V3Ch15: Black, White and Purple Sports Festival

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Translator: Soafp

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“I-I’m so frustrated.”

Nekoda muttered as she took a bite of her tamagoyaki.

The morning session had ended, and the Red Team was now in fourth place.

Although the Red Team had started strong, they struggled afterward, and other teams surpassed them, dropping them to this position.

Nekoda, who had not performed well in her events, was visibly frustrated. Although I told her not to worry about it, she seemed unable to forgive herself for her poor showing.

“Well, yeah, we did drop in rank, but the points aren't that far apart.”

“I’m really sorry… It was such a great start, too.”

“This much is nothing we can't come back from, right, Shota?”

With a firm nod, I responded to Mahiro's encouragement.

“The teams above us are only ahead by a little. We'll catch up from here!”

The afternoon session had events worth more points.

Especially the class relay at the end, which could completely turn the tides. It was disappointing to fall to fourth place, but the competition was far from over.

“Don't worry. I'm definitely going to take first in the relay.”

Nekoda seemed to regain her energy after hearing that.

“…Thanks. You're right. No point in moping around now. I'll cheer with everything I've got from here. After all, our team's counting on us too!”

Nekoda’s gaze shifted toward a particular spot.

There was a group gathered, with Akazawa in the middle, happily chatting with her teammates.

“She's as popular as ever.”

“Well, Yuuhi is the school’s idol.”

Akazawa's presence seemed like a fan service for the Red Team faction.

She was surrounded by students, happily interacting with them in a way that resembled a real idol at a handshake event.

Though it was for fan service, I actually viewed her actions positively. Without a doubt, it would boost the team's morale.

“Our strength lies in the running events, so let's just try to keep the points close until the relay.”

“Yeah, we didn't stand a chance in the tug-of-war.”

“That one was tough.”

The teams ahead of us were the Pink, Blue, and Yellow teams.

The Pink team, who had been favorites to win, was strong across the board. The Blue team had almost equal talent.

What was surprising was the Yellow team. They overtook us during the last event of the morning, the tug-of-war. Their morale seemed unusually high, or perhaps they just had great teamwork. From what Mahiro told me, their goddess candidate was the type who excelled at bringing people together.

“Alright.”

After finishing my lunch, I stood up.

“Shota?”

“…I'm going to walk around for a bit, clear my head.”

“Just make sure you're back in time for the afternoon session.”

I waved in acknowledgment and started walking.

Although I said I was going for a walk, the truth was I planned to scout out the other teams. I wouldn't be visiting the Pink team, though—running into Momoka would just be a hassle.

The Blue team seemed to be having a good time. Their leader, Aoyama, was in the center of a group, chatting much like Akazawa. It seemed like they had a good relationship.

Next, I headed toward the Yellow team. I wanted to check on their goddess candidate, but unfortunately, she wasn't around. Still, the atmosphere seemed positive, with a strong sense of unity aimed at winning.

After a quick check on the other teams, I headed toward the school building. I wanted to rest somewhere quiet before the afternoon session.

When I reached the back of the school, I saw Kuromine standing alone. Our eyes met, and after a brief moment of hesitation, she approached me.

Running away now would be weird, so I put on a smile.

“Hey, good job out there.”

“…Good job.”

Kuromine's voice sounded exhausted.

“How's it going?”

“…Not well.”

“How's your health?”

“Fine, physically.”

I see, so her health isn't the problem; she's just not doing well in the competition.

It made sense. The Black team was currently in sixth place.

They weren't last, but their performance had been far from stellar. As the leader, it was no wonder Kuromine was feeling down. From what I saw earlier, the Black team didn't have the best atmosphere. There seemed to be a divide between the boys and girls.

“Cheer up. There's still the afternoon session. You can turn it around!”

When I encouraged her, Kuromine let out a small sigh.

“…You've been really upbeat lately, haven't you?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

It wasn't just at school; I had been in high spirits at my part-time job too.

The reason for my mood boost didn't need explaining anymore, but it couldn't be helped. I could confidently say this high would last for a while.

“And you, Kuromine, seem to have been pretty down recently.”

“…I don't like the sports festival. I knew this would happen.”

“You did say you weren't a fan.”

“I honestly considered skipping. I didn't want to be the representative.”

The Kuromine I knew was a quiet girl. She was the type to sit in the library, reading with her head down.

I didn't know much about her athletic ability, but I didn't expect it to be particularly high. Plus, she didn't seem like the type to be good at rallying her team or boosting morale.

“But I have to try.”

“Kuromine?”

“There are people who are counting on me. I can't give up so easily.”

“Don't push yourself too hard.”

“…Thanks.”

Just then, we heard footsteps approaching from a distance.

“Onee-chan!”

It was Shion. She seemed to have been chasing after Kuromine and was slightly out of breath.

“Eh? Onii-chan?”

“Ou.”

“W-Wait… were you two secretly meeting?”

“No, we just ran into each other.”

The Purple team was currently in fifth place.

Though they were ranked lower, they weren't to be underestimated. The gap between first and fifth was so narrow that the rankings could easily shift with just a few events.

…Actually, this was a good opportunity.

I should take this chance to ask Shion about her thoughts on becoming a goddess.

“Hey—”

Just as I was about to say something, I realized. Kuromine was still here, listening. Shion might not give an honest answer if Kuromine was present.

The cultural festival was still a ways off. I could ask her after the sports festival.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s just… I realized I hadn’t declared war yet.”

“Declared war?”

“Yeah. Shion, the red team will win!”

For a moment, Shion looked confused, but then she responded with determination.

“I’m surprised by the sudden declaration of war! But the purple team won’t lose!”

“The point difference is almost nothing. How about we make a bet?”

“Sounds good. Now I’m fired up!”

“Just don’t regret it later.”

“You too, Onii-chan.”

Watching our conversation, Kuromine smiled and said quietly.

“…You two look like you’re getting along well.”

We spent some time bickering playfully as siblings, finally agreeing that the losing team would buy drinks for the winner.

“Well, I should get going.”

“See you later!”

“…Yeah, later.”

---

After leaving Kuromine and the others, I started heading back toward the red team’s base.

“You seemed to be having quite a bit of fun earlier.”

“Shirase?”

Suddenly, Shirase appeared beside me.

“Did you see all that?”

“Of course I did. You two really look like genuine siblings.”

“…Were you following me?”

“No, I was just taking a walk because I was bored. It was really just a coincidence.”

“I see. But as the leader of the white team, shouldn’t you be focusing more?”

Currently, the white team was in last place, and by quite a large margin. Given Kuromine’s mood, I assumed Shirase, as the white team’s representative, would be more concerned, but she didn't seem bothered at all. Her expression was quite cheerful.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“Don't you need to have a strategy meeting?”

“Even if we did, the results wouldn't change.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, don't get the wrong idea. It's not that we're just going through the motions. The white team is motivated.”

I was confused.

“It's more about strengths and weaknesses. The white team doesn't have many athletic experts, so we're kind of an ‘enjoyment first’ team. We knew that from the start, so there’s nothing to be done about it.”

I guess that made sense.

Teams were assigned based on the presence of goddesses, with our red team, for example, consisting of classes from 2nd year, 1st year, and 3rd year. The random factor of the class splits meant that some teams ended up with students who weren't good at sports.

“I'm not slacking off either. My heart's burning with passion, but the reality is that I haven't been able to contribute much. I even held the team back in the obstacle race.”

That wasn't exactly something to boast about.

In fact, Shirase had tripped on her way to the waiting area earlier. While she didn't fall during the actual race, she still came in dead last.

But, it wasn't that she wasn't trying. She gave it her all and still finished in last place.

“If I'm going to do something, I'll do my best. I think that would be a good way to impress you, Shota.”

“…You always say things that are hard to respond to.”

Seeing my somewhat uncomfortable expression, Shirase laughed heartily.

“Well, I'll be heading back now.” (Shota)

“Good luck aiming for victory.”

“Same to you. Though victory might be a bit out of reach for you.”

“The white team will try to escape from last place!”

Her ambition might have been low, or perhaps, considering the current situation, it seemed high. I wasn't sure.

As I returned to the team's base, the crowd around Akazawa had disappeared. Everyone was getting ready for the next event.

Soon after, the afternoon session began.