Earthside: Sunshine Café

The morning sun bathed the courtyard in gold as Principal Akasaka stepped up to the stage. His voice carried across the gathered students, parents, and visitors, welcoming them to the Cultural Festival. Behind him, the school grounds buzzed with life—stalls of sizzling food, tables lined with handmade crafts, fortune-tellers ready with their cards and crystal balls. Each classroom stood transformed, doors decorated, and students waiting in anticipation.

In Kael’s class, everyone was already in costume. Frilled maid dresses and crisp butler uniforms gave the room a lively, almost theatrical air. Kael, however, had been the last to put on his outfit. When he finally stepped out from behind the curtain in his tailored vest and jacket, the room fell quiet for a heartbeat.

“Wow… he looks good,” Kaguya whispered, her eyes widening. Ayaka and Erika exchanged quick, dazzled looks, their expressions glowing with the same thought.

With the principal’s final words echoing across the courtyard, the Cultural Festival officially began.

The festival grounds thrummed with life—laughter, music, and the mingling aromas of fried noodles and sweet crepes drifting through the halls. As all classes and stalls bustled with energy, so too did Class 1-B’s little corner of the festival.

“Welcome to Sunshine Café,” Kael said with an easy smile, bowing slightly as he guided a pair of guests inside. His voice carried a calm warmth, confident without being overbearing.

The girls at the nearest table giggled quietly, whispering to each other as he pulled out chairs for them with practiced grace. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. Would you like to start with our recommended blend, or perhaps something sweeter to match the day?”

He never let a moment slip—every detail mattered. A napkin neatly placed, a chair adjusted just right, a glass of water refilled before anyone had to ask. Even in the festival chaos, Kael’s attentiveness created a pocket of calm elegance for each guest.

“Kael really suits this,” one of the boys from class muttered from behind the counter, half in admiration and half in disbelief at how naturally he carried himself.

“Right? It’s like he was born for this role…” another whispered, glancing at the line forming at the door.

Hana, standing nearby with a tray in her hands, allowed herself a small glance at Kael. His words and movements were smoother than she remembered—effortless, even. She quickly looked away before he noticed, hiding her expression behind the bustle of serving.

She too wore a maid dress and greeted the guests with practiced grace, yet she never once interacted with Kael. He stole glances her way, but she moved past him as though there were a veil between them.

Their café quickly filled to capacity, the steady flow of people only drew in more—noise, laughter, and the allure of the crowded room feeding its own momentum. Kael moved from table to table with his calm professionalism, until he turned to greet the next guest—and froze.

It was his mother.

For just a moment, his expression cracked. Then he gathered himself, slipping the butler’s charm back over his features as if nothing had happened. With a slight bow, he led her to an empty single table.

“What may I serve you today, madam?” he asked.

“I’ll have coffee. Black, please.”

“Right away.”

He returned swiftly with her order, placing the cup before her with steady hands.

She smiled warmly, eyes softening. “You look amazing, sweetheart. So charming—almost like you’re someone else.”

Kael allowed himself a small smile. “I appreciate it.”

Her expression shifted, more knowing now. “Kazuki… things aren’t going well between you and Hana, are they?”

He hesitated, searching for words, but his mother raised a hand gently.

“Don’t doubt a mother’s intuition, I know many things, this is one of them. If you don’t go to her and talk, it won’t go anywhere. Remember—” she tapped the rim of her cup, “we miss hundred percent of the shots we don’t take.”

She finished her coffee with a satisfied sip, left payment on the table, and stood. With a parting smile, she said nothing more, slipping back into the festival crowd.

Before Kael could dwell on her words, two familiar figures entered the café. Kyotaro, wrapped in bandages like a mummy, and Aoi, draped in the pale gown of a ghostly bride. Their costumes turned heads as they walked in, but their smiles were easy and lighthearted.

They waved at Kael. He straightened, setting aside the thoughts his mother left behind, and walked over to greet them.

When Kael approached to take their order, Kyotaro smirked.

“Still not talking with Hana, huh?”

Kael exhaled. “Yeah… still the same.”

Kyotaro exchanged a glance with Aoi, and she pulled two slips from her pocket, handing them over to Kael.

“Here. For you and Hana.”

Kael blinked, taking them. “What is this?”

“Our class is running a haunted house,” Kyotaro said, grinning. “This’ll definitely bring you two closer together.”

Kael held the tickets back out. “I can’t—”

But Kyotaro pushed them back toward him with a firm hand. “No backing out. You helped me with Aoi, gave me the push I needed. This is payback. Go with her. Have fun—and get a good scare while you’re at it.” His grin widened.

Kael hesitated, then nodded. “…Thanks.”

He slipped the tickets into his vest pocket and, instead of waiting, walked straight across the café to Hana. She looked ready to slip away to another table, but he stepped into her path.

“Hana,” Kael said, holding out the tickets. “Kyotaro gave me these. Their class is doing a haunted house, and he wants us to go together.”

Her eyes flicked past him. Across the room, Kyotaro and Aoi gave an exaggerated wave.

Hana froze, clearly torn. For a moment she looked like she might refuse, but then she turned to Ayaka. “Could we… take a short break?”

Ayaka folded her arms, eyeing Kael. “Not yet. He’s the star of this café. When things calm down, you two can go.”

When the crowd finally thinned, Hana and Kael were given the chance to slip away to the haunted house. The walk there was quiet, neither of them saying much, the air between them heavy with unspoken words. As they arrived at the classroom, two students burst out screaming, nearly colliding with them before sprinting down the hall. Kael handed over their ticket at the door, and together they stepped inside.

The classroom was pitch-dark, only the faint red glow of covered lamps giving shape to the makeshift hallway. Tattered sheets hung from the ceiling, brushing against their shoulders like cold fingers. The air smelled faintly of dust and candle wax, and the muffled sound of footsteps—students waiting ahead to jump out—kept Hana on edge.

Kael walked steadily, but he could feel Hana’s hand trembling slightly as she clutched the sleeve of his butler coat.

A sudden bang! rattled the lockers to their right. Hana jumped with a small cry, pressing herself into his side. Kael steadied her with a quiet, “It’s alright… I’m here.”

They moved deeper. A figure in bloodied bandages lurched from behind a curtain, arms outstretched. Hana buried her face against Kael’s shoulder, clinging tightly. His chest warmed at the closeness—even if it came from fear, it was the first time she had held on to him in weeks.

“Don’t look,” he whispered, guiding her past as the ghoul lunged harmlessly away.

Another scare waited at the corner: the lights flickered, and a pale figure crawled across the floor, its long hair dragging. Hana’s grip tightened; she wrapped both arms around him, almost hanging on. He held her steady, feeling her heartbeat hammer against his chest.

They reached the final stretch—a coffin in the middle of the path. The lid creaked open with agonizing slowness, a corpse-painted student inside letting out a chilling scream. Hana gasped, nearly leaping into Kael’s arms, and didn’t let go until they stumbled out into the brighter hallway beyond.

For a moment, neither spoke. She was still clinging to him, her breath quick and shallow.

Then Hana slowly stepped back, her eyes avoiding his. Her voice trembled, not from fear this time but something heavier.

“…I hate you, Kael.”

Kael stood frozen, her words cut through the air sharper than any scream in the haunted house.