Chapter Eight: The Festival Fiasco and Reina’s Grand Scheme

Myraa didn't think her life could get any more chaotic, but then the school announced the upcoming Spring Cultural Festival, and everything went downhill from there.

It was supposed to be a fun, student-led event—a time for camaraderie, creativity, and cultural appreciation. For Myraa, however, it became yet another opportunity for public humiliation.

Why? Because somehow, without her knowledge or consent, she'd been put in charge of organizing a festival booth for her class.

"Let me get this straight," Myraa said, standing in front of a room full of expectant classmates. "I'm the booth leader… because I made a speech about slow Wi-Fi two days ago?"

"That speech was inspiring!" one of her classmates gushed.

"We're lucky to have you, Miss Myraa," another added, their tone reverent.

"I'm not inspiring—I'm barely functional!" Myraa protested, throwing up her hands. "What do I even know about running a booth?!"

"Don't worry," a boy in the back said. "We'll follow your vision!"

What vision?! Myraa thought, resisting the urge to bang her head against the chalkboard.

From her spot near the back of the room, Kyra raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by the whole situation. "You'll figure it out," she said, her tone maddeningly calm.

"Oh, great," Myraa muttered under her breath. "My knight has abandoned me."

---

Reina's Latest Scheme

Reina, of course, saw the festival as the perfect opportunity to undermine Myraa.

"She won't last a day," Reina said to her entourage as they brainstormed their own booth. "That girl couldn't organize her way out of a paper bag."

Her minions tittered obediently, scribbling down Reina's ideas for their booth—a lavish tea house that would surely outshine anything Myraa's class could come up with.

But Reina wasn't content to simply outperform Myraa. Oh, no. She wanted to ensure Myraa's failure.

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Myraa's Disaster Booth

Myraa's class eventually decided on a booth idea: a "samurai photo experience," where festivalgoers could dress up in samurai armor and take pictures with props. It sounded simple enough… until the planning phase started.

"We need real samurai swords," one girl said.

"Where are we supposed to get samurai swords?!" Myraa exclaimed.

"My uncle has a katana collection," the girl replied cheerfully.

"Of course he does," Myraa muttered.

Reina, watching from afar, saw her opportunity. With the help of her minions, she "accidentally" switched the delivery of props intended for Myraa's booth with those meant for the drama club's theatrical performance.

The result? Myraa's booth was suddenly filled with mismatched items, including Victorian gowns, fake mustaches, and a giant plastic teapot.

"Uh… what are we supposed to do with this?" Myraa asked, holding up a feathered boa.

Her classmates panicked, but Kyra—who had conveniently stopped by to "check on her"—remained unfazed. "Improvise," she said simply.

"Improvise?!" Myraa repeated, gaping at her. "Do I look like the kind of person who can improvise?"

"You're doing it right now," Kyra replied, smirking.

---

Festival Day: The Viral Samurai-Tea-Party Hybrid

Despite the disastrous start, Myraa's booth somehow became the highlight of the festival—though not for the reasons anyone expected.

Unable to fix the prop mix-up in time, Myraa and her classmates leaned into the chaos, turning their samurai photo booth into a "samurai tea party" experience. Visitors dressed up in mismatched costumes—armor paired with feather boas and tiaras—and posed with ridiculous props like oversized teacups and fake swords.

It was so absurd that it worked.

People lined up around the block to take pictures, and by the end of the day, photos from Myraa's booth were all over social media. Students posted captions like:

"Samurai warriors who slay… in stilettos!"

"Battle ready, but first—tea."

"Reizei magic strikes again!"

From her booth across the courtyard, Reina watched the madness unfold, her jaw practically on the floor. "How is this happening?!" she hissed, clutching her lace fan in frustration.

"She's trending online," one of her minions reported, holding up their phone.

"TRENDING?!" Reina's voice hit a pitch that made birds scatter from the nearby trees.

Meanwhile, Myraa had no idea how her accidental success was affecting Reina. She was too busy trying to calm down a group of students who had gotten too into character and were staging a mock sword fight in front of her booth.

"I'm going to get expelled," Myraa muttered, watching one boy dramatically faint onto a beanbag chair. "I'm going to get expelled, and my grandmother's going to laugh at my funeral."

Kyra, standing off to the side, crossed her arms and smirked. "Relax. You've turned chaos into an art form."

Myraa glared at her. "How is that a compliment?!"

---

Kyra's Quiet Affection

As the festival wound down, Myraa slumped onto a bench near the cherry blossom trees, too tired to care that her uniform was wrinkled and her hair was sticking up in weird places.

Kyra appeared a moment later, carrying two cups of lemonade. She handed one to Myraa without a word before sitting down beside her.

"Thanks," Myraa muttered, taking a sip.

"You survived," Kyra said, glancing at her.

"Barely," Myraa replied. "How does stuff like this always happen to me? It's like the universe is playing a prank."

"Maybe," Kyra said softly. "Or maybe you're better at handling it than you think."

Myraa blinked, startled by the sincerity in Kyra's voice. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kyra looked away, her expression unreadable. "You have a way of surprising people. Including yourself."

For once, Myraa didn't have a sarcastic response. She just sat there, sipping her lemonade and wondering why her chest felt strangely warm.

---

Reina's Breakdown

Later that evening, Reina sat in her dorm room, surrounded by the remnants of her failed tea house booth. She scrolled through social media, her blood pressure rising with every photo of Myraa's booth she came across.

"She's not even trying!" Reina exclaimed, throwing her phone onto her lace-covered bed.

Her minions exchanged nervous glances. "What's the plan now, Reina?" one of them asked timidly.

Reina's eyes narrowed. "Oh, I'm not done yet. Myraa Reizei may have won this round, but the game isn't over."