Chapter 29: A Life-Changing Move

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Translator: Soafp

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On a winter morning, gray clouds covered the sky, and the cold air sharply brushed against my cheeks, spreading a sensation like countless needles piercing my skin.

The street trees had shed their leaves, and their bare branches swayed in the wind.

My breath came out white, and the hands stuffed into the pockets of my uniform grew painfully cold.

I walked toward school with heavy steps, dragging the weight of the disastrous failure from yesterday, feeling like a condemned prisoner heading toward the execution ground.

The cause of it all was the major blunder I made during yesterday’s press conference. During the Q&A, I had accidentally revealed the name of the school I attended—a monumental mistake that had never happened before.

After the incident in the press conference, Hizaki-san had told me, “We'll take care of it, so leave it to us,” but honestly, even though I said it myself, I felt like there was no way out anymore.

That night, I tossed and turned in bed, replaying the event over and over in my mind, only to fall into shallow sleep.

Now, as the day broke and I headed to school, I still felt heavy, like a prisoner walking to their execution.

Under the cold sky, I stared blankly at my breath vanishing into the air, my mind stuck in a loop of the same thoughts.

“Why did I say something like that…?”

No matter how much I tried to shake off that regret, new worries kept flooding in.

When I get to school, how will people look at me?

Has my identity already been exposed by yesterday?

With these unpleasant thoughts swirling in my head, I suddenly found myself standing before the school gates.

As I walked through the gate with heavy steps, the murmur of the students around me sounded strangely loud.

Then, I overheard a conversation among the students on their way to school.

“Did you watch yesterday's press conference for the movie?”

“Yeah, that one? The rabbit mask thing? That was hilarious!”

The students burst into laughter as they talked.

With every laugh, my heart seemed to shrink.

…It's over.

I'm done for.

My peaceful school life ends today.

The gazes of the students as they walked to school felt painful—no, it was more like a slap to the face.

“Seriously, the way the mask moved was so funny!”

“Slowing it down made it even more powerful!”

The students’ laughter echoed in my ears like an illusion.

My dignity was hanging by a thread, trembling on the edge.

Please, I beg you, don't post that video of yesterday's scene.

No, wait. Maybe no one cares that much.

It was just a momentary slip-up, and I'm a relatively minor author. There's no way I'll get too much attention—

“Wait, no! The weird movement at ‘Ah!?’ I watched it in slow motion three times!”

…Of course, they're paying attention.

As I was lost in thought, another conversation reached my ears.

“When I first heard about it, I was like, ‘Someone from our school is in it?’ but apparently, that's not the case.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Didn't you know? Apparently, the author panicked and accidentally revealed that the movie is set in Amanomiya High School.”

“Ah, I see! What a letdown, but wait, does that mean the shooting's happening at our school? That's so cool!”

“Yeah, I hope so! Maybe we'll even get to meet Koda Subaru!”

The girls chatted happily, but I was just left behind, confused.

A movie set? Filming? What are they talking about?

As my thoughts struggled to catch up, my phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket. Looking at the screen, it was a call from Hizaki-san.

I greeted her with a “Good morning,” and she quickly responded.

“Good morning, Hajime-sensei. You probably couldn't sleep last night, huh?”

“As you guessed…”

My voice was hoarse, and I could tell she was smiling even through the phone.

“Yeah. But don't worry. We can handle yesterday's trouble.”

“R-Really?” I couldn't help but let my voice crack. It had been a while since I felt this much hope.

“Yeah. But… well, things have gotten a little interesting.”

“Interesting? What do you mean?”

Hizaki-san hesitated, and a bad feeling started creeping up inside me.

“About what you said yesterday, it seems like the movie’s setting has been revealed to be Amanomiya High School. Since it was leaked before the official announcement, we handled it by saying that you had to leave early.”

…So that's what the girls were talking about.

“The school had already been considered as a filming location, and we had been in talks about it for a while. So, we managed to cover it up.”

Hizaki-san sighed before continuing.

“The reporters were convinced, but actually, the whole thing about the ‘flustered author accidentally revealing it’ has become a topic of discussion. It's a blow to the movie's production, but they're fully backing you up in order to protect you. Right now, they're working to clear up the misunderstanding with the media, so things should be fine for now.”

Hearing that, I felt an immense sense of relief in the depths of my heart.

The heavy lump that had been stuck in my stomach seemed to lift, even if just a little.

“Really… thank you so much!”

I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude, almost wanting to bow deeply. Hizaki-san was the one looking out for me after such a big mistake. I would never be able to repay her.

But just as I was basking in that gratitude, I noticed Hizaki-san’s voice becoming more somber.

“But… there is one problem…”

The atmosphere in the conversation suddenly turned cold.

“P-Problem?”

I asked, swallowing nervously.

Suddenly, cheers erupted from the direction of the school gates.

“Marin Kousaka’s here!”

“Shinomia Kagura is here too!”

The students’ shouts swirled around the school gates, and I instinctively turned my gaze towards them.

What I saw was an almost surreal scene, as if beings from another world had descended. Kousaka Marin, with a gentle smile and soft aura, and next to her, Kagura Shinomia, wearing a mischievous grin and casting a somewhat provocative glance.

Why are they here…?

I stood frozen, holding the phone to my ear, completely stunned.

“Is this the problem…?”

I asked in a tired voice.

Hizaki-san responded in a more serious tone.

“No, it's even more serious than that. Do you know why those two are at the school?”

“…I'm not sure I want to know, but I do…”

I replied cautiously.

Hizaki-san let out a deep sigh before telling me slowly.

“Haa… Actually, it seems like they're here to submit transfer documents to Amanomiya High School.”

“…Eh?”

My thoughts couldn't catch up. No, I didn't even want them to.

“Wait, what is this? Transfer documents? Not just temporary filming here?”

“Yeah, it seems like they really intend to become students here.”

“No, no, no, wait a second. You didn't let me know about such an important thing beforehand?”

“I just found out about it, too. I'm just as shocked as you are.”

At that moment, my phone slipped from my hand. The sound of it hitting the ground, “thud,” felt strangely real, as if everything was finally crashing down.

–This might not be something we can brush off as a joke anymore.