V5Ch6: I’ll be serious from the second semester Part 2

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Translator: Soafp

---

I dumped the files I brought from the library onto the desk and started flipping through them.

“You were the one who suggested it, so stop slacking off and get to work.”

“That's true, but…”

While sending a stern voice to refreshing handsome guy, I investigated the records of the past ten years of the sports festival, checking details such as event categories, point distributions, averages, total points, and the winning line.

“I'm starting to lose track of the sports festival.”

“It's a difference in objectives. If you're aiming for victory, it requires a certain amount of effort.”

Of course, I also made sure to involve everyone besides the refreshing handsome guy. This isn't something I initiated. Frankly, I could go either way; school events are more like adversaries to me.

However, if we're going to do this, we'll give it our all. If it's about having fun and leaving the results to chance, then this effort is unnecessary. But if we aim for victory, there are necessary steps to take.

The effort we put in will naturally increase our chances of winning.

“I've gathered everything!”

“……I'm… I'm done… I'm at my limit…”

During the break, Elizabeth and her group, who are overflowing with social energy and have extensive connections with other classes, returned. Shakado!? Why are you among the energetic group!?

Although I felt somewhat betrayed, Shakado's face was pale and she looked exhausted.

“Alright, it seems like we're on track to understand everything.”

What Elizabeth and her group brought back were basic pieces of information like the number of sports club members in each class, the number of strong students among them, and how many in the track and field club.

Not surprisingly, our class was ranked first according to the pre-event predictions. This is likely due to the presence of the protagonist-like refreshing handsome guy and the physically strong Shiori. There's considerable strength in numbers. We also have many strong sports club members.

“This feels like being a spy, and it's kind of fun! It was so exciting!”

“Kokonoe-chan, as expected, you understand everything, huh?”

“Next, we need to gather more detailed information. If we can find out by the event day, there's no problem.”

The mission assigned to the whole class is simple: figure out who from other classes will participate in which events. This can be done through casual conversations with club members and friends.

“Wow, it's quite subtle. I thought we'd be doing something bigger and flashier.”

“That's how it is. In this country, espionage work is usually as mundane as clipping newspapers. There's no flashy action like in spy movies.”

Now and in the past, information is the key to victory. Espionage is inherently mundane.

While reviewing the materials, I noted down what I observed.

“Refreshing handsome guy, do you notice anything from this?”

“Tug-of-war…? High point distribution…?”

“There's more. What's important is the position. Right-right-right-left-left-right-right. Looking at this, the right side has a 63% win rate, while the left side has 37%. The right side has a much higher chance of winning.”

“Isn't that just coincidence? Or maybe it's because there are more right-handed people?”

“Regardless of the reason, if it's a coincidence, there's even less reason not to choose the right side.”

Tug-of-war is played as a best-of-three, with positions changing each time. The results often drag into the third round. The pattern of winning the first and third rounds is quite common, and the win rate for the pattern of winning the first (right), losing the second (left), and winning the third (right) is extremely high.

Moreover, the positioning for tug-of-war is often done on a self-reported basis. Preferences are usually accommodated. Of course, if both sides want the same position, it comes down to rock-paper-scissors, but few people are concerned with that… at least in previous years. Therefore, we should definitely take advantage of this!

“It feels like the sports festival I know is slowly becoming something else…”

“Think seriously about what it means to win. It will definitely be useful in basketball too. For example, I can always win at rock-paper-scissors against Hinagi. Hinagi, come here for a moment.”

I gestured for Hinagi to come over.

“Let's play rock-paper-scissors. By the way, I will always win against you.”

“Eh, but I've beaten you in rock-paper-scissors many times before, haven't I?”

“You'll see when we try it. Rock-paper-scissors—shoot!”

Hinagi chose paper, and I chose scissors, so I won. Of course, I could win every time.

As long as I know what the opponent will throw in advance.

“You always start with paper when you play rock-paper-scissors against me.”

“No way!? Since when!? Why didn't you tell me!?”

“I thought it might be useful in emergencies.”

“Emergencies? What do you mean?”

“…Like if we ever got caught up in a death game.”

“I'm not going to get caught up in such things! So, does that mean you've been going easy on me all this time?”

“That's not the case. I also used to start with paper to make it a fair match before the real competition.”

“Why would you do that…”

“I just kept it as a trump card in case you made a mistake and I needed to stop you.”

This was a winning strategy I had kept as a secret against Hinagi, but I felt it was okay to reveal it now because she has changed significantly from before.

She no longer has the recklessness she used to have. She can now stop, listen to others' opinions, and ask for help when in trouble. It's a huge, truly huge improvement.

She shouldn't make mistakes and go astray as she used to.

…Actually, the winning strategy isn't just one, but I'll keep that to myself.

“…I see. You've been cherishing that from back then…”

Leaving aside the tearful Hinagi, it is undoubtedly important to have a keen observation and gather information on a daily basis.

However, winning isn't something that can be achieved merely with that. Since it's a sports festival, physical prowess will ultimately play a major role. Power is justice, and muscles don't betray.

“Takahashi-nii, I'm going to lean my body slowly, so try to support me.”

“Me? Sure. What are you planning to do?”

I leaned my body toward Takahashi-nii. Takahashi-nii, supporting me from the front, didn't budge at all.

“As expected from the soccer club's hopeful first-year student.”

“Don't say embarrassing things. So? I can easily withstand this.”

“Then, let's align our core strength.”

“—What!? No way, this is impossible! This is amazing! What is this, what is this!?”

Takahashi-nii, who couldn't support the weight, was pushed further and further back. I want you to imagine it as if it's a dramatic display of mutual support, like the character “人” (person).

“I'll try too!—Whoa, heavy! I weigh more than you… Ughhhhhhh!”

The refreshing handsome guy, who joined with enthusiasm, also fell short.

Subsequently, more challengers appeared, including Shiori and other female challengers, but it was impossible for them to support me. Human bodies can harbor such strength.

“Learning how to use your body makes such things possible.”

“You, Yukito, are becoming more and more of a surprise every day…”

“Especially for events like tug-of-war and cavalry battles, which involve direct confrontation with opponents, the point distribution is high. If we aim for victory, we must secure these events. Therefore, starting from now, everyone will begin special training.”

“Seriously? Once I master this, it'll definitely help in soccer. With this, I might not lose to the senpais. I might even secure a regular spot as a first-year… I'm going for it! I'm going to do it!”

“What exactly are we fighting against…?”

“…Us too?”

“Adults, kids, and even older sisters.”

It doesn't matter if you're part of an otaku group or a girl's group. Everyone needs to do what they can to maximize our chances of winning, no matter how slim. It's about taking one step at a time.

“Next, we'll use rubber bands to improve running speed, and put packing material in the heels of our shoes…”

Since we can't use running shoes due to the school's footwear policy, there's no rule against modifying the school-designated shoes for the sports festival.

We will use every possible means to lead ourselves to victory. That's what I, Yukito Kokonoe, am here for.

---

As they headed towards the family restaurant for the costume-making meeting, the team led by Iwakura Tomomi, who excels in sewing, was ready to make the maid outfits for the cultural festival.

They had decided to make a total of three outfits for the girls: one in size S, one in size M, and one in size L. The L-size outfit is specifically for Shiori and Kyogoku Kanade.

Since maid outfits are only worn during the cultural festival, there wasn't enough budget to make one for every girl. Although all the girls wouldn't be wearing maid outfits at the same time, three outfits would still be insufficient. Fortunately, this issue had already been resolved.

They had received high-quality costumes from upperclassmen who had previously held a maid café event. The girls were surprised by the unexpectedly high quality of the costumes, which greatly motivated them.

The boys, meanwhile, were also swamped with work, so there was no chance of things turning into a “Hey boys!” situation.

The three new outfits were to be made more elaborate with added frills, and they had discussed and decided on the designs, bringing the design sketches to the meeting today.

“Looks beautiful.”

Accompanying the group, known as the ‘Iwakura Delegation,’ to the family restaurant was me, Yukito Kokonoe, who had developed the reverse maid outfit at Yuri’s request.

“Stop staring blankly at the sky and hurry up.”

“Do I need to be here?”

The refreshingly handsome guy next to me, who quickly averted his gaze, was the root cause of today's predicament. Even though I'm known as the troublemaker with a tempestuous reputation, it's not always my fault. Today's trouble was caused by this guy.

“…My sister insisted that I bring you along.”

The person to consult with is the refreshingly handsome guy's older sister. Although Iwakura is responsible, she's only relatively skilled in sewing compared to others in the class. She has never made a garment from scratch. That's why the responsibility fell to the handsome guy's older sister.

Apparently, she's incredibly skilled at this sort of thing. While that's fine, I still can't understand why I'm here as well. I've never met the refreshingly handsome guy's sister, and for some reason, I get an uneasy feeling just thinking about her, which makes my heart race!

Dragging my heavy feet like a dog reluctant to go for a walk in the rain, I headed to the destination. Upon arriving at the family restaurant, we informed them of our party size and were seated at a large table.

Before we could even order, the person we were waiting for arrived just a few minutes later.

“Sorry for making you wait, everyone.”

“Oh, no! We just got here ourselves. Thank you for coming today!”

The Iwakura Delegation stood up and bowed their heads. As expected from the refreshingly handsome guy's sister, she was beautiful, but the Delegation’s reaction was quite exaggerated. They were squealing with excitement.

“Is that Hikari-san! I follow her on social media and have been a fan for a long time. I've been looking forward to meeting her. I'm so happy to see you!”

“Is that so? Thank you. Hey, what are you standing around for, Kou? Get some drinks.”

“Alright, alright.”

Reluctantly, the refreshingly handsome guy went to get the drinks. I'd like a cola, please.

Ignoring the resentful glances from the refreshingly handsome guy, I asked Mineda, a member of the Delegation who, despite her appearance, has a high level of feminine charm.

“I don't get it, but is the face of this radiant sister a celebrity?”

“Kokonoe-chan, you don't know even though you're friends with Mihou? Hikari-san is a cosplayer and model, so she's well-known from magazines and stuff. I was surprised too.”

“Cosplayer?”

Noticing our reaction, Hikari-san, the cosplayer, turned towards us.

“Ah, I see. So you're Yukito Kokonoe, the one Kou was talking about. I'm Hikaru, his older sister. Thank you for the other day. Mom was really happy. Dad was flustered because Mom kept pressuring him, though.”

“Nice to meet you, I'm Yukito Kokonoe.”

“I'm actually pretty good at making costumes. Leave it to me since I've taken on the task!”

“I'm not very knowledgeable about the current trends, but are you famous?”

“It's a bit embarrassing to say it myself. Haven't you seen any of my work? I do cosplay and modeling, so…”

“Eh!? Is it that you're a cosplayer who's involved in production, taking on gravure photo shoots for free and is disliked in the gravure idol world because of that!?”

“I don't do that kind of work, and please don't say things that make me uncomfortable!”

“Eh!? So, you're the type of cosplayer who sells multiple copies of the same ROM at events to offer private photo session perks!?”

“You're being way too prejudiced! Everyone is just enjoying themselves, and I don't want to comment on others, so I can't deny it.”

“Eh!? Is it that cosplayers gathering at Halloween are so high-level that party-goers stay away, and it's considered rather wholesome with good manners!?”

“Thank you for the compliment! But you're actually way too detailed in your knowledge!”

“Sorry, I just got a bit cautious. My sister always warned me to be careful with people who call themselves cosplayers because photos and reality can be very different.”

“That doesn't just apply to cosplayers… Nowadays, apps allow for endless editing. Anyway, don't say things that make it hard to respond. Well, that's probably a sign of how amazing the makeup is. …By the way, as Kou mentioned, you're quite interesting.”

“Interesting? I don't see where that's coming from.”

It's strange. Why would someone find this serious Yukito Kokonoe interesting? Despite always being told such things upon meeting, I still don't understand why.

Meanwhile, the refreshingly handsome guy returns.

“Nee-san, you look a bit tired?”

“I am just warming up. Kou, over here.”

The meeting with the Iwakura Delegation begins immediately. At this point, there's no role for me or the refreshingly handsome guy. We just sit quietly like borrowed cats, though realistically, a borrowed cat wouldn't stay quiet—it would probably be causing quite a stir.

“Design sketches… you have them. Have you decided on the materials? Then, let's make the patterns… Yes, exactly. Your skills are impressive. You're quite adept with your hands.”

With the Iwakura Delegation engrossed in their work, I ask the refreshingly handsome guy a question that has been on my mind.

“Why was I called here?”

“I don't know.”

“You don't know?”

“I think it was something about wanting to meet you…”

“That's right. You have a good camera, don't you? Next time, help me with a photo shoot.”

Hikaru-san joins the conversation. Recently, it seems that she's been using her camera a lot…

Once the meeting wraps up, the Iwakura team also finishes their notes and joins the conversation.

“Well, it's not exactly my camera…”

I do have a DSLR that Mom bought long ago, so I've taken on the role of the photography team for the school festival.

Currently, I'm practicing portrait photography. I want to rely on autofocus, but it seems that alone isn't enough to improve. Things like shutter speed and ISO make photography quite complex.

I'm doing lots of practice photography at home with Mom and my sister, who are incredibly excited.

There might come a time when I can show off the results, but thanks to my family's bad habits, the photos have turned out to be quite unpresentable. It's impossible to develop them.

“Being able to help with Hikari-san’s photo shoot is a rare opportunity!”

“We're renting a studio for the shoot, so if you'd like, you can come watch. How about trying cosplay yourself? I'd be happy to have more friends join in.”

“Is that okay!? I'd love to try it!”

“Well, I'm a bit embarrassed…”

“There’s no need to be embarrassed now. You’re going to wear this costume too, right?”

“Yay! I'm so glad to be in this class where I can see Hikari-san's photo shoot!”

The reactions are varied, but overall, they seem positive.

“By the way, is that a confirmed plan?”

“Didn't Kou tell you? Helping me with this was a condition for your cooperation. I didn't expect that the cosplayers here would be Kou and Yukito-kun. I saw that CM.”

Looking at the refreshingly handsome guy, he tries to cover up by whistling poorly.

“You schemer!”

“Sorry! I couldn't go against my sister.”

“That's true.”

“Yeah.”

Thus, the sorrow of the unfortunate younger brothers spills out.

---

“That kind of attitude is problematic, you know?”

I lay down a lecture with a sigh in the staff room, aiming to be firm in negotiations to achieve good results. There's a teacher relay race at the sports festival and some events where the teachers participate alongside us. Therefore, our homeroom teacher, Sayuri-sensei, also needs to put in some effort. Though she's busy, I need her cooperation.

“…Well, I'm not planning to slack off. I'm looking forward to it as well. But, Kokonoe, I'm getting older and I've never been good at sports…”

“Understand this: we're aiming for victory. Naturally, we need the teachers to cooperate. If you don't give it your all and we end up with a lackluster result—”

I lower my gaze sadly. I tried to fake crying, but it was surprisingly difficult for someone like me, who usually maintains a neutral expression. Sayuri-sensei's face contorts in displeasure, and she hesitantly opens her mouth.

“What's going to happen if we end up with a lackluster result!? Say it, Yukito Kokonoe! What are you thinking!? Spit it out!”

“I'll have you serve as a maid at the cultural festival—”

“I dont want to! Please, anything but that! Do you even consider my age? I'm at that awkward stage where saying I'm a girl makes people laugh derisively. Do you really think I could pull off such a cringeworthy act at my age?”

“Look, Shakado says she really wants to see your heroic figure.”

“Hihi, Please, Sensei…”

“Such a coward! Don't drag Shakado into this, she's the one who can't speak up for herself!”

“—Here, Sensei.”

I discreetly pass a small bottle and a ticket under the table. Although there's nothing shameful about it, we both suddenly become self-conscious and start glancing around. Human nature is truly frightening.

“…What's this?”

“It's a specially formulated fragrance for you. Also, I've included a voucher for five free massage sessions. I hope you find it effective.”

“Hmm, I see. It would indeed be problematic if a teacher didn't give their all. But, having a male student give me a massage might be a bit ethically dubious…”

“Don't worry. Shiori, who's studying, will be in charge. I'm sure you'll be a great practice model.”

“Oh, really. But the maid costume… My dignity…”

Just as we are conspiring with a wicked aura in the staff room, a voice calls out to us.

“Well, well, Fujishiro-sensei. I understand how you feel, but isn't it also good for us teachers to have some fun and join in with the students? It's a special event, after all.”

“Sanjoji-sensei…”

It was Sanjoji-sensei who appeared. As expected of Sanjoji-sensei, a teacher who understands. Strict but kind, if there were more wonderful educators like this, schools would surely be better! Also, thank you for the delicious pudding, Sensei!

“Ah, so Sanjoji-sensei is also willing to wear the maid costume. How wonderful. Hahaha!”

“Eh!? Wait a minute. Why do I—”

“All the other teachers are nodding along.”

Sanjoji-sensei turns abruptly, and all the teachers who had been watching from a distance quickly look away. What's with those thumbs-up? They're all single teachers.

---

“Isn't it fine to wear a maid outfit? You've worn a bunny costume before, haven't you?”

“Let's not have pointless arguments, okay? This will be a disaster far beyond what Fujishiro-sensei could manage. Do you see me as an old lady? It's sad… You'll probably write something like ‘too old for this' on social media, right? No one benefits from that, so let's not.”

“I didn't think Sensei would lie…”

“Damn…! What kind of person are you?”

I try to encourage the visibly distressed Sanjoji-sensei.

“Don't worry. The photography will be free of charge.”

Sanjoji-sensei's shoulders slump in resignation.

Ha, I won.

---

“Now, let's open your legs a little more. Don't be shy. That's it. What's wrong? Everyone does this much. You're going to do your best, right?”

The sound of the camera shutter clicking and flashes going off echoes through the room. As I frame the provocative poses, the demands become increasingly extreme.

The subject, filled with humiliation, desperately tries to endure while I can't help but feel that this morally dubious situation is getting more enticing—

…

…

…

“Enticing, huh!?”

I make a comment not directed at anyone in particular, but the culprit behind this sinful situation, the archangel Uriel, seems needlessly pleased.

“Get on with it. This isn't going to be good practice.”

Yuri-san, posing provocatively in the freshly completed reverse maid outfit, looks good despite the outfit's initial appearance. It's definitely not good for my eyes. Where did I put the eye drops? Help me, Mom!

“Next, let's take a family photo.”

“With that outfit, what kind of family photo are you planning to take?”

This too is not going well. I protest my mother's nonsensical comment but am dismissed as a troublesome complainant, with no one taking me seriously. The photo that gets taken is something I can't face.

“By the way, which events are you participating in for the sports festival?”

“I'll go cheer you on. I'm looking forward to it.”

Suddenly, my sister brings up the sports festival. With the event approaching, the excitement within the school is growing.

We've gathered information on which key figures from each class will participate in which events, and we've identified the items borrowed from previous years' relay races. There shouldn't be any surprises in the borrowing process. Therefore, by preparing all the items in advance and consolidating them in one place, we can avoid confusion and ensure everything is in order.

I am already confident in our victory. We've been preparing for all the events and have been scouting other classes. It seems that our strategy and early start are paying off, as there's a significant gap that remains unfilled at this stage.

We're carefully balancing our strengths and weaknesses, assigning key and low-point events, and of course, focusing on strengthening our classmates as well. Though caution is essential, winning shouldn't be too difficult. The heavens are on my side!

“…Huh?”

“What's wrong?”

I try to remember which events I'm supposed to participate in but come up blank. This is a critical blunder.

Perhaps because I've been focused on others, I seem to have neglected my own role.

“There aren't any events I'm participating in!?”

“Ha?”