Female protagonists from various anime/manga crossovers? They'll all regret it for the rest of

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"The first thing is what I told you all yesterday: the opening test this afternoon will cover all the material from last semester. I hope you all study hard during the summer vacation and don't forget everything you learned just because you've had a break."

There was wailing from the audience.

Yoshiko Hasumi smiled and continued, "The second thing is the cultural festival that everyone has been looking forward to. Starting today, each class and club will begin submitting their event plans. The deadline is next Friday. I hope everyone will participate enthusiastically and create wonderful memories for our school life."

"Now, for the rest of this class, everyone can freely discuss our class's cultural festival activities. Class monitor, you can organize it."

"Yes!" the squad leader replied, standing up.

"Hey, Itsuka!" Yoshihiko Uesugi, sitting in the front seat, immediately turned around, rubbing his hands excitedly. "What are we doing in our class? How about a maid café? Let all the girls in the class wear maid outfits! It's absolutely the ultimate!"

"That's so outdated. At least three classes in each grade do this." Itsuka Yuto rested his chin on his hand, pouring cold water on the idea without any mercy.

"The reason why the way of righteousness is the way of righteousness is because it will never go out of style!" Yoshihiko Uesugi exclaimed, waving his fist passionately. "You don't understand. Seeing those usually aloof girls put on maid outfits and shyly say to you, 'Welcome back, Master,' is a purification on a spiritual level!"

“The girls in my class won’t agree to this. You’re objectifying women. Be careful, or you’ll get your name posted on the school forum.”

"Um..." Yoshihiko Uego choked for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "Then, what about the haunted house? That's exciting enough, right? We can make it a little scarier!"

Kohei Onodera, who was sitting next to him, joined the discussion: "The haunted house is pretty good. I heard that someone was terrified by the haunted house run by second-year students last year. Their level of professionalism is comparable to that of a professional team."

"So what do we first-year newbies have to compete with them?" Yuto sighed. "We'll get crushed. You know our class's average hands-on skills. What we'll end up with is probably not a haunted house, but a junkyard."

"How about a fried noodle and bread stall? That should work! It's economical, affordable, and a sure-fire way to make money!"

"That's a staple of the sports club. Are we going to compete with those muscular guys for business? Do you think we can outsell them, or even beat them in a fight?"

"Ugh, what do you want me to do?!" Yoshihiko Kamigo scratched his head in frustration.

"There's no rush to confirm, right? Didn't Xiaolian say the deadline is next Friday?"

Yuto rested his chin on his hand, looking out the window.

He was thinking about what kind of activities their "Civilized Etiquette Learning Department" should apply for.

You can't really hold a lecture at the cultural festival to teach everyone how to properly use honorifics and bow, can you? That would be too much of a performance art.

……

……

As the school bell rang, Yoshihiko Uego was still rambling on about his grand plan for a maid empire, while Yuto Itsuka had already neatly packed his schoolbag, stood up, and patted Megumi Kato on the shoulder at the next table.

"Kato-kun, would you like to go to the club room?"

Today is Thursday, there are no club activities.

IX』Ryuki】"Ink III Pull Six" "Hmm, okay." Kato Megumi closed the book, her movements unhurried. "Is there anything I need to bring? Tea or something."

"No need, I've already messaged the two of them, they should be here soon."

The two walked out of the classroom side by side.

"Itsuka-kun," Kato Megumi suddenly spoke up, "are you still troubled by Sakurajima-senpai's matter?"

Yuto paused for a moment, then resumed his normal pace, glancing at Kato Megumi with some surprise.

She always does this, using the calmest tone to get straight to the heart of the matter.

“It’s not exactly a problem,” Yuto shrugged. “It’s just a bit of a hassle.”

"Is it because of Eriri and Kasumigaoka-senpai?"

"Yes, that's part of the reason." Yuto did not deny it.

Kato Megumi turned her head slightly to look at him and said softly, "Both of you seniors really care about you."

Yuto was silent for a moment, then softly hummed in agreement.

He knew, but he didn't know how to deal with this concern.

It's like holding two tangled balls of yarn in your hand; the more you try to untangle them, the more tangled they become.

When the two arrived at the club activity room, it was empty.

Kato Megumi skillfully found the tea leaves and cups and began preparing tea, while Yuto pulled out a chair, sat down, and took out his phone to send messages to the other two.

Not long after, the door to the activity room was pushed open with a bang, and Eriri walked in aggressively, carrying her drawing board on her back.

She spotted Yuto immediately, pouted, put her easel in the corner, pulled out the chair opposite Yuto and sat down, but didn't say a word, only glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

Yuto knew she was being difficult, but he didn't point it out. He just drank the tea that Kato Megumi had just brewed.

A few minutes later, Kasumigaoka Utaha arrived.

"Junior, you want to discuss the cultural festival activities, right?" As the club president, Utaha took the initiative to ask.

Yuto nodded.

“A cultural festival…” Kato Megumi pushed a plate of senbei (rice crackers) to the center of the table. “Our club’s name doesn’t seem quite right for holding regular events.”

"Civilized Etiquette Learning Department." Eriri deliberately pronounced the name, "It sounds as boring as playing 'Elementary School Students' Daily Behavior Code' on a loop at a booth."

"You can leave the club if you don't like it, Sawamura-kun?"

Eriri snorted and ignored Shiho.

“How about we hold an art exhibition?” Eriri suggested after thinking for a moment. This was her area of ​​expertise. “I can exhibit some of my paintings, or… do some live sketching.”

"The art department holds an art exhibition every year. Wouldn't it be pointless for us to do the same thing?"

The minister immediately rejected the proposal.

Eriri's face fell again.

"How about we put on a stage play?" Shi Yu said, resting her chin on her hand. "I can write the script; I happen to have some new inspiration lately."

"Don't even think about it!" Eriri retorted immediately. "You're probably just thinking of writing one of those messy love stories and making yourself the protagonist!"

"Oh? Sawamura-kun wants to be the main character himself, and then let his junior be the male lead, right?"

Eriri blushed slightly, wondering why her little thoughts had been guessed.

Yuto Itsuka said, "Applying for a stage play venue is very troublesome and requires a lot of manpower. We only have four people, so it's not realistic."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Shiyu and Eriri asked him in unison.

Ignored by the suggestion, Kato Megumi whispered, "Or... how about we open a themed café like the other classes? Like... a butler café?"

This suggestion instantly conjured up the image of Yuto Itsuka as a butler in Eriri and Utaha's minds—wearing a sharp tailcoat and white gloves, speaking in a gentle tone, "Welcome back, young lady."

Both of their cheeks flushed slightly.

"Cough..." Shi Yu was the first to come to her senses, clearing her throat. "That's too cliché."

Eriri nodded in agreement: "That's right, it's nothing new."

Four people, four different ideas, and no one could convince anyone else.

The only sound in the activity room for a moment was the soft rustling of Kato Megumi eating her senbei (rice crackers).

"I have a proposal."

After a long silence, Minister Kasumigaoka, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.

"Let's make a movie."

"A movie?" The others were stunned.

“That’s right, movies.” Shiyu’s eyes shone brightly. “Stage plays are too limiting. Only movies can perfectly combine my script, and…” She paused, her gaze falling on Yuto, “…all your talents.”

“It’s an interesting idea,” Kato Megumi agreed.

Yuto Itsuka did not object, but he pointed out a few problems: "Kasumigaoka-senpai's idea is good, but we are facing a few very real difficulties."

"First, funding. The club's funds alone are far from enough. Whether it's filming equipment or renting venues, a lot of money is needed. Second, manpower. Even with the four of us, it's still far from enough."

Eriri's expression turned worried: "Yeah, making movies must cost a lot of money, right?"

"Hmph, money is the most vulgar and easiest problem to solve in the world." Kasumigaoka Utaha casually tossed her long hair.

"If we don't have enough manpower, we can also recruit from outside."

Her tone was so relaxed, as if she were discussing what to eat for dinner.

"Senior, you're oversimplifying things," Yuto said helplessly. "The club's funding is a drop in the bucket, and where are we going to find actors willing to perform for free?"

He did think of someone, but he wouldn't invite him.

“I…” Eriri hesitated for a moment, then said softly, “I… I can contribute some money. I still have plenty of allowance…”

As the daughter of the Sawamura family, money was indeed not a big problem for her.

Shiyu glanced at her, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Oh? Sawamura-kun wants to be our investor?"

“I can also contribute a portion of my royalties,” Shi Yu said calmly.

Yuto sighed, looking at the two competitive individuals, and then at Kato Megumi, who was quietly drinking tea beside him.

“Alright.” He finally made a decision. “Since we’ve decided, let’s do it. As for the money, let’s figure it out together as a group of four. Let’s pool our resources and each of us contribute our share. That way, it will be a project we all work on together.”

He looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Senpai, you're the club president and the one who proposed this plan, you don't have any objections, right?"

Shiyu raised her chin: "Of course."

He then looked at Eriri: "Eriri, you're our future chief art designer, right?"

“Yes!” Eriri nodded emphatically.

Finally, he looked at Kato Megumi: "Kato-kun, you are our most reliable logistics manager, please take care of us."

“Okay, leave it to me,” Kato Megumi replied with a smile.

After resolving the most basic issues of project establishment and funding, the four sat around the table and moved on to the next step—deciding on the subject matter of the film.

“If we’re going to make a film, it should be a pure love story that touches people’s hearts.” Megumi Kato spoke first, taking a notebook out of her bag. “I’ve been reading Shunji Iwai’s ‘Love Letter’ recently, and I think its delicate, subtle, and slightly melancholic style is wonderful. We can make a story about missing each other and reuniting.”

It was rare for Kato Megumi to express her opinion, but she was still refuted mercilessly by the department head: "Too bland, Kato-senpai."

"Our budget is limited, so we can't make a feature film. We have to use a short and fast pace to keep the audience's attention."

“But I think those stories are beautiful…” Kato Megumi whispered in defense, but was ignored by everyone.

"Then...how about we make a fantasy adventure movie?" Eriri suggested enthusiastically, already envisioning all sorts of cool characters and magnificent scenes in her mind. "Like a story about a hero and a magician going to defeat a dragon! I can design really cool armor and magic circles!"

“Good idea, but don’t think about it again.” Kasumigaoka Utaha poured cold water on her directly. “Miss Sawamura, are you planning to make a paper dragon or have your cat make a cameo? And those cool magic spells, are you planning to Photoshop them on bit by bit with a mobile phone editing app? By the time we finish filming the movie, the cultural festival will have been over for a month.”

Eriri's fantasy shattered instantly, and she puffed out her cheeks in protest: "Then tell me what to film!"

"If you ask me, we should make a psychological suspense drama that confronts the darkness of human nature and explores emotional entanglements." Kasumigaoka Utaha finally revealed her trump card, elegantly crossing her legs with a confident smile on her lips.

"The story can revolve around a seemingly harmonious group, but undercurrents of jealousy, lies and infatuation are brewing among the members. Ultimately, in a closed environment, the conflicts completely erupt, leading to tragedy."

Yuto Itsuka's eyelids twitched as he listened to the introduction.

He was almost certain that Kasumigaoka Utaha would portray herself as the all-knowing, manipulative, and cunning female protagonist, and Eriri as the impulsive and easily angered blonde supporting character.

"I refuse!" Eriri was the first to jump out in opposition. "Kasumigaoka Utaha, you just want to use this opportunity to write a sequel to your 'Love Metronome,' don't you? I don't want to play one of those simple-minded characters you create!"

"Oh? It seems Sawamura-kun is quite self-aware," Utaha chuckled.

"you--!"

"stop!"

Yuto Itsuka took the initiative to mediate, saying, "Senior, your idea is good, but this kind of subject matter demands too much from the actors' acting skills and the director's level. We are all amateurs, and if we force ourselves to shoot this kind of subject matter, the final film will be very awkward."

The discussion has once again reached a stalemate.

Romance films are too bland, fantasy films are too expensive, and suspense films are too difficult to make.

At this point, Yuto suggested, "In that case, why don't we make a horror movie?"

"Horror movie?"

The suggestion stunned all three girls, even the usually composed Kato Megumi showed a hint of surprise.

“That’s right, a horror movie.” Yuto’s thoughts became clearer. “Think about it carefully, this is the best choice under our current conditions.”

He stretched out his fingers and began to analyze them one by one.

"First, it's low-cost. Horror movies don't need fancy sets and costumes; in fact, the more dilapidated and rudimentary the scenes, the better the effect."

"An abandoned old school building, or a dimly lit basement, will suffice. No special effects are needed; just buy some cheap blood and props."

"Secondly, it has a strong impact and can easily arouse the audience's emotions. It is short, simple and fast, which is the most cost-effective choice for an amateur team like ours."