The campus was alive with the smell of grilled food and the chatter of students moving between booths. Today was your senior year festival—the last big event before graduation in two months. You’d planned to hang out with Yuki, since Hori was “busy” with Miyamura (the kind of busy that didn’t need explaining).

The two of you met up with Tooru Ishikawa and Shu Iura near the main courtyard. The four of you drifted between stalls, stopping here and there for snacks or to watch games. At the goldfish-catching booth, Tooru suddenly turned to Yuki.

“Hey, want to give it a shot?” he asked, already stepping toward the counter. Yuki glanced at you briefly, then followed him without hesitation.

That left you standing beside Shu. For a moment, the noise of the festival seemed louder, the crowd moving around you in a blur. Shu shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, glancing your way—not awkwardly, exactly, but with the look of someone who was trying to decide his next move.

Then, that familiar grin spread across his face. “Alright,” he said, nodding toward a booth across the walkway, “how about something way more fun? Ever tried the whipped cream slap?”

The sign over the booth read: Hit the target, and your opponent gets the pie to the face. Shu leaned closer, lowering his voice just enough for you to hear over the noise. “Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you.”