by Takehaya
“Can you tell?”
“I haven’t been your partner all these years just for show.”
“As expected from my comrade, Mackenzie!”
Having finished stretching, Koutarou slapped Kenji on the back with one of his big hands.
“Ouch.”
“Victory will be mine today.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re such a muscle head, there’s no way you’ll win. I’m not even sure if you can beat me.”
“That’s some big talk, Mackenzie. Why don’t we bet on it?”
“You’re on. Whoever crosses the finish line first wins.”
“The loser owes the winner a meal, got it?”
“Got it.”
Kenji grinned. He was confident in himself. Koutarou had the upper hand when it came to physical strength, but Kenji had dexterity and intelligence going for him. That was why he was sure he could beat Koutarou in an event that challenged the well-roundedness of the competitors.
“Hah, you’ve made a stupid bet, Kou. I hope you’re prepared to buy me a nice lunch.”
“I don’t want to hear you calling me stupid in that outfit.”
“Shut it. I’m in the drama club so I didn’t have a choice.”
Kenji wasn’t in his gym uniform. He was wearing a pure white tuxedo complete with a crimson rose on his lapel. It was a stage outfit the drama club was using.
“Oh, it sounds like you two are up to something interesting.”
“Landlord-san.”
Shizuka appeared as the two boys sealed the deal on their bet. She had been called in to help by the cooking society. Wearing an apron over her gym clothes, she looked almost as silly as Kenji. .
“Mind if I join in on your friendly wager?”
“You too, Kasagi-san? We’re both quite confident about this, you know.”
“Well, I’m only asking because I’m quite confident myself.”
“But—”
Kenji tried to dissuade Shizuka, but Koutarou knew better.
“What does it matter, Mackenzie? Let her join in too.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
After all, I don’t even know if I can beat Landlord-san...
Unlike Kenji, Koutarou was fully aware of how strong Shizuka was. He couldn’t imagine Shizuka falling behind in this event after how he’d seen her take down four invaders with just her bare hands. She was also about as smart as Kenji was.
“Then we’ll add in Kasagi-san and make it a three-way bet.”
“I won’t lose, you two.”
“Just bring it on, Landlord-san.”
Heh heh, now Mackenzie will have to buy two meals...
With Shizuka on board, Koutarou was secretly chuckling to himself. Shortly after, cheers for Kenji started coming from bleachers next to the starting area.
“Kenji-kun! You’re so cool!”
“Rosenkavalier-sama! Look this way!”
Following the cheers were several camera flashes. This was Kenji’s fan club that had been growing since middle school.
“Go on and wave to them, Rosenkavalier-sama. Your fans are calling for you.”
“Shut it.”
“Koutarou-kun! Point him this way!”
“Sure, sure.”
“H-Hey!”
Koutarou grabbed ahold of Kenji’s head and forcefully turned it towards the bleachers. The camera flashes instantly started up again.
“There’s no need to be shy. You’re only pissing off all the guys here. Me included, of course.”
“Give me a rest, Kou!”
“Oh right, sorry. You’ll make her sad, after all.”
Next to Kenji was a girl wearing a red dress. She was also part of the drama club, dressed in a costume from an old play. Today she and Kenji were cast as the Crimson Maiden and the Rosenkavalier.
“Excuse me, I’m the one that invited Matsudaira-san to the club. Just to clarify, I don’t think he has any interest in going out with me.”
“You’re mistaken, miss. You’re just falling for his usual tricks!”
The Crimson Maiden tried to cover for Kenji, but she was no match for Koutarou.
“I’ll kill you, bastard!”
“Kyaah! Save me, Sakuraba-senpai! Mackenzie is bullying me!”
“Ah, um, S-Satomi-kun?”
As Kenji actually started to get angry, Koutarou laughed and hid behind Harumi.
“H-Hello, Sakuraba-senpai.”
“Hello, Matsudaira-kun.”
Ending up face to face, both Harumi and Kenji were oddly flustered.
“Uh... Um...”
“That’s playing dirty, Koutarou!”
Though time had passed and she had gotten used to him somewhat, Harumi was still uncomfortable around Kenji. She was immediately reduced to mumbling. Kenji knew how she felt and didn’t pursue it any further.
“Senpai, while we’re at it, say hello to Mackenzie’s club mate and Landlord-san.”
“Y-Yes, hello!”
“Hello, Sakuraba-san.”
“Hello, Sakuraba-senpai.”
Harumi bowed, and the Crimson Maiden and Shizuka followed suit.
“L-Let’s all do out best today.”
“I’m worried about reaching the goal in this outfit.”
“Ahaha, but it’s a wonderful dress!”
The three girls each had mild personalities, so the three of them talking went a long way to relaxing the atmosphere.
“...”
But Koutarou noticed Kenji giving him a stinging glare.
“What’s with that look, Mackenzie?”
“Kou, could you be more obvious about stuff like that?”
“What are you talking about?”
“...I give up.”
Kenji’s shoulders slumped and he scratched his head. He had known Koutarou for a long time. Kenji understood that Koutarou had used him to forcibly pull Harumi into the group. He let out a small sigh and tried greeting Harumi again.
“I’m sorry for before, Sakuraba-senpai.”
“N-No, it was nothing.”
“Sakuraba-senpai, according to Satomi-kun, Mackenzie-kun seems to be quite the ladykiller, so stay on your guard.”
“...R-Really?”
“That’s a lie! He was lying!”
Good luck, Sakuraba-senpai...
Koutarou turned away from the four that had begun chatting and looked around the starting area again. There were all kinds of people gathering around. The strong, the small, the agile, and the clever were all here to try their best at the race.
“...It doesn’t look like they’ll just let me win.”
In order to put Harumi on the podium, he needed to clear all the obstacles and reach the goal faster than all of them.
“All right! Let’s do this!”
Koutarou pumped himself up in order to keep from letting his guard down and getting the rug pulled out from under him.
“Hey, Koutarou.”
“Hmm?”
Sanae, who had been floating next to him, decided to cling on to him. She wrapped her thin arms around his neck and smiled.
“You know, you’re surprisingly...”
“What?”
“Nothing. Nyahaha...”
In the end, Sanae didn’t say anything. She just smiled instead. Koutarou couldn’t see it since Sanae was behind him, but she herself wasn’t aware of it either.
Huh?
Looking over his shoulder now, she realized that Koutarou was watching some other students. It was two members of the baseball club in their uniforms.
“...Koutarou, can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“If it bothers you that much, why don’t you just play baseball?”
“Huh?”
Surprised, Koutarou looked at Sanae.
I knew it...
Sanae picked up on his surprise and hesitation.
“You’ve been watching the baseball club whenever you get a chance. I can tell.”
<
br /> “...Oh.”
Koutarou took his eyes off Sanae and looked back at the baseball club members. He felt he had no need to hide it.
“Well, I love baseball. But it’s not the kind of sport you can commit to while living on your own.”
“Hmm...”
Koutarou looked nostalgic and wistful. Seeing that, Sanae had an idea.
If I helped with the housework or something, Koutarou might be able to play baseball again.
Cooking, washing, cleaning, preparing his bath... If Sanae took over the household chores Koutarou was doing every day, he might get the free time he needed to play baseball. That was the idea that had popped into Sanae’s mind, but she quickly shook her head and snapped out of it.
“J-Just what am I thinking?!”
I’m chasing him out! I have to chase Koutarou out of that room no matter what! Why would I even think of helping with the housework?!
Sanae was puzzled by her own feelings. She couldn’t believe she had considered helping someone that she was trying to chase out. The most confusing part was that, in the moment, she really did want to help him out.
“What?”
“It’s nothing! Absolutely nothing! Just leave it!”
When Koutarou showed concern for her, Sanae felt even more perplexed.
What is wrong with me?!
This time, however, Sanae was perplexed about more than just Koutarou.
Meanwhile, Theia had joined the crowd by the starting area. She stood by the bleachers, giving a speech to the cheerleading squad that was lined up before her.
“Men, you’ve done well to endure until today! Although only one of you will participate with me today, it was thanks to your daily training! Cheer me on like you’re the one who’s participating with me!”
She was wearing a gym uniform accented with the squad leader’s armband around her upper arm. She had both hands on her hips and stood tall. Her small stature was lost in the crowd, but there was no covering up her loud voice. In response, the squad members answered in full force.
“Hail to the princess! Hail to the princess!”
Their deep, booming voices carried across the entire starting area and shook the ground.
“It’s not a matter of who accompanies me! It is simply a matter of whether or not I win!”
“Victory for Her Highness Theiamillis! Glory to the royal families of Forthorthe!”
The cheerleading squad’s morale was high. The harsh training they had endured for this day had strengthened their team spirit. Their goal was Theia’s victory, not their own. That was what they had trained so hard for. For victory. And for Theia. If she ordered them to die, they were prepared to lay down their lives. That was the kind of loyalty that Theia demanded.
“Good luck, Your Highness.”
“Leave it to me, Ruth. I’ll be sure to win.”
Instead of Ruth, Theia had chosen the strongest and fastest member of the cheerleading squad to be her partner. Because of that, Ruth was sitting with the remaining members in the bleachers.
“Your Highness, it’s almost time.”
“Very well then. Let’s go.”
“Hail to the princess! Hail to the princess!”
“Let’s see what you’ve got, Kurano Kiriha...”
Theia grinned as she headed to the starting line.
Meanwhile, Kiriha was already at the starting line. Considering the competition, she wanted the best possible starting position.
“We’ll be starting soon, Kiri-chan. Let’s give it our all!”
“Of course, Takahashi-senpai.”
With Kiriha was her track and field senior, Takahashi. Kiriha made small talk with her as she secretly prepared for the battle to come.
“...Karama, how is it going?”
“Everyone is in position, ho! Korama confirmed it from above, ho!”
Kiriha discreetly whispered to the camouflaged haniwa that was floating next to her.
“It seems there are no traitors, ho! Just leave the rest to us, ho!”
“All right, I’m counting on you.”
“Understood.”
Then all that’s left is waiting for the start...
After finishing her final check, Kiriha flashed a small smile. Takahashi couldn’t help but notice it.
“Kiri-chan, what are you smiling for?”
“Actually, I made a bet with my friends.”
Despite the sudden question, Kiriha didn’t so much as flinch as she gave a canned response. Not knowing what Kiriha was actually thinking, Takahashi’s eyes sparkled as she leaned in.
“A bet? Was it with a boy?!”
“Yes.”
“What did you bet?”
“The loser has to hand over something precious to the winner.”
Kiriha was honest in part. She had made a bet with Koutarou and the rest, and the loser had to hand over part of their territory to the winner.
“Kyaah! How bold! But won’t the outcome be the same regardless of who wins?”
Of course, Takahashi completely misunderstood the situation. She had no idea Kiriha was deadlocked in a territorial dispute.
Speaking of misunderstandings, the biggest misunderstanding of all concerned the cosplay society positioned on the rear lines of the starting area. All six members, even the ones not participating in the race, were cosplaying. Today they were in matching maid costumes. The only one wearing a different design was the president—her outfit included an armband and a headpiece as the head maid. After checking her watch, she called out to the vice president next to her.
“It’ll be starting soon. Vice president, get Yurika ready.”
“Very well. Right away.”
Representing the cosplay society in the obstacle marathon would be Yurika and the president. The new member and the president were pairing up for the sake of their club. But oddly enough, Yurika was nowhere to be seen.
“Everyone, bring Yurika over!”
“Okaaay!”
When the vice president gave the signal, the other members came over, pushing a handcart. It was loaded with the sack Koutarou had taken notice of before. However, unlike during lunch, the sack wasn’t moving at all now.
“And now, open it up!”
“Okaaay!”
The girls loosened the rope around the sack and turned it upside down. As they did, Yurika in a maid outfit came tumbling out. She was gagged and bound with more rope. The cosplay club had forcibly stripped her and put her in the maid costume. Since she was cosplaying against her will, they had kept her restrained until now, but the cosclub girls quickly loosened her bonds.
“Uuuhhh... I-I’m finally free...”
Though freed, Yurika had toppled to the ground and remained motionless. Curled up in the fetal position, tears were streaming down from her large eyes.
“Wh-Why do I have to go through something like this...?”
Nobody listened to Yurika when she said she hated cosplaying. They were all under the impression that Yurika loved cosplay but just couldn’t admit it.
“I... I can never get married now...”
“You look beautiful, Yurika-chan!”
“Give it everything you’ve got!”
“Forget getting married! You can be a part of the cosplay society forever!”
“I don’t want thaaaaat!”
Yurika aside, the cosplay society was in high spirits. That was especially true of the president, whose eyes were sparkling.
“Would you stop it, Yurika-chan? You’ll ruin your makeup.”
“Waah haa haa...”
The president wiped away Yurika’s tears and pulled out her makeup kit for a touch-up. The president was no professional, but she had a certain talent with cosmetics. When she was done, Yurika looked even more lovely than before.
“Let’s surprise Koutarou-kun during the race, okay?”
“I don’t want to surprise him wearing this outfit! Waaaaah...”
As always, nobody listened to Yurika. As she cont
inued to cry, she ironically looked more beautiful than anyone else.
The principal stepped up on an improvised platform that had been set up next to the starting area. It was the principal’s job to give the starting signal for the main event, and everyone watched as the principal got into position. The schoolyard fell silent with anticipation. The principal pointed the starting pistol up at the sky, and the commentator’s voice echoed out from the loudspeakers.
“On your marks. Get set...”
At the commentator’s cue, the principal squeezed the trigger.
Bang!
The sharp crack of the starting pistol rang out across the schoolyard. The obstacle marathon had officially begun. Following the signal, the previously quiet crowd broke out into a clamor. As expected from the main event of the day, the excitement instantly peaked.
“Let’s go, Kiri-chan!”
“Yes, Takahashi-senpai!”
The two members of the girls’ track and field team dashed into the lead straight away. With beautiful form, they continued to accelerate. It was an excellent start that only the track and field team could manage.
“We’re falling behind?!”
“Damn it! After them!”
“Don’t let the girls’ track team get ahead of us!”
As everyone tried to chase after Kiriha and Takahashi, there was unexpected chaos at the starting line. Several club members at the front had fallen. It seemed like their legs had gotten tangled and they had all tripped over each other in the confusion at the start.
“Ouch, don’t step on me! Get away, you guys!”
“Owowow, it hurts!”
“That’s my leg! Stop bending it like that!”
“Hey, don’t touch me in weird places!”
Most of the lead group collapsing caused quite a commotion. Even those who hadn’t fallen were unable to move forward because of the bottleneck. The starting line had turned into a standstill.
“We got lucky! I don’t know what happened, but now’s our chance, Kiri-chan!”
“Yes, Senpai!”
It put the girls’ track and field team at a huge advantage. Having dashed ahead before the commotion, they left their competitors in the dust. Kiriha and Takahashi ran next to each other and swiftly turned the corner. After half a lap around the school’s track, the race course left the school grounds. The two girls had already made their way around the track before the confusion at the starting line started to clear up.
