March 29th, Monday, School – Festival, Day 1

After a serene and silent weekend, the week begins. But it’s not just any day, or better yet, it’s not just any week. The school is filled with a festive atmosphere, and all the attention is focused on the indoor court, where students from all grades are gathering.

Today, the indoor court is not set up for sports practices. The decorations are made with crepe paper, and there are red, white, and blue balloons — the colors of the school uniform. Everything indicates one thing: Festival. And Teacher Mira is already positioned to make the grand announcement on a special stage set up just for this day.

“GOOD MORNING, TEAMS! GOOD MORNING, COMPETITORS! TODAY WE BEGIN THE FESTIVAL! ARE YOU EXCITED!?” she exclaimed with more energy than usual.

The students were all seated across the court, separated by their team colors, each group wearing their own t-shirts to represent their team. They were buzzing with excitement:

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!” they shouted in unison, full of energy.

After everyone responded, Mira continued:

“SO GOOD TO SEE EVERYONE JOYFUL AND EXCITED! THE LONG-AWAITED FESTIVAL AND THE SCHOOL GAMES HAVE ARRIVED! THIS YEAR’S THEME, AS EVERYONE KNOWS, IS THE ENVIRONMENT!” she said, kicking off her opening speech. “LET’S ENJOY THE OPENING CEREMONY AND THE FANS' CHEERS! FIRST UP, THE RED TEAM FROM THE FIRST YEAR!”

Soon, the teacher stepped off the stage and made way for the students to take their places. Every year, the performances from the First Year are known to be more complex and full of elements. After all, the First Year students are competing for the first time and want to show their full potential to the jury and veterans. They’re allowed to use anything available to showcase their creativity. This year was no different. The performances included many artistic elements, carefully crafted by the team members.

On stage, there was Akiko from the First Year, along with another student from the seventh grade, both dressed as trees, each positioned on either side of the stage. Just offstage, but close by, Pistch stood in front of a microphone, holding a poetry book from the school. She began reciting her own poem titled "Nature" while the theatrical performance unfolded.

Nature is in our hands,

Not in the hands of heartless men.

We must fix what’s been undone,

Or we’ll lose the future we’ve just begun.

We should plant more seeds.

To harvest the fruits of our needs.

For water, we must give thanks,

For it flows through our tanks.

We must care for Nature’s grace,

And not leave trash in its space.

Men think money buys all.

But they don’t buy our future at all.

What can be done to Nature that made us born?

Will we end with it until it’s all gone?

During the performance, the trees, Akiko, and the seventh-grade student stood happily in nature. Then, two eighth-grade students, portraying fire caused by careless behavior and drought, performed a rehearsed choreography—a chaotic dance around the tree to show it being struck and decimated by the fire. The tree performer fell to the ground, motionless.

The remaining tree, Akiko, was filled with sadness and began to cry for its fallen partner. Meanwhile, the destructive fire started to approach her, and she realized that her end was imminent. However, a miracle occurred, and two firefighters, played by two fifth-grade students, appeared to protect nature. The tree was filled with hope and joy, smiling and celebrating the arrival of the saviors. The two fires, realizing they had no chance against the firefighters, knelt and begged for mercy. But the firefighters didn’t relent. They extinguished the fires, saving the day.

The opening performance ended, but the fans’ cheers continued. The actors stood on stage in front of their red team and began chanting, repeated by their teammates:

“WE ARE THE FIREFIGHTERS, AND WE CAME HERE TO PROTECT, WITH PROWESS AND SKILL, OUR PROUD DUTY IS TO COMBAT THE FIRE MADE BY DROUGHT AND TO SAVE THE FOREST! LET’S GO, FIREFIGHTERS!”

The whole team was united in excitement. Aino and Minami were energetic and overjoyed, repeating the chant with great enthusiasm. Miyu and Yukino didn’t quite understand why they were there but followed the crowd, as everyone was expected to participate in the opening.

Thus, the Red Team’s performance concluded. The performers sat in the bleachers, and teacher Mira returned to the stage to comment on the performance and call up the next team.

“What was that, guys? That was a beautiful performance from the First Years! This stunning poem by Pistch is available in our school poetry book in the library!” Mira was thrilled, tears falling from her eyes. But the show must go on, so she introduced the next team. “Now let’s see the White Team from the Second Year!”

There was a brief interlude for the Second Year’s performance setup. The Second Year team typically has a simpler performance since they already had experience from the previous year, and leading was no longer new. Nonetheless, they still tried to make it more elaborate, with costumes and scenery.

The scene was set. Two fifth-grade students positioned themselves on either side of the stage, holding ice mountains made of cardboard to represent the glaciers of the South Pole. A Second Year student wearing polar bear ears stood on stage to represent the polar bears, and a sixth-grade student, dressed as a penguin, stood beside them. This was meant to represent animals that lived in frozen environments. The remaining members stood in front of the stage and draped a large white cloth over everyone’s heads, likely symbolizing snow.

The performance begins with a melancholic and sorrowful piece of music. Two fifth-grade students throw the ice mountains onto the ground, symbolizing that they have melted due to global warming. Afterward, they fall to the ground themselves. During the performance, the students are positioned in front of the stage and push the white cloth forward until it covers them completely.

The bear seems to get dizzy and collapses to the ground. The penguin, suffering from the intense heat, also falls. At this point, the entire white cloth is spread across the ground, and the students on stage remain motionless. Meanwhile, those at the front of the stage encourage the audience with forceful and energetic chanting:

“GLACIERS, GLACIERS! WE ARE MELTING! BEARS, PENGUINS, THE ANIMALS ARE DYING. HELP US OUT! HELP OUR LIVES! OR WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!”

How tragic! Adonis thinks, the Second Year student who was playing the role with the white cloth.

The performance then concludes, and the students return to their seats, removing the elements from the stage. This time, teacher Rubi, the school's dance instructor, a dark-skinned woman, takes the stage as the master of ceremonies and comments on the team's performance:

“Thank you, White Team! That was the most meaningful theater! The beauty of the glaciers melting, the animals losing their lives, the white cloth enveloping the students, representing the melting. It touched our hearts! I hope the animals find a better future with a generation of teenagers like you!” Rubi pauses to take a breath and continues. “Now it’s Team Blue’s turn, with the Third Years, who are giving their farewell performance since this is their last year with us!”

There’s a brief pause to allow the Third Years to set up their performance. A typical characteristic of the Third Years' performances in their final year is that they are often tired, aware of the challenges ahead, and focused on preparing for the entrance exams of the institutions or colleges they wish to attend. Because of this, they tend to opt for extremely simple performances, usually among the shortest, with fewer elements and a chant at the end.

The stage is set, with a large piece of blue cloth on the ground. On top of it, there are small boats made of colored paper and plastic fish, reminiscent of those seen in some games during the June Festival.

The performance begins quietly, like a calm ocean—beautiful and under control. Suddenly, four individuals, portrayed by Third Year students, appear on each side of the stage and burst out laughing, tossing litter into the sea as if enjoying the pollution.

Then, two people, equipped with whistles, appear to expel the others from the stage. These roles are played by Naoko and one of her classmates. The "polluters," expelled by the sound of the whistles, leave, and the day is saved. The performance concludes.

The two remaining students take center stage, facing their team, which is positioned right in front of them, and begin the chant:

“OCEANICS WILL HELP! THERE WON’T BE POLLUTION! LEAVE OUR AQUATIC ANIMALS ALONE! YOU CAN COUNT ON THE OCEANICS!”

The members of the Blue Team were thrilled after their chant, even though it had no rhymes, and soon they returned to their seats in the bleachers. The Third Year students gathered to remove the elements from the performance and left the stage neat and tidy.

Teacher Rubi returned to the stage, and once again, astonished and overjoyed, she decided to share a few words about the performance:

“Such a piece of art! The Third Year always brings a special depth. Thank you for the amazing performance! THE FESTIVAL HAS OFFICIALLY STARTED!”

On the first day of the festival, there were no lessons, but student attendance was still recorded on the roll call for control purposes. The idea was to ensure that those participating would not be marked absent, and the others could cheer for their classmates and teammates.

After the event’s opening, the students went out to have some snacks, and the morning continued with various artistic performances. There was a singing and instrument contest, where students from fifth grade to Third Year showcased their skills. Many talents were on display, with performances in pop, rock, regional music, and even lyrical singing. The instruments included guitar, piano, electric guitar, flute, and even saxophone.

Later, there were dance performances from each team. Akiko participated, dancing to a pop-rock song from a famous singer of the time. She was the main dancer, wearing a pink dress with fringes that swayed with her choreographed movements.

The day proceeded as usual, and everyone went to bed feeling excited, wondering what the next day of the festival would bring.