Kusuo helped Nazuna toward the exit. Along the way, she chatted excitedly.
"Kusuo, you're the first to push Miyabi to his limits! Ouch..."
"You mean the island exam? Just luck."
Kusuo knew Nazuna wasn't someone to underestimate.
"Luck? I don't buy that."
Nazuna laughed.
"It's my first time seeing Miyabi so defeated."
"Didn't Miyabi already lose to Horikita Manabu?"
"That was different. Miyabi lost a few times, but the gaps were small—and those losses were mostly his doing."
Nazuna continued,
"But you actually fought him seriously. If you hadn't, things might've gotten complicated."
"Oh?"
"If you kept avoiding him, Miyabi would've targeted you."
"Honestly, fighting Miyabi was unexpected. I didn't want any trouble with him."
Kusuo sighed, sharing his thoughts.
He fought Miyabi partly because of his promise to Manabu and partly because of Miyabi's interference. But the main reason was Kûsuke.
If it weren't for the series of chaotic moves he pulled during the deserted island exam, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
If possible, Kusuo would've preferred to ignore Nagumo entirely.
"It's not really about your intentions… things could take a turn for the worse if you provoke Nagumo. Not just you, Kusuo, but even those around you might suffer the consequences," Asahina Nazuna pointed out.
"He can't possibly do that," Kusuo replied.
"You're so confident, even when talking about the student council president. Impressive."
"Well, the students in our class aren't exactly ordinary," Kusuo answered.
*Even with Ayanokōji in our class, I doubt Nagumo could win against him, no matter how skilled he is,* Kusuo thought.
"You're truly unique. No wonder even Kiryūin pays so much attention to you."
"Even…?" Kusuo pursed his lips. Clearly, Kiryūin Fūka's reputation among third-year students wasn't great.
"But there's one thing I have to admit."
"What's that?"
"Since his duel with you, Nagumo's personality has become much more restrained."
Asahina lifted her head, smiling. "Maybe because you gave him a defeat he couldn't deny. He lost to the former president before, but he never truly accepted it. With you, it's different. He's been more level-headed since then. Honestly, you might be the only one who could've done that."
Kusuo didn't respond. He didn't know what to say.
"Ah, we're at the exit already? That was fast," Asahina said, surprised, turning to Kusuo.
The maze haunted house was designed with a complex layout, usually taking a long time to navigate. But Kusuo had barely taken any time at all.
*How did he find the exit so easily? I spent ages memorizing the route,* Asahina thought.
*Well, I am a psychic. I just used X-ray vision to see the structure and find the right path… though the correct route is probably nothing like what you memorized, senpai,* Kusuo thought in response.
"Kusuo, how did you figure out the route so quickly?"
"I've played maze games before, so I'm familiar with the logic behind them."
"I see."
Kusuo helped Asahina out of the maze, and they were greeted by Nagumo.
"Nazuna, what happened?" Nagumo asked, unusually concerned.
"I twisted my ankle… it hurt so much just now… Wait, it doesn't hurt anymore? That's odd," Asahina said, looking down at her ankle. She was sure it had been swollen earlier. Had she misremembered?
The dim lighting in the haunted house might've made it hard to see clearly.
In reality, Kusuo had used his restoration ability on Asahina, healing her instantly.
Since it was an accidental injury, as long as she didn't twist her ankle again tomorrow, there shouldn't be any issues.
Of course, Asahina had a knack for tripping over nothing, so who knew what tomorrow would bring.
"Thanks to Kusuo, I made it out safely," Asahina said, stamping her foot.
"You got out so quickly… I didn't expect that," Nagumo admitted, slightly frustrated. His carefully designed maze had been solved effortlessly by Kusuo.
"Thanks to you knowing the way, senpai."
"How was the experience? Were you scared?" Nagumo leaned forward, eager for Kusuo's response.
Kusuo pursed his lips, unsure how to answer.
"I get it. Any suggestions?"
"It's all good," Kusuo replied, thinking, *For an ordinary person, this maze might've been thrilling. But for me, with my powers, it's just another day.*
Kusuo often felt his abilities were more of a curse than a blessing.
"Either way, I'll keep my promise to you," Nagumo said, handing Kusuo the experience ticket. Kusuo snatched it so quickly that Nagumo didn't even react in time.
"You're such a strange guy… I truly accept my defeat to you," Nagumo said, his usual fake smile replaced by a serious expression. "Kusuo, have you considered joining the student council? I believe you're the only one qualified to be the next president."
"Sorry, I'll pass," Kusuo replied without hesitation.
"I see… alright then," Nagumo said, letting Kusuo leave.
Kusuo's destination was clear: the dessert shop.
---
Time flew by, and soon it was November 12th, Friday—the last day of the cultural festival.
Every class was busy preparing for the event. After school, the student council would oversee a rehearsal, a crucial test before the real thing tomorrow.
Class A, where Kusuo belonged, had four main attractions planned.
The first was a maid café, serving tea, coffee, light meals, and desserts—all handled by Kusuo.
After the plan was announced, some students suggested charging for photos with the maids. However, Kusuo rejected the idea, considering Horikita Suzune and Sakura Airi were among the maids.
The second and third attractions were outdoor stalls: one for barbecue and another for Western-style bread. These stalls generated their own profits and also accepted orders from the maid café. Delivery students would pick up orders from the stalls. To capitalize on the maid café's uniqueness, they offered exclusive menu items not available at the stalls.
The fourth and final attraction, added with extra funding, was an outdoor quiz contest for children.
After school, everyone gathered in the designated classroom for rehearsals. Other students from the class came to watch.
"I can't believe Horikita and Kusuo rented two classrooms. That's impressive."
"Can't wait to see the girls in maid outfits."
"Kusuo's the manager? So jealous…"
The classroom had been transformed, looking like a real café.
The rehearsal began, with Hirata Yōsuke and others playing customers while the rest handled service.
With so many onlookers, even the usually calm Matsushita Chiaki seemed stiff and nervous.
Satō Maya, Karuizawa Kei, and Wang Mei-Yu also seemed less confident than during practice.
Kushida Kikyō and Hasebe Haruka, however, performed flawlessly as usual.
As for Horikita Suzune—
While her maid outfit was adorably cute, her expressionless face was jarring.
*Horikita as a maid… it's so weird, but I'm also kind of looking forward to it? What's going on?*
*You'll have to ask the mastermind behind this,* Kusuo thought, turning to Mikoto Aiura, who was also dressed as a maid and seemed to be enjoying it.
"Wow, she's huge!"
"Her figure's amazing! But who is she? She's not from our class, right?"
"Isn't that the fortune-teller? What's she doing here?"
Just then, a plastic cup fell from a tray, bouncing off the floor. Wang Mei-Yu had accidentally knocked it over.
Frozen by the sudden accident, Matsushita Chiaki sprang into action.
"My apologies!" she said calmly, patting Mei-Yu's shoulder and instructing her to bring a new cup. Then she grabbed a cloth and began cleaning the floor.
"Chiaki's amazing. Hard to believe this is her first time!" Horikita Suzune praised, acknowledging her handling of the situation.
*But the real problem isn't them,* Horikita thought, and Kusuo knew exactly what she meant.
Sakura Airi.
She still hadn't appeared before the others.
For her, wearing a maid outfit and facing everyone was incredibly daunting.
*Maybe it was too much to ask. But we have enough maids, so I'll just have to assign Airi to…*
Just then, Kusuo heard a gasp from the crowd. Turning, he saw everyone's attention focused in one direction.
There stood a maid in white stockings, a black miniskirt, and a hint of pale thighs.
Her beauty rivaled anyone in the room, and her twin tails exuded energy.
Her pink hair left no doubt about her identity: Sakura Airi.
The stark contrast was beyond what anyone had imagined.
"Who's that? Is there a new student in our class?"
"Isn't that Shiranami? The online idol! What's she doing here?"
"Wait… she kind of looks like Sakura…"
Everyone whispered, and Hasebe Haruka stared, wide-eyed.
"Is that you, Ai-chan?"
"It's me, Haruka!" Airi replied, her face lit with a smile unlike anything she'd ever shown before.
For Sakura Airi, this situation was incredibly challenging.
---
But Airi Sakura also remembered what Kusuo Saiki had said earlier.
The cultural festival might be the only one in their high school life.
Not only that, Kusuo had also said... this maid outfit suited her perfectly!
So Airi took that step in her heart, completely breaking through her own limits!
Though she seemed cold on the surface, deep down, Airi longed to be as cheerful and friendly as a true Kotori, making friends with those around her.
"Kusuo, what did you do?"
Suzune Horikita turned her head, looking at Kusuo with a puzzled expression.
"I didn't do anything. Airi made a huge leap on her own."
Kusuo replied directly.
'Looks like my worries were unnecessary.'