally issued an invitation for "poker." "In that case, come to my dorm tonight. It's been a long time since we were intimate after the cruise. I missed you."
Horikita Suzune turned her face away. Did her boyfriend miss her? He clearly just wanted to "mate" with her.
However, his suggestions were indeed practical. According to the principle of equivalent exchange, she felt she could only agree.
'Hmph.'
"Fine... I'll go to your place at 8:00 PM."
"Great. Remember to bring your pillow."
"You... you want me to stay the night?"
"Yeah, I want to hold you while I sleep. Is that not okay? Didn't we already sleep together during the island exam?"
"It's fine, but you're not allowed to force me to say my 'impressions' like last time."
"Okay, you call the shots. I won't tease you like last time either; being ignored by you is quite painful. Tonight, everything will go by your arrangement, okay?"
"Good."
Suzune finally nodded in satisfaction. It seemed her punishment had been very effective.
After dinner, Shimizu Akira returned to his dorm and began cleaning. Since Suzune was coming over, and he'd finally coaxed her back, it would be a huge loss if he were rejected because of a hygiene issue.
At around 5:50 PM, he remembered the intelligence regarding Honami from the morning. He changed clothes and went to the back of School Building No. 3. Not far away, Ichinose Honami was standing before several third-year Senpais, holding a stack of documents. Her expression was much more serious than usual. She was accompanied by two classmates, who were also his acquaintances: Shiranami Chihiro and Kobashi Yume.
Shimizu Akira wasn't very familiar with the third-years, only vaguely remembering that one was a Student Council member, likely in the PR department. "...We have already verified this bill. According to the rules of the uninhabited island special exam, your class is indeed obligated to pay these points," Ichinose said earnestly.
"We aren't saying we won't pay." The third-year boy spread his hands. "The problem is, some items in this bill are unreasonable. Like this 'Rescue Coordination Fee'—a whole 50,000 points. What did you do that requires us to pay so much?"
"This is calculated based on the number of people rescued, the difficulty of the rescue, and the materials consumed." Ichinose flipped to that page. "At that time, two of your classmates were trapped on a cliff on the north side of the island for six hours. People from our class risked themselves to bring them down. This 50,000 points includes ropes, lighting equipment, and compensation for the physical exertion of the rescuers."
"Physical exertion compensation?" Another third-year girl laughed. "That counts as points too?"
"If you find it unreasonable, you can appeal to the Student Council," Ichinose said without being intimidated. "But before the result of the appeal comes out, according to the rules, you need to pay 70% of the bill. This is a temporary agreement all classes agreed upon after the island exam ended."
The third-years looked at each other. The boy continued: "Wait, Ichinose-kouhai, we're about to graduate and don't have many private points in our hands. You usually help so many people; how about letting us slide this time?"
Shiranami Chihiro and Ichinose Honami looked at each other, momentarily unsure of what to say. Instead, Kobashi Yume spoke up as a matter of course: "Senpais, you are from Class B and Class A of the third year; surely you aren't lacking those few points? If we lose your order,
how are we supposed to collect the rest of the debts? Please don't make things difficult for us."
The Student Council member snorted. "Ichinose, when you first joined the Student Council, I was one of those who voted 'Agree' for you. Are you going to be this heartless? And here I was, often speaking well of you in front of President Nagumo."
Indeed, in this world, asking for money is the hardest task. But wait, this guy was one of Nagumo Miyabi's people? The photos of him with his harem—could they have been the work of this PR department guy?
"Wait a moment..." Shimizu Akira decided to step out.
"Akira-kun?" Ichinose was stunned when she saw him. "Why are you here?"
"Just passing by." Shimizu Akira smiled, walked to Ichinose's side, and swept his gaze over the three third-years. "Hello, Senpais. I'm Shimizu Akira from 2nd Year Class A."
Hearing the name, the expressions of the three shifted subtly. The Student Council boy frowned and said in an unfriendly tone: "Shimizu Akira? The one with the harem?"
"That's the one." Shimizu Akira didn't deny it and nodded with a smile. "You know me, Senpai?"
"Who doesn't know you?" the third-year snorted. "The school forums are full of posts about you."
"Perfect then." Shimizu Akira said smoothly. "Since you know me, let's get straight to the point. Regarding this bill..."
"This is a matter between us and Class D. It has nothing to do with you, right?" the third-year interrupted.
"Honami is my girlfriend," Shimizu Akira said calmly. "Her business is my business. I'm very protective of my own."
The Student Council boy frowned. Beside him, Ichinose's face reddened slightly upon hearing those words.
"Senpai, this bill has been confirmed by the Student Council." Shimizu Akira took the documents from Ichinose and flipped to the last page. "Look, here is the stamp of the Student Council Secretariat. If you find it unreasonable, you can go through the appeal process. But before that, according to the agreement, you need to pay 70% first."
"I already said, we don't have money! It's all been handed over to President Nagumo!" another third-year boy said impatiently.
"No money?" Shimizu Akira looked at him. "Senpai, as far as I know, although there are limits on points for the third year, the points in each person's account cannot exceed 500,000. For the three of you, scrounging up a hundred thousand or so shouldn't be hard, right?"
The expressions of the three froze completely. "How do you know about the point limit?"
"A guess." Shimizu Akira smiled. "Looks like I guessed right."
"...You brat!" The third-year boy immediately clenched his fist.
"Senpai, I'm not here to fight." Shimizu Akira tucked away his smile and said coldly. "But if you want to settle this purely with force, whether it's one-on-one or all three of you together, I can accommodate you."
"Hey!"
"Wait, he's Shimizu Akira! That guy could knock you down with one punch!"
"...Consider yourself tough." The Student Council boy bit his teeth. "70%, we'll pay. As for the remaining 30%, we'll wait for the appeal result."
"No problem." Ichinose let out a breath and pulled a receipt from the file. "Then please sign here, Senpai."
The three took the pen, scribbled their names, and tossed the receipt at Ichinose. "Let's go." The three walked away with some resentment.
"Phew..." Ichinose took a long breath and turned to Shimizu Akira. "Akira-kun, thank you. If not for you, things might have really stalled today."
"It's nothing." Shimizu Akira smiled. "I just told a few truths."
"Where did you hear about that point limit?" Kobashi Yume asked curiously. "We hadn't heard of it."
"Heard it by chance." Shimizu Akira didn't elaborate. "Anyway, it was useful."
"Extremely useful," Shiranami Chihiro whispered. "Those three didn't dare challenge you."
Shimizu Akira rubbed his temples. "I personally don't like using force, but with people like that who want to take advantage, you have to be firm. I didn't make you three feel uncomfortable, did I?"
"Not at all!" Kobashi Yume waved her hands. "Shimizu-kun, you came just in time! If not for you, us three girls really wouldn't have known how to deal with them."
"Yeah." Shiranami Chihiro nodded. "That... I felt very safe."
Ichinose also laughed: "Akira-kun, you're overthinking." Then, Ichinose packed the documents into her bag. "Anyway, we've recovered part of the debt today. We'll wait for the appeal on the remaining 30%."
"What if they drag their feet and don't appeal?" Kobashi Yume asked.
"Then according to the terms of the agreement, failure to appeal for more than two weeks is considered default. We can then apply to the Student Council for mandatory execution," Ichinose said.
"Speaking of which, why is it you three girls running around to collect debts again? Where are Kanzaki Ryuuji, Katsuragi Kouhei, and Totsuka Yahiko?" Shimizu Akira asked wordlessly.
Kobashi Yume sighed. "Those three are also collecting debts, of course. Their targets are even more troublesome than ours; they don't even reply to texts."
Ichinose Honami explained: "Yes, actually the vast majority of people already paid us back on the cruise. There are only a dozen or so difficult people left who don't reply to messages. That's why we decided to visit them one by one today."
"How many people are left on the list?"
"Six people, actually."
"Then I'll come along with the three of you."
"Eh? Is that okay?"
"Why wouldn't it be? You're implementing my own strategy. And according to the contract, I'm supposed to get a 30% cut."
"That's true too." Kobashi Yume chuckled. "Now that you mention it, Shimizu-kun, I remember the contract does say you get a cut."
"So I'm not helping for free. This is a legitimate business collaboration."
Ichinose knew in her heart that he was only saying that, and that he didn't actually care about a 30% cut. He was doing this because he was worried about the three girls getting the short end of the stick.
"Then I'll trouble you, Akira-kun." Ichinose didn't expose him. "There are six people left; it's okay if we can't finish today."
"Where to first?" Shimizu Akira asked. Ichinose took out her phone and pulled up a list filled with class names, names, amounts due, amounts paid, and remaining balances. "The nearest three are all in 2nd Year Class C."
"Class C? Ryuen's class? Who specifically?"
"Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, and Yamashita Saki—the three of them."
'It was those three!'
Manabe Shiho had bullied Karuizawa Kei before; her character was inherently poor, so it was indeed unlikely she'd pay back voluntarily. Yabu Nanami was her underling.
'Wait, who was this Yamashita Saki?! How does this person also dare to withhold payment!'
"Although Ryuen is difficult, he has strong control over his subordinates," Ichinose Honami said after thinking for a bit. "If we can get Ryuen to nod, the people below shouldn't have any objections."
"The problem is how to get Ryuen to nod," Kobashi Yume said with a long face. "That person is completely unreasonable."
"Then we won't talk reason with him. If he doesn't want to pay, I'll take him to the rooftop to see the scenery," Shimizu Akira said. "Let's go see the situation first. If all else fails, we'll go find Hiyori."
The four of them headed toward the classroom of 2nd Year Class C.
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