V4Ch27: The Four-Colored Goddess

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Translator: Soafp

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Cheers erupted from the students at the student council president's announcement.

“…So this is the end of the Four-Colored Goddesses.”

The words slipped out of my mouth without thinking.

Now that a new goddess would be chosen, Aoyama and the others would no longer hold the title.

They may have been rivals, but they were also symbolic figures of the academy. Their roles ending today brought with it a sense of something significant passing.

“Well, I don't mind at all.”

Aoyama responded lightly, catching my murmur.

“…Same here.”

“It was a hassle anyway.”

“Annoying people kept following me around.”

“People from other schools came to see us just because we were famous. And if we didn't match their expectations, they'd complain.”

“Never again.”

All complaints, huh?

It seems even being a goddess had its share of problems. While it might have satisfied their need for validation, constantly being in the public eye must have been stressful. Besides, none of them really fit the “goddess” image to begin with.

“Anyway, let's guess who's going to win.”

“All right, who's your pick, Aoyama?”

“Putting aside who I want to support… it's a close race, but I think Amatsuka-senpai's the frontrunner.”

A solid prediction.

She had name recognition, and her popularity had only dropped last year because of a rumor. If not for that, she likely would've won then too.

Her only real disadvantage was that she hadn't denied the rumor at the time. Some people were still suspicious.

“What about you, Kuromine?”

“Anyone but Red. And I don't really like White either.”

“That's just your personal bias.”

“…My prediction is Shion. Guys like younger girls.”

Isn't that more of an old man's opinion?

They're all high schoolers, so they're all young.

“What about you, Shota?”

“I'm pretty sure Yakumo's got the male god title in the bag. As for the goddess… setting aside how I feel personally, Akazawa and Shirase probably have the edge.”

Being the current goddess gives a big advantage. Maybe it's because I'm in the same class as Akazawa, but I often saw people approaching her and striking up conversations.

“Now then, last year's highlight was the unprecedented appointment of four goddesses. What will happen this year? Let's all turn our attention to the stage!”

Everyone turned their eyes toward the stage at her cue.

The Tenkai Contest, unless you formally withdrew, was a mandatory event for all students. Those selected as gods would step onto the stage.

A huge display loomed above the stage, and in front of it sat a box stuffed with all the ballots students had cast—an unmistakable sign of the legitimacy of the process.

“We'll start with the male god. I won't say too much—just look for yourself. The student selected as this year's male god is…!”

All eyes turned to the screen.

The 10th-ranked name and vote count appeared, then began counting up toward first place. Finally, the name at the top was revealed.

“Is this an upset?! Or the predicted winner?! For the second year in a row, a first-year student has taken the title. The male god this year is… Yakumo Shirase!”

The student council president shouted the name with excitement.

A buzz of surprise swept through the gym. Yakumo Shirase, the underclassman I'd grown so fond of, had been chosen as the male god.

“Yakumo-kun, please come up on stage!”

Called by name, Yakumo walked up. He looked nervous—his steps were heavy, and his expression stiff—but he seemed genuinely happy.

“Hm, so it's Shirase's younger brother, just like the rumors said. I've heard of him, but this is the first time I've gotten a good look. Not bad—he is pretty handsome.”

“…And he's not a bad guy.”

“Oh, really?”

“Verified. Makes sense.”

Listening to Aoyama and Kuromine chat, I couldn't help pumping my fist in triumph.

That honest and straightforward nature of his was refreshing to watch. With Renji out of the running, he had been my one and only choice. Seeing him win made me genuinely happy.

“I wasn't sure who to pick, so I voted for him too. There weren't many standout guys anyway. Plus, he's your favorite junior.”

“…Me too.”

So both Aoyama and Kuromine had voted for him.

They didn't have much direct contact with him, but maybe no one else stood out. You had to vote—abstaining wasn't an option.

“If you hadn't dropped out, it probably would've been you, Shota.”

“I think so too.”

Let's not forget—the top contender withdrew from the start.

“Yakumo-kun, congratulations on becoming this year's male god!”

“Th-thank you very much!”

“Would you like to say a few words?”

“Um… I'm extremely honored. I'll do my best to live up to the title!”

Yakumo was delivering his speech on stage. Despite a few signs of nervousness, he held himself with confidence. I couldn't help but applaud.

“The male god result was pretty much as expected. The real question is the goddess.”

“…Shion really gave it her all. I hope it pays off.”

I agreed with Kuromine.

Most of this year's top candidates were people I knew personally. Still, just like I decided from the start, I voted for Shion.

We couldn't get a brother-sister god pair, but I still hoped Shion would become a goddess.

This year's contest was even more competitive than last year's. With several strong candidates dropping out, it was hard to predict who would win.

Even the pre-event forecasts had all the top contenders neck-and-neck. A friend who watched the vote counting said it was an intense showdown. Only the teachers handling the ballots knew the exact numbers.

The student council president received a slip of paper from a teacher. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“U-um… about this year's goddess… it was another fierce battle, just like last year. The teachers reportedly double- and triple-checked the results. Many students observed the count, so I'm sure we can all trust it was fair.”

She paused dramatically before continuing.

“This kind of buildup feels familiar…”

“Déjà vu.”

What the hell is going on?

“Ugh, it's too much to explain—let's just get to the results. Take a look and see for yourselves who this year's goddess is!”

The display lit up with the rankings.

As it climbed upward just like with the male god results, the screen suddenly froze at fifth place.

“Whoa, so that's how it turned out.”

“…Unbelievable.”

The display revealed the result.

I stared at the screen in stunned silence.

It truly was a miracle. Because—just like last year—four people had received the exact same number of votes.

Yuuhi Akazawa.

Kikka Amatsuka.

Shion Nijitani.

Mayuki Shirase.

“…You've got to be kidding.”

Reacting to my whisper, Aoyama chuckled.

“Looks like it's for real. This atmosphere really brings back memories of last year.”

“Everything's the same, even the feeling in the air.”

Apparently, this was exactly how things had played out last year.

An exact tie between four people—again.

…Should I be happy about this?

“Well, this brings back memories, doesn't it? Last year, there was a huge argument on this very stage. I remember it well. But this time, we were prepared. Will the newly selected goddesses please come up?”

The student council president said with a sigh.

I wasn't sure how to feel—until I saw Shion.

She was glowing with joy as she climbed onto the stage. In a way, she matched Kuromine now. No wonder she looked so happy.

Prompted by the student council president, each of the new goddesses gave a short speech.

“I'm happy to be chosen again this year!”

“It's a tie again… I'm happy, but it's a little complicated.”

“Shion is super happy!”

“Thank you to everyone who supported me. I'm glad my efforts paid off.”

As I stood there still trying to process everything, the student council president raised her voice again, mic in hand.

“This year brought another round of incredible surprises! For the first time in our school's history, we have a brother-sister god pair! And once again, just like last year, we have four goddesses! Coincidentally, every one of their names contains a color. And so, we welcome the rebirth of the Four-Colored Goddesses!”

This year's Tenka Festival became the most exciting cultural festival in recent memory.

Tenka Academy had seen the birth of its first-ever sibling god duo—and the return of the new Four-Colored Goddesses.