The school had been quieter since Sayaka's speech.
Not peaceful. Not calm.
Just… recalibrated.
People now walked the halls as though each conversation required thought instead of impulse. Every whisper carried hesitation—guilt shadowing the earlier gossip.
But that fragile equilibrium didn't last long.
Because at 8:15 a.m., Naomi-sensei pinned a bright orange sheet to the central notice board.
THE SPORTS FESTIVAL MASTER SHEET — FINALIZED
Within seconds, the hallways erupted.
"Relay teams announced!" "Swimming heats posted!" "The basketball exhibition match—WHAT?" "Volunteers needed for festival logistics!"
It didn't take long for one truth to hit everyone at the same time:
This festival was bigger than previous years.
And expectations were even bigger.
Eadlyn's name appeared in three separate sections:
Basketball exhibition scrimmage
Potential Relay Anchor (Pending Coach Decision)
Logistics Assistant Under Student Council
Students swarmed the board.
"He's doing THAT much?"
"Why him for anchor? Who recommended him?"
"Isn't he already in basketball?"
"Sayaka-senpai approved him for logistics? Of course…"
Sayaka arrived with a folder tucked under her arm.
She scanned the board— and froze for half a second.
Not because she doubted the decisions. But because she understood instantly what this meant.
Multiple pressure vectors converging on one student.
A student whose instinct was always to give more than he should.
Hiroto leaned in from behind, reading names.
"…They want him for the relay anchor?" he muttered
.
Sayaka nodded once.
"He won't refuse if the team pressures him."
Hiroto glanced at her.
"You don't want him in the relay?"
Sayaka didn't answer immediately.
Then, softly: "I don't want him to lose himself because everyone keeps demanding pieces of him."
Behind them, Manami scanned the sheet for the girls' events.
Rin counted volunteers with the precision of someone who'd already decided she'd be managing chaos.
Ichigo glanced at the board for two seconds— memorized everything— and walked away.
In a single morning, every character's arc began shifting toward the festival.
And the world was about to tighten around Eadlyn again— not with cruelty, but with expectation.
A different kind of weight. The harder one.