Festival Resonance

The Monday following the school festival dawned with a sense of anticipation. As Haru pedaled to Sakura Heights Academy, the streets still bore remnants of the weekend's excitement—faded posters clung to telephone poles, and the occasional piece of festival trash tumbled along the sidewalk.

At the Tanaka breakfast table, Mei was chattering excitedly about her upcoming graduation from middle school. "I can't wait to be in high school next year! Do you think I'll get into Sakura Heights too, onii-chan?"

Haru ruffled her hair affectionately. "If you keep up your grades, I'm sure you will. Just don't expect me to show you around when you get there!"

Their mother, Yumiko, raised an eyebrow at Haru. "Speaking of the high school, how was the festival? Did you spend time with anyone... special?"

Haru felt his cheeks warm. "It wasn't like that, Mom. We were just checking out the different booths together."

"Mhmm," Yumiko hummed, sharing a knowing look with Mei. "Well, I'm glad you had fun. Don't forget your bento!"

As Haru arrived at Sakura Heights Academy, he noticed a buzz of excitement still lingering in the air. Students gathered in small groups, animatedly discussing their festival experiences.

"Tanaka-kun!" a voice called out. Haru turned to see Natsumi, a quiet girl from Class 1-B who he'd rarely spoken to before. "I wanted to thank you for your explanation of the art club's exhibition. It was really inspiring!"

Haru blinked in surprise. "Oh, thanks, Natsumi-san. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

As they walked towards the school building, Natsumi continued, "Actually, I was wondering... do you think the art club would accept new members mid-year? I've always been interested in art, but I've been too shy to join any clubs."

Before Haru could respond, Kenji appeared, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "Well, well, look who's become a celebrity! First Akira-senpai, now Natsumi-chan. Should I be jealous?"

Haru rolled his eyes, shrugging off Kenji's arm. "It's not like that. Natsumi-san was just asking about the art club."

Kenji's eyes lit up. "Ooh, fresh blood for the art club? Maybe I should join too. I could be your model, Haru. Just imagine—'The Adonis of Class 1-B' as your muse!"

Their banter was interrupted by the arrival of their class representative, Rin Takahashi. "Come on, you three. The bell's about to ring, and Sato-sensei wants to have a class meeting about the festival cleanup."

As they settled into their seats in Class 1-B, Haru's eyes wandered to the empty desk beside him. Its usual occupant, a boy named Daisuke, had been absent for nearly a week. Haru made a mental note to ask someone if they knew what had happened to him.

Sato-sensei entered, her usually stern face softened by a slight smile. "Good morning, everyone. Before we begin, I want to commend you all on your hard work for the festival. Our haunted house was a great success!"

A ripple of pride went through the class, with students high-fiving and grinning at each other.

"Now," Sato-sensei continued, "we need volunteers for the final cleanup after school. Who can stay?"

Hands shot up around the room, including Haru's. As Sato-sensei jotted down names, the classroom door slid open, revealing a sheepish-looking Daisuke.

"Sorry I'm late," he mumbled, keeping his eyes down as he made his way to his seat.

Sato-sensei's expression softened further. "Welcome back, Nakamura-kun. See me after class, please."

As the morning lessons progressed, Haru found his thoughts drifting to Akira. He wondered if she was feeling the same mix of excitement and nervousness that he was. Their moment on the rooftop had felt significant, but Haru wasn't sure how to take the next step.

At lunch, Haru decided to eat in the classroom, hoping to talk to Daisuke. As he unpacked his bento, he noticed Daisuke sitting alone, picking at his food.

"Hey," Haru said, pulling up a chair. "Everything okay? You were gone for a while."

Daisuke looked up, surprise evident in his eyes. "Oh, uh, yeah. My grandmother passed away last week. We had to go to Hokkaido for the funeral."

Haru's heart sank. "I'm so sorry, Daisuke. That must be really tough."

Daisuke nodded, a sad smile on his face. "Thanks. It's been... hard. But being back at school, seeing everyone... it helps, you know?"

As they continued to talk, Haru felt a new connection forming with his classmate. He made a mental note to invite Daisuke to hang out with him and Kenji sometime.

The afternoon classes flew by, and soon it was time for cleanup duty. As Haru helped take down decorations in the hallway, he spotted Akira coming out of her classroom.

"Akira-senpai!" he called out, his heart racing.

She turned, her face lighting up when she saw him. "Haru-kun! How are you? Still riding the festival high?"

As they chatted, Haru felt the same warmth and comfort he'd experienced on the rooftop. He was about to ask Akira if she wanted to grab a snack after cleanup when a voice interrupted them.

"Kimura-san! There you are." It was Takeshi, the boy who had asked Akira to the festival. "I've been looking for you. Did you see the photos from the festival? There's a great one of you at your exhibition."

Akira's smile faltered slightly. "Oh, thanks, Takeshi-kun. I'll check them out later."

As Takeshi continued to talk, Haru felt a twinge of jealousy. But then Akira caught his eye and rolled hers slightly, sharing a secret moment of understanding with Haru.

Later, as Haru walked home with Kenji, his friend nudged him. "So, when are you going to ask Akira-senpai out for real? The whole school is talking about how you two spent the festival together."

Haru sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

Kenji laughed. "Only to everyone with eyes, my friend. Don't wait too long, okay? You two clearly have something special."

As Haru entered his house, calling out "I'm home!" he felt a new sense of determination. Kenji was right. He needed to take the next step with Akira. But how?

The smell of curry wafted from the kitchen, and Haru's stomach growled. As he helped his mother set the table, his mind whirled with possibilities. Maybe he could invite Akira to see a movie? Or perhaps they could visit an art museum together?

"Haru?" his mother's voice broke through his thoughts. "Can you get the rice? And then tell me all about the festival. I want to hear everything!"

Haru groaned, but couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. As he began to share stories about the festival and Akira with his family, he realized just how much she had come to mean to him. The echoes of the festival were fading, but the connection he felt with Akira was only growing stronger.