V3Ch14: Red Sports Festival

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Translator: Soafp

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Renji and Aoyama performed the athlete's oath, marking the official start of the “Festival of the Gods.”

After the opening ceremony, the students dispersed to their respective team gathering spots. I headed towards the red team's area. A large group of students had already gathered there, ranging from upperclassmen to underclassmen, all with determined expressions on their faces.

Once nearly everyone had assembled:

“Now, a few words from the red team's representative!”

After Nekoda's words, Akazawa stepped forward in front of everyone.

All eyes turned to her.

“Everyone, let's give it our all and aim for victory!”

She raised her fist to the sky as she spoke.

In response, the entire team shouted back. The boys’ voices were noticeably louder—it wasn't just my imagination. The red team's morale soared instantly.

Her presence was like that of a true idol.

Soon, similar cheers rose from the other teams. Apparently, this was a customary event, with each team hyping themselves up.

“This is quite the excitement.”

“This year is really something. Every color has a strong goddess candidate. Especially the guys—they're pushing themselves to their limits”

“Guys are simple creatures.”

“Who are you to say that?”

We were positioned between the blue team on our right and the purple team on our left. Curious, I glanced over at the purple team, where Shion, much like Akazawa, was standing in front of her group, rallying their spirits.

…She might have what it takes to be a goddess too.

I hadn't yet had the chance to ask Shion how she felt about the competition. Recently, we hadn’t been able to talk much due to conflicting schedules, and I felt awkward bringing it up during meals or visiting her room at night. So, whether or not she was aiming to be a goddess remained unknown.

However, seeing her now, I felt that she would do well if she were chosen.

What caught my attention was Yakumo-kun, standing before Shion, shouting louder than anyone else. But I decided not to comment on it. Let him do his best to make his presence known.

On the other side, I saw Aoyama similarly raising the spirits of the blue team.

“…”

The blue team's cheers were the loudest among all the groups.

When it comes to sports festivals, Aoyama is the star.

The current “Four Goddesses” aren't particularly athletic. Akazawa is just a little above average, but Kuromine and Shirase are hopeless. So, in this festival, it's safe to say it's Aoyama's stage.

Personally, I consider the blue team to be our greatest rival.

“The blue team seems fully motivated too.”

“We won't be outdone. We're going to win this.”

“…You're surprisingly competitive, Shota.”

“Are you only realizing this now?”

“Come to think of it, you were really determined to win at the game tournament too.”

I had to agree—I was particularly competitive during that event. I even went so far as to send Aoyama a message using my old account, which, in hindsight, was a pretty risky move.

“It's a competition, after all. Of course, I'm aiming to win.”

As I looked around, I spotted Momoka in the distance.

Knowing her from her sickly past, I was a bit worried, but with Renji by her side, I wasn't too concerned. She seemed to be handling her role as the representative well.

Still, I need to keep an eye on Momoka.

Personally, I think it's fine to be honest with her, but since Renji was against it, I decided to respect his wishes. Besides, I could understand his reasoning from a protective older-brother perspective, wanting her to grow stronger on her own.

But honestly, I don't think my identity will be revealed.

While the relay race is a high-profile event, it's held from a distance, so it's unlikely anyone will get a clear view of my face. Plus, it's been a long time since I last saw Momoka, so I doubt she'll recognize me at first glance.

Although Renji recognized me, no one else has, which is proof enough.

Even if I'm suspected, Renji will vouch for me and smooth things over. As her close friend, if he says it isn't me, she'll believe him.

I couldn't see the yellow team's goddess candidate from here, since they were on the opposite side.

But that's fine. She's an upperclassman, and I don't know her anyway.

“You should start preparing. You're up in the first event.”

“Yeah, I'll get ready now.”

I'm competing in the 100-meter dash and the class relay.

The 100-meter dash is the first event of the day, starting with the lower grades, who were already racing.

“Hey, Shota!”

Just as I was about to head to the waiting area, Akazawa called out to me.

This was the first time I'd spoken to her since that day when she recruited me.

“Let's give it our all today!”

“Y-Yeah! We're going to win this!”

“The first event is crucial. Make sure to give it your best.”

“Of course… but you too, right?”

After all, Akazawa was also competing in the 100-meter dash.

“Yep. I was told last year that the early stages are crucial.”

“Is that so?”

“Last year, we fell behind in the first event, and it just went downhill from there. So this year, we're aiming to score big right from the start.”

I see. That's probably why my classmates recommended me for the 100-meter dash.

It all made sense now. And at the same time, I felt motivated to live up to their expectations.

“We need to rack up wins early and ride that momentum.”

“Exactly. Getting ahead early is important.”

Without saying it aloud, I knew that if our goddess candidate secured a victory, it would boost the team's morale. If Akazawa performed well, the whole red team's spirit would soar.

In that sense, I really hope she does well.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m in perfect shape.”

“I see… I’m counting on you.”

“Leave it to me.”

As we talked, I realized that the discomfort I used to feel when speaking with Akazawa had faded.

There are many reasons for this, but the biggest one is probably that reuniting with Renji has helped me regain my emotional stability.

“Um, you know…”

“…?”

“I’m going to give it my all!”

“Huh?”

“So watch me closely, okay? I’m going to give it everything I've got at this sports festival, and make sure you support me!”

Seeing her cheeks turn red, I remembered a conversation from before.

‘Of course, it’s because everything about you is amazing. You’re incredibly handsome, super kind, you’re great at sports, and you work hard at your studies too. You always show up when someone is in trouble, just like a real prince. There's no other guy like you. There’s no reason not to fall in love. I mean, I love you, like, a lot!'

Thinking back to the fact that Yuuhi Akazawa has feelings for me stirs up a confusing mix of emotions.

Back when we were kids—during those elementary school sports festivals—I was totally smitten with her. I was always trying to impress her, but now…

Come to think of it, I still don't know why she lied to Shirase.

Honestly, I have no idea what goes on in her head. Besides, I don't remember doing anything that would make her like me. There must be guys more handsome than me out there, right?

“…”

No, now is not the time to be analyzing Akazawa. The priority right now is to win the sports festival.

“I felt so frustrated last year, so I really want to win this year.”

“It’s not ‘I want to win.’ We will win!”

Victory is the only goal for me. I hate going into a competition with the intention of losing, and this time, there’s an extra reason.

And why's that?

Last night, Renji and I made a bet. The loser of our direct matchup would have to treat the other to a meal the next time we go out. So there’s no way I'm losing. I've already decided that all my part-time job earnings are going into gacha games.

“Yeah! Let's win it all!”

With that, Akazawa turned to face the younger students who were about to race.

“Go, Red Team! Do your best!”

She cheered loudly.

Hearing her voice seemed to boost the motivation of the boys. Inspired by her words, the younger students started posting great results one after another.

“Well, I'm heading off now.”

“Good luck!”

“You too, Nijitani-kun!”

I cleared my mind of distractions and focused on the first event.

—The result: I crossed the finish line in first place.

While resting and watching the events unfold, I noticed that Akazawa also took first place in the girls’ 100-meter race. It seemed like she got a lucky break with her opponents, but the win was huge.

As proof, the Red Team's gathering area erupted with excitement the moment Akazawa won. It was as if the whole area had exploded with energy.

Perhaps inspired by Akazawa’s victory, the Red Team continued to place high in event after event.

“Alright, let's keep this momentum going. Go, Red Team!”

After the first events, the Red Team had taken the lead.