Chapter 5: Summer Festival Preparation

The day dawned bright and hot over Sakuragaoka High, and Yuuto Kanda could already feel the sweat forming on his brow. Summer festival preparation was in full swing, and the Genius Trio was already in overdrive.

Akari Shinozuka was bouncing from one corner of the courtyard to the next, clipboard in hand. “Yuuto-kun! We need a game plan for the athletic events!” she shouted, ponytail whipping wildly. “We can’t have a boring festival!”

Yuuto adjusted his hat nervously. “Right… um… maybe we can start by organizing the teams first?”

Mizuki Onodera, sitting on a folding chair with her notebook balanced precariously on her lap, bit her lip. “U-Um… Yuuto-kun… maybe we should focus on the literature booth first? I’ve been writing some scripts for a short play…” She held up a stack of papers, glancing shyly at him.

Rika Hanabira, leaning against the school wall with her glasses slightly askew, crossed her arms. “You’re wasting time. The science experiment demonstration should be prepared first. Efficiency is key, and proper measurements require precision. The festival cannot survive if done improperly.”

Yuuto groaned inwardly. “Of course… three geniuses, three completely different priorities… and I’m supposed to make this work?”

Akari dashed over and grabbed his arm. “Yuuto-kun! You always know what to do! Help me plan the obstacle course!”

Before he could answer, she tripped on a stray rope and lunged forward—right into him. Their bodies collided, and Yuuto felt her chest press against his. He stumbled backward, flailing to stay upright, and accidentally stepped on Mizuki’s notebook.

“Ahhh! My scripts!” Mizuki screamed, jumping up to grab it. In the process, her elbow nudged Yuuto in the chest, and he nearly toppled over again.

Rika pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering under her breath, “Absolutely impossible. These people are more chaotic than any lab experiment I’ve ever conducted.”

Yuuto’s face burned bright red. “I-I’m trying! Please don’t… don’t hit me!”

Akari, oblivious, giggled. “Yuuto-kun! Your face is so red! Are you… embarrassed?”

Mizuki shrank back behind her notebook, muttering, “H-He’s… he’s cute when he panics…”

Yuuto groaned, wishing he could disappear into the floor. He tried to separate the girls, but every movement only made things worse. Akari tripped again, this time dragging him into a pile of folding chairs. Mizuki fainted briefly from the stress, and Rika sighed so heavily that her glasses slipped halfway down her nose.

At that moment, Sensei Amamiya strolled into the courtyard, arms crossed, clearly amused. “Well, Kanda-kun… looks like festival preparation has already turned into… a disaster.”

Yuuto groaned again. “S-Sensei! I’m doing my best!”

Amamiya smiled faintly, enjoying his predicament. “Oh, I’m sure you are… but seeing you struggle with three… energetic geniuses is… entertaining.”

Akari jumped up and grabbed a stack of flyers. “Yuuto-kun! Hand these out! We need to advertise the festival!”

Yuuto snatched the flyers, but in the process, he accidentally brushed against Mizuki, who squeaked and stumbled. His face immediately turned crimson, and Akari’s ponytail swung across his face.

“Yuuto-kun! Watch your hair!” Akari exclaimed, giggling uncontrollably.

Rika muttered, “I cannot believe I’m observing this… chaos.” But even she blushed faintly as she saw Yuuto flustered yet again.

Despite the absolute chaos, there were small, subtle moments that made Yuuto’s heart race. Mizuki kept stealing glances at him, and Akari’s laughter, though mischievous, had a strange warmth to it. Rika, for all her scolding, seemed a little less harsh each time their shoulders brushed accidentally.

By midday, the trio had created complete havoc. Folding chairs were knocked over, chalk dust floated in the air, and stray papers fluttered across the courtyard. Yuuto’s clothes were damp with sweat, and his face was red from both embarrassment and the summer heat.

Yet, as he looked around at the girls working—arguing, laughing, and accidentally touching him—he realized something important. Amidst the chaos, the teasing, and the constant flustering, he was… enjoying himself.

Akari ran up to him again, pointing at a makeshift obstacle course. “Yuuto-kun! You can be the judge! Come on!”

He opened his mouth to protest, but Mizuki gently tugged on his sleeve. “It’s okay, Yuuto-kun… it’ll be fun…”

Rika smirked slightly, adjusting her glasses. “I suppose… as long as you survive this, Kanda, it might actually teach you… patience.”

Yuuto took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright… I’ll do it.”

And so, with the summer sun blazing above them, Yuuto Kanda dove headfirst into the chaos of festival preparation—tripping, blushing, and somehow keeping the Genius Trio on track. He had no idea how he would survive the rest of the week… but one thing was clear: his life had become infinitely more exciting, unpredictable, and… maybe even a little romantic.

For the first time, Yuuto realized that tutoring the Genius Trio of Trouble wasn’t just about academics. It was about surviving ecchi accidents, teasing, and learning to navigate the storm of emotions these three girls brought into his life.

And somewhere deep down, he couldn’t wait to see what other chaos awaited him.