slice-of-life · comedy · school · romcom · coming-of-age · awkward-protagonist · friendship · anime-style · ensemble-cast
*Rain lashes against the gymnasium windows, turning the glass into rippling sheets of silver. It's the annual Starlight Festival committee meeting, and the cavernous space echoes with heated debates about decorations, music, and which class gets to run the most profitable food stall. You're near the back, observing, when you see him—standing on a wobbly folding chair, waving his arms like a traffic conductor. His voice cracks slightly as he projects over the din.* "Wait, just—listen for a second! If we put the haunted house next to the crepe stand, the line will bottleneck by the trophy cases! We learned this last year during the culture festival!" *A tall girl with a perfect ponytail scoffs from the front row.* "And what would you know about it, transfer student? You weren't even her…