Chapter 70: Isn’t That Side Way More of a Horror Story?
“First of all… how did you manage to prepare an entire festival in just a few hours?”
“Don’t worry about the minor details.”
“I don’t think that’s exactly a minor detail!”
Taketsuru shot back immediately, exasperation written all over his face, but to me, that part really wasn’t important.
If someone asked how I’d managed to put together an entire festival in such a short time, the answer itself was actually surprisingly simple.
Even so, explaining the trick to the audience would be incredibly tasteless.
Some things were better left unexplained.
A little mystery only made the experience more enjoyable.
“Relax. This festival is merely the prelude. It’s nothing more than the first step toward coloring our summer with unforgettable memories.”
“The way Kirishiro-kun says that makes it sound like the opening narration from someone who already knows a long, grueling battle is about to begin.”
“Well… summer vacation is long.”
“Especially university summer vacation~.”
With her usual easygoing smile, Niwashita-san casually added the last remark, and I nodded in wholehearted agreement.
Still…
Compared to the other three, who had become visibly wary of everything I said, Niwashita-san remained remarkably composed.
Was she simply slow to catch on?
Or was she so perceptive that she had already seen through part of it?
At the very least, I had the feeling she’d already noticed one of the abnormalities.
Well, that was fine.
As I’d promised her from the beginning, no one’s life would actually be in danger during this test of courage.
“Now then, Meiko. Sorry to put you on the spot, but could I ask you something?”
“Hm? Sure, what’s up?”
“When you think of a summer festival, what comes to mind? What kinds of stalls do people usually visit?”
“Uh… I don’t have to factor in weird village traditions or ancient customs for this answer, right?”
I simply nodded.
The evening sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon, bathing the sky in shades of crimson and orange as five university students stood together beneath its fading light.
Summer festivals were long affairs.
And festivals in a village bound by strange traditions…
They were even longer.
We could always wander around without any particular plan.
Still, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to consult our resident expert on what constituted a “normal” festival.
After all, if I explained it myself, people would inevitably suspect ulterior motives.
If Meiko said it instead, everyone would accept it without question.
“Hmmm… I’d probably split it into two broad categories: food stalls and entertainment stalls. For the food side, it’s fun to wander around trying all the classics—things like flour-based snacks, sweets, yakitori, all the standard festival food—as well as any unusual specialties you happen to find. As for the entertainment stalls… that kind of depends on what you’re aiming for.”
“Oh? And what exactly do you mean by that?”
“Well… there’s the youthful coming-of-age route where you just try anything that catches your eye. Then there’s the romantic comedy route, where you’re trying to impress the person you like. And then there’s the slapstick comedy route, where a love rival shows up and suddenly everything turns into a competition.”
“Indeed. There’s also the perfectly ordinary university student route, where you end up helping out a food stall that’s gotten into some kind of trouble.”
“I mean… helping out… helping… wait, helping? Gouto-kun, you’re obviously involved in organizing this whole thing already, so can you really call yourself a helper…? Although… I guess the person in charge stepping in to help the staff is technically a normal thing…?”
Ironically, asking Meiko for her opinion only ended up confusing Meiko herself.
Fortunately, there wasn’t actually a problem.
After all, this festival had been designed so thoroughly that there would be virtually no incidents requiring us to step in.
“Don’t worry, Meiko. As long as I’m running things, that won’t happen. Forget about trouble and simply enjoy the festival.”
“So you are already managing the whole festival… No, that can’t be right. There’s no way you could’ve finished bringing in all the food and supplies in just a few hours…”
“Making the impossible possible is part of my job.”
“I… I can’t even completely deny that!”
That should do.
By steering the conversation this way, everyone had probably formed their own image of how they wanted to spend the evening.
Hallucination.
You’re listening, aren’t you?
You know what to do.
“I know already! You want me to grant these kids exactly what they’re hoping for first, don’t you?”
Exactly.
Everything in life depended on contrast.
The more enjoyable the beginning…
…the more brilliantly the terror of the test of courage would shine afterward.
The haunted village experience didn’t begin when they encountered ghosts.
It began the moment we gave them the perfect summer festival.
Just as I allowed myself a satisfied grin, Kuwajima suddenly began glancing anxiously around in every direction.
“Uh… wait a second.”
“What is it, Kuwajima?”
“I think… I got separated from Miya-chan.”
Miya.
The village chief’s granddaughter.
One half of the mysterious twins who served as the very symbol of this strange village.
She had been walking with the group only moments ago.
Yet, without anyone noticing, she had quietly disappeared.
Apparently Kuwajima had only just realized she was gone.
Prompted by her words, Taketsuru and Meiko also looked around before finally noticing her absence themselves.
“Don’t worry. We know exactly where she is. She should’ve already returned home.”
“…That’s incredibly suspicious. You’re making the exact face of someone who’s already planted some kind of trap.”
“Oh, come on. I’ve been standing here the entire time. How exactly was I supposed to secretly arrange something with her?”
“…………”
Their suspicious stares didn’t soften in the slightest.
Well…
The truth was, I hadn’t directly asked her to do anything at all.
Though if I relayed a request through the local deity, I could’ve given her any number of instructions.
Not that there had been any need.
“Now then, with that concern out of the way, shall we head to the summer festival? Like the perfectly ordinary university students we are.”
“The festival itself actually looks completely normal… so why does everything Kirishiro says sound so suspicious?”
“Probably because it’s painfully obvious he’s plotting something for later.”
“Can someone at least tell me whether we’re going to have to run afterward? I need to know how much food I can safely eat.”
“Moderation is always the best policy, Kuwajima.”
My perfectly reasonable advice caused Kuwajima’s face to turn slightly pale.
I could hear her quietly mutter under her breath,
“So… we are going to be running…”
I hadn’t said anything unusual.
Yet somehow everyone kept reading hidden meanings into my words and becoming even more cautious.
Wasn’t that the real horror story?
Still, by this point they seemed to have accepted their fate.
Like my “close friends” and “childhood friends” were expected to, the three of them steeled themselves and headed toward the festival grounds.
If nothing else, I could sense their determination.
We’ll choose where to go ourselves.
At the very least, we’re not letting Kirishiro guide us.
I quietly watched them leave.
Then, among those who remained…
Only Niwashita-san stayed behind.
With genuine curiosity sparkling in her eyes, she looked toward me.
“Kirishiro-kun… could it be that… that children’s song earlier…?”
“So you noticed something after all, Niwashita-san? If you’ve figured it out, I’d appreciate it if you kept it a secret. Don’t worry—I guarantee everyone’s safety.”
As I smiled gently, Niwashita-san answered with a smile of her own.
Just for an instant—
It was the innocent grin of a mischievous child.
Or perhaps…
The smile of someone about to play a harmless prank.
…Come to think of it, whenever she dealt with Taketsuru, she occasionally wore the expression of an older sibling teasing a younger brother.
His childhood friend.
His dependable big sister figure.
That, too, was simply part of what made Taketsuru who he was.
Even hearing that he’d traveled to another world and returned hadn’t shaken her in the slightest.
Her nerves truly were made of steel.
“Well then, I’m going to enjoy myself to the fullest! It’s been ages since I’ve eaten tons of sweet festival treats!”
With that cheerful declaration, Niwashita-san jogged off to catch up with the three who had gone on ahead.
As I watched the four of them disappear into the festival…
Someone silently appeared behind me.
It was the local deity—
Bearing the exact same face as the Miya-chan whom Kuwajima had just lost track of.
“Everyone’s entered the village. So… what now?”
“Maintain the current state until I determine they’ve enjoyed the festival enough. I’ll give the signal when it’s time. Once I do, advance the scenario.”
“All right, all right. Think it’ll actually work?”
“That depends on me, the Hallucination, and the villagers’ performances. Though honestly… the villagers look like they’re having so much fun that I doubt they’re even aware they’re acting.”
“I’ll remind everyone not to get too carried away…”
After exchanging those words, I, too, entered the village, following after the four of them.
Now then…
I’d better stay alert.
If I relaxed even slightly…
There was every chance I’d be swallowed up by this bizarre traditional event myself.
Within this “festival grounds,” empowered to the fullest by the local deity…
Even if I was serving as the advisor…
The deity still held the greater authority.
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Festival Grounds
Dominion: 98%
Traditional Custom Influence: 69%
Scenario Progress: 10%
Test of Courage Index: 0
Scream Count: 0
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The real question was…
How high would that scream counter climb before dawn arrived?
Kuwajima would probably start screaming without much effort.
But would I manage to make the other three scream as well?
Suppressing fear wasn’t healthy.
Letting it out was much better for one’s long-term well-being.
So I sincerely hoped they’d scream their lungs out without holding back.
I’d heard yelling was an excellent way to relieve stress.
Maybe it would do Meiko some good, too.
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【Me @ Apparently Appraisal Skill★】
Status Update: Does bottling up terror before letting it all explode count as detox?
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Perhaps it did.
Or perhaps…
It didn’t.