Extra 4: White Determination

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Translator: Soafp

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“…It's not the worst, but it's certainly not good,”

Calmly analyzing the current situation, I let out a long sigh.

How exactly is it not good? You'd understand by looking back at the days from the start of the second semester up until today.

After reconciling with Shota-san towards the end of summer vacation, I was in top form.

At the start of the second semester, Shota-san announced that he would be joining the White faction. I know he did this for Shion-san's sake. I know that, but just the fact that he carries a white handkerchief with him warms my heart.

After that, as expected, the goddesses started approaching Shota-san.

“…That was unexpected.”

Shota-san tried to fend off their advances using the shield of the White faction, but the goddesses persisted. Their aggressive pursuit was beyond what we anticipated.

In order to fend them off, Shota-san said something about needing to showcase their own appeal. It was apparently just something he said to buy time.

…Interesting, appeal, huh?

Let me be frank. Ever since our reunion, or to be more precise, ever since I received that birthday present from him, Shota-san has been on my mind. I find myself following him with my gaze whenever I see him, and I secretly hope to walk with him to and from school.

The feelings that swell up inside me are similar, or perhaps even stronger than, the ones I had for my younger brother, Yakumo, when we were children.

I want to grow closer to him.

That desire only grew stronger with each passing day.

On the surface, we've reconciled, but if you were to ask if Shota-san has any feelings for me, the answer would be no. Of course, that's understandable. Even though we apologized and made up, the past events are still a reality.

In that case, I can only do my best to make him develop feelings for me. I decided I should also try to showcase my own appeal.

Around the time I became aware of my romantic feelings, Shota-san reunited with his best friend, Inuyama-san.

I was also present for that meeting and managed to gain Inuyama-san's approval.

The reunion with Inuyama-san was also a joyous occasion for me. After all, I had a part in the events that led to Shota-san moving away. So, I was genuinely happy that the two of them were able to meet again.

Up until this point, everything had gone smoothly. Yes, up until this point, everything had been going well.

“…But after that, nothing has gone right.”

First, there was the sports festival.

No matter how much I tried, I couldn't perform well in physical activities. I've always been terrible at sports. I've been tripping over nothing since I was a child.

I approached the sports festival with the mindset of simply enjoying it from the start.

As luck would have it, or maybe not, the White team seemed to have gathered a lot of people who weren't very good at sports, so we didn't have any big moments and ended up in last place. However, even though we lost, everyone in the White team remained smiling until the end. I personally had a lot of fun, so I was satisfied.

On a personal level, I enjoyed myself, but our result was last place. This definitely wasn't a successful way to showcase my appeal.

“…Shota-san's performance was amazing, though. It's still breathtaking when I think about it.”

Shota-san served as the anchor for the relay race, and his victory over Inuyama-san was truly impressive.

However, if we look at the entire sports festival, the one who stood out the most was probably Aoyama-san.

She made a dramatic comeback in the final event, and the Blue team achieved a thrilling victory. Thanks to that, Aoyama-san emerged as the top candidate for the goddess role.

As frustrating as it is to admit, her final run was nothing short of spectacular. She looked absolutely stunning as she sprinted across the field.

But then, something unexpected happened.

Despite her stellar performance, Aoyama-san withdrew from the Tenka Contest. I couldn't understand it at first and was left puzzled. It wasn't until later that I learned the reason.

After the sports festival, there was a divine council meeting.

During that meeting, Kuromine-san proposed a test-based competition. After some debate, it was decided that the challenge would take place. Shota-san was informed about this, but—

‘Why is Aoyama-san here?'

To everyone's surprise, Aoyama-san showed up at the agreed-upon location.

She explained that she had reconciled with Shota-san. This was unexpected.

Apparently, she had regretted her past mistakes and had been voicing her apologies for some time. Inuyama-san also confirmed that the incident Shota-san had heard about was an accident. That's why Shota-san accepted her apology and they made up.

“…I have no right to say anything about that.”

After all, I also made mistakes in the past. I have no right to criticize her, so I decided to stay silent.

However, I will retract the statement where I called her a demon. If she had been sincerely apologizing all this time, then her feelings were genuine.

What reassured me was that Aoyama-san didn't seem to have any special feelings toward Shota-san. While she was friendly, there didn't appear to be any romantic interest. It seemed clear that her feelings were purely those of friendship.

With a refreshed expression, Aoyama-san declared that she would step down from her position as a goddess, with no signs of regret or lingering attachments. She—

“She had such a nice expression.”

Is that truly the real her? She was completely different from the tense person she used to be. As expected of the Blue Goddess.

Now then, once the sports festival ended, the focus shifted to the upcoming midterm exams.

This was really unexpected.

I had accepted the challenge from Kuromine-san because I was confident. I was planning to defeat Inuyama-san this time and take the top spot.

The result was…

“…I lost to Akazawa-san as well.”

I don't intend to make excuses.

I won't, but the reason for my defeat was probably because of a family dispute that occurred during the midterm period, which prevented me from securing enough study time.

My parents had a direct confrontation over me. When Yakumo told me about it, my heart ached knowing that the argument was my fault.

However, the result of that confrontation wasn't all bad.

After being lectured by my mother, my father seemed to have reflected on his actions and softened his attitude. Later, it was decided that we, along with Yakumo, would have a family discussion. I'm happy that the family turmoil seems to be resolving.

That is a relief, but because of that, not only did I fall behind in sports but also in my studies, which I'm usually good at. My appeal was a total failure.

And then, once again, something unexpected happened.

Kuromine-san, who had been at the top of the grade, suddenly withdrew from the next contest. It was really confusing.

Why would she do that, especially after defeating Inuyama-san?

On top of that, Inuyama-san, who had lost, also withdrew from the next contest. I was surprised, but there was a reasonable explanation for this. It was likely due to a bet.

Apparently, Kuromine-san had made a personal challenge to Inuyama-san. It would make sense to assume that she ordered Inuyama-san to withdraw.

“…But what could be the advantage of this?”

Her actions are beyond me, and this is truly a mystery.

That said, it's convenient for me.

Without doing anything, my rival has disappeared. Also, with Inuyama-san's withdrawal, it's likely that Shota-san will become the male god.

…I will become the female god, and Shota-san will become the male god.

Just imagining the two of us standing side by side excites me.

Once we become gods, we will naturally interact more. It will be obvious to anyone that we will grow closer.

“My appeal hasn't been going well, so the situation is far from favorable. But, since my rivals have decreased, it's not the worst.”

To ensure that we both stand as gods, I must continue my appeal. I have to recover somewhere.

“No, let's think positively. Akazawa-san hasn't even realized Shota-san's true identity yet. Overall, I'm still at a distinct advantage. I just need to be careful of any hidden threats.”

But I can't forget my past big failures. I won't rush. I'll build trust and achievements steadily.

“From here on out, I'll give it my all and definitely stand beside Shota-san!”

With a strong resolve in my heart, I continue forward.