[b][color=Crimson]Date:[/color][/b] November 3rd, Afternoon
[b][color=Crimson]Weather:[/color][/b] Mild; Warm 
[b][color=Crimson]Location:[/color][/b] Aomori Gakuen - Gym


[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/aCBuY5N.jpg?1[/img]

The Cultural Festival has been a complete success. Now it's up to a number of hardworking souls to clean the mess that's been left behind.[/center]

At first, Aomori's janitor, Tachibana Masahiro saw the offer extended by the Student Council as unnecessary. His reasoning was sound: With years of experience under his shoulders and a muscular complexion that to this day can leave youngsters in awe, this was a job that did not escape his usual routine and could be completed without assistance. The end of the semester was right around the corner and for some, this was the last opportunity to spend time with those they cherished, tie loose ends and prepare for the future that awaited. Thus, it was a waste to stay here late and spend their precious time helping a grown man mop the floor and leave things in order. Soon, however, the tables turned: Kiyoko, backed by the rest of the student council as well as a few other students, insisted, claiming that the janitor was just as important as any of them and that they repay the attention that he had devoted them during their time together. Moved by this, Masahiro yielded and welcomed the help of the volunteers, leading to the current situation.

Looking around, it's not hard to spot the elephant in the room. For one, Sawaya Goro is not the kind of person you'd see at school during a time like this, lending a helping hand. This year, rumors related to the street gang he leads have only worsened his reputation within Aomori and further distanced himself from his peers. After being called to the headmaster's office last week, however, he's been doing his best to show good behavior within the school grounds. How much comes naturally and how much of it is an act is something nobody really knows, but what matters is that he is here under the supervision of the Student Council and, as long as they keep their attention on him, he won't even think of doing something stupid like leaving before the job is done. He's still as hostile as ever, though, rejecting any glances shot at him with a menacing leer.

Then there is Abe Kou, a fashionable delinquent who is an ant in comparison to Goro, but a delinquent as well. She's the closer thing you'll find to a bully amongst the female student body, an opportunist whose IQ as high as a mastermind, but still enough to know her way around things. Having probably nothing to do at home, she seems to be having a good time ordering one of the most innocent freshmen, Kumagai Arata, around. Poor Arata looks like he's carrying more cardboard boxes than his flaccid body can handle. Meanwhile, Kou is busy consuming the last of his juice box. Unlike Goro, she has no obligation to be here, so she can do things in 'her own way and at her own pace'.

Somewhere else, a few members of the Kendo Club work together to pile up and move plastic chairs back to the storage room. One of the most noteworthy figures within the club this year has been Minamoto Katsu. A exchange student who came as really blunt and rude at first, he was the one who suddenly barged into the Club Room shortly after his transferal and challenged each and every member to a match, not willing to drop his stance until satisfied. And boy, did he take the whole place by storm. Boasting an aggressive style that left other members baffled, he made quick work of a lot of them, including the club founder and captain. His win streak was only stopped by Amano Ayane, who somehow managed to outlast him during the last match of that day. Since then, it has remained clear that he'd be the one to pick the mantle after the third year members graduate.

The student council doesn't fall behind. Stepping down from the 'high-ground' their position grants them, they do their part alongside the rest of the students, operating as equals. 

Looking at all of this with tear-filled eyes, Tachibana Masahiro cannot help but feel proud of all of 'his students'. Granted, he has never been more than a janitor in name, but he has seen their growth and that experience has also helped him evolve as a person. Feeling a sudden surge of energy and motivation, he channels it into his mop and joins the crew with a smile.

[hr][hr]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/8TyFUZu.jpg?1[/img]
[b]Kiyoko:[/b] [i]"And that should be the last one. We made it, everyone!"[/i]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/MnXHHaz.jpg?1[/img]
[b]Saki:[/b] [i]"And we finished waaaaaay ahead of time~ I betcha those at the main building aren't done yet."[/i]

Even in small places like Jitsuryoku-jima, school festivals tend to be huge. While a Gym this large would be more than enough to host similar events in the west, Japanese schools often employ the entire facility. A lot of students actually organized their own games and set their own stands, so even if the festival is over, it's not unreasonable to believe they'd be still packing their things. They certainly could not match the will-power and effectiveness of twenty-three people working in unison-!

[img]https://i.imgur.com/XMl2KV3.png?1[/img]
[b]Masahiro:[/b] [i]"Everyone... Thank you. This is a cause for celebration. How about we all get some grub?"[/i]

As kindhearted as Masahiro is, however, there is simply no way he can invite so many people, not with a janitor's salary. Normally, that would be the case... But, culture festival offers quite a variety of delicious yet cheap choices everyone in the room can afford. Naturally, you ultimate convince the young adult to split the bill amongst yourself, much to dismay of a very small minority who wished the outcome to have been a tad different.

Tanimoto Orochi and Kamei Azume, both First Years, volunteer to go fetch the food. A few others raise their hands, as well. The idea is for the rest of the crew to form a round and then all talk together about stuff in the meantime. Maybe hear a few story or two from Tachibana, who never seems to run out of tales to tell.

However, as if to mock that premonition of a happy future, a single noise disrupts the gentle atmosphere, as if to mark the beginning of the end for normalcy.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/1Xu9cyK.jpg?1[/img]
[b]Orochi:[/b] [i]"Huh... It's closed?"[/i]

Unsure of whether he has used enough strength, and after confirming the look on Masahiro's face is one of genuine confusion, he pushes harder this time. And yet, the result is the same. The more moments that pass, the more everyone begins to lose their composure, and the possibility of being actually locked inside the gym actually begins to cook in some heads.

Fortunately, the Janitor is there and he's ready to defuse the situation in an instant. After all, what would a good Janitor be without a set of spare keys?

[img]https://i.imgur.com/jheEX1F.png?1[/img]
[b]Masahiro:[/b] [i]"Ah, my bad my bad, I must have locked it out of reflex."[/i]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/AFTnOBL.jpg?1[/img]
[b]Kou:[/b] [i]"That's creepy. Please don't make that kind of jokes."[/i]

Of course, Masahiro did not mean that for real. Of course he never locked the door. There was no reason to. That said, putting his best air-head face and assuming the guilt is the best he can come up with to quickly erase the anxiety in everyone's faces.

[b]*Rumble* *Rumble*[/b]

But Tachibana never makes it to the door. 

Before they know it, everyone is struggling to keep their balance as the earth suddenly starts to violently shake. 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/K00CYCu.png?1[/img]
[b]Arata:[/b] [i]"E-Eep! A-An Earthquake...?! at a time like this...?"[/i]

[hr][hr]

[hider=GM's Word][center][color=ed1c24][b][u]Welcome to Hell~![/u][/b][/color]

As you've probably noticed, events will develop fast in the game. Chances for casual social interaction will be limited and once the ball gets rolling, you'll be running from one struggle into the next, unable to catch a break~. While things are just brewing at this point, your normal lives are about to end, so use this opportunity to introduce your characters, marking their identity within the setting, before you move onto the second part of your response, which will act as a test to see what's your reaction to an unexpected threat. Will you selfishly look for cover? Will you reach out for an important one so as to make sure they remain safe? Or maybe you will take the lead and instruct others as to what should be done? Regardless, know that there will be no right choices from now on. Only choices that are worse than others~![/center][/hider]