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Chapter 52
The sight of Liam, Noah, Aiden, Lucas, my sister, and me—all six of us leaving school together—must have left quite an impression on the other students.
Those club members were probably wondering why we liked sticking together so much.
In truth, it wasn’t coincidence that my sister and the others moved together like that. It was closer to fate.
Even though I was the one who inserted myself into that fate, I still wasn’t used to the constant stares.
“Any progress?”
Mixed in with the noise of students heading home, we had an important conversation.
Liam asked Aiden, my sister, me, and Lucas—the ones handling the student council side.
“Progress? I’m so busy I feel like I’m dying.”
My sister, unusually, let out a groan.
Judging by the dark circles under her pale face, no one could blame her.
“Not a single student showed interest in the lighting ceremony?”
“This is a list of students who casually asked if we’re holding it again this year.”
Even in the middle of all that work, my sister hadn’t neglected her “main job.”
Liam let out a low sigh as he looked at the list packed with names.
“…When are we supposed to check all of this?”
“Who is it? Let me see.”
Noah bounced up and Liam handed over the list.
“Wow, this many people asked about the magic lamp lighting ceremony?”
“More students are interested in the event than we thought.”
“It’s probably because of the huge prize given out every year.”
Aiden said this with his hands clasped behind his head.
“There’s a prize?”
Even though I knew it was pointless to compete with Noah there, the mention of a reward made my eyes sharpen instinctively.
“Oh? So you’re greedy after all, Olivia.”
Aiden looked amused by my reaction.
I shrugged and pretended not to care.
“No, I mean… it’s natural to be curious, isn’t it?”
“Of course it is. Last year’s prize was free meals at the academy cafeteria for a year.”
“For a whole year?”
“And they also give out a dragon-shaped doll, the symbol of the academy. Noah has one at home.”
I didn’t know exactly what it looked like, but if it was that scary-faced dragon statue standing in the middle of the academy, I’d rather decline.
For some reason, Noah seemed prouder of the mysterious doll than the free cafeteria meals.
“Is it the same prize this year?”
“No, we’re planning to change it.”
“To what?”
Aiden lightly pinched the tip of my nose.
“Still under discussion.”
“Oh.”
When the official student council members held meetings, Lucas and I were busy doing odd jobs and didn’t participate. Since we weren’t particularly interested in the details, I hadn’t known this.
“Is there any progress on your side, seniors?”
Lucas, who had been quietly listening, asked Liam and Noah.
Judging by the troubled look that immediately appeared on Liam’s face, I could guess the answer.
“There may be students who aren’t fond of Noah, but it’s not easy to find out.”
“Ah, it’s hard being this outstanding.”
Noah spoke as if he were the hero of the story. I almost laughed.
“Is there anyone openly showing hostility toward you, Senior Noah?”
“Hmm.”
At Lucas’s serious question, Noah grabbed his chin and thought.
“Teachers favor Noah a lot, and he stands out among the students. It wouldn’t be easy to show open hostility.”
Liam answered for him.
That made sense. With people like them around, you’d need courage even to try bullying.
“Then what should we do? It’s becoming harder to identify the culprit.”
Lucas wore the same troubled expression as Liam.
As I listened quietly, an idea suddenly came to me.
“Then what if Noah personally walks around the academy so we can see who shows even a little hostility toward him?”
“Under what excuse?”
“He can show his determination to win the magic lamp lighting ceremony again and go around checking the locations where the lamps will be installed throughout the school. If anyone asks why he’s looking into that, he can say the student council officially requested it. Anyone who wants to sabotage the ceremony must want to interfere with Noah. So if he strongly shows his intent to win and even checks the lamp locations in advance to gain an advantage, wouldn’t their resentment naturally slip out?”
In short, I was suggesting we deliberately stir things up and provoke the culprit.
Everyone fell silent and began thinking.
It felt like I was being judged at an audition. Since this was the first case I’d taken on after officially joining the Wildflower Lovers Club, I really wanted to do well.
“It doesn’t sound bad.”
My sister was the first to decide.
“While walking around, we could also check the list I made one by one. If Noah tries talking to them, we might see how they treat him.”
“Double-checking, huh. Not bad.”
Aiden reacted positively as well.
“It’s a method of taking initiative instead of waiting. I think it’s good.”
Lucas supported me too.
That left Liam and Noah—the ones who would actually have to do it. Their opinions mattered most.
“This will make us even busier.”
“I think it sounds fun.”
Liam sounded slightly annoyed, but Noah seemed unexpectedly excited.
He treated finding someone who resented him like it was a new game.
If it were me, I’d be shocked just knowing someone hated me.
Noah really was strong-hearted.
“Then we’ll carry out Olivia’s plan.”
Aiden clapped his hands and concluded.
“Thank you.”
I gave a graceful little bow.
“The freshman is doing very well.”
Though he hadn’t done anything himself, Liam looked proud and placed his hand on my head again.
“Hey! I’ll get shorter!”
“I’m surprised there’s any height left to lose.”
I glared at him and finally brushed his hand away. Then another question came to mind.
“By the way, is our club doing something for the festival too?”
The moment I asked, several club members’ faces darkened.
“Of course.”
“We have a traditional event.”
Aiden and my sister didn’t look enthusiastic.
“We’re doing something at the club too…?”
Lucas already looked exhausted without even hearing the details.
“We’re the Wildflower Lovers Club. We’ll press newly discovered wildflowers and frame them for exhibition. We’ll also take turns guarding the club room.”
Liam, as club president, explained with oddly strong enthusiasm.
“We’re going to show the results of all our hard work!”
Noah, as head of wildflower collecting, was equally fired up.
Wait, wasn’t collecting wildflowers just for show?
Wasn’t our real achievement secretly helping students?
I was confused, but judging by Liam and Noah’s attitude, at least the two of them had been completely serious about gathering wildflowers.
“Student council work, class events, and now club events too…”
“We might actually die from this, senior.”
Aiden and my sister comforted each other, trying not to look miserable.
As for me, I had to do student council errands, help find the culprit trying to sabotage the lighting ceremony, participate in the dessert café with my classmates, and prepare for the club exhibition. My future looked bleak.
Lucas didn’t look much better.
“Good. I feel even more motivated now.”
“Since it’s come to this, we’ll do everything perfectly!”
For some reason, the club exhibition became a bonfire fueling Liam and Noah’s passion.
“Take it easy. Take it easy.”
I tried to stop them, but a small bucket of water wasn’t enough to put out a blazing log fire.
Liam and Noah truly stirred up the entire school.
As word spread that they were actively preparing for the magic lamp lighting ceremony, students’ interest in the event grew.
Even first-year students who hadn’t known about it before began hearing rumors.
“Did you hear, Olivia? The student council is holding an event with an amazing prize.”
“The magic lamp lighting ceremony?”
“Of course you know. You work with the student council.”
Siana, who was always quick with information, had picked up the rumors spreading among the students.
“They say the prize is incredible.”
“That’s what I heard.”
I didn’t know this year’s prize yet, but judging from last year’s, it surely wouldn’t be small.
“They say there’s even the right to become principal for a day.”
“Huh? That’s one of the prizes?”
I was completely startled.
Aiden had clearly said nothing had been decided yet.
Ignoring my confusion, Siana’s eyes sparkled as she continued.
“If you become principal for a day, you can change one school rule however you want!”
What…?
Just what kind of rumor was spreading among the students?
