Kato Mitsu puts faith in them, so she makes a request.

***
Furukawa Itsuki

I kept on watching. Endlessly. Fruitlessly. Pathetically.

At least that's what it felt like —

ever since then.

***
Maegahara Shosei

"Will you help us, Maegahara-kun?"

Her words reverberated through the surroundings. The wind blew, making the leaves rustle. The whispers of the trees dominated my hearing. I looked at her, struggling to figure out what she meant. Obviously, she was talking about the current situation.

The class mood kept getting progressively worse, and at this rate, there was no chance our play would succeed. I didn't know why Kato-san decided to create an original script, but she had to have a good reason for that. It was clear our performance was in some way vital for her. In the first place, I thought it was suspicious that she committed to the more challenging bits of the play, which made me feel confident in the accuracy of my guess. Still, was there really anything I could do?

I wasn't a particularly influential figure in the class — if anything, I was irrelevant. I also couldn't think of any realistic way I could fix the mood. I mean, if I could, I would already do it. Well, it could be that I just couldn't come up with anything. She probably had an idea or two of her own. Otherwise, she wouldn't be asking. After some deliberation, I asked her a question.

"...What do you mean, help? Is there even anything I can do?"

In response, Kato-san smiled at me. It was a sad, wry smile.

"Yes, after all, you are an outsider. At this point, everyone who is a part of our group is not trustworthy from the perspective of others. If Yamada-kun or Akira-kun tries to do something, it will merely be perceived as an attempt to defend their friends. No matter what we do — it's no use. You, on the other hand, are different."

Her tone carried a note of sorrow and resignation for the entirety of her explanation, but, in the end, it became hopeful, almost pleading.

"They don't view you as a part of our group, and our interactions amount to no more than a couple of outings together. That's why, from their perspective, you are a part of the overall class instead of our ally. And, as long as you're within the crowd, you can still affect it. They won't filter your actions through the lens of you being 'our friend,' so they won't assume you're unconditionally siding with us. That's why they might listen. Hopefully."

After she finished talking, I spent a few seconds in silent thought. Even though her words made perfect sense, they still didn't explain what exactly I was supposed to be doing.

"...So what do you want me to do? What is my role here? I don't think simply spreading the good word about you will be enough. Or rather, I don't believe that will have any impact whatsoever," I said, doubting that I could feasibly affect the mood.

"The spirit of the majority is what dominates the crowd and defines its behavior. You don't actually need to have the numbers on your side — as long as you can make it seem like you have them. Don't worry — you only have to follow my instructions."

I was slightly scared by the confidence in her words. Regardless, Kato-san sounded sure in her theory. If it was just doing what she told me to, I didn't mind. But I did have some questions.

"I don't mind helping you... But could you tell me? Why are you doing this? This play must be important to you. Otherwise, there's no reason to stick to the original concept so badly. We could have easily simplified some of the parts. If anything sticking with them is more unnatural. Something drives you to ensure it follows the original concept perfectly."

Hearing my question, Kato-san slightly reeled back. She looked slightly uncomfortable, hesitant to answer. Finally, she made up her mind and started speaking.

"...I guess you deserve to hear this much — since you're helping us out. Honestly, It was Akira-kun's request. He penned the script and gave it to me, asking me to present it as mine. He didn't tell me the reason behind it — but I have a good guess... Although, I'm not sure if I should talk about that without his permission," Kato-san explained.

"Nakano-san, huh...?" I mumbled as a scene from the past outing sprang into my mind. His tired face and slipping mask. Or, more accurately, his refusal to play his usual role at that moment. Did that have anything to do with this resulting situation? I wanted to know more, but she said he was the only one with the right to tell me the entire story and she was right. I didn't have the audacity to demand private details of Nakano-san's life — especially without his permission.

"I understand. I don't think this situation is fair, so I want to help. If my cooperation can be useful, I'll gladly do it."

"Thank you, Maegahara-san...," she replied with a slight smile. There was a note of relief in her voice. Then, Kato-san turned around, facing the sunlight seeping through the leaves, and said, this time, with confidence in her tone.

"Let's do it, Maegahara-san."

I was sure Kato-san smiled as she faced the sun. I felt like she murmured something after those words, but I couldn't hear it well, so I chalked it up to my imagination.

***
Kato Mitsu

When Akira-kun made his request, I already knew. This whole cultural festival might very well end in a disaster. Or rather, even a little meddling from the side would probably turn this into a personal catastrophe for us. But I still agreed. Because I knew it was a turning point for him and for them as well.

His mask, her regrets, her dependence, and his circumstances— all will hopefully come to an end. It has lasted way too long. Regardless of what they say, time doesn't heal. Even if you leave your wounds in their place — they will never go away. You can ignore, hide, and disguise them all you want — there's no tricking yourself. That's why people have to face them head-on. I'm not naive enough to believe doing that will necessarily help. I'm sure the majority fail even after they challenge their demons directly — hence they keep escaping. But I'm also too cruel and proper to indulge those entangled relationships and let them root.

"Let's do it, Maegahara-san. Help me untwist their compromises."

My last words were so quiet there was no way he heard me. Still, had he heard at the time, I wonder if he would have accepted my offer anyway. For now, those twisted bonds will bend. Bend so hard they become uncrooked — or possibly — distort so much they break. Either way is better than what they are now.

With an unaware accomplice in tow, I set out of the park. I'm sure Maegahara-kun thought we were facing the sun, but with every step we took, we made it farther away from the light. I doubt he was able to tell. After all, he was always facing the sunlight, unaware that it burned like hell.

How long was his unawareness going to last? He was surprisingly sharp but also extremely single-minded. His steel fixation on his ideals and goals was mind-numbingly impressive, so there was no way to tell with absolute confidence. But I was sure it would be enough for me.

Still, a part of me indulged in a comforting, unrealistic hope.

What if he could face the sun regardless? If so, then maybe he could see the light where I couldn't.

***
Maegahara Shosei

Our preparations began on the same day. She called me that evening to discuss our plans. First, we needed to change the mood, second, motivate everyone, and finally, find a way to deal with the play's production issues. Those were our three main tasks. She told me she had a plan of some sort for the second goal, so I left it to her. That left us with the other two.

There weren't enough people knowledgeable about music among my classmates. That's why — we needed to find several people from outside the class to help us create the poem and the songs because otherwise, we wouldn't make it in time. I had an idea of what to do with the poem. I didn't want to resort to that measure — but there was no helping it now that we were so much behind... As for the songs, we decided to keep searching for and asking people with musical talents for help. Kato-san said she could 'pull some connections,' so I mostly left that to her, although I still asked around, using my connections. Not like I had many of them to use in the first place...

That left us with the last problem — the class mood. Frankly, I doubted it was possible to change it, but Kato-san was of a different mind. Yesterday, she called me and explained that there were plenty of ways to change the dynamics of social groups.

"Crowds are often painted in a single color with a lone goal in mind. And until they satisfy the goal that led them to that state, they will not change their mood — their color. And they continue to be painted in the hues of negativity in this case, too. However, the same can't be said about people themselves. Crowds consist of people, but people aren't merely a part of the crowd. They have their judgment, and as long as they are still individuals — you can reason with them," Kato-san began.

"Individuals...?"

"Yes, Maegahara-kun. As a mob, our sensibilities become clouded. I'm not a psychologist, so I can't tell you the exact reasons for that. Personally, I think it has to do with the fear of being scorned, the validation of being agreed with, and the uncertainty of our morality."

The last one of the three stood out to me, so I asked her about it.

"Uncertainty of our morality? I can understand the others, but that one is slightly confusing."

For a second, Kato-san fell in thought. Then, she came up with an example I could understand.

"Mhm. For example, don't you think it's arrogant to believe in your righteousness when everyone else disagrees?"

"Oh, that I get," I replied, beginning to understand where she was coming from.

"Right. Something happens for a moment that makes people feel it's correct to take specific actions and adopt appropriate behavior. It becomes hard to oppose them, so you have no choice but to take their side. Then, the moment you even think about agreeing with them, it sucks you in. It's easier if you agree with the group. There's no opposition, but there's easy satisfaction in siding with the crowd and massive downsides to confronting others. You start convincing yourself the masses are correct, and it only worsens. Unless you feel strongly about the topic, you won't try to confront the majority. Because, in the end, people believe in what is convenient for them. We can convince ourselves of anything if it suits our needs. However... that also means it's hard for us to act without that conviction."

I listened to her in silence. Toward the end, her voice changed from a calm, rational explanation to a sad, remorseful expression of regret. That's what I felt. Although, the way she thinks about it reminds me of someone...

"Hmm, I see... You really are similar to him in your logic."

"?"

Somehow, I could hear her confusion over the phone. Paying it no heed, I kept on going.

"Never mind that, so then what? What do we start with?"

Our mission to revive the mood began.

***

It was the next day. The lunch break was in progress, and I was in the middle of eating my homemade meal. Across from me, my classmate sat. His name was Nakamura Daichi. I was chewing on some rice and sausages. When I finished, I looked at him and spoke up.

"The preparations aren't looking too well right now...," I said, looking at the group in another corner of the class. They were the main opposition to Kato-san's play. Or, more like, they were opposed to the amount of work it involved.

"Yeah... We seem to be struggling a lot," he agreed, his voice down.

"I'll be honest, I think being serious about the festival is great. I just wish the mood wasn't so suffocating," I complained, taking a big sigh to emphasize my dismay.

"True. I think it would be cool, too, you know? Singing songs for the play and stuff. When I first heard it, I thought it was a great idea and that we could make something unique for the festival..."

"Yeah... If only there was a way to fix our class's attitude," I added, finishing the discussion. I placed my head on my hand and looked outside the window. The sky was bright blue, without a single cloud amidst the azure highs — completely unlike our current situation.

I recalled yesterday's phone call, thinking of the first task assigned to me by Kato-san.

"Never mind that, so then what? What do we start with?"

"Heh, eager to get to business? You're fired up for this, aren't you? Well, first of all — we need to learn what everyone thinks of the current situation. In other words — reconnaissance."

"Huh? But I thought the whole point was that the mood is horrible...?"

"Yes, as a class. But the same is not true for the individuals involved. I did say the fear of being scorned plays a massive role, right? It's essentially that. No one wants to oppose the majority for no reason. It would be different if they had a conviction, but — as we've already established — most people don't have such a strong personal opinion. Either that or they don't have enough courage or sense of righteousness to bother. That's why — we need to know who are our potential allies. Ask around for people's thoughts. Also, make sure to express your desire for the play to succeed to establish that there are like-minded people within the class."

"...You thought this through thoroughly, huh? Very well, I'll start tomorrow."

"Yea, I'm counting on you Maegahara-san."

***

Cultural festival preparations resumed after classes ended, and I was busy building the set with a group of boys. I probed them for their opinions on our situation. Overall, from what I'd learned, a considerable amount of people were okay with putting in some effort but could understand the ones who were against it. Because of that, they didn't speak their minds and watched in silence. If we could give them a little nudge, I was sure it was possible to get them on our side. Our chances were looking pretty good. As long as we could establish that many want this play to succeed as common knowledge within the class, it would be possible to shift the mood.

I left the class to go to the toilet, still thinking through our circumstances, when my eye caught the sight of some students standing outside the school. Looking through the window, I saw several silhouettes standing in the courtyard.

"Stop this stupidity."

I recognized the voice — it belonged to Asahina Miyabi, a classmate of mine. She opposed the play the most out of everyone. Her spats with Suzuki-san and Maeda-san were a daily occurrence at this point. Asahina continued talking, her tone full of annoyance and anger.

"Your stupid group keeps pushing for this idiotic performance. Look around — no one wants to spend that much effort on it. We're not ready to waste all our free time on such garbage — it's just a cultural festival. Who even cares?" Asahina-san said, unleashing all her frustrations on Maeda-san.

"That's not true. Just because you say so doesn't mean everyone agrees. Besides... this is important for them — so I can't stop this. I won't stop this," The girl replied resolutely.

The second voice was also familiar to me. It was Maeda Fumiko. In contrast to Asahina-san, her voice sounded almost guilty but by no means weak. There was a firm conviction in it — steel will, unwilling to bend no matter what.

"What? Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Yeah, right, what a selfish bitch."
"Ugh, did she even listen to what we said?"
"Maybe this slut is just deaf?"
"No — more like braindead."

It seems there was an entire group of girls essentially threatening Maeda-san. Yikes, this is straight-up bullying already. They ganged up on her and were now pushing her to quit.

Just when I contemplated if I should interfere, Asahin-san decided there was no point in continuing.

"Ugh, whatever. This bitch really must be dumb or something. All that flashy slutty makeup and clothes must have gotten to her. Let's go, girls, no point in talking with a brainless whore."

My face twisted in disgust. I was shocked by the sheer malice of their words. Shaking that off, I hurried back to the class, swearing to fix the mood as soon as possible. I also thought about a way to teach those girls a lesson while I was at it but didn't come up with anything.

***

Soon after I came back, the bullies returned, followed by Maeda-san. I was worried about her, but her expression betrayed no sign of dismay. Neither did her tone as she talked with Suzuki-san. The guilt and weight disappeared from her voice as she lively chatted away. Or so I thought, but it seems she couldn't trick her close friend with just that.

"...Hey, did something happen?" Suzuki-san asked as she eyed Maeda-san worriedly.

"Huh? Nothing happened. Yukino-chan, why are you asking?" she replied cheerfully.

"No... nothing. I see... so nothing happened, huh?"

Suzuki Yukino looked outside the window, a sigh on her lips. She looked around, her gaze stopping at the Asahina-san's group, and stared at them intensely. A heat, unbefitting the Ice Queen, burned in her eyes.

Initially, I was worried she might start something again, but Suzuki-san only sighed once more and closed her eyes. Her expression slowly shifted and became softer. She relaxed — no, resigned — and gave a wry, weak smile. Suzuki-san parted her lips and — in a clear and quiet voice — said.

"I will not sing for the play."

Her words shook me. Shook me to such an extent that my mind went blank. Despite their low volume, they resounded clearly in the boisterous room, attracting everyone's attention. Noticing the eyes on her, Suzuki-san continued as if hitting the final nail in the coffin.

"This performance doesn't need the songs — it can do without them. We should cut them out. All of them," she exclaimed, declaring the removal of the songs from the play.

Unlike usual, Suzuki-san's voice lacked the same sharpness. But, today, her words cut me the deepest.