The Ordinary Days Part 2

During lunch break, I went to the Student Council room and told the president and vice president about the event.

The president immediately pulled out a few documents.

"Every class has to prepare something for the event."

"We're going to make a café."

The vice president smiled.

"So they're putting Umut to work."

"Apparently."

The president handed me one of the papers on the desk.

"The event is on Friday."

"Final checks will be done on Thursday."

I looked at the paper.

"Do we really need this much preparation?"

"Yes."

The president smiled.

"Don't worry."

"Everything will go wrong on the last day."

"Very reassuring."

The three of us laughed.

We spent the rest of lunch talking about the school event.

Nobody mentioned the competition.

Nobody mentioned rankings.

Nobody asked me to play the violin.

We were just talking about what we were going to do for a small school event.

And for some reason...

It felt good.

For the past few weeks, my life had revolved around one thing after another.

Competitions.

Achievements.

Mistakes.

Expectations.

But now I had something much simpler in front of me.

A school event.

A group of friends.

And a few days of preparation.

Maybe that was exactly what I needed.

To simply be a normal student for a while.

After classes ended, most of the students in our class didn't go home.

Everyone had started preparing for the event that would be held on Friday.

The desks had been pushed to one side of the classroom, and the chairs were being arranged.

Some of the decorations were being put up on the walls.

I was sitting at one of the desks, designing the poster for the café we were going to run.

Ayaka stared at my screen for several minutes.

"Make it a little more colorful."

"It's already colorful."

"No."

She pointed at the screen.

"Make this part bigger."

"How much bigger?"

"Very."

"That's not really a design criterion."

Ayaka shrugged.

"If I like it, that means it's good."

Nozomi immediately joined in.

"Don't listen to her."

Then she looked at my screen.

"But you could actually make this part a little bigger."

I looked at both of them.

"You're both saying the same thing."

"Because we're right."

I shook my head.

Then I started changing the design.

A little while later, Ayaka came back over.

"Now it's good."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't like it a minute ago."

"I changed my mind."

Nozomi laughed.

"Get used to her changing her mind."

I checked the design on the computer one last time.

The poster included the name of our café, the menu, and the prices.

It actually looked much better than I had expected.

Ayaka must have noticed it too.

"Have you actually done this before?"

"No."

"Then how did you make it?"

"I did a little research."

Nozomi looked at me in surprise.

"A little?"

"Yeah."

"If that's what you call 'a little,' you're honestly kind of scary."

I smiled and shrugged.

"I like working with computers."

We printed the poster and put it up at the front of the classroom.

For a while, the three of us stood there looking at it.

"Not bad."

I said.

Ayaka nodded.

"Not just not bad."

"Great."

Nozomi looked at her.

"You didn't make it."

"But I gave ideas."

"You only said, 'Make it more colorful.'"

"That's still an idea."

The three of us started laughing again.

The preparations continued throughout the afternoon.

Some people arranged the tables.

Others prepared the menus.

Others decorated the walls.

I helped put up the posters and menus.

Everything was slowly coming together.

Just as we were about to leave, we noticed that one corner of a large decoration at the back of the classroom had come loose.

Ayaka looked at it.

"That might fall tomorrow."

Nozomi immediately walked over to it.

"Then let's secure it now."

Together, we fixed the decoration and made sure it was properly attached.

After checking it again, it seemed secure.

"Okay."

I said.

"It shouldn't fall now."

Ayaka nodded.

"Hopefully."

Eventually, we finished our preparations and left the classroom.

We were all pretty tired.

But the first day of preparation was over.

The next day, things became a little more complicated.

When I entered the classroom during lunch break, everyone was talking at once.

"We're missing some ingredients."

"Half the tables still haven't arrived."

"Where are the drinks?"

"Where's the teacher?"

I stopped in the middle of the classroom for a moment.

Everyone was telling someone else something.

Ayaka was holding her head.

"Nothing is going to be ready in time."

Nozomi was looking at the list in her hands.

"Everyone, calm down first."

But no one was listening to her.

I looked around for a moment.

Then I took a deep breath.

"Okay."

Everyone turned toward me.

"First, let's figure out what's missing."

Nozomi handed me the list.

"These things are missing."

I looked at it.

"You check the ingredients."

Nozomi nodded.

"Ayaka."

"Yeah?"

"You handle the decorations."

"Okay."

"I'll take care of the tables and posters."

Ayaka looked at me.

"You're really acting like a leader."

"I'm just trying to stop everyone from talking at the same time."

Nozomi smiled.

"That makes sense."

We all split up and got to work.

After a while, the classroom slowly started coming together.

Some of the missing ingredients were found.

The tables arrived.

The decorations were fixed.

The posters were put back in place.

At the end of the day, I stood in the middle of the classroom and looked around.

There was no trace of yesterday's mess.

Everything was where it was supposed to be.

Ayaka stood beside me.

"We did it."

I looked at her.

"The event hasn't even started yet."

Ayaka shrugged.

"Don't get caught up in the details."

Nozomi came over to us as well.

"We'll do the final checks tomorrow."

"So we're not finished yet."

I said.

Nozomi shook her head.

"No."

Ayaka smiled.

"But the hardest part is over."

As I left the classroom, I looked back one last time.

The sign we had made was hanging above the door.

CLASS CAFÉ

I stared at it for a moment.

Then I closed the door.

When I arrived at school on Friday morning, the hallways were much more crowded than usual.

Every class was preparing its own event.

There were colorful signs on some of the doors.

The smell of food was coming from some of the classrooms.

When I reached our classroom, I could hear people talking inside.

I opened the door.

Everything was ready.

The tables were in place.

The menus were prepared.

The decorations on the walls were neatly arranged.

The decoration we had checked the day before was still securely in place.

Ayaka was standing in the middle of the classroom.

She smiled when she saw me.

"We did it."

This time, I didn't argue with her.

"Yeah."

Nozomi came over to us too.

"It's going to be really busy today."

Ayaka clapped her hands together.

"Great."

I looked at her.

"Why are you so happy?"

"Because it's going to be fun."

I looked out into the hallway.

It was getting more crowded by the minute.

The doors would be opening soon.

And the event we'd been preparing for over the past few days was finally about to begin.

Ayaka looked at me.

"Umut."

"Yeah?"

"We didn't forget anything, right?"

I thought for a moment.

Then I looked around the classroom.

"I don't think so."

Just then, Nozomi's expression changed.

"Wait."

Both of us looked at her.

"What?"

Nozomi slowly looked behind the tables.

Then she turned toward us.

"We forgot to set up the coffee machine."

The smile disappeared from Ayaka's face.

I remained silent for a few seconds.

Then I said,

"Okay."

"Our first job is obvious."

The three of us burst out laughing at the same time.

And with only a few minutes left before the event began, we started running around again.

When we finished setting up the coffee machine, there were only a few minutes left before the doors opened.

Ayaka took a deep breath.

"Okay."

She looked around.

"Everything's ready."

Nozomi checked the list in her hands one last time.

"I think so."

"Think so?"

Ayaka turned toward her.

"Nozomi, try to be a little more positive today."

"I'm just trying to make sure we didn't forget anything."

"Don't worry."

Ayaka put her hands on her hips.

"Everything is going to be perfect."

Nozomi looked at me.

"The last time she said that, the decorations almost fell down."

Ayaka immediately turned toward her.

"Are you still talking about that?"

I tried not to laugh.

Just then, the school's announcement system came on.

A short announcement was made, informing everyone that the event had begun.

The noise in the hallway suddenly grew louder.

A few seconds later, the first students appeared at the door of our classroom.

Ayaka immediately stepped forward.

"Welcome!"

She began guiding the first customers toward the tables.

Nozomi opened the notebook she had prepared for taking orders.

I started carrying the orders to the tables.

The first few minutes were fairly quiet.

Then...

The classroom suddenly started filling up.

"Is there a table for three?"

"Can we sit over there?"

"Can we have a menu?"

"One coffee and two slices of cake."

Questions were coming from every direction.

Ayaka was moving from one table to another.

Nozomi was trying to write down all the orders.

I was constantly walking around the classroom with trays in my hands.

After a while, I went to one of the tables and placed the drinks down.

"One coffee, two fruit juices, and one tea."

The student at the table looked at me.

"We didn't order tea."

I paused.

"You didn't?"

He shook his head.

"No."

I looked at the cup in my hand.

Then I looked at the table behind me.

"I guess I brought it to the wrong table."

The student started laughing.

"I guess?"

I heard Ayaka's voice behind me.

"Umut!"

I turned around.

"What?"

"Take the tea to the other table."

"Okay."

I picked up the tray again.

Ayaka shook her head.

"There's really no connection between your violin playing and being a waiter."

"I noticed that too."

Nozomi joined in.

"At least you're honest."

The three of us laughed for a moment.

Then we went back to work.

As time passed, the classroom became even more crowded.

At one point, so many orders came in that the papers in front of Nozomi covered almost the entire table.

"Umut!"

"Yeah?"

"Can you take this order over?"

"Sure."

I took the paper.

I looked around, trying to find the table.

"Which one?"

Nozomi pointed.

"The one in the corner."

I walked over.

I placed the order on the table.

Just as I was about to leave, one of the students looked at me.

"Aren't you the guy from the competition?"

I stopped for a moment.

"Yeah."

"The one who came first."

"Yeah."

"You played really well."

"Thank you."

The student smiled.

"It's kind of strange seeing you working as a waiter here."

I smiled slightly.

"It's strange for me too."

Then I turned back toward the other side of the classroom.

A little while later, several teachers came into our café.

Ayaka immediately went over to greet them.

"Welcome."

One of the teachers noticed me and looked surprised.

"Umut?"

"Yes, teacher."

"You're working here too?"

"Just for today."

The teacher smiled.

"Congratulations on winning the competition."

"Thank you."

"That really was a great performance."

I gave a small nod.

"Thank you."

The teacher looked at the menu.

"What do you recommend?"

I thought for a moment.

"I think the chocolate cake."

Ayaka immediately joined in.

"Definitely."

The teacher laughed.

"All right. I'll have one of those."

While we prepared their orders, we didn't continue talking about the competition.

I liked that.

Today, I wasn't a competitor.

I was just a student working at a school event with my classmates.

After a while, the Student Council president and Shiori came into the classroom as well.

Ayaka immediately walked over to them.

"You came too?"

The president looked around.

"We're here to check on the classes."

Shiori looked at the menu.

"Not bad."

Ayaka's expression immediately changed.

"Not bad?"

Shiori smiled.

"It's actually pretty good."

Ayaka relaxed.

"That's better."

The president looked at me.

"You're working too."

"Yeah."

"You're working here instead of resting after the competition."

"It's a different kind of work."

Shiori laughed.

"This is definitely more exhausting than practicing the violin."

"Definitely."

They stayed with us for a while.

Then they left to check on the other classes.

By the middle of the day, things had gotten even busier.

Everyone was tired.

At one point, I stepped out of the classroom and leaned against the wall in the hallway to rest for a few minutes.

I could still hear people talking inside.

I took a deep breath.

I couldn't help thinking about my violin.

I hadn't played at all today.

But I wasn't bothered by it.

A few weeks ago, going an entire day without playing would have felt strange.

Now...

I was simply tired.

And I wanted to rest.

Just then, Ayaka came out of the classroom.

"Why are you standing out here?"

"I'm a little tired."

Ayaka came over to me.

"Rest for five minutes."

"And then?"

"Then we'll get back to work."

I looked at her.

"Violin?"

Ayaka shook her head.

"No."

She paused.

"The café."

I started laughing.

"For a second, I thought you were serious."

"Your mind is still on the violin."

"Old habit."

Ayaka laughed too.

"I'll come get you in five minutes."

"Okay."

I stayed in the hallway for a little while longer.

Then I went back into the classroom.

The rest of the day passed in much the same way.

Orders.

Laughter.

Small mistakes.

Running around.

And constantly having something to do.

Eventually, the hours passed.

There wasn't much time left before the event ended.

After the last customers left the classroom, we closed the door.

The room suddenly became quiet.

For a few seconds, none of us said anything.

Then Ayaka took a deep breath.

"We did it."

Nozomi sat down in a chair.

"Let's never do something like this again."

Ayaka looked at her.

"Didn't you have fun?"

"I did."

Nozomi thought for a few seconds.

"But I'm exhausted."

They both looked at me.

"What about you?"

I thought about it for a moment.

Then I smiled.

"I had fun."

Ayaka looked surprised.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

There was a brief silence.

Then I looked at the coffee machine on the table.

"But next time, I'm not setting up the coffee machine."

Ayaka burst out laughing.

Nozomi joined her.

I started laughing too.

All the little problems we'd had throughout the day suddenly seemed funny.

We started cleaning the classroom together.

We moved the tables back to their original positions.

We took down the decorations.

We organized the remaining food.

Eventually, the classroom looked the way it had before.

I stood at the doorway and looked inside one last time.

It looked completely different from how it had that morning.

But now everything was over.

And strangely enough...

I had a feeling that what I had experienced today might stay with me longer than the first-place award.

Because today, I didn't have to win anything.

I was simply there with my friends.

And that was enough for me.

When I got home, it was already dark.

I took off my shoes and went to my room.

I left my bag beside my desk.

After spending the whole day surrounded by people, the silence in my room felt strangely unfamiliar.

I sat on the edge of my bed for a while.

Then my eyes fell on the first-place award sitting on my desk.

I stared at it for a few seconds.

Normally, I would have picked it up and looked at it over and over again.

But this time, I simply looked at it.

Then I turned my eyes away.

I opened my violin case.

I picked up my violin.

I gently touched the strings with my bow.

A thin sound spread through the room.

I wasn't practicing for a competition today.

I wasn't thinking about my next performance.

I wasn't trying to remember what the judges had said.

I simply wanted to play.

I played like that for a few minutes.

Then my phone vibrated on the desk.

I looked at the screen.

A message had arrived in the class group chat.

Ayaka had sent a photo taken during the event.

We all looked exhausted in it.

Nozomi was holding the order list.

Ayaka's hair was a mess.

And I was looking at the camera with an empty tray in my hands.

Underneath it, Ayaka had written:

"The most professional waiter."

A moment later, Nozomi replied:

"Definitely. Especially because he took the tea to the wrong table."

I laughed without even realizing it.

I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed so genuinely at something so simple.

I put my phone back on the desk.

Then I placed my violin back in its case.

I lay down on my bed.

I closed my eyes.

I thought about today.

The chaos.

The coffee machine.

The wrong order.

Ayaka constantly changing her mind.

Nozomi trying to keep everyone calm.

Everything passed through my mind.

I didn't think about the competition.

I didn't think about coming in first.

I didn't think about coming in seventh either.

I only thought about what had happened today.

And I realized...

For the first time in a long while, I felt like I could fall asleep without thinking about tomorrow.

Maybe not every day had to be important.

Some days were simply meant to be lived.

That night, I closed my eyes feeling more at peace than I had in a long time.

What I had gained that day wasn't an award.

It was an ordinary day I had forgotten how to appreciate.