Youth and Roaring Sports Festival

"Next event is Scavenger-Hunt."

In this event, both teams carefully selected two participants from each grade. are scattered throughout the school grounds. Each participant is supposed to open the envelope with a clue card to which they have to find something related to it across the campus. After retrieving and completing the task, Yanagi-sensei will check whether the card is valid or not. The race will be conducted grade-wise with two grades participating together.

The girl's turn was first with two grades together, starting from the seniors.

"Towa-chan, can you come with me for a second?"

"Me?" Towa pointed his finger toward his face.

After nodding and without telling any further, the senior girl grabbed the hand of Towa gently, to which he followed after her.

This was Kotobuki Tsumugi, the prime example of a young lady of a wealthy household. She has been considered a piano prodigy since she was four, and has won many piano recital contests. Regardless, she has been a child who has a sweet and gentle personality.

She possesses long, wavy blonde hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and a very fair complexion, which distinguishes her unique appearance among her peers. She also has a pair of thick yellow-brown eyebrows like her father's that resemble pickled radishes due to their thickness.

 "What it does say Mugi-senpai?" Towa asked, using the honorific used for addressing senior students.

"The phrase written here is 'The person you strive to be.' And Towa-chan, you promised to address me as Mugi-nee. Could it perhaps have slipped your mind?" Tsumugi gently reminded him, her tone warm and affectionate.

"Huh? Well if you don't mind then, Mugi-nee why do you want to be like me?" Towa queried.

"You bought black coffee at the vending machine the other day, didn't you?"

"Ugh…Yes, I must have." Towa grimaced, recalling the incident.

Normally, Towa would have picked up his favorite Strawberry Milk, but that day it was out of stock. Accidentally pressing the button without checking, he found the usual spot filled with cans of not-so-sweet Black Max Coffee instead. While he used to enjoy coffee before, as a child, his taste buds were more sensitive, making it less enjoyable. He was about to discard it when he was called by Tsumugi, who was nearby. Unable to set a bad example by throwing it away, he reluctantly opened the can drank it, and forced himself to finish it rather than waste it in front of her while hiding his distaste behind a stoic expression. He can still remember the taste of misfortune, maybe he was out of luck after a successful pull from a gacha capsule.

"It's my dream to be able to do that myself one day — To buy something from a vending machine."

"Hahaha— Is that all? Anyone can do that much, it's not like you have to be like me."

Not some great reason.

Just a child buying and drinking coffee from a vending machine was that admirable?

Towa knew Tsumugi was home-schooled until she transferred this year to his school, this may be the reason why she is so curious about the things in the outside world.

"It's not just that. Even if you didn't enjoy it, you still finished the entire can. Unlike you, I'm not mature enough to drink black coffee without making a face. It was really admirable of you." Tsumugi praised Towa. Her smile seemed radiant while running.

"Uwa! Mugi-nee you knew about that…" Towa's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. As expected of a Kotobuki, Tsumugi easily saw through his facade, her keen business intellect discerning his true intentions.

Meanwhile, Towa's mind raced in a spiral of embarrassment. 'Urgh, my plan to play it off cool while drinking all of it failed… I want to dig a hole deep enough to bury my embarrassment! But before that, please don't project such a radiant smile at me. My conscience will hurt if you think that highly of me just for drinking coffee.'

Soon they crossed the finishing line, and Yanagi-sensei approached to confirm the hunt, after which they won 100 points for the red team.

"Mugi-nee, next time let's go to a vending machine together," Towa suggested with a smile.

"Yes, I can't wait for that time," Tsumugi replied, returning his smile.

But probably even Towa didn't know that Tsumugi lied.

She did wish to use a vending machine on her own but her reason for choosing Towa was different.

It all started back in January, during the holiday season, when they first met.

During Towa's stay in Osaka, they coincidently met during a fireworks show.

When Tsumugi got lost amid the bustling crowd, after separating from her butler, she found herself lost and disoriented. Towa who was near the front of the entrance grasped the situation quickly, distracted her from getting in panic with his emergency food (sadly not Paimon but snacks), and guided her to a nearby police box after telling his brother and stayed with her till she was picked up.

After a while, Tsumugi's father came in person to thank Towa wanted to reward him, to which he replied 'I did what anyone should do, that's what my father who's in the police taught me. If you want to reward me, please be gentle on Tsumugi-neesan as getting lost in there is a common thing. It was not her fault.'

Mr. Kotobuki was surprised by his answer and was happy to see such a kind child.

Impressed by Towa's kindness, Mr. Kotobuki expressed a desire to meet Towa's parents. The following day, Towa and his family were moved to a luxurious suite adjacent to where Tsumugi was staying, a gesture of gratitude and appreciation for Towa's kindness towards his daughter.

Living nearby, Towa quickly became Tsumugi's only playmate, and the two grew close, becoming like siblings. Towa shared his experiences of everyday life with her, mundane activities that Tsumugi, due to her unique upbringing, had never had the chance to experience.

From these interactions, Tsumugi developed a strong desire to live a "normal" or "ordinary" life, free from the constraints of her wealthy background.

Despite her family's prosperity, Tsumugi harbored a moderate aversion towards discussing her wealth, feeling isolated from other children her age and unable to make friends. However, her friendship with Towa provided her with a sense of acceptance and belonging, as Towa's perception of her never wavered, regardless of her family's status. Through their friendship, Tsumugi was exposed to new experiences and perspectives, broadening her horizons in ways she had never imagined.

One pivotal moment occurred when Towa stood up for her in front of her father, preventing him from scolding her for getting lost. It was the first time she had witnessed someone standing up to her father on her behalf, and it filled her with happiness and awe.

It was on that day that Tsumugi realized she wanted to emulate Towa, to embody his carefree spirit, his sense of responsibility, his compassion, and his everything.

At the end of the vacation, the desire to be with her first friend Towa grew so strong within her that she entertained the idea of running away to live with him, to break free from the confines of her privileged life, to which Towa obviously denied. In a bold move to assert her independence, Tsumugi made the decision to request to attend the same school as Towa, a decision that her father ultimately accepted after realizing his overprotectiveness and recognizing Tsumugi's desire for autonomy and companionship.

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For the two rounds remaining, Towa was once again called upon to participate in the race.

First up was his very own sister, who burst onto the scene like a hurricane, calling out to him excitedly.

"Towa-chan~ Come with me!" she exclaimed.

"Onee-chan!?" Towa's eyes widened in surprise.

"Formation Princess, fast!" Kirino commanded.

"Aye, sir!" Towa replied with a salute.

In a surprising turn of events, Towa was being carried like a princess for the entire race by his energetic and determined sister Kirino. As they dashed across the field, Kirino exhibited incredible strength and speed, effortlessly carrying him along as if he weighed nothing at all. Towa too was found to be caught up in the exhilaration of the moment, cheering his sister on as they raced towards the finish line.

With each step, they left everyone in the dust, and crossed the finish line with a large margin, leaving their competitors trailing far behind.

"Papers please," Yanagi-sensei approached the two siblings to confirm the hunt, but looks like on the card it was written 'Bring back an adorable object.'

Kirino confidently presented her brother, explaining that she had carried him throughout the entire race as their 'adorable object' and Towa, with his Skill [Beautiful Appearance] further reinforced the notion, leaving Yanagi-sensei with no choice but to accept their interpretation of the task. With a smile, Yanagi-sensei awarded them 100 points for the red team, impressed by their creativity.

Before Towa could take a break, the next and last round started.

"Come over here fast Towa!" The urgency in the girl's voice caught Towa's attention once again, triggering a sense of déjà vu.

'Again…' Towa couldn't help but think, feeling a mixture of curiosity and resignation.

"You are so popular Towa-kun" "Let's see, this time it's someone from Class Momo, Kawasaki-san was it? What weird flag did you raise again this time." Akihisa and Yuuji teased Towa.

Towa did not say anything back to his friends as the girl named Kawasaki Saki glared at them zipping their mouths shut.

Saki, with her long, pale blue hair cascading down to her waist, adorned with short choppy bangs, and pigeon blue eyes, exuded an aura of quiet elegance. A beauty spot beneath her right eye added to her charm, completing her appearance.

Despite her reserved nature, Towa knew there was more to her than met the eye, especially since she recently befriended Yukino.

With minimal communication, they finished the race with remarkable efficiency, securing first place with ease.

Yanagi-sensei confirmed their win after checking their card but oddly there was a sly grin on her mouth which was odd. Towa couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

"What did ith say…Sai-chan?" Towa inquired, his curiosity piqued by the expression on Yanagi-sensei's face. However, as he turned, Saki's determined face met his, closer than he expected, causing Towa to stumble over his words like a toddler and mispronounce his initial way of addressing her formally. "Sorry, a slip of the tongue."

"Well it's okay, everyone stumbles over their words from time to time, but don't do it again (it was too cute)." Saki's glare softened momentarily.

"But Kawasaki-san, why are you so close? Is there something you'd like to say?"

As he said that she backed away from Towa, her face growing hot and her voice quickly shifted to a meek one. "...I don't really know," she replied, her expression was surprisingly like a gentle cat despite her initial intensity.

"Uh…Okay? Well then, can you tell me what was on that card."

"We announce the lunch break for the sports festival, please relax and rejuvenate your energies for the next event," the announcement from the host on the loudspeaker reminded everyone.

"How do I tell you this…you have to choose a person you like or something." Kawasaki's voice was too low to catch on.

"What did you say? I can't hear you," Towa urged, leaning in slightly to catch her response.

"Then… Then I won't tell you, idiot," Saki retorted unexpectedly, her cheeks flushing with a hint of embarrassment as she quickly walked away.

'W-what happened?' Towa couldn't help but wonder as he watched Saki's retreating figure.

"What a dense bastard." "He missed his first kiss."Akihisa and Yuuji harshly commented on Towa while looking from the sidelines.

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