This is the first school festival I've ever gotten to properly enjoy, but I never imagined I'd be spending it with a girl.
My companion is my friend, Asanagi Umi, who served on the executive committee alongside me. We're just friends, but here we are at the school festival, with what feels like way too many eyes on us—and to top it all off, we're holding hands.
"H-Hey, don't just start spacing out. Let's get going. Or do you want to be the center of attention, like some lovey-dovey couple?"
"No, that's a bit much… Right, let's head inside school for now."
We had already made our rounds through most of the outdoor food stalls, so we decided to check out the class exhibits next.
Our school festival is open to the public, but surprisingly few guys and girls are walking around in pairs. It's still early, so that might change as more people arrive. For now, though, there aren't many couples enjoying the festival to the point of holding hands, which makes us stand out—or at least, it feels that way.
"Asanagi, Amami-san and the others already went off somewhere. Maybe we should let go for a bit?"
"No. That would mean breaking my promise to Yuu. …But if you really hate holding hands with me that much, Maehara, I guess I could let go for a while?"
"That's… not it, but."
It's just embarrassing being seen by everyone; I don't actually dislike this. The only real drawback is Amami-san and Nitta-san's inevitable teasing. Having Asanagi by my side is reassuring and, more than anything, just plain fun. I was so nervous that I barely remember the taste of the frankfurters and yakisoba we ate earlier, but the quiet sense of joy from walking shoulder-to-shoulder with her is still fresh in my memory.
"Asanagi… um, sorry."
"Sorry? For what?"
"My hand's gotten pretty sweaty."
"It's fine. …I'm kinda in the same boat, anyway."
"Oh. Well, that's a relief."
"Y-Yeah."
Just as we were starting to get used to holding hands, despite the lingering awkwardness, our attention was caught by a particular classroom.
""Plushie Café.""
I had already noticed the corner of the school building with a much more whimsical atmosphere than the others, and it seemed to be bustling, mostly with families and female students. As the name suggested, the entire class, including the students beckoning customers, was dressed in animal costumes. From familiar creatures like rabbits, dogs, and cats to turtles and even dragons, students in cute, probably handmade plushie costumes were serving customers with slow, deliberate steps to avoid tripping.
"Whoa, that's cute. Hey Maehara, since we're here, why don't we take a little break?"
"Yeah. I was starting to feel a bit tired, and I could go for a break."
After waiting a few minutes at the reception, a table opened up, and we entered the classroom filled with plushies. We ordered our drinks from a pot-bellied dragon who was handling service, then took another look around the room.
"That's a lot of plushies… This has to be someone's personal collection, right? I have a few in my room, but this is beyond a hobby."
"Yeah. But they all have really nice fur. It looks like they're really well-cared for…"
"? What is it, Maehara?"
"No, look, over there…"
As I admired the decorations, which clearly emphasized a particular theme, my eyes landed on a certain blue costume resting in the corner of the classroom. It had a characteristic dorsal fin, a mouth big enough to swallow a person whole, and sharp fangs. Being a costume, it was deformed to look cute, but…
"A shark, huh."
"Yeah. A shark."
The costume draped over the chair was none other than the ocean ruffian we both adore.
At first, I thought a staff member had just taken it off and left it there, but according to the dragon-san who brought our drinks, that wasn't the case.
"──That one's for commemorative photos. Oh, would you two like to try it on?"
"No, I'm not really into that sort of thing…"
"Really? Yes, yes! I want to try it on!"
"Asanagi-san?"
I had intended to politely decline, but my partner was practically bouncing with enthusiasm.
"Eh…? You want to wear this? And take a picture? Seriously?"
"Totally serious. C'mon, what's the big deal? It's a special occasion, so let's have some fun. Look, they have two of them—it's perfect! C'mooon, Maehara, you too."
"Ehh… umm."
"Mae~ha-ra-kunnn?"
"Yes."
Succumbing to Asanagi's pressure, I put on the other shark costume that a student brought from the back. We stood side-by-side as dragon-san got their smartphone ready.
"Maehara, we have to strike a pose. What should we do? The jaguar pose?"
"Even though we're sharks? …Well, they're just costumes, so anything goes, right? Let's just do whatever."
"Fufu. Then it's decided."
And so, a picture was taken of the exceedingly free-spirited shark duo. Looking at it later, all I could see were two people with huge smiles on their faces.