As a student himself, Natsukawa Kanade knew exactly what needed to be said in a moment as solemn as this.
"Attention, everyone!"
Standing at the front, he held a small loudspeaker in one hand, bringing it to his mouth after a quick sound check. His sharp gaze swept over the excited crowd gathered before him.
"The highly anticipated Test of Courage is about to begin! Is everyone ready?"
There was no unnecessary fluff, no long-winded speeches—just a direct announcement, which was exactly what this eager group of students wanted to hear.
There was no need for any elaborate pep talk. The crowd was already buzzing with energy, impatiently shifting in their spots as they waited for the main event to start.
"READY!!"
The first response was enthusiastic, but not loud enough.
"That's it? Did you all skip dinner or something?! Shout louder!"
"READY!!!"
"That's more like it! Then I declare that today's Test of Courage is officially underway!"
The moment Natsukawa Kanade swung his arm down in a decisive motion, the atmosphere reached its peak. Even without ribbons and balloons decorating the scene, this was undoubtedly the most exciting place to be tonight.
"OOOOHHHH!!!"
A powerful cheer erupted through the air, and the students began forming lines in an orderly fashion, exactly as planned.
To maximize the experience, a rule had been set: each team had to wait at least three minutes before entering, ensuring they wouldn't interfere with the group ahead. Though everyone was practically vibrating with anticipation, they still lined up obediently—no shoving, no cutting. Kanade had already made it clear that any such uncivilized behavior would result in immediate disqualification.
Despite their overwhelming excitement, no one wanted to risk being banned from participating. The punishment was too severe.
"Alright, let's head out too," Natsukawa Kanade said, turning toward Shinomiya Kaguya, who had been standing beside him the entire time.
As top-ranking students with special privileges, the two of them had the luxury of choosing a different, more secretive entrance. Not only was this a perk reserved for them, but it also ensured they wouldn't be bombarded with questions from curious onlookers once the event was over.
Their agreement was simple—while participating, they would also check on the event setup. Since this was a student council initiative, they were responsible for making sure everything was running smoothly.
Naturally, the sooner they set out, the better.
"Yes, President," Kaguya replied with a composed nod.
Despite her calm exterior, however, she felt a hint of regret.
She had gone to scout the crowd earlier and noticed that hardly anyone had brought anything significant. No obvious props, no prepared tricks. Most likely, they were embarrassed to stand out too much and planned to sneak in whatever they had at the last moment.
That meant her plan—to subtly flaunt her special privileges as the vice president—was going to waste.
If only there were a few gossip-loving students nearby! If they could just witness her walking side by side with the president, hand in hand, it would spread like wildfire. By tomorrow, everyone would think they were practically a couple!
Wouldn't that automatically wipe out all of her love rivals?
Meanwhile, Natsukawa Kanade remained oblivious to Kaguya's internal scheming. To him, it didn't really matter which entrance they used. However, considering he still had two more events to oversee later, avoiding unnecessary attention seemed like the wiser option.
The two of them chatted as they walked, soon arriving at their designated entrance.
At the intersection, several students were already waiting. Unlike the rest of the crowd, these students didn't rush up to greet them. Instead, they simply exchanged nods from a distance, their focus clearly elsewhere.
Right now, their minds were consumed by thoughts of their partners. The supposed love-hate relationship between the president and vice president? Old news. They had heard it all before.
"By the way, President," Kaguya suddenly spoke, her voice light, casual. "Did you know that participants in the Test of Courage have to hold hands throughout the entire course?"
She tried to make it sound like an offhand remark, but her heart pounded in anticipation.
"I heard something about that," Kanade admitted. "But I didn't expect it to be a strict rule."
"Oh, but it is! After all, it's a long-standing tradition," Kaguya explained, feigning nonchalance.
Kanade nodded, not thinking much of it. "I see. Well, what do you think? If you're uncomfortable with it—"
"I don't mind!" Kaguya interrupted, shaking her head almost too quickly.
Mind? As if!
She didn't just want to hold hands during the event—she wanted to keep holding hands long after it ended! Preferably in full view of the other students so they could all see exactly who the president's most suitable partner was!
Her only reason for bringing this up was to gauge Kanade's reaction. More than anything, she wanted him to take the initiative, to reach for her hand first, to let her relive the feeling of warmth she had experienced before.
But Kanade hesitated.
"Uh… then should I… hold your hand?" he asked, uncertainty lacing his voice.
"...Yeah," Kaguya replied softly, nodding, her face now flushed.
The moment their hands touched, a jolt ran through her body.
Even though they had done this before, something about the atmosphere—the presence of other people, the whispered giggles in the background—made it feel completely different.
So this is what it's like to do something so intimate in front of others… So embarrassing!
Luckily, for now, no one seemed to be paying attention to them. Even though her heart pounded, she obediently leaned in closer. This time, however, she didn't just offer him her hand—she let her true feelings slip.
"Please be more proactive in other aspects, stupid president…" she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper as the evening breeze carried her words away.
"Hm? What was that?" Natsukawa Kanade turned to her, confused.
"Nothing! Let's go." Kaguya quickly looked away, refusing to repeat herself.
"..."
Despite being the student council president, Kanade wasn't actually involved in designing the haunted house's layout. The responsibility had been handed over to the Game Club, with some student council members overseeing the process to ensure things didn't spiral out of control. Specifically, he had sent Fujiwara Chika and another student council member to supervise the event.
But after everything that had happened earlier, he was starting to feel... uneasy.
What exactly had they come up with?
Originally, the plan was to follow the previous years' Test of Courage structure. But Fujiwara, ever the self-proclaimed visionary, had confidently declared, "Leave it to us! This year's will be an unforgettable experience!"
Kanade had foolishly believed her.
He had even skimmed through part of the club's shopping list. The first half seemed normal—costumes, fabrics, balloons, etc. But the second half? That was where things took a concerning turn.
Blowers, maces, gas masks...
Wait, maces?!
Is this really a haunted house or some kind of gladiator pit?!
He could handle spooky decorations and a few jump scares, but hardcore horror involving blunt weapons? That was a whole different level. And knowing the Game Club's eccentric tendencies, he had no doubt they would go all out.
Just as Kanade's thoughts ran wild, their turn to enter finally arrived.
The first challenge awaited them—