V5Ch6: I’ll be serious from the second semester Part 1

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Translator: Soafp

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“The day has finally come…”

Bathed in the blinding morning sunlight streaming through the window, the teacher was already looking tired and wistful.

“Waaa! Sensei, you look even more beautiful than before summer vacation!”

“You’re the only one who compliments me these days. Can I introduce you to my parents?”

“No way!”

“No, absolutely not!”

Hinagi and Shiori denied it vehemently, regardless of my own intentions.

Even though the new school term had started, the teacher’s heart was still trapped in the summer break.

I couldn’t blame her. I felt the same way. It’s tough waking up in the morning. I was already looking forward to winter break. Wanting to ease the teacher’s mental strain a bit, I decided to be kind and considerate.

“At my age, straightforward compliments like that really hit home. Listen, getting praised for being good at studying or sports only happens while you’re a student. Once you’re an adult, being competent at work is just expected. No one will praise you for that. You’ll understand when you’re older. Don’t get complacent just because you’re young.”

From the get-go, Sayuri-sensei was passionately lecturing us about the harshness of adult life.

With the legal adult age having been lowered to eighteen, it would only be two more years before we would be new adults.

Her words were far more worth listening to than the unnecessarily long and useless speeches given by the principal. I would even pay to attend her lecture.

What an amazing teacher! I couldn’t help but voice the admiration that welled up inside me.

“Sensei, you’re still young and cute, you know?”

“You’re really something, you know that? Should I introduce you to my parents?”

“I said no!”

“Why are you acting all childish now!?”

Crap! Maybe it was because of the irresponsible lifestyle I led during summer break, but my mental age had regressed. I’ve been so coddled that I even had someone brush my teeth before bed. I’m Yukito Kokonoe, and I’m sixteen years old.

Whenever someone tries to take care of me, I respond automatically, like an AI programmed to give the most favorable reply. I don't even remember what I was saying half the time.

As I fumbled through my pocket, I found the personal alarm that my sister had given me. I accepted it without a second thought. She repeatedly told me to use it if anything happened, but after all, I’m a high school student. And by the way, I prefer sweets. Sour things aren’t really my taste…

Humans have a natural inclination to press buttons when they see them. It’s a deeply ingrained instinct. Surely, I’m not the only one tempted to press the fire alarm button when I see it.

As I resisted the urge, I suddenly remembered something.

“Wait, I was treated like a hugging pillow again last night!”

“Setting aside the problem child who’s standing there in a daze… Okay, everyone seems to be here safely. I think you’ve all gotten used to this class by now. In the second semester, we’ve got a lot of events lined up, like the sports festival and the cultural festival. The time you have as a high school student is short, so make sure to enjoy your youth and work hard. Of course, don’t forget about the tests, either.”

Just as she was about to leave the classroom after saying her piece, Sayuri-sensei suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Can I ask you to compliment me one more time?”

“I want to grow up to be as cool and wonderful as you, Sensei!”

“Isn’t that right, isn’t that right? You’re such a sweet kid.”

Laughter filled the room.

“Those two sure get along well.”

“Do you think something’s bothering Sensei?”

Our classmates were giving us warm, somewhat amused looks.

“Ron, 8000 all.”

“This is poker, you know.”

“…”

“…”

“Full house!”

“Don’t just casually win like that!”

During the break, while putting away the cards, the class’s resident cool guy made a sudden declaration.

“We’re going to win the sports festival, no matter what!”

“With this class, we might actually stand a good chance.”

“I’m looking forward to it, but I’m not that confident about running…”

Takahashi-nii and Ito, who had been playing poker with us, nodded in agreement.

“With Mihou and Shiorin in our class, we’ve got a real shot at winning, don’t you think?”

“We do have a lot of athletes in this class.”

Elizabeth and others joined in the conversation. There’s no doubt our class is strong, and I’m sure the cool guy and Shiori will shine, but the outcome of the sports festival isn’t solely determined by that.

“What’s up, Yukito? You look worried.”

“I was just thinking that there’s never really a good time to use the phrase ‘ordinary’ in life.”

“What are you talking about!?”

“You say ‘we’ll definitely win,’ but I just don’t see how that’s possible.”

“Why so pessimistic, Yukito?”

Mineda seemed taken aback by my skepticism, but this is just the reality of it.

“We’re students, so we should focus on having fun together. Winning or losing doesn’t really matter. If we’re lucky, we might win, but that’s as realistic as it gets, don’t you think?”

“That’s true, but we might not know until we all try our best, right?”

“If we don’t know the outcome, we can’t say we’ll definitely win.”

“You’re so logical… This is about spirit and enthusiasm.”

Ignoring Takahashi-nii’s troubled remark, Kouki became serious.

“No, I absolutely want to win.”

“That’s impossible.”

Everyone gasps at the rare stubborn seriousness of Kouki. This hot-blooded guy just can’t help but get fired up in situations like this. You can feel the tense atmosphere.

“—-So, Yuki, how do we ensure that we definitely win?”

The one who cut in with a confident voice was Shiori Kamishiro.

---

“Kokonoe-chan, you see, you see. We want to win!”

“We discussed it in the group chat yesterday. We realized that this kind of opportunity doesn’t come often, and we decided we want to make memories. We’ll all work hard, so will you join us, Kokonoe-kun?”

As soon as I got to school, Elizabeth and the others approached me, excited and determined. I could feel the growing energy and enthusiasm in the air.

“Whoa, that’s bright!”

“Don’t get so startled! You’re scaring us!”

The refreshingly handsome guy who just arrived stood in front of my desk.

“It’s fine if everyone has fun. I know that’s how it’s supposed to be. But I want results. We want to win, Yukito. We’re going to win for sure.”

He spoke as if it were already decided. What exactly had they talked about yesterday? Maybe Shiori had stirred them up. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by their high energy so early in the morning, I took out something I had prepared.

“…What’s that?”

“It’s to get us in the spirit. You have to pay attention to the details.”

I pulled out a wooden board of moderate size.

“…’Sports Festival Strategy Room’?”

“If we’re going to do this, we’ll give it our all. From now on, we’re starting the ‘Sports Festival Strategy’!”

“Kokonoe-chan, is this what being serious looks like?!”

“Not good, if Yukito’s getting serious, this is going to get big…”

As my classmates started chattering excitedly, I pushed through the crowd and grabbed Shakado by the neck.

“G-good morning… Hihi… uhm……what’s going on… w-w-w-w-what’s happening?!”

I dragged the flailing Shakado over to a slightly distant group.

“Akanuma, Fujimori, Douda. We need your help to win. Please, lend us your strength.”

My head hit the desk with a thud as I bowed deeply. Akanuma and the others were typically part of the cultural group.

They weren’t particularly athletic. However, to win, it wasn’t enough to rely on just the handsome guy or Shiori. Especially since I couldn’t do it alone. The sports festival wasn’t just for the athletically inclined. We needed the entire class, including Akanuma and his group.

“U-Us? We’re not good at sports…”

“If we do nothing, that smug handsome guy over there will just hog all the glory. Do you want to let that happen?!”

“Hey, we’re on the same team!”

I ignored the half-hearted protest completely.

“If there’s something we can do, we’ll help, but…”

Wait, they’re surprisingly nice, aren’t they? And now that I think about it, this class is overall really friendly. If you invite people, a lot of them join in. There’s no petty faction rivalry or anything?

Perhaps I'm the only one talking about being an introvert or school caste system…

“Um… why am I… here?”

“Hm? Ah, Shakado. You're our secret weapon for the sports festival. Our victory rests in your hands!”

I pointed my finger decisively. Yes, as far as I could think, the most crucial role in our class for the sports festival was Shakado. If she succeeded in her mission, our victory would be solidified.

By the way, I used to call her “Shaka D” after the summer break, but she asked me to stop, so I did. Calling her Anya it made her faint from embarrassment, so that was also a no-go.

“Hihi… Hi………! Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii eeeehhhhhhhhhh?!”

Shakado's thin, almost scream-like voice seemed to echo throughout the classroom.

Giant pandas and red pandas are not closely related species. I learned this shocking fact from an animal encyclopedia last night, but an even bigger surprise awaited me. The red panda, which was discovered first, was originally the real panda!

If that's the case, then the black-and-white guy who is now the master of the panda world, eating bamboo with a smug look, succeeded in stealing the name.

And yet, they aren't even closely related species. Being named “lesser,” the red panda has been demoted from the real one to the fake.

The grief of the red panda, once a pioneer but now stripped of its name, must be immense. Despite being the original, its name was stolen, and it isn't even the same species anymore. The red panda must be spending its days questioning its identity.

There's even a municipality that was tricked into trading its glasses technology for a red panda with the offer, “Give us the panda and we'll give you glasses technology,” only to end up with a red panda. Getting swindled has its limits. It dealt a massive blow to the local industry, and the result was disastrous.

The red panda, stripped of its identity, mirrors how humans often lose themselves and wander aimlessly. A journey of self-discovery is the prime example of this.

In the end, we know nothing about ourselves. Even if we loudly declare, “Status open!” no status appears. We can't objectively judge our aptitudes, like having a lot of magic power means being suited to be a mage, or having sword skills means being a warrior.

We can't measure such things ourselves.

Perhaps human relationships are similarly filled with invisible elements.

There's no way to see others’ emotions. For those of us living in the real world, we can't visualize such internal values. We can't measure combat power, for instance.

That's why it's words and actions that convey proof. How should I face those who have conveyed this to me?

Amid my current aimlessness, is there anything I can understand? Yet, the answer is already clear. Solitude is a friend, and solitude is comfortable. I've been soaking in its coziness, turning my eyes away. But now that I know the feelings conveyed to me, I must move forward.

—I can't stay a loner forever.

---

“Um… what's this? A maid café?”

“Ah, that's the one I wrote!”

“I wrote the same thing. Right, Kana-chan?”

In the classroom, lulled by post-lunch drowsiness, a survey was underway regarding the activities for the cultural festival following the sports festival. Students were writing down their desired activities on slips of paper, which were then collected and tallied.

“A maid café…? Rejected, rejected. Apparently, another class is planning to do that.”

“Eh—! It's okay if it's the same, right?!”

The merciless words of Sayuri-sensei sparked boos from some of the girls and boys. It seemed that Elizabeth was the one who proposed the idea, and it looked like Mineda and others were on the same page. Currently, Elizabeth, now serving as the class representative, was writing the voting results on the blackboard in front of the classroom alongside Kouki.

“Listen, I won't approve of something so clichéd. For some reason, this class is always the talk of the staff room for doing unusual—Ahem, I mean, unique things. They're expecting too much from us. I don't know why. Seriously, I don't know why! Those guys don't understand my struggles… Damn principal, screw you! Raise my salary, you bald jerk!”

Ignoring the American-style fiery curses from the dark-themed Sayuri-sensei, the light-themed Kouki, the eternal refreshing handsome guy, continued with the proceedings. His mental strength was quite remarkable as well.

“A haunted house? That's a classic. Okay, but isn't this also a duplicate?”

“Well then, next… Eh! A girls’ bar?!”

“Are you out of your mind?! You're all minors and students! Take this seriously.”

“Hey, stop with the nonsense.”

Elizabeth burst into laughter. Sayuri-sensei was angry. Kouki looked exasperated.

“That's unacceptable.”

“Hm? What's up, Yukito?”

I stood up slowly.

“Don't worry, Sensei.”

“Oh? About what?”

“I'm nominating you.”

“After graduation.”

“Please make it after the event.”

“I'll add the options as a service.”

“Alright!”

Sayuri-sensei’s mood lightened a bit, escaping the darkness. I hoped she would enjoy her days in good health. Stress is a big enemy to beauty! I'll give the principal some hair growth treatment.

“Why are you so close with the teacher?!”

“More importantly, you wrote this?!”

The heated debate continued without resolution, and the chime rang.

“Oh dear. It looks like we won't be deciding on anything at this time.”

“If you hadn't raised the bar so high, it wouldn't have been a problem.”

“Hmm? You're saying something, Mihou. You're not the type to settle for anything ordinary, so make sure you come up with something well thought out. There are awards for the cultural festival too, you know. Well then, we're done here.”

As Sayuri-sensei was about to leave the classroom, she suddenly stopped.

“I just need to confirm something—am I really that attractive?”

“Your smile is absolutely wonderful!”

“I-I see. Is that so? Smiles are important, aren't they? They say frowning causes wrinkles…”

While massaging her facial muscles, Sayuri-sensei lifted her stiff mouth corners with her fingers and smiled broadly.

“Scary! Oh, I just blurted out my true feelings.”

“Youuuuuuu…!”

Giggling.

“Uhm, both of you…”

“Don't say any more. It's pointless.”

---

The next day, things took a turn.

“Kokonoe-chan, you see, you see. We want to win first place!”

“Yesterday, we discussed it in the group chat. And, you know, since this kind of opportunity doesn't come often, we decided we want to do something memorable. We're all going to do our best, so come join us, Kokonoe-kun?”

“Are you time-leaping or something?!”

Didn't we go through this pattern last time!?

Being ambitious is good, but they're way too forward.

In the end, it was decided that discussions would continue without coming up with a concrete plan. Despite the group chat discussions, it feels like things are progressing in a different world since I'm not privy to those chats. At least I'm not being completely left out.

“So what does it even mean to win at the cultural festival?”

“We decide on the Excellence Award. I heard that stage presentations are also given extra points.”

“I heard there's a Miss Contest too! For our class… why don't Shiorin and Hinagi-chan participate?”

Mineda suggests Shiori and Hinagi for the contest. With them, it would be an unbeatable team.

“M-Me!? That's impossible, absolutely impossible! No way!”

“I'd also prefer to pass on that sort of thing…”

Hinagi declined with a wry smile next to Shiori, who was shaking her ponytail vigorously in denial. It swayed like a cat toy. Swing, swing.

“Hey!”

“W-What's wrong, Yuki!?”

I slapped my hand down without thinking.

“Sorry, I got carried away.”

“H-Huh, what's with the ‘got carried away'!? What do you mean!?”

“Calm down. We're talking about the Miss Contest right now.”

At this point, Shiori is the only one who responds properly to such situations.

Well, she really does react well.

“With the two of you, it would definitely be a hit… Right, Kokonoe-chan?”

“Yeah. Both of you are beautiful and cute.”

“C-Cute!?”

“You've always been like that, haven't you?”

Shiori froze, blushing bright red, while Hinagi, also blushing, looked exasperated. Seeing Hinagi's reaction, I felt frustrated, being someone who values honesty.

Don't mess around. I'm being serious here!

“Ha? What's with you, Hinagi? Do you have a problem with me thinking you're cute? Ah? Are you questioning whether I have the right to think you're beautiful and cute? How about it, huh!? If that's the way you're going to be, I'll say it as many times as it takes. You're incredibly cute!”

“Why are you getting defensive? It's embarrassing!”

“Is this guy the strongest or what?”

“Kokonoe-chan, you better tone it down, or one of these days, you might get stabbed, you know?”

Mineda said something scary. Indeed, this world is tough for the honest ones.

The next day, things took a different turn.

“I see. Elizabeth—Sakurai, you really want to do a maid café, huh?”

“It is Elizabeth! —Wait, huh? What was that? Something feels off right now…”

Ignoring Elizabeth, who seemed to have lost track of her own identity, I continued to think.

There are various options for the class activities. Some classes might even put on plays.

Aside from that, there's a stage program with band performances, comedy skits, and events like the Miss Contest. The class that performs the best overall is selected for the Excellence Award.

There are also cultural club presentations, though these tend to be more subdued each year. President Kedou and Mikumo-senpai from the art club will display their artwork. Hinagi-chan's paintings will be there too. I think I'll go check them out.

Meanwhile, our class had a group that suggested a haunted house. They're not particularly fixated on the haunted house itself but want to create something tangible. It does have that cultural festival vibe. Collaborating to create something would be a fitting page in our youth.

On the other hand, Elizabeth and her group couldn't let go of their maid café fantasy. Wearing such outfits is difficult unless it's a special occasion. Many girls are looking forward to it.

Even some boys are looking forward to it, showing strong support.

When asked about the costumes, they said they would make them themselves. Though Elizabeth looked quite displeased about it. It's unusual for that perpetually spring-like woman to have a gloomy face, which is somewhat concerning, but I'll set it aside for now.

“What should we do, Kokonoe-chan? We want to reflect everyone's opinions…”

“It's simple. Let's do everything.”

“Did you come up with something, Yuki?”

The solution is straightforward. I, Yukito Kokonoe, will meet the teacher’s expectations!

“Since we're aiming for the Excellence Award, let's do the haunted house, maid café, and the Miss Contest. It's a quantity strategy. If overlapping is a problem, we'll just look for a different approach.”

“A different approach?”

“You said you'd start practicing for the sports festival, right?”

“Yeah, so what about that?”

“First is information, second is intelligence, third and fourth are practice, and fifth is the actual event.”

“I thought I heard some unsettling words just now…”

Organizing everything, it's clear there's not enough time before the actual event. We need to start immediately.

“We can't afford to waste time with practice. I'll also have everyone learn body care as a side benefit.”

“That seems quite useful.”

“Exactly. And since we've gone through the trouble of learning it, we should make use of it.”

“What do you mean, Kokonoe-chan?”

By now, everyone's attention was focused on me.

“Our class’s activity will be the ultimate healing space with serving too. That'll make both the maid café and the haunted house perfect!”

“Oh! That sounds amazing!”

I approached a certain person who had been tentatively glancing my way.

“Natsume, do you know that there's a genre like this in online novels?”

“Eh, eh, K-Kokonoe-san, what's this about? W-What do you want from me?”

“It seems it was popular a while ago, and it's now mainstream for women. It's a thrilling ‘take-that’ story where the protagonist gets back at those who mocked them.”

“Oh, I have a vague idea about it. It’s like those stories of broken engagements or villainous noblewomen, right?”

“Yes, yes, something like triumphing over baseless injustice.”

“Y-yes. But, what does that have to do with…?”

As expected of Natsume. Considering she often reads in class, I thought she might be well-versed in such genres, but she turned out to be even more remarkable than I anticipated. This is promising.

“Let’s enter the Miss Contest.”

“………………Huh? Um, I don’t quite understand the meaning of…?”

“Let’s become even more beautiful and show this rotten world what you’re made of!”

“Yes? Um, me, in the Miss Contest? That joke is—”

“I see, so you’ll do it!”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant! My response was not an agreement—!”

With that, Chika Natsume, the glasses-wearing, plump girl, was confirmed to participate in the Miss Contest.

“With this, the Miss Contest victory is ours.”

“Um, are you listening, Kokonoe-san? Me in the Miss Contest…? What does this mean? Kokonoe-san? Hey, Kokonoe-saaaaaaaaan!?”

Sorry, but the victory in the Miss Contest is mine to claim!