Chapter 17 : Sports Festival and Shame

(A/N: satisfied with the story? don't forget to give your comments by reviewing this book!!!)

The tug-of-war was over, and the next event was the obstacle race. The obstacles set up weren't very difficult, but for someone like me, who was trying them for the first time, they would surely be a tremendous challenge.

Since I was in the first group, the signal to start sounded right away, and I ran towards the first obstacle.

I was in around third place at first, but I gradually increased my speed and managed to overtake and finish first at the final obstacle, completing my obstacle race.

Although I had been consistently finishing in first place, it was always by a narrow margin, so I didn't stand out as much as someone like Sudou or Shibata. Honestly, I'd prefer to finish around third, but since Ryuuen had given me instructions, I had to perform accordingly.

The competition ended, and now the women's obstacle race was about to begin.

In the first group was Horikita. That didn't particularly concern me, but what caught my attention was that Kinoshita, who had been in the same group earlier, was also in Horikita's lane.

"Looks like a similar combination to before."

Ibuki, who had been watching Horikita's group next to me, commented.

"Yeah. By the way, you seem to be paying quite a lot of attention to Horikita."

"Huh?"

Oh, that's scary. I was just teasing a little, but I got a sharp glare in response.

"Well, in reality, this can't be just 'coincidence.'"

Ryuuen seemed to be targeting Sudou and Horikita this time. He intended to pit Sudou against students who weren't very athletic and provoke him while he was in a good mood to add fuel to the fire. By doing this, Ryuuen aimed to inflict damage on Class D.

And what about Horikita? What strategy does Ryuuen have in mind for her...

As I pondered this, the women's race began. Horikita made a strong start and tried to pull ahead of Kinoshita, but Kinoshita was a member of the track and field club. Unlike Horikita, who had good athleticism, Kinoshita had been rigorously trained in track and field. Gradually, Horikita fell behind, and both competitors ran the final stretch with all their might. Horikita kept glancing back at Kinoshita, and due to a slight slowdown, Kinoshita caught up with her. In the next moment, their feet tangled, and they both fell forcefully.

The spectators gasped in surprise, and the two who had fallen significantly dropped in rank. Horikita managed to finish, but Kinoshita was unable to continue and ended up in last place, marking the first such incident of the day.

"Does this mean...?"

"It's definitely part of Ryuuen's strategy. He probably didn't expect it to go this far, though..."

I see... So that's what's happening.

The first group had already caused a stir, but the competition continued. As I was about to leave the tent to prepare for the next event, the three-legged race, I noticed that Kinoshita was heading toward the infirmary.

….

The next event was the three-legged race. To my surprise, my partner was Ryuuen, and it wasn't because I chose him. Instead, Ryuuen had picked me. I wasn't sure of his intentions, but it was likely that this was also about securing a win. So far, the only ones consistently finishing in first place in our class were Ryuuen and me. Maybe Ryuuen anticipated this and paired up with me on purpose.

"How do you tie the rope?"

"How should I know? We're the ones in first place anyway. Just tie it however you want."

With that, he tossed the rope to me, exuding confidence.

"We can't be sure we'll win…"

While crouching and tying the rope, I spoke to Ryuuen, who was brimming with self-assurance.

"You just need to match my pace perfectly. If you do that, we'll win."

He said this with a smile, looking down at me. Does he really think I can do anything?

"Don't rely on me… I'm not some kind of miracle worker."

"It's not about whether you can or not. As my right-hand man, you should be able to handle that much."

"I don't recall becoming your right-hand man…"

"Uoooooooh!"

Finally, we finished tying the rope, and from the front, we heard a scream-like sound as the first group started.

Looking over at the first group, I saw that Ike, from the same class as Sudou, was running in pairs with Sudou. Sudou was dragging Ike along while Ike screamed and was dragged across the ground.

It was a bizarre way of running for a three-legged race, but due to Sudou's high physical ability, they were in first place.

"Wow, how are they winning with that?"

"Hehe, they're like a horse. Want me to drag you around like that?"

"…I'd rather not."

Given Ryuuen's tendency, he might actually do it if I didn't refuse...

In the midst of such conversation, it was finally our turn. We stood on the lane with our legs tied together by the loosely tied rope, and the starting signal sounded.

The moment the signal went off, Ryuuen, thinking I could keep up, ignored me and sprinted off at full speed. Does this guy have no sense of consideration at all?

I adjusted my pace gradually to match Ryuuen's, and we sped down the lane with such speed that it hardly resembled a three-legged race, overwhelming the other pairs.

"What are those first-years doing?!"

"Wow!! Who are those guys?!"

"They're way too fast! Is this really a three-legged race?!"

As we crossed the finish line, we heard astonished voices from both the White and Red team tents. We had overdone it…

Looking around, it seemed like almost everyone was staring at us.

"Hehe, you managed to keep up after all."

"Have a little restraint…"

After untangling the rope, we returned to our tent, where I saw the women's three-legged race taking place. Horikita and Kushida were the pair running. Due to the earlier collision with Kinoshita, they were gradually losing speed and eventually fell to last place.

Ryuuen, watching the race, seemed to be satisfied with how things were going, wearing a sinister smile.

"You have a nasty streak, don't you?"

"Hehe. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Given his joking tone, it seemed like it was all part of his plan.

As we chatted, the cavalry battle was about to begin. The rules were the same for both genders: points were added based on the number of enemy cavalry knocked down and the remaining cavalry after three minutes. Each cavalry team had four members, and each class selected four cavalry units. Each cavalry unit was worth 50 points, and there was one special commander cavalry per class worth 100 points.

The women's cavalry battle started first. Our class B's commander cavalry was Ibuki, and it seemed that Class C's was Ichinose.

When the starting signal went off, Class B moved all at once, focusing on Class D—more specifically, targeting Horikita.

"Wh-what is that!?"

Voices of confusion came from the Red team's tent, but in the midst of it, Horikita was being helped by cavalry from her own class, but Class C's Ichinose and her team were blocking them. It seemed like they had coordinated this in advance.

Despite Horikita's desperate efforts, she was eventually knocked off her horse due to the overwhelming numbers and fell in frustration. From there, the commander cavalry was knocked down, and the remaining cavalry, thrown into disarray, was swept away, resulting in a victory for the White team.

….

In the women's cavalry battle, the White team emerged victorious, and now it was time for the men's cavalry battle to begin.

Ryuuen was our team's commander cavalry, and his cavalry included Albert, who boasted impressive physique and stamina. This was a strong setup for the commander cavalry.

As for my cavalry, it consisted of me and two others, Ishizaki and another member. We were a high-performance team, and our strategy was to support from below while I aimed to capture the headbands.

"Alright, let's do this."

"Yeah! We'll support you, so just get those headbands!"

With a positive response from my teammates, I looked over at the enemy team, the Red team's cavalry. Notably, Hirata's cavalry had Sudou, Miyake, and Ayanokouji as supporters. They were probably the strongest cavalry on the field. The starting signal finally sounded.

"Target Ryuuen's head! Let's go! Knock them out!"

At the start, all cavalry teams surged forward simultaneously, with Hirata's team leading the charge.

Sudou's cavalry kept advancing without stopping, moving towards Hirata's team. Due to Hirata's physical prowess and Sudou's breakthrough capability, they quickly captured the headbands.

We couldn't just stand by, so we charged towards a nearby cavalry and successfully captured a headband.

"Nice! Let's keep this up!"

"Yeah, let's keep going."

Although it was my first time participating in this event, we managed well. As I was about to set my sights on the next cavalry target...

"Hey! Look over there!"

Komiya, who was supporting from behind, pointed in a certain direction with urgency. Looking over, I saw that Ryuuen's cavalry was surrounded by Hirata's cavalry.

"This doesn't look good! We need to get to Ryuuen right now!"

"No… wait."

I stopped the panicking Ishizaki and observed Ryuuen's situation. It seemed that Sudou's cavalry had broken free from the encirclement, causing their formation to collapse. It appeared Sudou had taken Ryuuen's bait. From the earlier dire situation, an opportunity had suddenly appeared.

"Ishizaki, aim for the cavalry surrounding Ryuuen. Let's leave Hirata's cavalry to Ryuuen."

"Got it! I'm going to pick up the pace, so don't fall off!"

Ishizaki and the others sped towards one of the cavalry surrounding Ryuuen, which was Katsuragi's unit.

"Ugh…."

"Katsuragi-san!"

With momentum on our side, we reached for the headband, but it was narrowly avoided. However, due to the suddenness of the situation, our opponent lost balance, allowing us to grab Katsuragi's headband with our other hand successfully.

The end signal sounded, and the result was a victory for the White team, having captured all of the Red team's headbands.

"Awesome, Hikigaya!"

"Nice support from you too."

As Ishizaki and I celebrated our victory, we heard a shouting voice coming from Ryuen's direction.

"That's a foul! You guys must have applied something to the headbands!"

"Huh? I don't care. Don't make excuses for losing, you sore loser."

Ryuuen, snickering at Sudou's angry words, only said that and returned to the tent. It seemed that Hirata tried to support Sudou, but his words were like a landmine for Sudou, who ended up hitting Hirata and storming off somewhere, leaving a parting remark to his class.

It could be said that Ryuuen's strategy against Sudou had succeeded.

And when I looked around for the final event, the 200-meter dash, Sudou was nowhere to be seen.

….

The morning session of the sports festival ended, and lunchtime arrived. Gourmet bento boxes, ordered from outside the school, were being distributed for free on the grounds. Most students would likely flock to get their hands on these high-end meals. For me, lunchtime was one of the highlights of the sports festival, but not because of the bento itself...

It was because of the bento Hiiyori had made for me.

"Since I made a lot, please eat plenty."

Before the sports festival began, Hiiyori had told me she would be bringing a homemade bento. While the high-end bento might have been nice, Hiiyori's bento somehow seemed to shine even more to me.

"Thanks. I'm not good at cooking, so I really appreciate it."

"No, I just really wanted you to eat my bento…"

Hiiyori, who seemed embarrassed midway through her sentence, blushed and set down two large bento boxes between us, opening the lids.

Inside the giant bento boxes, one was filled with an array of delicious-looking traditional Japanese dishes, while the other was packed with beautifully shaped rice balls.

"This looks... amazing. Can I start eating?"

"Yes! Please, help yourself."

With a smile, Hiiyori encouraged me, and I began to eat. The first thing I tried was a simmered dish, which was tender, well-seasoned, and delicious.

"How does it taste?"

"It's delicious. This is the best Japanese food I've ever had."

"Really?! I'm so happy to hear that."

Hiiyori had been anxiously awaiting my response, but given how good the food was, there was no way I wouldn't like it. When I gave her my honest feedback, she blushed happily.

From then on, I became absorbed in Hiiyori's bento and ended up eating quite quickly.

"Sorry, I might have eaten too fast."

When I came back to my senses, I apologized to Hiiyori. Seeing her response, I noticed she was showing a level of relaxed expression I had never seen before.

"Hiiyori...?"

"Oh, sorry... I just saw how deliciously you were eating and... well..."

Hiiyori's face was bright red with embarrassment. It seemed that my enjoyment of the meal made her even more flustered.

"Thank you. I'm really happy to have such a delicious lunch."

"~! Y-yes!"

I finished Hiiyori's bento with a satisfied smile and prepared myself for the afternoon's competitive events.

….

Lunchtime ended, and the afternoon events of the sports festival began. From here on, the most skilled athletes from each class would take the stage.

Since I was participating in all the events, I stood in the lane for the "Borrowed Item Race," where my turn was third. As I waited, I noticed Ryuuen, who was scheduled to run second, talking to Ayanokouji on the same lane.

"Did that muscle-head not enter the borrowed item race? I thought for sure he'd be in it."

"Well, I don't really care about that... I don't know much about the class dynamics either."

Ayanokouji responded with his usual blank expression to Ryuuen's taunts. Ryuuen seemed to lose interest quickly, muttering something and stepping away. Though, we were still on the same lane.

After Ryuuen and Ayanokouji's races, it was finally my turn. The borrowed item race relies more on luck than athletic ability. The ranking can change depending on the item you draw.

When my turn came, I arrived at the box containing the prompts and reached inside. The prompt was...

"Someone you like"

At that moment, I felt like my world went dark.

What kind of prompt is this? Are they joking? If I drew this item, I'd become the laughingstock of the entire school.

"...Change it."

I didn't have the courage to bring back such a prompt, so I followed the rules and changed it. Hoping for something more mundane, I reached into the box again. The new prompt was...

"A long-time acquaintance"

...Another confusing prompt.

The first person who came to mind was Ayanokouji, but exposing our relationship would be problematic. Another option was Sakayanagi Arisu, the only person I've known for a year.

Is it alright... no... but...

While I was lost in thought, others were already checking their prompts and starting to walk. There was no time left for pondering.

"Hey! Hikigaya! Did you get a tough prompt? If you need anything, just ask!"

I heard Ishizaki's voice from the white team's tent, but there was nothing he could do about this. I interpreted the prompt and headed towards the red team's tent, which was on the opposite side.

As I approached the red team's tent, I was met with curious glances from both teams. It made sense since I was trying to borrow an item from the opposing team.

"Hikigaya, what's up? Did you make a mistake and come to the wrong tent?"

I was searching for Sakayanagi when Hashimoto called out to me.

"Not really. I'm currently in the middle of the race. I'm looking for Arisu. Do you know where she is?"

"Princess? If it's the Princess, she's over there..."

As Hashimoto pointed, his face twisted into a malicious grin.

"So you're looking for the Princess, meaning you drew a prompt only she fits?"

"Yes, that's correct..."

"Then how are you planning to get the Princess? She can't run."

I was reminded of a detail I had overlooked. It was true; even if I managed to get Arisu, she couldn't run...

"So here's my suggestion. This way, there won't be any problems."

Hashimoto offered me a glimmer of hope as I continued to ponder.

"Really? If you could, please tell me."

"Yeah. The method is—"

…..

I got the method and Arisu's location from Hashimoto, and I ran a bit faster than planned. Finally, I spotted Arisu deep inside the tent.

"It's you, Hachiman-kun. What are you doing here? Is this part of the relay race?"

As usual, Arisu looked at me with a smirk, but I ignored it and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Ah, I need you. Will you come with me?"

This was one of the 'good phrases to use when inviting someone' that Hashimoto had told me about. I wasn't sure if it would work, but there was no time, so I decided to try it out.

Upon hearing my words, not just Arisu but everyone around fell silent.

"Eeeeeek!"

"Woooooah!"

The tent was filled with cheers from those around us.

…What's going on? I just said what Hashimoto told me to say.

"Yes… um…"

Arisu, now with her confident demeanor gone, turned beet red, averted her gaze from me, and fidgeted nervously. However, she managed to agree, so with no time to waste, I decided to follow through with what Hashimoto had instructed.

"…Huh?… Ah!"

I carefully lifted Arisu, holding her in what is often called a 'princess carry.' As soon as I lifted her, I felt no weight at all, as if I wasn't holding anything.

"Hachiman-kun… um… what is this?"

Arisu, now flushed and looking as if she were burning with embarrassment, asked. But we really needed to move, so I had to hurry.

"I'm sorry, I'll explain later. Please bear with it for now."

With that, I ran straight toward the finish line of the relay race, carrying Arisu. She was gazing at my face, and I wished she wouldn't look at me so much…

"Woooooah!!"

"Kyaaaaaa!"

The moment we stepped onto the field, the cheers directed at us were far greater than those from inside the tent. I ignored them and showed the paper with the task written on it, managing to reach the finish line.

In the end, we came in second place. It seems that going to the red tent caused a time loss.

I couldn't gauge the stares from the field, but I saw Hashimoto at the front of the red team's tent, laughing hysterically.

=================================

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