COTE : Is Talent Everything? (Rewrite)-Chapter 112 - 108: Towards The School Festival

The chilly autumn had begun on Monday, November 1st. Time flies—in just two more months, winter break would arrive.

In the midst of sensing the changing seasons, Sakagami-sensei appeared and displayed the cultural festival overview on the monitor for us to review.

---

Cultural Festival Overview

- Class Points for Second-Years: Each class is given points exclusively for cultural festival preparations. Each student is allotted 5,000 private points, which can be freely used within this limit.

- Additional Funding: Extra funds may be granted for contributions such as student council service, social contributions, or club activities.

- Initial & Additional Funds: Unused funds will be confiscated and do not count toward final sales.

- Class Point Rewards:

- 1st–4th Place: +100 Class Points

- 5th–8th Place: +50 Class Points

- 9th–12th Place: No change

"This concludes the explanation so far. I trust you've all committed this to memory."

No questions arose from the students, so Sakagami-sensei continued.

"Next, I'll explain the details regarding guests, which are crucial for generating revenue."

Until now, the specifics about the number, type, and financial capacity of the guests had not been disclosed.

"The guests will primarily consist of individuals involved in the school's operations and their families. Naturally, their ages will vary—from elderly attendees to young children and elementary school students."

The tablet screen switched to a graph showing the age distribution of the guests.

The largest demographic was 30s–40s, followed by under 20s, then 50s.

"Adult guests will be allotted 10,000 points per person, while minors receive 5,000 points. There will be 283 adults and 202 minors, totaling 485 attendees and 3,480,000 points in circulation."

The ranking of all 12 classes will depend on how much revenue they can generate from this total.

After confirming a few more guidelines, Sakagami-sensei left the classroom.

---

After School, the Same Day

Only a handful of classmates remained in the classroom, discussing the cultural festival event at Ryūen's request.

The class had decided on a "Japanese-style maid café"—Ryūen's idea.

But... something felt off. Aside from strategists Kaneda and Katsuragi, only the girls had stayed behind. And for some reason, I was also kept there.

As if answering my unspoken question, Ryūen, sitting on the teacher's desk, spoke up.

"The reason I kept you here is simple—you're all gonna be serving customers."

"...Huh?"

"You get the concept, right? You'll each handle costume-making, decorations, etc. Kinoshita and Hiyori will oversee operations. Info security is a must, so keep that in mind."

"Hold on."

I stood up, stopping Ryūen.

A terrible premonition crept in, but I prayed it wasn't what I thought.

"I get why Kaneda and Katsuragi are here. But why me? If this is a joke, I'm leaving."

"Weren't you listening? Everyone here is on customer duty."

"...You expect me to serve customers?"

"Heh, you catch on quick."

I stared blankly at Ryūen's smug grin.

A maid café is supposed to showcase female maids—what's the point of having a guy there?

"Do you seriously think I can pull off customer service?"

"There'll be female guests too. You're our play for that demographic."

"Remember the concept—it's a Japanese-style maid café. There's nothing for me to do."

"Just wear a kimono or something. Let the girls fix your hair if needed."

"No way... That's impossible..."

"Fine, let's settle this democratically. Hey, all in favor, raise your hands."

In an instant, every hand but mine shot up.

I expected as much from Kaneda and Katsuragi, but the real shock was—

"...Hiyori."

"I'm sorry, Hachiman. But don't look so down—I promise we won't make it bad for you."

She smiled brightly, hand raised high.

I genuinely thought she'd be on my side...

"Hiyori said she wants to see you in traditional wear."

"W-Why would you say that, Nishino-san!?"

"It's the fastest way to convince Hikigaya, right?"

Hiyori and Nishino bickered, but...

Does she think I'd do anything for her? I do refuse things I don't like.

"...Fine."

"Heh, you're too soft. My strategy of roping in Hiyori was flawless."

"Cheap tactics... Just don't blame me if we lose."

I sighed. What's decided is decided.

Customer service, huh? I've got zero experience. Maybe I should mimic café staff?

Come to think of it, Kaneda's supposed to be knowledgeable in this area. I'll ask him later.

"Ryūen, now that the explanation's over, let's move to the next topic."

"Do what you want."

Katsuragi nodded and pulled out his phone.

"Customer service is important, but securing a good location is critical. Kaneda and I agree—the first or second floor is ideal."

"As Katsuragi said, the rooftop is out of the question for a maid café, and the third floor is inconvenient for foot traffic."

Their reasoning was sound. For our concept, floors 1 or 2 are best.

We'd need to scout potential classrooms quickly to avoid competition.

We discussed convenience and exterior decorations, but I raised my hand—there was something major we'd overlooked.

"Hikigaya, you have an opinion?"

"The location matters, but the uniforms are more important, right?"

"True. We'll need to decide whether to standardize them or allow individuality."

"Kaneda's right, but we must avoid excessive eroticism in the uniforms."

"...Huh?"

"You deaf? Eroticism. Showing underwear is off-limits, but we can't kill the hope of maybe seeing something."

The class froze, staring at me in disbelief.

"May I continue?"

"Heh... Heheh... G-Go ahead..."

Ryūen was trembling, trying not to laugh.

With his permission, I elaborated.

"Maid cafés overwhelmingly cater to male customers. They're drawn by the eroticism of maids—that's why they pay. To maximize profits, we must meet their expectations."

I'd researched both maid cafés and traditional Japanese aesthetics.

"For a Japanese-style concept, there's plenty of allure—the nape of the neck, glimpses of pale skin under sleeves, etc. I'm not forcing anyone to flaunt it, but keeping it in mind is advisable. Additionally—"

"S-Stop, Hikigaya!"

Katsuragi suddenly cut me off.

"But I wasn't done—"

"We've grasped your knowledge. But... we need to scout locations soon. If possible, could you handle that?"

Looking around, the girls were avoiding eye contact, faces red.

Hiyori was the worst—squirming, her eyes glazed over as she stared at me.

"...Fine, I'll go scout."

Was eroticism too much for high schoolers? Or was it a forbidden topic?

Ryūen laughed the whole time, though...

Either way, I'd definitely crossed some line.

---

The Special Building had eight classrooms available for use.

The first floor (closest to the entrance) was the most expensive, while the third floor (less accessible) was cheaper.

Choosing wisely would free up more funds for the event itself.

"Hey, Hikigaya. Alone, huh? Scouting locations?"

The voice belonged to Hashimoto from Class 2-A. Behind him were Kamuro and their leader, Arisu.

"'Alone'? What do you mean?"

"Oh, I ran into Ayanokōji earlier. He had five girls with him."

"'Ran into'? You're the one who butted in and ruined the mood!"

"Hashimoto-kun's presence alone is enough to disgust the enemy."

"That's harsh, don't you think...?"

Hashimoto was getting roasted lately.

As I half-listened, I noticed Arisu silently stroking her left ring finger, occasionally catching Kamuro's attention.

"Well then—"

"Later, Hikigaya. Good luck securing a spot."

"...Yeah."

"What's up?"

"Nothing."

I walked past them.

"Hey, you've been wearing that ring forever. Where'd you get it?"

"Fufu~ I wonder~?"

"Wait, did Hikigaya give it to you?"

"...Hehe."

"...Huh? Seriously?"

"No way!"

Footsteps halted behind me, and I felt intense stares drilling into my back.

But I didn't stop.

...She wanted to show it off, didn't she?

Arisu wasn't the type to flaunt things—this was her way of bragging.

How adorable.

After scouting the first floor, I headed to the second—where I spotted Ayanokōji's group.

Ayanokōji, Horikita, Matsushita, Satō, Mayama, and Miichan.

Likely the core members of Horikita's maid café.

...The atmosphere was heavy. Hashimoto's interference must've left a bad taste.

"You guys scouting too?"

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"! Hikigaya-kun!"

Matsushita's gloomy expression instantly brightened as she rushed toward me.

Horikita, recognizing me, relaxed slightly and smiled.

"Wait, Hikigaya-kun's with Ryūen's class, right? We're still allies?"

"Yes. He was present when we formed the alliance. At the very least, he's not a hazard like Hashimoto."

Horikita answered Mayama while glaring at Hashimoto's mention.

The sports festival alliance had extended to the cultural festival.

"You here to scout too?"

"Yeah. Just me, though."

"Then let's go together! Same goal, right?"

Satō's eyes sparkled as she suggested it, but Horikita seemed hesitant.

"Sorry, I'll pass. I've already scouted most places, and having an outsider around might hinder your discussions."

"My apologies for the inconvenience."

"Don't worry. I get it."

Even with our alliance, we were still rivals. Some info couldn't be shared.

"You know we're doing a maid café, right?"

Matsushita asked, so I nodded.

"Hikigaya-kun, do you like maid outfits?"

"Can't say I dislike them."

"Wanna see me in one?"

"I wouldn't mind."

"So tsundere~!"

No point dodging the question—Matsushita would see through it anyway.

Honestly, I did want to see her in a maid outfit.

But still... she's too close. Normally, she kept a respectful distance in public.

"...Matsushita-san, is this how you are?"

"Wow!! Matsushita-san's so bold!"

"W-W-Wait!"

The girls whispered loudly. To avoid escalating things, I stepped back.

Then Ayanokōji approached me with a question.

"Hikigaya, we were just discussing eroticism. You'd know about this, right?"

"Ayanokōji-kun, that's—"

"Of course. Eroticism is the most crucial element in running a maid café."

Ayanokōji was already on the same page as me.

Horikita tried to stop him, but once I agreed, everyone froze.

I ended up discussing eroticism with Ayanokōji at length.

Sharing knowledge with someone who gets it is satisfying.

"Well, I should get going... But first—"

I turned to Horikita and placed a hand on her head, as usual.

"Wha—!?"

"Ah, sorry. Finally had enough?"

"N-No, it's just... in public..."

Now that I thought about it, I'd never done this in front of others.

Satō and the others were reacting weirdly.

But Horikita didn't seem to hate it, so I kept going.

Meanwhile, Matsushita pouted, tugging at my other hand.

"Hikigaya-kun! Me too!!"

"Sure."

Their reactions were different.

Horikita, overwhelmed by embarrassment, kept her head down but never refused.

Matsushita relaxed, enjoying the sensation.

"You two look like you're enjoying it."

Ayanokōji muttered, watching them.

"Hikigaya-kun's hands feel amazing~"

"...Well... I don't... hate it..."

Hearing that made me happy. I wanted to keep going.

"...Hikigaya."

"What?"

"Pat my head."

""Huh!?""

Everyone except me gasped.

"If Horikita and Matsushita praise it this much, I'm curious."

"Curious...? You..."

"Wait, huh? Ayanokōji-kun??"

Ah, just curiosity?

Come to think of it, I've been patted but never received it. Now I'm curious too.

"Then do me too. I'm also curious about how it feels."

"Leave it to me."

"W-Wait!! Why is this being agreed upon!?"

Ignoring Satō's shriek, I moved my hand to Ayanokōji's head.

At the same time, his hand reached for mine.

"..."

"They're... silently patting each other..."

I tried the same motions as with the girls, but Ayanokōji showed no reaction.

Neither did I.

It was just... motion.

"I felt nothing."

"Same."

"Maybe Hikigaya's technique only works on girls?"

No way to test that hypothesis.

Oh well—good experience, I guess.

I bid farewell to the still-stunned Horikita and left.

Then—

"KYAAAAAH!! Ichinose-san's collapsed, covered in blood!!?"

"Ichinose!! What happened!?"

"Hey, Kanzaki! There's something written in blood!"

"It says... 'Ya', 'Kiyo'...? What does this mean?"

Ichinose's class was in an uproar, but I paid no mind.

It had nothing to do with me.

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