A Day of Excitement at Shirakawa High

The Gathering Begins

The school gymnasium of Shirakawa High was louder than usual that morning. More than two hundred girls sat together on the polished wooden floor, chatting, laughing, shifting excitedly as they waited for the school assembly to start. A few held notebooks on their laps, some had snacks hidden under their skirts, and others were stretching their legs because sitting cross-legged for too long was already becoming uncomfortable.

Aira sat near the middle with her friends Hana and Mei. She hugged her knees, looking around with bright eyes. She loved days like this, when the whole school gathered. It felt like one big family, noisy and cheerful, even if teachers insisted it should be a “formal assembly.”

“Hey, Aira,” Hana whispered, turning slightly. “What do you think this is about? They said it’s important.”

Mei leaned closer. “If it’s about cleaning duty again, I swear I’m dropping out.”

Aira laughed. “Calm down. You said that last time and you still ended up wiping windows.”

“Against my will,” Mei replied.

The microphone screeched for a second, and everyone groaned at the same time. A male teacher stepped onto the small stage near the front. It was Mr. Nakajima, one of the younger teachers, known for being loud but fun.

“Good morning, students of Shirakawa High,” he said, tapping the microphone again. “Can everyone hear me clearly?”

“No!” someone shouted from the back.
“Yes!” another student yelled.
“No one asked you!” a third one responded.

The whole gym erupted in laughter. Mr. Nakajima smiled, clearly used to this.

“Alright, alright, settle down. Today we are here to discuss something everyone has been waiting for. The Cultural Festival.”

A wave of gasps filled the gym.

The Announcement

Aira instantly straightened her back. She loved the cultural festival more than any other school event. It was the one day when students could dress up, open booths, perform on stage, and invite families and friends to join in.

“It’s finally happening!” Hana whispered loudly.

Mei fanned herself dramatically. “My heart is not ready.”

“Girls, quiet down,” Mr. Nakajima said, though he was smiling. “This year’s cultural festival will be held in three weeks. That gives us time to prepare, plan, and hopefully not set anything on fire.”

A girl in the front raised her hand. “That was one time!”

Mr. Nakajima pointed at her. “Exactly. One time too many.”

The gym echoed with giggles.

“Alright,” he continued, “we will need volunteers for various committees. Decorations, food stalls, stage performances, logistics, clean-up, and reception. All year levels will participate. This assembly is for planning, discussing ideas, and forming groups.”

The girls buzzed again, whispering and exchanging excited looks.

“Before we start rolling out the details,” the teacher added, “I want you all to take a deep breath and remember: this festival won’t build itself. So get ready to work.”

No one cared about the warning. The atmosphere was too cheerful, too hopeful. This was the event everyone looked forward to every year.

Aira’s Group Forms

“Okay,” Hana said, already turning toward her friends. “We’re joining the decorations committee, right? Right?!”

Mei shook her head. “No. I want the food stall. Last year they made crepes. Actual crepes. I want free crepes.”

“That’s not how it works,” Aira said.

Mei held Aira’s shoulders dramatically. “If I join the food stall, I will be one with the crepes.”

Aira tried not to laugh. “You’re losing your mind.”

“I lost that years ago,” Mei replied.

Meanwhile, students around them were already shifting into small groups, discussing booth ideas, ranking committee choices, and bouncing around suggestions without waiting for teacher instructions.

Aira loved this chaos. It felt warm. It felt alive.

“So what about you, Aira?” Hana asked. “Anything you want to join?”

Aira shrugged. “I don’t know. I want something fun. Maybe something artistic.”

Mei snapped her fingers. “Then decorations is perfect.”

“But she also likes people,” Hana said. “She could do reception too.”

“Aira greeting visitors at the gate?” Mei nodded approvingly. “She’d be great at it.”

Aira blushed lightly. “Stop hyping me up.”

“We’re not hyping you,” Hana said. “We’re stating objective facts.”

Before Aira could respond, Mr. Nakajima raised the microphone again.

“Alright, students. Time for committee sign-ups. Each row will stand up one at a time. Don’t stampede.”

Everyone stood up anyway.

The Committees

The gym became a zoo in seconds. Lines formed, but not in straight shapes. More like squiggly, excited messes that teachers tried desperately to fix.

Aira, Hana, and Mei reached the table labeled “Decorations Committee.” A girl with glasses behind the clipboard smiled.

“Names, please?”

“Hana,” Hana said immediately. “With a big smiley face next to it.”

The girl wrote it without questioning.

“Mei,” Mei said. “Put a star next to mine.”

“No,” the girl replied, writing only her name.

Mei gasped dramatically.

Aira stepped forward gently. “Aira, please.”

The girl smiled warmly. “No symbols?”

Aira shook her head. “No, thank you.”

But then Mei whispered, “Draw a heart. Draw a tiny heart. Draw ten tiny hearts…”

Aira nudged her to stop.

After signing, they stepped aside to let others join. Almost immediately, more girls rushed in, arguing over colors, props, paint, and who was good at drawing.

“This committee is going to explode,” Mei said.

“That’s why it’s fun,” Hana replied.

The Festival Ideas

Soon, the teachers asked everyone to sit again with their committees to start brainstorming. Aira’s group sat in a circle on the gym floor with art papers in the middle.

A girl with long wavy hair raised her hand. “I suggest a flower theme this year.”

Another student frowned. “We already did that two years ago.”

“Then how about fairy lights everywhere?”

“Lights are expensive,” someone said.

Mei raised her hand proudly. “Hear me out. Giant paper jellyfish.”

The room went silent for two seconds.

Then Hana whispered to Aira, “This is why we don’t let her talk first.”

“They would look cute!” Mei insisted.

The committee leader smiled kindly. “Maybe as hallway decorations.”

Mei cheered.

“What do you think, Aira?” the leader asked. “Any ideas?”

Aira blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected to be called on.

“Um… maybe we can mix ideas. A fantasy forest theme? With fairy lights, flowers, and decorations that glow?”

Everyone paused.

Then multiple girls nodded at once.

“That’s cute.”
“That’s new.”
“I like it.”
“We can use green cloth and paper vines!”

The leader clapped. “Great! Let’s write that down!”

Hana leaned in and whispered, “Look at you, Miss Idea Genius.”

Aira laughed softly. “It just came to mind.”

“It’s perfect,” Mei said. “Even better than my jellyfish.”

“You knew that already,” Hana reminded her.

The Boys’ Involvement Thread

Even though the assembly was for the girls that morning, the boys would join later. Rumor had it they were having their own separate assembly to talk about equipment and stage setup.

Mei leaned close to whisper. “Do you think the boys will copy our theme?”

“They always copy us,” Hana said.

“Maybe they’re plotting something chaotic,” Aira joked.

“You mean like the haunted house last year where Haruto screamed louder than the visitors?” Mei asked.

Everyone within earshot laughed.

“It wasn’t that loud,” Aira said, though she remembered it clearly.

“It was loud enough to echo,” Mei teased.

“Very bold of him to volunteer for a haunted house,” Hana added. “Knowing he’s terrified of dolls.”

Aira giggled. “He fell over a fake spider.”

And while the girls laughed, a few boys peeked through the gym doors from the hallway.

“They’re already spying,” Mei whispered.

“Shhh,” Hana said. “Pretend we don’t see them.”

Aira tried not to laugh when one boy slipped on the hallway floor.

Planning Continues

The committee spent almost an hour sketching ideas. Posters. Hanging vines. Paper flowers. Ribbons. Lanterns shaped like mushrooms. A forest-themed entrance arch for the gym.

Girls passed papers around, scribbled notes, and argued about colors. Someone was determined to use glitter, and someone else was determined to ban it.

Aira stayed in the middle of it all, giving suggestions, adjusting sketches, and helping calmer voices be heard.

Teachers walked between groups, checking progress.

Mr. Nakajima approached the decorations circle and smiled. “Looks lively here.”

Mei pointed at Aira instantly. “She thought of the theme!”

Aira turned red. “It was teamwork.”

“That’s what we like to hear,” the teacher said. “Keep it up.”

He moved on, but Mei elbowed Aira with a grin. “See? Even he noticed.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Aira replied softly.

“It is,” Hana said with a playful smirk.

Lunch Break Chaos

When lunch break arrived, the whole gym felt like a giant cafeteria. Girls stood, stretched, and ran to their bags.

Mei pulled out three rice balls. “Emergency supplies.”

Hana blinked. “Who brings emergency rice balls?”

“Me,” Mei said proudly.

Aira accepted hers with a smile. They ate together while watching other groups practice dance routines, rehearse their play lines, or argue about cooking equipment.

“This year’s festival will be amazing,” Aira said.

“It will be because we’re here,” Mei declared.

Hana nodded. “Facts.”

The Knock at the Door

Near the end of lunch, someone knocked loudly on the gym door. Everyone looked.

The boys’ representative group entered, carrying papers and looking important.

Mei squinted. “Oh great. The chaos brigade.”

Haruto waved at Aira when he saw her. She waved back shyly.

Another boy tripped over a rope on the floor. Girls clapped sarcastically.

Mr. Nakajima returned to the microphone. “Alright, girls. Time to merge with the boys and finalize the event plan.”

Groans and cheers mixed.

Aira sat up straighter. She felt the excitement returning.

Final Planning

The mixed groups formed quickly. Aira’s group now had three boys helping. Haruto sat next to her, smiling politely.

“So… a forest theme?” Haruto asked. “Nice. I like it.”

Aira nodded. “Thanks. We’re thinking green decorations, vines, lights—”

“And no glitter,” Hana added.

“No glitter,” the boys agreed immediately.

The planning went well. The mood was cheerful. Excited. Full of life.

Even the teachers were smiling.

Countdown to the Festival

By the end of the assembly, the final decision was made:

Shirakawa High Cultural Festival Theme:
“Enchanted Forest Night.”

Everyone loved it.

Mr. Nakajima ended the assembly with a bright voice.

“Work hard, have fun, and let’s make this the best cultural festival yet!”

Applause filled the gym.

Girls stood up, stretched, grabbed their bags, and chatted as they left the gym with new energy.

Aira walked with Hana and Mei, all smiles.

“This is going to be amazing,” Aira said.

“It already is,” Hana replied.

“And I’m still making jellyfish,” Mei added. “I don’t care what anyone says.”

Aira laughed. “Do whatever you want.”

Mei grinned proudly. “I always do.”

As they stepped out of the gym, Aira looked back one more time. The decorations committee papers were still scattered, sunlight touched the wooden floor, and the voices of excited students echoed everywhere.

The festival wasn’t here yet, but the joy had already begun.

And Aira couldn’t wait for what came next.