Chapter 5: The Second Sports Festival

It was morning. I watched from the faculty side as all the students gathered on the field.

On the stage that had been set up for the event, the president of the student council, Nagumo, was giving the opening address.

The guests invited from outside the school were watching over them. There were not that many, just a few dozen.

Even so, the students seemed unsettled at the sight of these unfamiliar outsiders.

They are about to take the stage at the sports festival in a state of excitement.

The student council had told me in advance that guests had been invited, but the number of guests was more overwhelming than I had imagined.

The people involved in the establishment of this school, including those from the political world.

There were no politicians that I had seen on TV, but they were certainly far and away the most important people.

Everyone is dressed in suits and watching with a firm expression on their faces.

It was as if they were monitoring prisoners. Even under such circumstances, Student Council President Nagumo continued to speak without hesitation.

His speech was on par with my brother's excellent performance in front of the

students.

When the president of the student council finished his speech and the students applauded, the baton was passed to the teachers, who were once again informed of the precautions to be taken at the sports festival. Then, the time for the opening ceremony arrived.

From this point on, students are free to do as they please.

They may participate in the event they are currently entered in, as long as they abide by the rules, or they may abstain and enter another event if they feel they are at a disadvantage based on their opponents, although they need two points to do so.

Also, remember that it is the responsibility of all non-participating students who have completed all of their competitions to cheer for their opponents in designated areas.

Any student caught chatting, resting or skipping in an unrelated area will be disqualified and have their points taken away.

In the team competitions, the number of students who can win is evened out, and the same number of points will be distributed to both classes whether they win or lose.

The number of students who could participate in the team competitions was limited, no matter how good the students were.

This is to avoid having to keep the best students, such as Sudo-kun and Albert Yamada-kun, on the team for a long time. The above agreement also includes a contract that limits the number of events to those that can be entered in advance.

It would be nonsense to have a dispute on the day of the festival about whether we should help with that or that.

We also do not have a strong rule that we will not work with students in Ichinose's or Sakayanagi's class.

If there is a competition that can be used successfully, then we're allowed to team up according to the situation.

We have worked with Katsuragi many times to avoid any problems, so we are not worried about it.

Although we are not worried too much because many of our competitors have already made reservations for the opening day of the competition, we must remember to have a meeting with our classmates every hour at the latest to check if there are any problems and make any minor adjustments.

The first event I will be participating in is the 100-meter run. The start is 15 minutes after the opening, so there is no need to hurry, but I arrived early to check on the participants.

"Come on, Horikita! You can play with me!"

Immediately after we were all free to go, Ibuki came at me at full speed.

She was staring at me breathlessly.

"Are you stupid?"

"Huh!? What's this all of sudden? Are you afraid of losing to me? Is that what this is about?"

"No, I'm not."

I denied her in 1 second.

"What is the competition you are going to do? Breathe deeply before you answer."

"What...? That's just running 100 meters, isn't it? I've made up my mind with you, and I won't forget it."

"Yes, the 100-meter run. And entry in the first race. That was the deal. In other words, we are going to run immediately after this. What are you going to do if you start running as fast as you can before you even start? Since you

already know what you are going to fight for, you should be waiting at the designated place, and there is no need to explain."

I guess she understood her situation when she was told, and let it slip away in an understandable manner.

"I'm just going to have to win this thing!" "Follow me. "

Ibuki-san is not an easy opponent. Last year I won the 100 meters by the narrowest of margins.

I would prefer to avoid her, but I know I owe her a great debt of gratitude.

If it weren't for Ibuki-san's help, Kushida might not have come to school yet.

However, I won't go easy on her.

I know you don't want that either, so I'm going to give you a fair and square victory.

Ibuki-san didn't like the idea of walking side by side with me, so we separated a little and headed for the entry of the first event together. A pleasant sense of tension was building up.

First, it was just the second-year girls.

The reservations had not changed much, and Ibuki was the only one who seemed to be my rival.

But it would be shallow to consider this as luck. If I have an easy fight, it means that there will be someone else who will be a strong rival in a different competition.

1

The 100-meter run was held immediately after the opening ceremony. It was the first race against Ibuki.

The result was a narrow victory for me, which was the same as last year's result.

After the finish line, she kicked up the dirt in frustration and made a lot of excuses for running at full speed before the race.

The next battle with her would be in the fourth event, the long jump, while the other two events would be individual battles.

In the second event, I placed first in the steeplechase, and in the third event, I placed third in the team tug-of-war.

I accumulated 5 points at the start, 10 points for the two first places in the individual competition, 3 points for the third-place tug of war in the team competition, and 3 points for the participation award. 21 points.

It was a good start.

The second round of the long jump against Ibuki started at around 10:00 a.m.

At this very moment, I had just finished the competition with a one-shot leap. The record I set was 5m 79cm.

Not bad.

I think I almost achieved my best record in a no-fail situation.

Ibuki, who was three places behind me in the lineup, was breathing deeply while staring at her record. Three jumpers remain.

Ibuki, three places behind, looks at her record as she regulates her breathing.

"Suzune! I found you!"

While I was watching for the next runner, I heard a voice calling me from

behind.

I turned around and saw Sudo-kun running toward me and Onodera-san

walking up behind him.

They were the pair that I had high expectations for as the point getters in this

gymnastic festival.

"They look like they're in great shape."

"I'm very proud of Sudo-kun, who has won three in a row in the opening round. And with the margin of victory, that's quite impressive."

"Well, yeah, but Onodera, you also competed in two events and won first place in both. Right?"

"I had a few lucky breaks."

Onodera, who is unrivaled in swimming, has demonstrated her talent in track and field as well.

"I didn't think you were that fast when you first entered the school. When did your skills start to bloom?"

Watching her in physical education class always made me curious about her.

"I don't really like running, and I'm not interested in anything other than swimming, so I'm doing it at random."

"You said you'd never go long distances."

"It's super tiring, you can't run that fast, and it's not good for you."

Since they decided to pair up, they have been practicing together every day, but it seems to be a much more natural pairing than I had imagined.

"It's just, well, it's true. I really wanted to fight Koenji if possible. He's also taken first place in all three events, and he seems to be on a winning streak."

"It is not a good idea to try and crush your other classmates. You know that, don't you?"

Both Sudo-kun and Koenji-kun have the potential to take first place.

I understand that they want to compete in the same race, but they need to be in the same class.

While I understand your desire to compete in the same competition. We should give our priority to winning for the class.

"I know. I'm kidding."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things for you."

"I see. I don't have to worry about anything because I can leave it to you Onodera-san."

"I'm not trustworthy....."

She seemed dissatisfied, but when I looked directly at her, she looked uncomfortable and averted her gaze.

"I'm sure Sudo-kun and his team will be competing in the pairs competitions in the coming events. Good luck."

"Oh. I'm going to keep bouncing back with more wins!"

That's very encouraging. The last runner stood up at the starting line. I stopped the conversation and turned my attention to Ibuki.

"Let's go scouting for the next competition."

"I'll do that. See you later, Horikita."

"Yeah."

I lightly side-eyeed them and looked at Ibuki as she began her final run.

I knew that she was close to me in ability.

In other words, it is possible that she could exceed the record I set.

I am torn between wanting her to fail and wanting her to give it her all and compete favorably.

She should be under a lot of pressure, but her movements were agile, graceful and elegant.

She leaps and stomps on the dirt, then falls forward.

Her eyes immediately went to the scorer, despite the dirt on her face.

5 meters 81 centimeters. Just two centimeters, but not quite two centimeters, and my loss was confirmed.

"I did it!"

Ibuki struck a gut-punching pose and was as excited as a child.

With only one event left to play, Ibuki made a spectacular leap.

"Did you see that? I won! You lose!"

I understand that you were so happy that you had to be persistent, but it was a little frustrating.

"I guess you have the advantage because you have less air resistance..."

If there was no difference in our abilities, then that is the only difference... "Huh? Air resistance?"

"It's nothing."

"Don't make this about something else. Just admit defeat."

"Don't get carried away. Now we both have one win and one loss. We're back to even."

Ibuki was smiling all the time, even though I warned her not to get too excited.

We probably should be disappointed that we missed out on first place, but we can't help it if she is so pleased with the results...

"I won! I win! I won!"

... I still can't believe it.

I feel like my mental stress has increased all at once. So, one win and one loss.

I would like to go to the third event right away, but since there are several high scoring team competitions coming up, I'll have to wait until the mean- table competition in the afternoon to settle the score with her.

2

The sports Festival started without Ayanokoji-kun. The gymnasium is equipped with an electronic bulletin board so that students can check the results of their classes at any time.

It was at the start of the festival that Ryuuen-kun's class took first place, but it wasn't long after that we, Class B, took first place, and we have maintained that position ever since.

Class D came in second, Class C third, and Class A fourth, which is an ideal ranking.

It would be nice if they could continue on to the end of the competition without any upheaval, but they will have to wait and see.

However, since there was still some time before the next competition, I moved to the cheering section to kill some time.

"Thank you for your hard work, Horikita-senpai." Then, Yagami, a freshman in Class B, called out to me.

"Your class is doing well Yagami. They are in a very close second place right now."

"It seems like your class is in first place. It's hard to believe that yours started from Class D last year."

"Is that a compliment? Or is there a hint of sarcasm mixed in?"

"No, I genuinely respect you, but not as much as Student Council President Nagumo."

From the corner of his eye, this is the exact moment when Student Council President Nagumo crosses the finishing tape.

"I was just talking to some seniors that were third years, and they told me that this is the third year in a row that he's been in first place."

As the girls cheered, the guests turned their attention to the student body president.

However, Student Council President Nagumo left the scene with a blank expression on his face, and without so much as responding to the girls who approached him, he announced that he wanted to be alone and kept his distance from them.

"He seems to be paying lip service to the girls, but he doesn't seem at all pleased to be there."

"Win or lose, it's like graduation from Class A is a done deal, and I don't

think it's the type of thing that he would be enthusiastic about."

For the president of the student council, who is in a strong position, the order in the sports festival does not mean anything to him.

He is aiming for first place because he can't afford to cut corners in front of the students and guests.

"I'm going to have a little talk with the student body president."

"I see. I have to leave now because I have my next event coming up."

After exchanging a few words with Yagami-Kun, I decided to approach the president of the student council.

Another third-year girl is talking to the student council president.

She was Kiryuin-senpai, a senior in the 3rd grade B class. I had heard rumors about her from time to time in my interactions with the third-year students. I also know that he is a very good student in OAA.

Since I could not interrupt her, I decide to just wait for the time to arrive. "Congratulations on your fifth straight win, Nagumo."

"What are you doing here?"

"I don't think you have to be so nasty to me. I'm worried that you don't look happy about your victory. It seems that more than one or two people were sending you yells."

"Don't make me laugh. How can you call winning a game like that a success?"

"You could have rounded up the weakest and forced them to let you take first place. But I don't think the members of the race just now were that kind of group."

Kiryuin pointed out that he had not been cutting corners.

"I heard through a rumor that Ayanokoji was absent. Could that be the reason of your absentmindedness?"

Ayanokoji. His name even pops up here as well.

Student Council President Nagumo quietly sighs without once looking at

Kiryuin-senpai.

"I thought he could quench my thirst, but it seems I was mistaken."

"Poor thing. I'll be your partner then, how about it?"

At these provocative words, Student Council President Nagumo looks sideways at Kiryuin-senpai for the first time.

However, when he saw that face smiling fearlessly, he turned his eyes away again.

"I'm not going to do it. Even if I wanted to, it's inconceivable that you'd ever play a game. I know."

"Hmph. I've been found out, haven't I?"

Cowering her shoulders, Kiryuin-senpai, who had approached Student Council President Nagumo, confessed.

"I've only got one more event to go, and then I'll be done with my minimum obligation. After that, I plan to relax and watch the games from the sideline."

"I know."

"You should no longer be concerned about your juniors. At the very least, you dominated the grade and secured Class A. And you are the student body president. That's enough. I recommend that you just graduate quietly."

As if to offer some advice, Kiryuin-senpai told him that.

"You're giving me advice. What kind of change of heart are you having? I've talked to you more in the six months since then than I did in the two years

before Ayanokoji got involved."

"I'm sorry, Kiryuin. I'm done playing with Ayanokoji without even needing you to tell me. He chose not to fight me. There's no point in going after him too hard."

"If he loses a direct confrontation with the student council president, Ayanokoji will no longer be able to maintain the same level of composure he had before. Please understand his desire to run away. He does have a cute side to him."

Fighting against Student Council President Nagumo? Ayanokoji-kun?

Perhaps that's why he called him into the student council room the other day, to inform him of this?

It also matches the message he gave me.

Kiryuin-senpai looked at me lightly, but walked away without saying a word. "I'm happy to see you Suzune. What is it you need from me?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing as Kiryuin-senpai. I saw Student Council President Nagumo taking first place, but you didn't seem at all happy about it. And ... you promised Ayanokoji-kun that you would compete with him in the gymnastics festival."

"In the end, it didn't come to fruition. He was absent. That's it."

Ayanokoji-kun said he was absent not because he was sick, but because he wanted to stop Sakayanagi from participating.

I'm not sure if the student council president knows that, but I think it's better not to let him know that.

"When you have a lunch break, come along with me for a while. The meeting place is..."

I couldn't refuse the request and agreed to do it.

A short time later, when we started our lunch break, I was looking at the box lunches being served on the playing field. I could choose whatever I wanted from the array of meals.

The lineup ranged from light meals such as sandwiches to more stamina- enhancing fare such as katsudon (pork cutlet served over rice in a bowl).

The school's thoroughness and attention to detail is both impressive and astonishing at the same time.

Moreover, the prerequisite is that you have to be able to eat the whole thing, and you are allowed to have more than one.

Most students just pick one, but from observation, there were a few boys who brought more than one.

Some of the larger students were so happy they were carrying three or four of them on their chests.

I've seen this student before during the first year, but if he eats all of his ... food and goes to the afternoon competition, then either he still underestimates this school or he's a very big fish.

"Thanks for waiting."

As I reached for a light meal, I was approached by Student Council President Nagumo.

"What is it? I have a meeting to attend, so if you could make it quick, that would be great."

"What I want to know is about Ayakoji. I heard he was out sick, but did he really suddenly fall ill?"

Although he didn't point this out earlier, it seems that Student Council President Nagumo is suspicious of him.

"Yes. In the morning, I received a notice of apology for his absence. One absent student loses 10 points. But if he is not feeling well, I can't force him."

I was the only one who knew that he would be absent for another reason. Naturally, that is what I answer here.

"If he is really sick, that's fine." "What does that mean?"

"I'm sure you've heard what I've been talking about with Kiryuin. Maybe he didn't want to be humiliated, so he decided to stay indoors."

"Yes, that's right. I don't think we can say for sure that he didn't." In order not to provoke them, I gave a safe response.

"I might be causing trouble for your grade."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The only way to pay for running away is to make the other guys pay for it. Am I right?"

He did not answer my question, but rather muttered to himself.

He then raised his hand lightly to me and announced that he was leaving, and walked away without picking up his lunch.

"Compensation ...? Disturbing the school year? What was it.... But still..."

His reputation really does seem to be everywhere. I was also impressed to hear about him today at the sports festival.

I was afraid what would happen when he announced his absence, but as it turned out, Sakayanagi was also absent today.

It was definitely something that Ayanokoji-kun did that helped him to stop Sakayangi.

The results are evident in the current Class A scores and rankings.

It is not unreasonable to think that the team would not be able to work well together if the commander were suddenly unable to come out to the field.

It is a bit pitiful, but this is also a serious game.

I will make sure we accumulate wins when we can.

3

After a midday break, the second half of the festival got underway.

More than half of the students had already completed the minimum number of 5 events, and those who showed confidence in their athletic abilities were moving on to the 6th and 7th events.

The class A students Matoba and Shimizu continued to struggle in the absence of their leader against Horikita and Ichinose, who were assessing the participation status and members of the competition on a minute-by-minute basis.

"Next is two player TENNISn the gym. Satonaka reported that there were no strong rivals. There are only two seats left, so we may be able to make it in time."

"We have to keep winning games and at least try not to finish in the bottom of the standings."

Sakayanagi's absence cast a dark shadow over the 2nd year A class, and while many students were discouraged, there were also many who were motivated by it.

Hearing that the doubles tennis tournament would close in 10 minutes and that they were running low on players, the team hurriedly began to move, abandoning the PK match they had planned to participate in.

Ishizaki, who had just walked in the direction of the two players, was somewhat prone and did not look ahead.

Shimizu moves to the right to avoid the approaching Ishizaki, but Ishizaki moves to the left at the same time.

Shimizu tries to avoid him as quickly as possible, but they collide shoulder- to-shoulder. The impact was twice as large as expected and could not have been caused by an accidental collision.

Shimizu, judging that he was forcibly hit on the shoulder, tries to raise his voice.

"Hey, ...! What the hell are you doing!"

Before Shimizu could react, Ishizaki came charging at him, yelling and screaming.

"You were walking in that direction and sneaking around, you could have gotten hurt!"

Shimizu from Class A and Ishizaki from Class D glared at each other. "You're the one who wasn't looking forward!"

"What? Are you playing the victim? ... You didn't bump into me on purpose, did you?"

"No, what? You hit me on purpose, no matter how you look at it. Right?"

Shimizu asks Matoba for assistance.

"Ah. You weren't looking properly when you were walking."

"I didn't look away. The two of you are making accusations about me. You guys are dirty."

"Who's dirty? It was clearly your fault."

"What? Me? You were so focused on something that you weren't looking straight."

Time passed without any indication that Ishizaki was apologizing.

Matoba, who was in a hurry, urged Shimizu to calm down, convinced that they were right.

"Leave it alone. I don't give a damn about this guy."

"I don't understand him."

"I know how you feel, but we have priorities right now."

".....Yes."

He was sensitive to Shimizu's feelings, but he also reminded him not to forget that he had to participate in the competition and win.

Shimizu nodded, glared at Ishizaki, and walked away. "Next time, be careful."

"... Ow."

"Huh?"

As he was about to pass by, Ishizaki suddenly held his left shoulder and muttered something.

"I was so excited I didn't notice it, but ... you might have been hurt by that."

For a moment, the two could not understand what was being said, but shortly after this, they realized everything.

This must be a cheap trap set by Ishizaki.

They look at each other and laugh through their noses. However, things take a sudden turn immediately afterwards.

"Hey, what's with all that ruckus Ishizaki?"

"Ryuuen-san Listen to me! They're trying to mess with me!" Just when things start to get out of hand, Ryuuen arrives.

"Ryuuen ..., a troublesome fellow, came .... I didn't expect him to use such an obvious method."

"What? What are you talking about? I only came here because I heard a commotion."

"Stop joking. You've got a record, you know." "A record?"

"But you know what? Even if we had a criminal record, whether or not we did something this time is completely irrelevant. If this innocent little boy got hurt by class A's tricks, it would be a big problem, wouldn't it?"

"What is this "innocent little boy?" You set up a trap, didn't you? I'm calling the teacher for God's sake. ...!"

"Kuku. That's good, isn't it? We are the victims. I'm going to do everything I can, so don't worry. Right, Ishizaki?

"Liar. I'm the victim!"

"What do you mean, "victim"? You have no intention of seriously participating in the sports festival, so you can call the teachers."

Matoba decides it is unavoidable, overhears Shimizu, and sends him running somewhere.

Soon after, Shimizu, who had gone to call the teacher, came back with a vacant expression on his face.

"What's wrong? Where's the teacher?" "Uh no-"

Shimizu brought back not a teacher but Hashimoto who was in the same class with them.

"I saw Shimizu running with a bloodshot face, so I asked him about it. Calling the teacher in a bad way would make the commotion bigger. If we decide to make it black and white, we might not be able to participate in the competition."

"But!"

"I know. But it is Ryuuen's aim to make a big commotion. Don't play into

their hands."

Hashimoto put his hand on Shimizu's shoulder, instructing him to relax. "Let me talk to him for now."

Matoba, who had no choice but to leave the situation to Hashimoto, watched from a little distance. Hashimoto, who had heard the conversation, approached with calm steps amidst the commotion.

"Ah? It was you guys who set me up. We're just buying a fight that's been sold to us."

"I know. But if you don't pull out, you'll be in trouble. You guys are the breadwinners of the sports festival, and they are holding back the mainstay of the team. I'm sorry to say this, but with Ishizaki, you can only achieve a certain level of results. Right?

It was clear to everyone that the Ryuuen was taking advantage of the situation.

Hashimoto took advantage of this point and tried to hold Ryuuen down so that he could not come on too strong.

"Don't you dare talk about Ishizaki like that. Ishizaki had made repeated and bloodcurdling efforts for this day. He has been working like a pig for this day in order to show that he has the potential to compete on an equal footing with the breadwinner that you are talking about. Isn't that right?"

"Lies."

Hashimoto, who had seen Ishizaki playing around on a regular basis many times, could not help but be disgusted.

"Damn. He's always attacking on the edge as usual."

Hashimoto knew that he could not win in a proper debate, so he scratched his head.

"It's clear to me that in this sports festival, you really intend to crush us. And you're the one who's got the best of the first-years stuck on us in a creepy way, didn't you?"

He noticed early on that the physically gifted first-year students were following the talented second-year Class A students around as they competed in the events.

However, they were not able to stop them from entering the competition, and so far they have only been able to produce results that are below our expectations.

"Because of our princess's absence, we are trying very hard to avoid the bottom of the rankings. If we make you our enemy, we won't stand a chance. Let's just call it a draw and call it even."

"Call it even?"

Ryuuen's previously relatively friendly attitude suddenly changes, and his smile disappears.

"I don't know what's going on in Class A but this is D class. We're doing everything we can to climb up from the bottom. If you think you can simply end it by interfering with that, you're making a big mistake."

Hashimoto's expression, which had been slightly smiling, freezes for a moment as he is about to be attacked.

"I'm not sure what to do. Do you want me to apologize unilaterally?

"You know what I mean. We are not trying to get money from you. We just want a sincere apology. Isn't that right, Ishizaki?"

"The pain in my arm has subsided a little, and that's good enough for me." What hurts more than anything is the loss of more time.

After confirming that no special money will be demanded, Hashimoto decides to accept the proposal.

"Give me some time to persuade them."

"Hurry up. We have another competition coming up."

More than five minutes have already elapsed since the start of the altercation.

There was little time to apologize and to rush to the gymnasium.

"You heard him. I know you don't agree with me, but you should apologize honestly."

"Don't be silly. There's no way I'm going to apologize to him."

"So you don't care if you don't win then is that what you're saying? You might be able to defend your pride by being stubborn and competing with others here. But if we lose by five or ten points, will we be satisfied?"

"Well, that's ..."

"What matters now is that our class wins. Right? I felt bad about accidentally stepping in dog feces. That's all."

One word of apology and you'll be on your way to competing in no time. "Damn ...! Why should I ..."

Shimizu, who had shown great irritation, calmed down and reluctantly agreed

to apologizing.

He stepped forward to apologize to Ishizaki.

"Wait, Shimizu. Matoba is just as guilty as you. You assumed I was just going to let you watch?"

"... Matoba" "I know..."

The two men had no choice but to stand side by side and bow slightly to Ishizaki.

"It was our fault. We're sorry. ... Is that all right?"

The two quickly lifted their lowered heads and were about to leave, but Ishizaki immediately stopped them.

"Ryuuen-san ... I don't really feel anything from these two."

"Of course, it's natural. They're reluctantly lowering their head, which they don't want to do. I don't feel like I'm getting a clean apology. You lack sincerity."

"Are you insane? I can't apologize any further than this."

Hashimoto, who had pinned down Matoba and Shimizu, decided that this was the limit.

Hashimoto decided that there was no other way but for the teacher to intervene, and ran to the teacher.

After about a minute, he returned with the teacher. "What the hell is going on?"

"Actually..."

"Apology accepted."

Hashimoto was about to tell her the situation, but just before he did, Ishizaki accepted their apology.

"I'm sorry, Ryuuen-san I know you gave me a lot of advice, but I just got bumped on the shoulder and I wasn't mature enough. ... So I think I'll make it up to you now that you two have apologized to me. Is that okay?"

"Isn't that good? If you are satisfied with that, then it's not for me, who is not a party to this, to interfere."

As Ryuuen and the others try to end the discussion at this point, the teacher tries to make sense of the situation.

Hashimoto, who had brought the teachers to the school, was also puzzled because he could not follow the teachers.

The teacher, seeing only this situation, comes to a conclusion.

"You two bumped into Ishizaki and apologized. And he accepted it. Is that correct?"

"That's it!"

Shimizu is about to raise his voice as if the problem has been solved, but Hashimoto stops him.

"That's good. Anyway, try to avoid trouble in the middle of the sports festival, okay?"

Hashimoto quickly pays them off with his hand to get them away from the place where they are about to explode with anger.

"Get going while the teacher is watching. Okay?"

The two glare at Ishizaki and Ryuuen several times, but eventually they blend into the crowd toward the gymnasium.

Ryuuen and the others also dispersed at the same time. Hashimoto was deeply saddened when he found no one around. "I don't think I want to be ... enemies with this guy." Hashimoto was chilled, but he was still smiling happily.

4

3:00 p.m.

With less than one hour remaining, the time for the sports festival has finally come to a close.

We were in the final stage of the competition, still in first place. We were only 17 points ahead the second place team, Class D.

The team's persistence was beyond our imagination, and we should assume that the strategy of the Ryuuen-kun was in action.

Even so, there was no particular trouble among us second-year students, and we were functioning well as an alliance

However, if we don't score more goals in the next hour, there is a good chance of an upset.....

Standing in a corner of the gym, I stared at the remaining events, their rules and schedules.

Then Ibuki-san who made no attempt to hide her frustration, approached me and started to press me.

"It's a game!"

"You are speaking very strange. I won by two wins and one loss, isn't that what you said?"

"I didn't participate!"

"I'm sorry. It's your fault for not showing up on time, isn't it?"

"I! I just got the time wrong....."

Yes.

The entry desk closed at 1:20 p.m. for the third and fateful round of the competition on the average platform.

Ibuki couldn't participate in the competition because she didn't make it in time for the entry.

Of course, I was not to be outdone, and although I missed the first place, I was able to finish in second place and earn 3 points.

"I know you don't agree with me, but that's what people call losing a battle." "One win, one loss! It's not settled with me yet!"

She continues to make noises in my ear and seems to have no intention of backing down.

"I participated in a total of nine events. There is one more event that is free, but it's still free. ..."

"That's it! Tell me what you're going to do next."

"If you want me to ask you to play the crying game, you're going to have to fix that attitude."

"Geh...!"

"You want me to compete with you? Don't you?"

"Please ... let's ... have a match, let's ... have a match! ..."

Ibuki was so angry that she was about to spit out flames from her mouth.

"Are you happy now!?"

"I'm not happy about it. I guess that makes you feel a little better."

The situation is changing by the minute, and the competition slots are filling up.

Should we stick to our original plan or aim for a higher score? "Now, tell me what you're going to do."

"Could you please be quiet for a second?"

"I can't!"

They respond immediately and repeatedly bend the fingers of their leveled palms in an attempt to provoke me.

I don't want to deal with this, but if I ignore it, it will only get louder. "I was considering taking part in a shuttle run afterwards."

"You mean that shuttle run thing where you just keep going back and forth until you drop out?"

"Yes, that's right. It's also called a round-trip endurance run."

"I may remember doing this in junior high school. That's good, let's bring it to the final showdown."

She nodded in satisfaction and were about to run out to make their entries. "What are you doing?"

"If you want in, go ahead."

"No, you're in it, aren't you? It doesn't make sense unless we're in the same group."

"I'm just considering it. I haven't finalized it yet."

"What?"

"To be honest, volleyball is the last sport I want to compete in right now."

"Volleyball? There are only 6 participants in a volleyball team, right? From the looks of it, it sounds like a wild idea, and I'm sure it's impossible to get people together now."

This is one of the events announced for the day and is an all-gender, all-grade competition.

We decided not to participate because of the six-member requirement, but other classes may have been thinking the same thing, and the teams participating in the volleyball event were not as strong as we had expected.

"There are only 3 teams available with 10 minutes left to enter, and from the looks of it, there are not many strong competitors. If we can win this competition, it will be worth to abandon the shuttle run. In the improvised team competitions, the ability of the standout student will depend greatly on his or her ability. If we can get one or two more students who are confident in their abilities, we will have a better chance of winning."

"So what does that mean for my desperate request earlier?" "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to give up."

Ibuki was astonished. I thought she was going to get angry again, but he turned to despondency and resignation.

"I'm going to go to ... and see if I can get a better idea of what's going on. So that's it for you, then. ..."

"You're not joining the volleyball competiton??"

"I need five people to fight you. There's no way I can gather them. Pass."

"You don't have any friends."

"You're just like me though, aren't you?"

"I think there are at least a few classmates who would be willing to help us if we asked them.""

"I don't know. I wanted to settle this, but I'll save it for another time."

I won on my own record, but .... okay.

"Aren't you going to participate in the shuttle run?"

"I'm only interested in settling this with you. I have no intention of going out of my way to contribute to Ryuuen."

"That's convenient. The less points you score, the closer our class is to winning."

I think it would be better to let it go without provoking it.

I thought so, but for some reason, Ibuki-san didn't want to leave.

"What do you want?"

"If we don't have enough people for volleyball, aren't you going to join the shuttle run?"

The deadline for volleyball 2:20.

The deadline for the shuttle run is 2:25.

Ibuki noticed something that I had not mentioned.

"I think I said something I didn't mention. I didn't know you had the brains to turn too."

"Shut up. I'm going to stick with you for a while longer."

At worst, if the number of players in the volleyball team is not sufficient, Ibuki and I will have to do the shuttle run to settle the score.

Well, that might not be a bad thing.

I'll look for girls in your class who are in the cheering section and see if they can be of use.

However, there was no way that I would be able to find such a good group of students right away, and the time passed by without much thought.

Ibuki was sitting next to me and yawning.

Give up already and just compete in the shuttle run. That's what her face was saying as she looks back at me.

"Oh, Aren't you two Horikita-sensei and Ibuki-sensei? Thank you for your hard work."

While we were waiting for members who could be invited, a first-year student, Amasawa, approached us. At that moment, Ibuki, who had been sitting down, stood up and glared at her.

"Oh, no, you look kind of scary. ... Could it be a girl's day or something?" Amasawa starts teasing her.

But it seemed as if Ibuki was half unaware of her words.

"If you still have a slot available, I'll give you a shot."

"It can't be helped that we don't have many chances to compete when we are in different grades. I think it would be better to stop the game. You're going to lose, aren't you?"

"You should be thankful you didn't get me."

"You're still as stubborn as ever, aren't you? By the way, what are you two doing here? If you're not competing, I think we should be cheering for you."

"You should participate in the shuttle run, too, Amasawa. Then you can compete with us."

"Oh, were you guys planning to go on a shuttle run? I'm not." "I finally found you."

As we were talking, Kushida-san showed up. I thought she wanted to see me, but she was looking at Amasawa without paying attention to me.

"I thought someone was chasing after me, but it was Kushida-senpai. What is it? I'll listen to you if you want to talk with Horikita and the other seniors."

" Horikita-san? ... There you are."

She seemed to be so focused on Amasawa she was oblivious to our presence.

"Ah, sorry, Kushida-senpai It looks like we're all together now. I should get going."

She pointed in the direction of Nanase, another first-year student, and four unfamiliar girls.

"I came to the gymnasium to participate in the volleyball game. This is my first experience with volleyball."

Apparently, Amasawa is planning to participate in volleyball.

The first-year students also moved to join the team, seeing that they were short-staffed.

"Then I'll see you later. Good luck with the shuttle run~

After talking about whatever he wanted to talk about, Amasawa joined the group.

"She said she's entering the volleyball competition."

Ibuki said, glaring at her back.

"I guess you're right."

"If that's the case, I'll go out too. You won't be able to get five members anyway."

"What?"

"I've said that I'm going to be a part of the team. I hate the idea of teaming up with you, but it's a chance to beat that cocky freshman."

If Ibuki-san is willing to cooperate with us, he would be a perfect asset. But..

"Don't decide on your own. I haven't said yet that I'm going to bring you on board. We haven't even recruited a single person yet."

"Team competitions will be equally scored. It is natural to want to fill a vacancy in your class rather than fill it with a student from another class, isn't it?"

Even if I had scored well, Ibuki is in the second-place class. "In other words, the point difference will not open up at all."

"I don't care, as long as I can see Amasawa's frustrated face, that's all that matters to me."

"Anyway, it all depends on the other members. The ratio of our class must be high."

"Then, why don't you let me join you?"

Kushida-san, who had been watching Amasawa-san's back as well, said something like that without changing her gaze.

What do you intend to do, Kushida? I don't think you've changed your mind

and are going to cooperate with us.

When I frankly stated what I was thinking, Kushida did not deny it.

However, I was concerned that her eyes were fixed not on me but on Amasawa-san.

"I owe Amazawa-san, the first-year student, a debt." "You too?"

"I'm not going to tell you why, but I'd be happy to lend you a hand in returning the favor."

"You're more than welcome to do so. You're a great classmate and a great asset."

The enemy of my enemy is a saying. The friend of the enemy unexpectedly came into the picture.

"But she will definitely be a formidable opponent."

"I'm aware."

Ibuki had already started warming up and getting into the swing of things.

She was looking at her from a distance and smiling wryly.

Although Ibuki-san and I had experienced firsthand how great Amasawa was, the details of the rest of the students were unknown.

If I recall only the OA A scores, I remember that Nanase's physical ability was relatively high, but I have no impression of the rest of them.

I am sure that I remember the names of the students who scored close to A, so I am certain that they were below B at best....

The problem is that we are still three students short.

It would be a bit of a devil's advocate to analyze opponents who have not yet met the requirements for participation.

"What are the requirements for the remaining three? I don't want them to be from Ryuuen-kun's class, is that it?"

Kushida asked me a question about the selection process.

"Yes, that's right. Of course, I would like to keep as many of my classmates as possible. But the priority is the game and the strength of the team. Then, wait for a while."

With that, Kushida-san left our side and started to walk away.

"Okay, but what is she going to do about it? They won't help us that easily."

I followed Ibuki-san's curious look, and she made a call to Rokkaku-san, who is in Sakayanagi's class. After talking for a while, they went to see Fukuyama-san, who was in the same class as Ibuki-san.

Finally, we went to a student who was cheering for another competitor in the gymnasium.

"I believe she is Hineno from Ichinose's class."

The four of us, accompanied by two members of Class A and one member of Class C, talked for several tens of seconds.

Kushida-san then came back to us with the three of them.

"She said she would join us in volleyball. Himeno is not good at volleyball, but she agreed to follow us five of us. You just have to leave the competition to us."

She talks to Ms. Himeno in her normal mode, which she never turns to me.

I could not hide my surprise that the two Class A students in particular were so open to lending a helping hand.

"We are also in a hurry because we are about to lose, and even if we don't win at worst, we want to keep a record of our contribution."

The two looked at each other and nodded.

It is precisely because they are in Class A, which has been languishing at the

bottom of the standings, that they want to take credit for the success. Kushida was able to instantly identify the most talented students, while also

recognizing their psychology.

Even though she could not remember their specific grades in OAA, as a friend of Fukuyama and Rokkaku, she knew exactly what their physical abilities were.

"You'll never be able to do this in your life, Ibuki-san." "Shut up. For the same reason you couldn't find anyone."

"There were still five or six kids in the gym who could have been approached. ... I think this is probably the best place for the members we can make right now."

At any rate, the six members of the volleyball team, who we doubted as to whether they would be able to participate, were all present.

The difference between our class and Ryuuen's class was only one person.

However, winning the championship and scoring 10 points is much more rewarding than competing in the shuttle run and scoring only 2 or 3 points.

The fact that the gap does not close even if we lose is also an advantage for us.

The top two players were me and Ibuki-san, and the other players were Tadashi-san, Rokkaku-san, Fukuyama-san, and others who were able to move.

Although there is a slight disadvantage with Himeno-san, who has to match

our numbers, our strength is enough to make up for it.

5

We were watching Amasawa's team after they won the first round without any problems. The game was led by Nanase.

Both offensively and defensively, she dominated her opponents with her outstanding moves.

"Nanase was a complete unknown to me, but she's not as bad as I thought she'd be, is she?"

It is possible that she is deliberately cutting corners, but from what I saw, she didn't seem to be doing so.

The team was better than the students who were completely immobile offensively and defensively, but they didn't look like a threat.

However, after the midpoint of the match, the situation began to change a little.

Ibuki's eyes, which had been somewhat uninterested in the game, began to turn serious.

In less than 10 minutes of the match, Amasawa's gameplay was visibly improved.

It is hard to explain her overwhelming adaptability and sense of style, which cannot be explained by her physical ability alone.

Just as Ms. Amasawa began to show glimpses of this, Nanase decided to spike the ball and the match ended.

"The next time we play each other. Maybe she'll be even better by then."

"Even so, they can't have that much experience in just a few games. We can win."

Too much optimism is dangerous, but in fact, with Nanase in tow, Amasawa won the game without touching the ball too much.

We also won our game, and at 3:40 we were in the finals.

The rules are different in many ways from those used in regular sports festivals. Volleyball is no exception.

There is no rotation on the serve; any player can serve, and the team with 10 points first or the team with the most points within 10 minutes wins.

If the score is tied as time expires, the winner will have the right to serve and the match will go to overtime with a one-point advantage, etc.

"I guess it's time for you to show your losing side."

"Are you satisfied with just winning or losing a volleyball match? Ibuki- senpai."

"First, we will beat you in volleyball. Then, we will win you in a fight." "Ha-ha-ha. I don't dislike that way of thinking."

They did not praise each other for their good fights, but waited for the signal to start the match, scattering sparks.

The presence of Amasawa is eerie, but Nanase is the one to watch out for more than anything else.

"I'm going to play attacker, just like in the last game. I'm going to put it all on their court."

Ibuki, who was even more fired up than before, declared that.

Although she has some difficulty controlling her spikes, she has no objections because of the destructive power of her spikes.

When the final match began, Ibuki's serve put her ahead by one point. Ibuki's serve put her ahead by one point, but Nanase's spike soon brought her

back to within one point.

We thought the game was going to be close, but we ended the first half with a

slight advantage and extended our lead to 4-2.

As you can see, Nanase and I were able to go toe-to-toe with Ibuki and myself, but other than that, we seemed to have a slight advantage.

The situation changed midway through the game when the remaining time was less than five minutes.

After three steps, Ibuki leaps and shoots a spike. Amasawa, who had scored many goals in the past, came out from behind the net and prevented the shot.

No, she kept up her momentum and hit the ball straight down.

The ball hit our court and the first-year team was awarded a point.

"Sorry for that Ibuki senpai~ Nanase, what do you call this kind of play?"

"Is it a "Doshut"? I don't know much about it myself."

"Because. I've already seen through your attack pattern, so you won't be able to get through from here on out."

"No! I'm going to win the next one for sure!"

"Calm down. It was just a fluke. We just got stopped once."

"Next time, pass the ball to me."

At 5-3, it was time for our serve.

It would be so much easier if it were decided, but it is not...

The rule is that a point is awarded to the opponent as soon as the ball is out,

so you can't aim for an absurd course.

If you hit a solid shot, it will be returned.

But here, she defended well and passed the ball to Ibuki.

"This time, you have to sink it!"

She changed her rhythm, took two steps forward, and soared high to deliver her best spike of the day.

The two first-years who jumped for the block could not touch it, and the ball fell in a straight line to the floor of the court.

The ball fell in a straight line to the floor of the court.

As if she knew the ball would come to that spot, she killed the momentum with a clean receive, and the ball sailed through the air over the enemy's line.

As her golden hair flows, Nanase jumps up high and shoots a spike toward Himeno.

Kushida-san forced her way in front of the stiff and motionless Himeno-san to receive the ball, but she could not control the momentum of the ball.

The first-year team began to gradually catch up, but by the end of the game, the teams were finally level.

With about two minutes remaining, the game could have ended with time running out if the pace continued at this rate.

"I'll do it again next time!"

Ibuki, who had twice been denied by Amasawa, was determined to win next time.

I instructed my teammates to pass the ball around and the game resumed. As the game resumed, we exchanged receptions, and for the first time,

Amasawa was in position to spike the ball. "I'll never let you be the only one to score!"

Ibuki jumps up on the block. But right after that, Ibuki saw Nanase from behind Amasawa.

"Sorry."

The smiling Amasawa set up a fake spike. From the start, Nanase had intended to spike her.

Caught off guard, Ibuki reached out with her hand but could not touch the ball.

Kushida slides in to receive the ball as it hits the court floor at a sharp angle. "Ibuki!"

All eyes were on Ibuki, and the first-year students rushed into a defensive stance.

Amasawa was waiting for Ibuki's attack with a relaxed expression on her face.

"What the hell!?"

Even under difficult circumstances, she tried to forcefully spike the ball, but she could not find a course.

Ibuki was still trying to force the spike, buts he clenched her teeth and switched to a toss instead.

I took in Ibuki's determination and released the energy I had been saving up until now.

I slipped through Mr. Amasawa's block and released a spike that went straight for Nanase, who was waiting for it.

Tired, Nanase is unable to scoop up the ball well and goes off course.

If she had been in perfect condition, she might have been able to have made it time.

The game was 7-6 at any rate, with a one-point lead as time dwindled down.

The game would be over in about a minute, no matter how much we cried or laughed, and we had the right to serve in the last minute of the game.

"Now it's time to get serious."

As if to say that he was not being serious up until now, Amasawa said something like that.

Nanase wisely caught up to Ibuki's serve and prevented it.

The ball lost its momentum and soared high into the air, and we all stared at it

from a single point. "I'm going for it!"

The volleyball was released and approached me at a furious speed as if it were swirling up.

Despite my concentration, I was slow to react, and the moment I tried to reach for the ball, it was too far away to reach me. The sound of the ball being hit violently echoed through the air.

"Out!"

The ball was half a ball past the white line marking the inside of the court.

"No. Sorry, Nanase, you missed. Perfect control is quite difficult to achieve. ... but her potential is not as sweet as I thought..."

While we were taking our hats off to Amasawa's unfathomable ability and sense of style, for us, it was the end of the line.

The one-point difference had widened to a two-point difference. The score was immediately returned, but the whistle was blown, and Nanase looked surprised as she raised the toss.

Amasawa, who had been trying to hit the ball into the opponent's hands, landed on the floor without lowering his hands.

"The time ran out. It was just starting to get interesting-"

Amasawa, who had just been playing volleyball without a trace of regret, congratulated the team for their hard work.

After a quick chat with Nanase, she left the court.

Although they lost, they also got points for taking second place in volleyball.

And we, of course, succeeded in getting a big point for first place.

"I don't understand. ... I don't feel like I won."

"We were being pushed around a lot at the end. I shudder to think what would have happened if there was still time left in the match."

We won and we were supposed to feel good about it, but we were left halfway through with a sense of uncertainty.

Even so, this win was significant and a fitting end to the sports festival.

I noticed that there were quite a few people in the gym, and they were applauding, albeit sparsely.

6

The final stage of the sports festival has finally arrived.

The gymnasium was filled with excitement as the finals of the team competitions began here and there.

"The team finals are about to begin. Are you ready?"

Sudo and Onodera, who had been participating in many pair competitions in this athletic festival, had advanced to the finals of the mixed 2v2 tennis event as their 10th event.

"... Ah."

Onodera continues, feeling uncomfortable with the somewhat off-kilter reply.

"We make a great duo, don't you think? So far in the paired competitions, we have won 4 out of 4 matches. I'm sure the class will be surprised."

In the last two games, one game was against the same grade and one game was against a 3rd year, but the Sudo-Onodera pair won without being pinned down, and they have now won five straight group games.

Sudo has won nine straight, including individual matches. He is on the verge of a 10-match winning streak.

Onodera, on the other hand, did not finish first in all nine rounds, but she still managed to win a prize.

While Onodera was talking to Sudo, Sudo's gaze was on the other side of the tennis net.

While Onodera's words were met with a sympathetic ear, Sudo's gaze was on the other end of the spectrum.

"Do you care about that first-year student? You keep looking him."

"What?"

"Hosen was it ...? I can't believe he's a freshman, he's so big and has such a strong vibe. But I have a feeling that's not the only thing Sudo-kun is paying attention to. Did something happen?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

The Hosen pair playing right in front of them, has won every match and will play in the finals.

Onodera and Sudo were talking to each other in the sky, while Onodera was staring at Sudo's profile.

He had been facing the competition without thinking about it, but he was clearly upset.

Not only today, but during the preparation period for the sports festival, they have been working together for the most part. From practice to lunch to morning commute to school, they had many meetings and practices.

That is why they had the ability to recognize changes in Sudo's facial expressions.

Even his athletic prowess has a few flaws. He is rough around the edges and easily slips into a slick slant.

He is also quick to lose his temper.

This has sometimes slowed him down in our work together.

"The finals will now begin. Please get ready."

She was sitting down to rest when one of the staff members approached her.

"We're going to win this thing. Let's some momentum going."

Onodera, pretending to be calm, emptied her mind as Sudo spoke to her.

Even if he had something to do with Hosen, he didn't want it to become a problem.

"Okay."

Sudo and Onodera picked up their rackets.

One after another, their classmates showed up at the gymnasium to cheer for Sudo and the others.

Adults also stopped to watch, perhaps because of their strong interest in the finals.

"This feels like a tournament, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it has the same good feeling of tension and excitement."

The two are no strangers to the big stage, including club competitions, so there is no need to worry that they will be intimidated.

However...

"I never thought I'd be playing in the finals with you. Sudo, you're the best."

"Hosen."

The atmosphere changed when Hosen spoke to Sudo across the net.

"You don't think you can beat me at tennis, do you? I'm going to destroy you, so look forward to it."

A doubles match with a limited time limit began.

The doubles matches will begin with a time limit of four points per game and a three-game match with a two-game lead.

The teams do not need to alternate serves, and any player can repeat the game. The match started off with an onslaught by Hosen.

The giant Hosen serves with great power and ease into the court.

Sudo's serves were lackluster and were returned one after the other, and when they were hit back in, the score was 40 to 0 in less than a minute.

"You're too ... fast. You've played this before, haven't you?"

No wonder Onodera was in a panic, as Hosen's ball hit the court at a speed that made her feel fearful.

"What's the matter, Sudo? You're no match for me with that kind of speed." "Damn it!"

His fist clenches the racket tightens into a powerful grip, and he attempts to raise it up to strike it into the ground.

"Sudo-kun, no!"

"Can't you see that when you're acting so cocky, you're always making mistakes?"

"But!"

Sudo was unable to vent his frustration since he couldn't destroy his racket and he is suddenly under a great deal of stress.

Hosen, who was watching from the other side of the net, laughed at him.

"I can't speak highly of you since you haven't played back yet, but your movement is obviously worse than in the previous game."

She pointed out that his movements had become sluggish because he was so focused on Hosen in front of him.

"I can't trust you to serve Sudo-kun."

Onodera, with the ball in his hand, instructs Sudo to defend and releases his serve.

Hosen, however, quickly closed the distance and showed his beautiful technique by handling the racket as if it were his fingers.

Sudo extended his arm, but could only manage to hit the ball to the frame of the racket, allowing the first-year team to take the first game without scoring a single point.

"I guess you're not so great after all, Sudo. You're a loser."

While Hosen was truly enjoying the match, his partner, the girl, could not hide her frightened expression.

Hosen handled almost all of the match by herself, making it a two-on-one match.

In the second game, a one-sided onslaught by Hosen was expected to continue, but a surprising turn of events unfolded.

Hosen's ball play lacked momentum and Onodera adapted to hit the ball back from the front.

Just when we thought he might be getting tired, Hosen's arm swung wide. The smash was as fast and powerful as a bullet.

The ball swooped straight at Onodera, who was guarding the front of the field, as if aiming for her.

Onodera's cheek was blurred, causing a look of pain to appear on her face.

Surprised and horrified, Onodera unintentionally dropped her racket to the floor.

"You did that on purpose!"

"Oh? It is natural to aim near the opponent's body in tennis. If you drop the ball too far away from the opponent, he will return it to you by hitting you with the same spot. Don't you even know that? You're just messing around with one ball."

"Damn it!"

Hosen asserted his legitimacy with dignity. Onodera hurriedly picked up her racket.

"Don't worry. It was just a glancing blow. ... And isn't tennis, as he says, it's

all about aiming back at your opponent."

"That's what you say to a guy who plays tennis. This is a sports festival,

remember?"

Sudo complains about the frustration of the people who play tennis on a

regular basis.

Sudo served again, but went off the course the first time.

The second time, Sudo saved and tried to go in, only to have it returned by Hosen.

Onodera, who had caught up with Sudo, hit back cleanly with her racket. After two or three more rallies, Onodera again came to the front and hit back.

Hosen, who had closed the distance, swung his arm down and bounced the ball back.

"Ah!"

Onodera stiffened, unable to swing her racket at the fastball that had terrified her earlier in the day. The ball snatched her side.

Sudo bit down and hit the ball back into his opponent's court, but Hosen's relentless volleys were aimed only at Onodera's periphery. Hosen seemed to be playing competitively.

The game came down to Sudo's team on 3 (40) points and Hosen team on 2 (30) points.

"Onodera, trying to do something about it, was upset to see the ball hit her in the face again and fell down on the floor, twisting her left leg"

"Onodera!"

Sudo covered for Onodera, who was unable to get up, and returned the ball to

Hosen.

Sudo's ball landed just short of the court, and Sudo's team took the second set.

However, Sudo was not about to be happy about that, and he exploded with anger.

"That's enough! Can't you even play fair!"

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's your fault for being such a bad player, isn't it? You're just shit."

"No, Sudo-kun. You're repeating yourself again."

Onodera was unable to get up and quieted Sudo, who remained on his buttocks.

"I know what I'm talking about! I can't allow this to happen!"

"It certainly created doubt in the judges'minds. But Sudo-kun, your mindset is also interfering with that, you know whatI mean?"

It was clear that Hosen had already won the tennis match and was now focusing on making Sudou suffer rather than winning.

The goal was to instill fear in Onodera and provoke an injury with a single mistake.

"Just stay calm, Sudo-kun."

While suffering from the pain, Onodera gently but forcefully admonishes.

Sudo-kun, who was in a feverish state of mind, stared at Hosen, but when he saw Onodera frowning in pain, he remembered what his priority should be.

He hurriedly tended to the injured Onodera's twisted ankle.

"It's a shame that you guys lost. But for you guys, it's one game more. Maybe

it's hell on Earth that way, huh?"

Hosen yawns and looks at them briefly before addressing his first-year

partner.

"That son of a bitch ... dropped us on purpose, just in time to mess with us. ..."

Sudo looks at Onodera's left leg and speaks to her with concern. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll manage. But I'm so pathetic. I was so afraid of the ball that I avoided it and ended up falling and hurting my foot."

She laughs to herself and lightly taps her taped leg.

"It's not impossible to beat him. He pisses me off to death, but he's a great athlete."

Sudo was terrified of the high power volleys that his superior physical strength could produce.

Unless you are an experienced tennis player or a member of a tennis club, you will not be able to get rid of your fear of his strikes right away.

"I've been a big fan of Sudo-kun since we first came to this school....."

"It's a good thing I got hurt. It's just that it gave me a little time to calm down."

"You have a strong heart. ... I wonder if you appreciated me in the past."

"Yes. But you were also the number one person that people didn't want to get involved with. You was so prickly back then."

"Ah.."

"You were criticized for your bad behavior and inability to study, but I

support people who work hard in club activities. Sudo-kun, you're very talented and always work hard."

"I had no idea you thought of me like that."

"I understand. When I go home after staying up late doing club activities, I sometimes pass by the gymnasium. I always look in to see if there is anyone left in the gymnasium. You always cleaned up after yourself and took your practice seriously."

"Hey, what the heck, you've been watching me do that..?"

"But, as I thought, Sudo-kun will never be truly appreciated if things continue as they are now."

"...Huh?"

"You still have a tendency to lose your temper too much. If you don't change, someday you will be in even more trouble than before."

"That's ...."

"You should get out of the habit of losing your temper."

"I know, but....."

"In sports, do you make more mistakes when you're frustrated?"

"Well, ..., yes. Shooting success rates and such may drop drastically..."

"I'm the same way. When I'm frustrated, I get desperate and try to improve my time, but I end up being slower than usual, and there's not much good that comes out of it."

"It's the same with you Onodera?"

"When we lost an important game, I was so frustrated that I forgot to change in my locker and went on a rampage, injuring my hand. The rest was really tough."

She looks back fondly on her old life and sticks her tongue out a little in shame.

"I realized then that there was no good in being angry, and that it would come back to me."

"How did you manage to get over that without getting angry?" "That's because my senpai taught me some magic."

"Huh, magic?"

"Yes, I'll teach Sudo-kun the magic to suppress his anger as well." "How do you do that?"

"It is said that peaks of anger are actually short-lived, lasting only a few seconds at most. So when I feel like yelling, I yell once in my mind, then take a deep breath and count to ten."

"So you're saying ... that I should wait 10 seconds before I get angry? That's it?"

"Yes. I think that alone will make a difference, so you might want to give it a try."

"... I see."

Although he was skeptical, Sudo memorized what she said in his head.

"I wanted to work with you because of my appreciation for your work. Don't betray my expectations."

"Onodera.."

After her wounds are dressed, Onodera checks her condition and stands up.

"I'll be fine. No matter whether we cried or laughed, this one game would decide the outcome. If we lose, we lose. But if we take it, we win."

"Yeah."

The third game begins.

Hosen was persistently targeting Onodera, whose movement was slowed due to an injury to her left leg.

Even though he was losing points by going too far, he made no move to stop. Sudo's team was leading 3 (40) to 1 (15).

Hosen, who would have ended the match if he dropped the ball, threw another fastball at Onodera.

This time, she was unable to avoid the ball and hit it directly to her right arm. Onodera cringed in pain.

"This is not how you play ... you son of a bitch!"

While his blood is boiling with anger, he remembers the magic words Onodera taught him earlier.

While glaring at Hosen for his repeated provocations, he voiced his anger in his own mind instead.

10 seconds of anger. Hold it in for only 10 seconds.

Count the numbers 1, 2, 3, and take a deep breath to calm your emotions.

8... 9... 10...

The invective you had intended to hurl at Hosen, slip it down your throat.

Of course, not all of his irritation is gone, but he succeeds in looking at the situation calmly and objectively.

The suspicious eyes of the judges. Onodera's gaze. A match that must be won.

Remaining Time.

If he rushed at Hosen again, he would naturally be stopped.

"Onodera, do you believe in my power?"

"... Of course. We are playing with each other because I believe in you."

After regulating his breathing, Sudo threw the ball into the air and made his best serve of the day.

Hosen, who had no time to waste, returned the ball and the rally between Sudo and Onodera.

Both players continued to return powerful blows, but Sudo, who had lost the battle, was able to keep his opponent's return from a sweet smash into the opponent's court.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

With his grip on the racket, Sudo lets out a war cry that echoes throughout the gymnasium.

"We did it!"

Hosen, who had been licking his chops until the end of the game despite his overwhelming advantage, was so frustrated at losing the game that he slammed his racket down on the court and snapped it in half.

"I won, Onodera! Thanks to you!"

Sudo ran to Onodera in excitement, hugged her vigorously, and shared his excitement.

"What, uh wait!"

Onodera panics, not realizing what has happened for a moment. "Hey, ouch, ouch, Sudo-kun!"

The tightness of the thick arms and the pained voice she made caused Sudo to regain his composure."

"Ah, sorry!"

Perhaps happy that he was able to suppress his anger over his victory, Sudo smiled his biggest smile of the day.

"Congratulations on your victory, Sudo-kun."

"Oh. Thanks Onodera, if it weren't for your power, we would have lost this match for sure."

"I don't think so. I'm rather sorry for dragging you down..."

"I don't want to say that it's a good thing you got hurt, but when I was hurt and lost my temper, I thought it was all over. You brought it back to me."

"I see. Hey Sudou... do you think we were good partners?"

"Yeah. You were really easy to work with and reliable to boot. I couldn't have asked for anyone better. Ahh, I wish I could show Suzune what I accomplished."

The number of guests and students was so large that it was difficult to find Horikita immediately.

"Suzune... Huh..."

"Where? Where did you see her?"

"Ah sorry, I mistook someone else for her." "Damn, that so? Maybe I'll find her outside..."

"Let's go out for dinner next time after we finish our club activities."

"Eh? That's fine with me but more importantly, help me look for Suzune. Suzune, where are you?"

"Ahahaha. There's no way I'd help."

"Hey, Sudo. Don't get carried away after winning in a game like this, okay? If I played harder, you know you would've been the loser right?"

Despite the fact that the match was over, Hosen approached him with an unconvinced look on his face.

"I'm going to play with you, so bring your face right here."

"Hey, you-"

Onodera was about to confront Hosen, but Sudo quietly restrained her.

"I had a little trouble with this guy a while back. I can't help it if he gets involved."

"But, but!"

Sudo laughs as he understands Onodera's desire to protect him from getting into trouble.

He then turned to Hosen.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to do anything you're trying to provoke me into doing."

"Oh? You're not going to get away that easily fucker. From now on, you are my sandbag."

"I told you I won't do anything with you."

When Sudo refused, Hosen pressed his shoulder against Sudo's shoulder and slammed his clenched right fist into his abdomen. The blow was so powerful that Sudo fell to his knees without swinging.

"Sudo-kun!"

However, Sudo restrains Onodera with his hand and slowly stands up.

The teacher rushed to him, but Sudo answered that he had not done anything to him and made him stand back up.

"You know what? I already knew you were a fighter. I can't complain because it was my fault too. But if you say any more, I'm going to have to ask you to join the teacher's office."

"You're pathetic, huh? You were better before when you came at me, weren't you?"

"Maybe. Come on, Onodera. Let's go."

"Yeah."

"What a boring son of a bitch. Don't you ever get involved with me again."

The words "don't get involved" made Sudo feel somewhat relieved.

If he didn't butt in, the trouble wouldn't spread any further.

He knew that simply by not letting his anger get the better of him, he could make a big difference in the situation.

"I should be thankful to Hosen. Seeing him acting like that, it made me realize how lame I really was. I can't explain it well, but when I tried the method you taught me earlier, there was something that just fell into place. Why was I so angry all this time? I thought, "What the hell have I been doing?" I guess you could say that something possessed me."

While Sudo was grateful for the 10 consecutive wins that he was allowed to pick up, he was equally grateful for the sports festival and Onodera.