569 - I Was Genderswapped and Reincarnated as a Villainess, but I’m Making this My Personal Yuri Game

Fifth Hundred and Sixty-Ninth Chapter: "Handmade Invitations" Yesterday was quite an eventful day. After leaving early and taking a break from school for some training, I finally returned to the academy on Monday. However, a strange phenomenon was happening with people collapsing all over the place. In the corridors, where kids sometimes fainted, I thought it was just the usual. But once I entered the classroom, not only had my classmates collapsed, but even the group members who had never experienced anything like this had fainted as well. Realizing this wasn't the usual fainting spell induced by idol worship, I started to panic, and the teachers arrived shortly after. Although I have never experienced it personally, I've seen scenes in my past life's knowledge where fans faint when they see idols. So, I thought perhaps the girls were fainting for some reason or another, but this incident was far beyond that. As a result, the faculty concluded that "something like gas might be leaking," and the police and fire department were called, leading to the academy's temporary closure. While the police and fire department have yet to provide a definitive explanation, there seems to be no immediately identifiable gas or chemicals involved. Such accidents happen occasionally, and if it was something common, the fire department would have quickly identified it. The absence of such findings means the cause has yet to be determined. For some reason, I happened to be unaffected, so after being questioned by the police, I was allowed to return home. I explained the temporary closure to my mentor, which led to additional training. The training from the day I left early for the next five days was mentally exhausting. However, Monday's session, due to the temporary closure, focused more on meditation, sitting under waterfalls, and different types of training than usual. Although it's likely unrelated, Momiji and Yuzu, whose faces reddened and breathing became erratic since the day I left early, returned to normal after Monday's training. They probably caught a cold that resolved by Monday. But when I mentioned this to my mentor, she nodded, implying there might have been some minor connection to her. With no cause determined, Tuesday was also declared a holiday. Today, Rindou and Akigiri have invited everyone, so I'm going out with my group members. Although it seems abrupt, everyone is home because this time was typically reserved for school. "Sakuya-sama, we've arrived." "Thank you, Momiji." As we arrived in front of the grand mansion, Momiji opened the door for me. This is the Kuga family's estate. Today, Rindou invited everyone, and the group and the fifth-year students have gathered. "Welcome, Sister Sakuya!" "Good day, Rindou. Thank you for having us today." "Ahaha!" "Hehe." I slightly lifted my skirt and greeted, and Rindou returned the gesture, bowing her head before we both laughed. There's no genuine need for such formal greetings now, but doing so as a joke made us both laugh. "Now, Sister Sakuya, let me guide you!" "Please lead the way." Being guided by Rindou, I walked through the Kuga mansion. In the room we were led to, some of the kids had already gathered. I wasn't late, but I wasn't early either, so it wasn't surprising that others arrived before me. "Sister Sakuya!" "Hello, Akigiri." Noticing me, Akigiri stood up and ran towards me. This is what I find adorable about her. She's probably doing it unconsciously, but little things like this are part of Akigiri's natural charm. It's hard for anyone to treat her dismissively when she reacts like this. "Hello, Sakuya-chan." "Good morning, Sakuya-sama." It seemed Satsuki and Azami had arrived too, but there was some distance... Their voices lacked enthusiasm, and it felt like they were intentionally keeping away. Have I done something to them? Why am I being avoided like this? "Is everything okay today?" "Akigiri and Rindou seem fine, but..." "Indeed, if this distance is comfortable, hasn't everything returned to normal?" Everyone was whispering. The sense of alienation was overwhelming. The fifth-year students gathered around me, affectionately calling me "big sister," while my classmates whispered among themselves and barely glanced my way. "Um...?" "Nn." "Sakuya-sama! Excuse me!" "Huh?" When I called out to the whispering crowd, they nodded to each other, and Azami stood up and steadily approached me. What in the world was about to begin...? "Azami?" Azami stood right in front of me and suddenly hugged me. I had no clue what was happening, but all I could do was let Azami have her way with me. "It's okay to hug Sakuya-sama!" "Ooh~~!" For some inexplicable reason, Azami announced this while hugging me, and everyone else cheered and clapped. What on earth is this? I'm completely left behind and clueless about the situation. "Everyone! Sorry to keep you waiting—whoa! It seems Sakuya's back to normal! No fair, Azami! I want a turn too!" "What? Wait, Yuzuriha!?" Yuzuriha came up from behind and hugged me. With Azami in front and Yuzuriha behind, I couldn't move. "Azami and Yuzuriha, no fair!" "Me too!" "Step aside, Azami!" "First come, first served!" "Haha, everyone, let's have a group squeeze!" When everyone gathers, it somehow always ends up like this. But I guess it's fine. I hadn't been to the academy for days, and when I finally went yesterday, it was chaotic with no time to chat with everyone. After about six days, being able to talk with everyone like this isn't bad at all. ~~~ After the group hug, even more so with the fifth-year students joining in for an even bigger one, we finally settled down, sitting together and enjoying tea. While Rindou hasn't yet mentioned why we were called here, I have an idea. All that remains is to wait for Rindou and the others to bring it up. "Speaking of yesterday's incident in the middle school with the alleged chemical or gas leak... could it be?" "Could it be because Sakuya-chan went into hyper mode..." "That must be it..." As we sat sipping tea in a relaxed atmosphere, Rindou whispered with my classmates. Meanwhile, Akigiri and Tampopo were gathered around me, and Rindou was huddled with my classmates on the other side. I couldn't help but feel incredibly isolated... "Um... Well then, I'd like to discuss the reason I've called you all here today!" "Ooooh!" Applause erupted following Rindou's declaration. While my classmates likely already knew the purpose of the gathering, they were probably aligning themselves with the fifth-year students. In such situations, it's considered mature to pretend ignorance even when you understand. "We are inviting you, our esteemed sisters, to the 'Fujioka Academy Tanabata Festival' happening this coming July!" "Yes! Please come, Sister Sakuya!" "Saionji-sama, you are also invited." "Please join us as well, Tokudaiji-sama!" Following Rindou's announcement, the fifth-year students presented invitations to each member. "Oh! Thank you! I'll definitely attend." "I'm looking forward to it." "Hmph! I won't tolerate any disgraceful displays like last year!" "Yes!" "We’ll make sure it’s all right!" Although the invitations handed out weren't the official 'Tanabata Festival' invitations, they were special handmade ones from Rindou, Akigiri, and the others. Official or not, receiving such thoughtful invitations made me genuinely happy. "The scheduling for this year was a real hassle! But I managed to bring everyone together!" "Oh... That's right. You’ve been working hard as the leader, Rindou." "Yes!" I patted Rindou's head as she spoke. This year's Tanabata, July 7th, falls on a Sunday. It's understandable there was some debate over the date. For us, the date never fell on a weekend. So, it wasn’t an issue, but with July 7th on a Sunday this year, deciding between Friday the 5th, Sunday the 7th, or Monday the 8th must have been contentious. The 'Tanabata Festival' isn't a school event per se but more of a Gokita Association event. Typically, hosting it on a Sunday wouldn't pose a problem. Regardless of whether the school is closed, if Gokita Association wishes to host it that day, they could push forward. However, even if Gokita Association hosts, using the school premises and forcing all the students to attend makes it virtually a school event. Thus, the school would bear responsibility for any incidents, making it impossible for the school to merely lend the premises without oversight. Hosting it on a Sunday as a school event would necessitate preparing a compensatory holiday, and considering security and liability, the teachers would inevitably be required to attend. While Tanabata typically holds significance for its actual date, practical concerns make a Sunday event challenging. If choosing another day, Monday the 8th wouldn't seem odd. Usually, scheduled events lose meaning if not held on 'the day.' However, traditional Tanabata practices often involve burning or floating bamboo on the 8th. So holding it on the 8th with bamboo burning might have been an option. Nonetheless, such events commonly get moved forward, leading to Friday the 5th as the designated date. I can imagine the general flow of discussions, though proponents for each date likely existed. I suspect the elementary Gokita Association members advocated strongly for the 7th. In noble society, precedent holds substantial weight. Regardless of whether an exception occurred centuries ago or once, people appeal to precedent for arguments. To deviate from precedent invites significant opposition. Considering the 'Tanabata Festival' was previously held on July 7th, it's easy to imagine substantial support for the 7th. Since Gokita Association organizes it, school holidays are irrelevant. Many probably argued for the festival to be on the actual Tanabata, despite being Sunday. Yet somehow, Rindou managed to curb those adhering to precedent and the 7th supporters, leading to a successful push for the 5th. A while back, I merely saw her as a mischievous young girl, but she’s grown into a fine leader as the Gokita Association president. "You did well to consolidate it for the 5th." "Yes! I told the opposition, 'Do you intend to inconvenience Kujo Sakuya-sama by having him trek to the middle school on a Sunday?' They quickly agreed to the 5th!" Hey now... Just when I thought Rindou had matured into a capable leader, she goes and pins it on me... I don’t mind being used as leverage to consolidate opinions, but isn’t there a better way to phrase it? That makes it sound like I’m intimidating everyone. "Well, still, if it had been held on Sunday, Sakuya-sama might have been unavailable." "...Oh." It was only when Azami pointed it out that I realized it. During weekdays, skipping classes to partake in the 'Tanabata Festival' wouldn't be difficult. But on weekends, I’d usually have commitments. Changing plans wouldn’t be a problem if they were flexible, yet without consideration, I might have had inflexible engagements on Sunday. Thanks to Azami, I finally recognized this oversight. Ideally, I should have anticipated such possibilities and ensured that any scheduling on Sunday, the 7th, would allow for changes. My absent-mindedness reflects poorly on my ability to manage my schedule. Though I fancied myself matured by strengthening my body and spirit, it seems otherwise. A mature adult would foresee such issues, consider all parties involved, and adjust schedules accordingly. I realized I still have much to learn... Show Support with a Like Support is currently unavailable. Support the author by giving points! Please log in to submit a rating. *Please log in to write comments. ▲Back to Top Send via X (formerly Twitter) or LINE Send on Twitter Send on LINE +Notice+ Unless otherwise noted, all works published are purely fictional and bear no relation to any real persons or organizations. Unless otherwise noted, the copyrights of published works belong to the author (with some exceptions). 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