69 How Long Will You Stay With Me?
“The sports festival is at the end of this month, and Amatsuki is the sports committee member for our class, if I’m not mistaken.”
During homeroom one day, the teacher said something completely unexpected.
“Eh… the sports committee?”
I stared blankly.
“Oh, was I wrong?”
The homeroom teacher hurriedly checked the papers clipped to his clipboard.
“No, that’s right. It’s definitely Amatsuki.”
No way, Amatsuki Suzuna’s character isn’t the sports committee type.
She’s definitely more of a library committee type.
I’m not particularly fond of reading, though.
“…Ugh, I’m on the sports committee? Seriously, Amatsuki Suzuna… no, wait, maybe this is good for route management…?”
“What are you muttering to yourself?”
“Ah, nothing… sorry.”
“The sports committee’s main job is planning and managing the sports festival, so please do your best.”
“…Okay.”
Ah… I don’t want to.
◇◇◇
“Suzuna, you’re on the sports committee?”
Riri-chan asked during lunch break, sounding surprised.
“Apparently.”
“Are you the type who gets fired up for sports festivals?”
“You know the answer to that, don’t you? Do I look like that kind of passionate person?”
“You don’t.”
Riri-chan chuckled wryly at my lack of enthusiasm.
Of course, I’m not motivated at all.
That being said, it’s not all bad.
The sports festival is one of the events in this dating sim where you can get closer to the heroines.
But if I leave things as they are, there’s a high chance that Shindo Minato won’t trigger any flags with any of them.
So it might be beneficial for me to intervene as a sports committee member.
“You have a meeting today, right?”
“Yeah… why are they calling a meeting so late? It’s only three weeks away.”
She’s acting all important even though she didn’t even know she was on the sports committee until just now.
“It’s because they do the same thing every year. Just go with the flow.”
“Okay.”
The real work begins on the day itself.
I’ll just go with the flow for the meetings and preparations.
◇◇◇
“It seems everyone’s here. Then let’s begin the sports festival operations meeting.”
After school, the sports committee was called to the student council room.
Yes… the student council room.
So the one giving instructions was Kanaori Reika herself.
Apparently, the student council, or rather Kanaori-san, is involved in all of Seiran Academy’s school events.
I’m worried she’ll die from overwork.
“That being said, the basic procedures are already set, so we don’t have many agenda items. The main topic is selecting the events, and the rest is mostly confirming the operations and preparations for the day.”
“Well… yes.”
With the capable Kanaori-san in charge, I might be fine just knowing my own responsibilities.
“So let’s decide on the sports festival events today. Once that’s decided, the operations and preparations will naturally fall into place.”
That’s efficient.
“The handouts I’ve just distributed include the results of a survey where we asked all the students for their preferred events. We’ll use that as a basis for our selection.”
Kanaori-san is too efficient.
Everyone just listened intently as Kanaori-san flawlessly led the meeting.
◇◇◇
As the days passed and preparations progressed, my free time, mornings, lunch breaks, and after school, was increasingly occupied.
One day during lunch break…
“Um… I’m supposed to take these poles to the gym storage room.”
I followed instructions and carried the poles.
“—Hinase, I like you. Please go out with me.”
“…?!”
The gym storage room is behind the school building.
In that usually deserted place, I heard a boy’s voice.
The content of his words made me instinctively hide behind a nearby object.
I cautiously peeked out, and there was the back of a boy and Riri-chan facing him.
A confession…
My heart pounded in my chest.
“Sorry, I can’t… go out with you.”
The boy’s shoulders slumped at Riri-chan’s firm rejection.
My heartbeat slowly returned to normal.
…Does that mean… I’m relieved?
Do I really hate the idea of Riri-chan dating someone that much?
I was surprised by my own reaction.
“…Well then, I’ll be going.”
“Wait.”
The boy called out, and Riri-chan stopped.
“What?”
“Is there… a reason?”
“A reason…?”
“Do you… have someone you like?”
Riri-chan does have someone she likes.
But I don’t know who it is.
She jokingly said it was either me or Shindo-kun, and I got angry.
“I do.”
I already knew the answer.
“Are things going well with that person?”
“…”
Riri-chan hesitated for a moment.
“I don’t know yet.”
She had a truly uncertain expression on her face.
Watching her walk away, I felt bewildered.
Hypothetically.
If the person she likes is me, wouldn’t she say things are going well?
We’ve become close, so there’s no reason for her to be unsure.
The poles I was holding suddenly felt heavier.
“So it’s… Shindo-kun…?”
There’s been no progress between her and Shindo-kun.
Then her uncertain answer makes sense.
Will Riri-chan eventually leave me…?
◇◇◇
After school, in the student council room.
The sports festival operations meeting was over.
It was a rare day when I could go home early, so I had made plans with Riri-chan to go home together.
If I went back now, I could leave with Riri-chan while other classmates were still around.
But my feet wouldn’t move.
I felt reluctant, unable to bring myself to stand up from my seat in the student council room.
“Um… Amatsuki-san, the meeting is over.”
Kanaori-san seemed troubled by me staying in the student council room.
“Yes, it is.”
“…So, you should go home.”
“Even if I want to, it’s… difficult to meet her.”
“Are you waiting for someone?”
“Yes, my friend is waiting for me in the classroom.”
“Then all the more reason to hurry, I think…”
“I saw… her being confessed to.”
“…I see.”
Kanaori-san seemed exasperated by me, but she still treated me kindly.
“You seem… shocked.”
“Because your friend… started dating someone?”
“No, she rejected him.”
“…Then there doesn’t seem to be a problem.”
“But if she accepts someone’s confession, she’ll probably stop spending time with me. What do you think about that kind of relationship?”
Kanaori-san put a hand to her mouth, thinking.
“It might be lonely, but perhaps you’re the only one who can be happy for her.”
“…That’s true.”
A beautiful and correct statement.
A very Kanaori-san-like answer.
“But I… can’t do that. I’ll be lonely if she’s not with me.”
I don’t have any other friends, so I’ll be all alone if Riri-chan leaves.
I didn’t mind being alone at first.
But somewhere along the way, I became afraid of being alone.
It’s all Riri-chan’s fault.
“…Then shouldn’t you tell her that?”
“Tell her?”
“Yes, there are no right answers in friendships or romantic relationships. The only thing that matters is how you and your friend want things to be. You have to find the answer together.”
“…Maybe.”
There are no right answers in human relationships.
I know that, and that’s what makes it so difficult.
“But there’s one thing I can say for sure.”
“…What is it?”
“You shouldn’t waste the time you have now, Amatsuki-san.”
“Waste…?”
“Yes, you have a friend who’s waiting for you to go home with her. At least her time is being used for you right now. So why would you be afraid of a loneliness that may or may not come and waste the time you have together?”
“…Well…”
She might be right.
“So, come on, let’s go. I’m sure she’s waiting for you, feeling lonely.”
Kanaori-san’s words resonated with me.
“O-Okay. Thank you, Kanaori-san!”
I left the student council room to see Riri-chan.
70 Don’t Call Me Airheaded
Sports day arrived.
A clear, cloudless sky stretched overhead.
“…I guess most people would consider this perfect weather for sports…”
I don’t, though.
As an introvert, sunny weather is too bright.
“It’s so hot, I’m so tired.”
Riri-chan, sounding languid, came over to where I was taking a break in the shade.
“You too?”
“Of course. Rainy weather would be better than this.”
“Definitely.”
Riri-chan fanned herself with a paper fan.
Her hair was in a ponytail today, suitable for sports, and I could see sweat glistening on the nape of her neck.
“Hey, Suzuna, aren’t you hot in that outfit?”
I was wearing the school-designated navy blue tracksuit, the zipper all the way up.
Riri-chan was wearing a T-shirt with the hem of her tracksuit pants rolled up, revealing quite a bit of skin.
She looked much cooler.
“I am, but… you’ll get sunburned in that outfit.”
“So true. But I can’t help it, it’s too hot. I put on sunscreen, so it should be fine.”
Riri-chan sighed and sat down next to me.
Her T-shirt emphasized her figure more than usual, and my eyes were naturally drawn to her chest.
The bite mark I left was gone.
I felt a little disappointed.
“What are you looking at?”
I was staring too intently.
Riri-chan, noticing my gaze, smiled.
“I was looking at your finger.”
I lied on the spot.
“My finger…?”
“The cut, it’s healed.”
“Yeah, it’s healed. I forgot about it.”
Wounds heal.
Once they heal, they’re forgotten.
Then will Riri-chan also forget the mark I left on her chest once it heals?
Will the memory fade along with the healed skin?
…That’s a little sad.
“So, how’s being on the sports committee?”
After a short silence, Riri-chan filled the void.
“It’s a pain.”
“I know that.”
Riri-chan chuckled; my answer was probably as she expected.
“Suzuna, haven’t you just been carrying things around?”
“It’s part of the setup.”
I’ve been carrying and setting up equipment for the events.
Such an unsuitable task for me.
“Isn’t that usually something the boys do?”
“Yeah, the girls mostly do the guiding and announcements.”
“Then why aren’t you doing that, Suzuna?”
That’s a silly question.
“I don’t have the communication skills for guiding. And I can’t do announcements or speak in front of people.”
“I see, that’s so Suzuna.”
She nodded deeply.
It’s sad that she’s not even denying my shortcomings, even though I’m the one who listed them.
“Are you done with your work?”
“I just have to prepare for the scavenger hunt.”
The scavenger hunt is actually the most important event in this sports festival.
“Is there anything to prepare for that?”
“Just the items for the scavenger list… fufu, I came up with some of them.”
Preparing to ensure the event runs smoothly.
That’s the only reason I’m in charge of the scavenger hunt.
“Riri, you’re up next!”
A classmate called out to Riri-chan from afar.
“It’s already my turn?”
“It’s the relay race next, right?”
“I guess so. I’m not really feeling it, though.”
She stood up, sighing.
“I’ll be cheering for you, so do your best.”
Riri-chan’s eyes widened slightly.
“I see. That’s not bad.”
She said, and then ran towards the field.
◇◇◇
“No way, she’s too fast!”
Riri-chan’s running form was refined and efficient.
Our class was lagging behind considerably, but when Riri-chan started running, she quickly caught up, passing one opponent after another.
She brought us into the lead and passed the baton to the anchor.
It was undoubtedly Riri-chan who turned the race around.
We ended up in second place, but considering we were almost last, it was a great performance.
It was clear who the MVP was, and people gathered around Riri-chan, who was catching her breath.
“You were amazing…”
Riri-chan is talented and charismatic.
She’s not someone who should be hanging out with a gloomy person like me. I was reminded of that once again.
Even so, Riri-chan, pushing through the crowd, gave me a peace sign.
To me, not to the classmates in front of her.
“…Good work.”
I said, waving my hand.
I hope she understood.
◇◇◇
“Hinase, you were amazing out there.”
It was Shindo-kun who spoke to me.
“Yeah, she was.”
I couldn’t help but agree.
“You seem… really happy.”
“…Eh?”
I suddenly felt uncomfortable, like he was seeing through me.
I’ll change the subject.
“You’re in the scavenger hunt, right, Shindo-kun?”
“Yeah, luck-based games don’t require skill.”
The scavenger hunt is about how quickly you can find the items on the list, running speed isn’t that important.
…Wait, the scavenger hunt?
“Ah, I can’t. The scavenger hunt is next, I have to prepare.”
“What? You still have work to do, Suzuna?”
“The sports committee is busy. Everyone’s working hard.”
“I see. Sorry for taking up your time.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about me, and do your best in the scavenger hunt, Shindo-kun.”
“Okay.”
I headed towards the field.
◇◇◇
A box was placed in the center of the field, filled with slips of paper with items written on them.
The scavenger hunt is a race to find the person or object that matches the item on the slip of paper and bring them to the finish line.
And I, as a member of the sports committee, prepared those slips of paper.
Kanaori-san was waiting at the finish line to judge whether the items were correct.
In the original story, Shindo-kun draws the item “the person you like.”
It’s an event where his affection value with the heroine he chooses changes significantly.
However, this event only triggers if he has a certain level of intimacy with the heroines. If he doesn’t get along with any of them, it doesn’t happen.
That’s where I come in.
“I endured being on the sports committee for this moment.”
I have the list of participants for the scavenger hunt, so I know the order.
When it’s Shindo-kun’s turn, I’ll replace all the items with “the person you like.”
“And the heroine Shindo-kun chooses will be touched by that.”
Even if their intimacy levels aren’t as high as in the original story, no one would be offended at being chosen as “the person you like.”
This event should increase their intimacy levels, which haven’t been rising until now.
The only concern is that Shindo-kun might choose “Amatsuki Suzuna.”
But I have a countermeasure for that too.
I’m involved in running the scavenger hunt as a sports committee member.
And Shindo-kun knows that. I also made sure to emphasize how busy I am.
So the chances of him choosing me are quite low.
“Yeah, this plan is so perfect, it’s not even like me.”
And finally, it was almost Shindo-kun’s turn.
All I have to do is replace all the items with “the person you like.”
This will finally get the story back on track as a proper dating sim.
I was certain of victory.
“—Ready…”
Bang!
The starting signal.
The students ran and picked a slip of paper from the table in the center of the field.
No matter which one they picked, the item was “the person you like”…!!
“…Huh?”
But I recognized the twintails of the runner who arrived first.
“It’s Kokona-chan…”
And Shindo-kun wasn’t among the runners.
Wait, isn’t that strange?
Why isn’t Shindo-kun here?
And isn’t Kokona-chan coming towards me?
…
What’s going on?
I checked the participant list again.
Among the many names, I found “Shindo.”
“Shindo Kokona.”
“Amatsuki Suzuna! You’re free, right? Help me!”
I completely messed up.
And Kokona-chan, why are you coming to me?
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