Extra 5: Red Determination

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Translator: Soafp

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“I need to make up my mind…”

As I walked toward a certain place, I muttered softly to myself.

I was about to be crushed by tension, anxiety, and fear. But I couldn't just run away now. I stopped for a moment, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

I was about to meet someone again. Right now, I was on my way to the arranged meeting spot.

How did things turn out like this? I recalled the days starting from the first day of the second term in my mind.

Right after the summer vacation ended, I was filled with despair. Sho-chan had joined the White Faction.

Why?

It's unbelievable, right?

I couldn’t understand at all why he would join that faction of that unfaithful girl. It didn't make any sense at all. It was impossible for him to join the Goddess' faction, but of all places, that's absolutely the worst choice.

I couldn't hold back anymore, so I decided to ask him directly. But if I approached him directly, he might run away. I had to catch him at a time when Sho-chan couldn't escape.

The opportunity came soon enough.

I hadn't been able to sleep at all because I was thinking about Sho-chan, and one day, I went to school early. As I walked aimlessly, I spotted Sho-chan ahead of me.

Fortunately, I managed to get him alone in the classroom early in the morning, and I boldly asked him. I was sure he had been threatened, but Sho-chan said otherwise. I couldn't believe it, but it really didn't seem like he had been coerced.

I had no idea what was going on.

But I wanted to get him away from Shirase. Then Sho-chan told me to show off my charm.

While we were talking, Shirase showed up and tried to take Sho-chan away.

“Yes. I have an appointment with Shota today.”

Shota?

I felt a strong sense of unease at the casual mention of that name. Shirase brushed it off, saying they had just gotten closer, but I couldn't shake the feeling.

“…And she was smiling.”

In the end, Shirase took Sho-chan and left.

What do you mean by wanting to be friends?

Even though she took Sho-chan away from me, it was clear that Shirase had feelings for him. I knew it for sure from the evil grin on her face at that moment.

But I couldn't say anything. I simply decided that I needed to appeal to Sho-chan by showing I was more attractive than Shirase.

Then came the first event of the second term, the sports festival.

I thought this was my chance to shine, so I gave it my all. I won the first event, the 100-meter dash, and led the red team I was on to a great start.

Sho-chan was also performing admirably.

After easily winning the 100-meter dash, he led our class to victory in the relay race, even beating Renji-kun.

“…I think they got close just before the sports festival.”

During the sports festival, I realized something.

Sho-chan and Renji-kun had gotten close.

I had been wondering why Sho-chan seemed so excited for a while, and I became sure during the relay race. They were both the anchors, but neither of them made eye contact in an unnaturally deliberate way. That's when it hit me.

Even though they didn't make eye contact, they both looked oddly happy. Did they really think they were hiding it?

Still, I pretended not to notice.

At the very end of the sports festival, I try not to remember what happened.

“…Let's forget that forever.”

I ended up becoming the supporting role in a dramatic comeback. I never want to think about it again. It was so humiliating that I'm going to seal away the memory.

After the sports festival, a major event happened. Umi Aoyama, who had handed me a great deal of humiliation, withdrew from the Tenka Contest.

For other people, it might have just been a shocking event.

But I was also uneasy about this withdrawal. It gave me the same strange feeling in my chest as when Shirase called Sho-chan by his name.

…No way, right?

Since Aoyama withdrew, she's been acting differently. She seemed to be glowing ever since she quit the contest. She walked around like she was having the time of her life every day. And I felt like the way she talked to Sho-chan had changed a bit, too.

But I kept denying that possibility. I didn't have any proof; I just didn't want to acknowledge it.

The chaotic sports festival came to an end, and the next event, the midterms, approached. Just before that, there was a meeting of the Gods.

“…Let's settle this with the midterms.”

Kuromine, seeking revenge for last time, challenged me to a match.

I thought it was a great opportunity.

I wasn't sure if my appeal at the sports festival had worked, but I was confident I could surpass Renji-kun in the midterms, which I had been focusing on.

“Hey, usually you're so confident, but now you're running away. By the way, you totally lost to Nijitani-kun in the relay at the sports festival, huh? I guess you can't help it.”

I provoked Renji-kun, who had hesitated to accept the challenge. My irritation at not being able to tell Sho-chan how I felt was behind my words, too.

It was a simple provocation, but Renji-kun fell for it easily.

He's such an easy mark, I could even call him “Easy Mountain” because of how simple he is. But, well, I understand how he feels. He wouldn't be able to resist after being taunted by me, especially when I brought up Sho-chan's name.

After successfully provoking him, I put more effort into studying for the midterms than ever before. Without a doubt, it was the most I've ever studied in my life.

…It's not fair that Renji-kun gets to meet Sho-chan while I haven't been able to.

That's how I felt as I poured my emotions into my studies.

When I saw the test results, my feelings were… complicated.

For the first time, I beat Renji-kun. I also beat that Shirase. That made me really happy. But I still lost to Kuromine and couldn't take the top spot.

A perfect score? That's impossible. There's no way I can beat someone who scores perfectly. No matter how hard I studied, it's just impossible.

But then another major incident rocked the academy. Tsukiyo Kuromine withdrew from the Tenka Contest.

It was completely nonsensical.

It wasn't just that. On the same day, I also heard that Renji had decided to withdraw from the contest.

Could it be because he lost to us?

Maybe he raised the white flag after seeing Kuromine get a perfect score. Renji's a prideful guy, so that's probably it.

That afternoon, after two shocking bombs had dropped, I went back to the classroom because I had forgotten something.

“……”

“……”

Shota and Renji were there. The sudden scene left me frozen. They were just as shocked, and we all stood still, stiffened by the unexpected encounter.

A flood of thoughts and words rushed through my mind.

Seeing this situation, anyone would notice. It would be strange not to. After all, Shota is a transfer student now and shouldn’t be close with Renji.

I wanted to apologize for what happened back then.

But I couldn't. The promise I made to Shota's mother—Yuri-san—kept my words and actions in check. If I broke that promise, I'd never be able to see Shota again.

Shota…

The moment I called his beloved name in my heart—

“—It’s been a while, Sho-chan.”

Huh? Who?

A girl casually called out Shota's name and passed by me.

It was Amatsuka-Senpai. She had been last year's school goddess. She was said to be the strongest contender for the title in last year's contest, too.

She had a mature face and a large chest.

However, right before last year's school festival, a rumor about her spread. That caused her popularity to drop, and we ended up becoming the goddesses instead. I never found out the truth behind the rumor. But her popularity gradually recovered, and before I knew it, she was being called a goddess candidate again.

Hearing the cheerful conversation unfold right in front of me, I was too shocked to move. What shocked me the most was Shota's expression—he was clearly wearing the face of a boy in love.

In my dazed state, Renji dragged me out of the classroom.

“……”

Renji said something to me, but I can't remember what. I was too preoccupied to listen. The shocking scene had caused me to faint.

I don't remember much after that. The next thing I knew, it was the following morning.

“…This is bad. Things can't go on like this.”

It's been six months since Shota moved back. In that time, I've done almost nothing.

What bothers me the most is how everyone else is moving. I know that Momo, who has strong feelings for Shota, has been making moves, and Amatsuka-senpai's appearance was completely unexpected.

There are other concerns as well.

For some reason, Shirase has started calling him “Shota-san.” Aoyama, who dropped out of the contest, now has a sparkling face. And then there's Kuromine withdrawing from the contest as well—

Maybe something has been happening behind the scenes without me knowing.

But no matter how much I think about it, I can't find an answer.

…The only choice is to get closer to Shota.

That's what I decided, but there's a wall between me and Shota. The promise with Yurie-san is a wall so high it feels impossible to overcome.

I was wrong six months ago.

There's no way I can move forward with our relationship without addressing what happened in the past. I need to apologize properly for what happened back then—nothing can start unless I do. It was only now that I finally realized that.

“…I can't go on like this. This is absolutely no good!”

If I keep staying silent, I might never make any progress until graduation. In fact, Shota might even end up with Momo or Senior Amatsuka.

But I can't break down this wall with my own strength alone.

So, I made a decision.

I decided to go to Yuri-san once again. I would explain everything and sincerely bow my head, asking for permission to apologize directly to Shota.

Back then, things were different. But now, Shota has made more friends. He even reunited with his best friend, Renji, and seems emotionally stable. I'll explain all of that to Yuri-san and ask for a chance to apologize to him. This is the only thing I can do.

I acted immediately.

I explained the situation to my mother, and she gave me Yuri-san's contact information. When I reached out, she agreed to make some time for me.

And now, I'm on my way to meet Yuri-san.

“—Eh? What's that?”

As I passed by Shota's house, I saw something unexpected.

Tsukiyo Kuromine was entering Shota's house.