Between Friends and Festivals

As I made my way toward the classroom, I noticed Hachimura standing near the entrance, deep in conversation with an upperclassman. Hachimura’s face looked strangely tense—something I didn’t usually see on him. The upperclassman leaned in, whispered something, and then walked off, leaving Hachimura frozen, staring blankly ahead.

I approached him casually. “Yo, Hachimura, you alright?”

He didn’t move at first, so I stepped closer and waved a hand in front of his face. “Hachimura!”

“Huh? What?” He blinked rapidly, finally noticing me. “Oh, hey, Takumi. Morning.”

“Morning.” I gave him a quick once-over. “You good? You kinda zoned out there.”

Hachimura shook his head quickly, as if clearing his thoughts. “Yeah, I’m good. Just… thinking, y’know?”

I shrugged, not really planning to push him. “If you say so.”

He forced a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, nothing serious. Just some festival stuff, y’know?”

“Festival, huh?” I raised an eyebrow, stepping into the classroom with him. “You always this worked up over it?”

He grinned, though it seemed a bit forced. “Nah, it’s nothing, seriously. I’m just really excited about this year’s festival. Got some cool ideas.”

“Right…” I nodded, pulling out my chair to sit down. “Anything you wanna share, or are you gonna keep it a surprise?”

Hachimura sat down, his smile relaxing a bit. “I’ve got a couple of ideas bouncing around. Might try something different this year, but no spoilers yet.”

I smirked. “I’ll brace myself, then.”

He glanced at me as he leaned back in his chair. “You know, you should get more involved this year, Takumi. I know you’re not big on this stuff, but it’s always the same—me trying to drag you into the fun.”

I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms. “Yeah, not really my thing. But I’ll help out. You know that.”

“I’m holding you to that!” He chuckled, looking more like his usual self now. “Besides, it’s gonna be way more fun than last year. Trust me.”

“Sure,” I replied, still not feeling the same level of enthusiasm. “As long as I don’t get stuck in some ridiculous role.”

He laughed, louder this time. “No worries! I’ll make sure no one shoves you into a costume. Just give us a hand with planning, that’s all.”

I nodded, relieved. “Sounds like a deal.”

As we both settled in, the tense atmosphere from earlier seemed to fade. Whatever had rattled him, he clearly didn’t want to talk about it, and I wasn’t about to pry. Instead, we fell back into easier conversation—ideas for booths, what themes might work best.

“So, got any wild ideas for the festival this time?” I asked, trying to shift the mood completely.

Hachimura’s eyes lit up, and his grin widened. “You have no idea, man. I’m thinking we go all out this year. Something big.”

“‘Big’ sounds like trouble,” I said, smirking. “But I’ll hear you out.”

He leaned forward, already animated. “Okay, okay, just picture this—”

I shook my head, chuckling. “Here we go.”

As he started going on about his latest festival plans, I listened, letting his excitement fill the space. Whatever had happened earlier was pushed aside for now, and I was fine with that.