My Mental Choices Are Completely Interfering with My School Romantic Comedy - Volume 2 Chapter 4.2: The Omen of a Harem??

Volume 2 Chapter 4.2: The Omen of a Harem??

At Seikou Academy, there are two buildings capable of housing the entire student body at once.

One of them is the large auditorium. As the name suggests, it’s an incredibly vast building, used for formal events like the start and end-of-year ceremonies, as well as entrance and graduation ceremonies. To put it simply, it’s a huge gymnasium.

Due to the size of the school, it was a necessary feature for accommodating all the students.

The other building is the event hall.

The hall has a stage in the center, surrounded by spectator seats on all sides, much like a sumo or boxing arena. This is used for more casual events like the new student welcome ceremony or stage performances at the school festival. The sound and lighting equipment is top-notch, making it a fully equipped and professional facility.

As for where I am now, I’m on the stage of that event hall.

Five chairs are lined up along one side of the square stage, with the members of “The Reject Five” seated. The members from the top-ranking side should be on the opposite side, but due to the stage lighting being dimmed for the performance, I can’t see their side.

Then, a spotlight was cast on the broadcast booth, which had been placed at the side of the stage.

“And now, everyone, it’s time for the final event of the new student welcome ceremony, the match between the top-ranked and ‘Reject Five’ teams! I, the head of the broadcasting club, Sumita Miyahara, will be your host and commentator for the evening!”

With that smooth introduction, a huge round of applause broke out. Since our students are always so enthusiastic, I’m sure the host finds it easy to keep the crowd energized.

“And today, we also have a guest commentator, the homeroom teacher from Class 2-1, Douraku Utage-sensei!”

The overly energetic host was met with a tired-looking Utage-sensei sitting lazily next to him.

“Yo.”

“Now, Douraku-sensei, three members from your class are participating in this competition today. You must be hoping for a strong showing from them!”

“Well, I mean, all three are disappointing in their own way. Also, it’s way too hot here. Why is everyone gathered for this? Normally, people would skip something like this.”

…Do we even need this commentator?

“Ahem, moving on, let’s introduce the ten contestants!”

The host, wisely choosing to avoid further interaction with Utage-sensei, proceeded.

“First, from the top ranks, the vice president of the student council and reigning number one on the boys’ ranking, Shishimori Souga!”

At this announcement, Shishimori-senpai stood up, and as soon as he did, the spotlight hit him.

“Kyaaa! Souga-samaaaa!”

“Souga-senpaiii!”

“Kyaaaaa!”

The screams from the girls echoed through the hall. However, Shishimori-senpai, unfazed by the loud cheers, addressed his microphone in a deep, detached voice.

“Shut up. Don’t make so much noise.”

While that could sound somewhat childish coming from someone else, Shishimori-senpai’s delivery made it seem unnervingly cool. In fact, the more the girls were ignored, the more they seemed to get excited.

Shishimori-senpai took his seat with an expression that said he was completely over it.

“Now, moving on, from ‘The Reject Five,’ our first fighter, the new transfer student and first-year student. Her profile claims she’s ‘the little sister of all mankind,’ but I still don’t understand what that means, Hakoniwa Yuragi!”

Yuragi stood up as the spotlight hit her. Since she had only just transferred, most of the audience didn’t know her, but…

“Yuuuuu, Yuragi!”

“You’re my little sister!”

“Buhiiiii!”

…Apparently, Yuragi had already captivated a fair number of “big brothers” in the audience.

With a bright smile, Yuragi turned on the microphone, put a peace sign to her forehead, and spoke with cheerfulness.

“Hello everyone, I’m your heart’s little sister, Hakoniwa Yuragi. Nice to meet you!”

“Who’s that girl?”

“Apparently, if you talk to her, she’ll automatically become your little sister.”

“Whoa, I feel like something’s awakening in me…”

“Nah, that’s not possible, right?”

“Well, she is from ‘The Reject Five,’ so…”

A mixture of praise and skepticism rippled through the crowd.

“Next, from the top ranks, our next contestant, the girl who’s ranked number one in the ‘I want to marry her’ category, also known for being a total klutz… Yawakaze Konagi!”

“Konagi! Konagi!”

Unlike the scattered cheers earlier, now the voices of Yakaze’s dedicated fan club resonated clearly. Most of the girls were looking at her with affection, undoubtedly due to her gentle and kind personality.

“Uh, um, I’m not good at this kind of thing, but I’ll try my best!”

Her adorable nervousness sparked light laughter from the audience, and the boys’ faces all softened in unison.

“Next up, from ‘The Reject Five,’ known for her rebellious spirit and the daughter of the CEO of UOG, the free-spirited and wild girl, Yuuouji Ouka!”

“Yoo-hooo!”

As soon as Ouka’s name was called, she dashed out to the center of the stage. The spotlight frantically followed her, and as she reached the center, she flipped three times in succession.

“Yosha!”

She finished with a perfect backflip and struck a V-sign, causing a wave of applause from the crowd.

“And now, from the top ranks, the next contestant. This one needs no introduction… Gentlemen, brace yourselves… Reikadou Ayame!”

The moment Ayame’s name was announced, every male student’s eyes were focused in one direction—her chest.

Ayame, not even a little shy, casually flipped her hair and grinned confidently.

“Fufu, go ahead and look all you want, you filthy men.”

“Our dear S!” (T/N: Sadist.)

“Ayame-samaaa!”

“More! More insults!”

The boys were utterly entranced, many of them acting in the most perverse way imaginable.

“I don’t know why, but the way she says things really pisses me off, but with those… boobs, I guess it’s hard to complain…”

“Yeah, well, with those boobs…”

Even the other boys, who weren’t followers of Reikadou, found themselves reluctantly convinced for reasons they couldn’t even understand. The power of breasts… though, a good portion of them are silicone.

“Well then, we’ve passed the halfway mark, and now, let’s continue with the next contestant. From the ‘Reject Five,’ the middle member who delivers poisonous words and dirty jokes without a change in expression—Yukihira Furano!”

At the announcement, Yukihira stood up soundlessly.

“That person… isn’t she kind of cool?”

“She’s got that cool beauty vibe.”

“I can’t believe that the other day, she was talking on the school broadcast. She sounded so different!”

The first-year girls, who didn’t know much about her, stared at Yukihira with envious eyes. Well, if she stayed silent, she’d certainly give off that kind of impression.

“Hello. I’m the preacher of ‘the twins,’ Yukihira Furano. You can call me ‘Pai-Otsu Furano.’”

…Well, that’s only if she stayed silent.

The new students were left dumbfounded. After all, the purpose of breaking illusions is exactly to destroy them. It’s something the right-hand man does every time, and there’s no mistake about it.

“Now, moving on, the vice-captain of the top ranks, who has been surrounded by rumors of the ‘peach-colored’ variety, a player with the potential to join the rankings soon, Yoshihara Toya!”

“Kyaaa!”

“Toya-kuuun!”

“Toya-samaaa!”

Yellow cheers flew from the crowd. This display of “real-life joy”… I really wish they’d just explode already.

Standing up, Yoshihara responded to the girls’ cheers with a smile and a wave.

“I’m open to anyone, so feel free to come by, upperclassmen!”

Just with that line and a wink, even some of the second- and third-year girls, who had never known Yoshihara before, blushed and started fanning themselves… I really wish they’d just vanish in a puff of smoke.

“Next, the vice-captain of ‘The Reject Five,’ a third-year student shrouded in mystery, with hardly any information available about him—Yumejima Karasu!”

The moment the spotlight hit him, the gasps from the crowd were inevitable. His bandaged face was quite the spectacle. It’s no surprise—he looked like a complete unknown.

The moment Yumejima-senpai stood out, he bent his legs and started doing stretching exercises. What the hell? Just as I was wondering, he suddenly dashed toward the center of the stage. Was he planning to do a backflip to compete with Yuuouji?

Reaching top speed, Yumejima-senpai turned and leaped with all his might, but…

“Guehh!”

He couldn’t pull it off!

He fell flat on his back with a loud thud.

The entire venue burst into laughter.

Rubbing his back and waist, Yumejima-senpai returned to the seat next to me, looking utterly defeated. Damn, this guy is so uncool, it’s the best.

“And now, everyone’s favorite, the Student Council President and number one in the girls’ rankings, the one and only, a truly astonishing charismatic leader, Seira Kokubyakuin!”

“Hello, everyone~”

The president stood up and said those words the moment she rose to her feet.

“Uoooooooooooooooh!”

“President ooooooooooooooh!”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“Seira-samaaaaaaaaaaah!”

A round of applause erupted, so different from the previous cheers. The sheer popularity was overwhelming—I knew she was popular, but not to this extent…

“Thank you~!”

The president waved cheerfully as she took her seat.

“And now, the grand finale. A sudden and unpredictable display of outrageous behavior, the screams from the girls were the loudest in the school, and from the boys, the only thing they wanted was for me to hand over the visuals, an astonishing face that could only be described as deceptive—’The Reject Five’ leader, Amakusa Kanade!”

…I can’t shake the feeling that my introduction was laced with ill intentions. Is that just me?

“Do your best, Amakusa (lol)!”

“Go for it, handsome (lol)!”

“Go for it, 2nd-year class 1 star (lol)!”

Tears almost started to well up at the heartfelt cheers from the boys… but no, I’m absolutely never talking to them again.

At this point, I was already mentally broken, and just wanted to stay seated. But considering the flow of things, I knew I had to at least say something.

“Uh, I’m Amakusa Kanade. It seems like there are a lot of misunderstandings, so I’d like to clear something up—”

[Choose: ① Make an incredibly lame pun ② Whatever happens, I’ll end up in the drain]

…Well, it’s clear that I need to hold back on the timing, and stop with the “becoming a non-human” series. There are plenty of things to point out, but first, I want to say—didn’t the options themselves feel like a lame pun!?

…Well, no matter what I scream about, in the end, I guess I’ll have to do it anyway.

“…There’s a crocodile, so… I don’t want to go in the Nile.”

The entire venue fell into a hush.

…Well, it’s not my fault—it was a designated lame joke! If I actually tried, though, I’d have you laughing your heads off, for real. No, seriously. It’s not me just trying to act tough. Because if it was funny, it’d be a failure, right? I mean, my pun sense is seriously insane. It’s hard to intentionally say something boring… I… ugh, I’m starting to hate this, so I’ll just stop.

As my self-inflicted torment ended, the MC quickly adjusted the microphone, seemingly surprised.

“S-So, Douraku-sensei, what exactly was the reasoning behind that incredibly lame pun?”

“Well, it’s just Amakusa being Amakusa, as usual.”

“I see… as expected from one of ‘The Reject Five.’”

“That was a cute one, but if something serious happens today, we won’t be able to cover it up. Whether Amakusa gets expelled is one of the highlights of this event.”

…What even are teachers, really?

“Now then, with the introductions out of the way, let’s move on to the explanation of the rules. Everyone, please direct your attention to this panel!”

A huge panel, placed next to the broadcasting booth, was illuminated by a spotlight.

“Now, as you can see, this panel is divided into twenty-five sections. Each side contains different match-up instructions. The ten contestants will follow these instructions for their battles!”

“Oi oi, is that electric? How much money did they put into this? If they’ve got that much, they should give some of it to me instead.”

The most immediate comment wasn’t even a proper explanation, just a request. And the thought process was on the same level as Yukihira’s.

“Uh, um, the first match will be selected by Douraku-sensei. So, sensei, which number should we choose?”

“Hmm, let’s go with ‘Strangulation Kill Number Nine.’”

…Utage-san, you’re too free-spirited.

“Y-Yes, then, number nine, go!”

The host pressed the button in front of them, and the lamp lit up, causing the panel to automatically flip over. Seriously, this is really expensive, isn’t it?

The back of the panel read “Acting Challenge.”

“Alright, here we go! The next challenge will be for Shishimori and Hakoniwa. They’ll have to perform characters that match the given theme, and they’ll do a short play!”

“How will the judging work?”

“Well, actually, 100 randomly selected students from the audience have been given switches. The results will be displayed on the electronic scoreboard at the side of the panel, and that’s how the winner will be decided!”

“If you’ve got that much money, just give me a box of cigarettes, would ya?”

…Seriously, just go home already.

“W-Well, sensei, could you please provide the theme? Make sure it’s something that doesn’t unfairly advantage anyone and keeps the characters true to form.”

“Alright, how about this: A delinquent older brother who’s been coming home late recently, and his worried little sister.”

It’s too perfect for them.

“Alright then, both of you, please step to the center of the stage.”

Following the voice, the two stepped forward and faced off. Shishimori-senpai, who I thought would hate this kind of competition, looked energized and full of spirit, his expression practically shouting “I’ll show you!” He’s a former delinquent, and for him, it seemed more important to win than the content of the match.

But the determination to win was stronger in me than anyone else here. After all, a victory for “The Reject Five” directly contributes to the success of our mission.

Please, do your best… I silently prayed as I watched Yuragi.

“Now, let the first match begin!”

With the host’s declaration, Yuragi immediately walked up to Shishimori-senpai.

“Onii-chan, it’s almost midnight! What have you been doing out this late?”

…Normally, she’s really good at this. In fact, it’s just like the usual Yuragi.

“Tch, whatever. I can do whatever I want, it’s none of your business.”

…This is pretty perfect too. I mean, it’s just Shishimori-senpai being himself.

“Ugh, that’s not cute at all.”

“Shut up, it’s none of your business.”

“It’s not like it’s none of my business! I’m worried about you, Onii-chan!”

The two of them exchanged words so naturally, it felt like a real conversation. If this keeps going, it’ll be hard to distinguish who’s better at acting.

“Shut up, get out of the way.”

Just as Shishimori-senpai tried to walk away, Yuragi stood in his way with a defiant smile.

“Heh, I know. Even though you act cold with your words, you’re actually happy that I’m worried about you, aren’t you?”

Suddenly, Yuragi froze in place.

And with that, the atmosphere completely changed.

“─I smell something…”

“Huh?”

“I smell something unfamiliar.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s a woman’s scent.”

“What the hell—”

“It’s a woman, isn’t it, Onii-chan?”

Without hesitation, Yuragi interrupted Shishimori-senpai’s words and took a bold step forward.

“Wait… Your eyes, they’re acting strange.”

“Ahaha, of course, Onii-chan, how could I not be worried when garbage insects are crawling all over you? There’s no way I could stay calm when I see that. A little sister doesn’t stay indifferent to something like that.”

“Hey, wait, this is just an act, right?”

Shishimori-senpai took a step back.

“Doesn’t matter right now, Onii-chan.”

Yuragi moved closer, closing the distance.

“If I had to… If I had to become anything other than Yuragi… Then that Onii-chan would be…”

Yuragi’s hand slowly reached out toward Shishimori-senpai’s neck.

“Unwanted.”

“Ggh… Ah!”

“S-Stop! Stop, stop!”

The host rushed out from the broadcast booth and stood between them.

“Huh? Why are you stopping them?”

Yuragi immediately returned to her normal demeanor, almost instantly.

“Well, I mean, you were choking him…”

The host turned back toward Shishimori-senpai, but the senpai didn’t seem shaken. Instead, he wore an expression like he’d just been caught off guard, as though he’d been grabbed by a fox.

“No, I seriously felt like I was being choked…”

“I didn’t choke you. I just acted in a way that made you think it was happening. That’s all, Onii-chan.”

What incredible… what incredible acting skill.

From the broadcasting booth, Utage-sensei let out a disappointed sigh.

“Don’t stop there! You should have known if it was real by just looking at it!”

…That’s just you, though.

“I-I’m sorry. Let’s continue—huh? It’s over?”

The host held his earpiece. It seemed like some sort of interference had occurred.

“Um, the committee has decided that continuing any further would be too inappropriate, so we’ll end it here and announce the winner based on this segment.”

Well, it’s probably a wise decision. It got too intense, to the point where it was almost unsettling…

The host began tallying the votes through the switch system.

The result was, as expected, Yuragi’s overwhelming victory with over eighty votes.

“W-Wow, that was amazing, but also kind of unsettling…”

“Hey, is everyone from ‘The Reject Five’ like this?”

“What did you do to my Souga-sama?!”

“Yandere god has descended!”

The excitement came only from a select few with specific tastes, while the majority of the students couldn’t hide their confusion.

Well, either way, a win is a win. This brings us one step closer to completing our mission.

“A-Anyway, let’s move on to the next match! Yuuouji and Yawakaze, please step forward!”

The host, having returned to the broadcast booth, shouted to clear the tense atmosphere left by Yuragi’s performance.

“Haaaii!”

Yuuouji leapt forward energetically. In contrast, Yawakaze walked cautiously toward the center.

“Please, win this one…”

If Yuuouji wins here, it’ll put us at an overwhelming advantage.

“Fufufu, finally, the time has come… The time to take down the mighty Konagi Empire!”

“O-Oh, Ouka-chan, don’t say things like that, let’s get along—”

Yuuouji interrupted Yawakaze’s words and raised her fist toward the audience.

“Everyone—don’t you want to see Konagi-tan writhing and half crying?”

After a few seconds of silence, a loud shout resonated.

“I-I want to see itttt!”

The air was shaken by the chorus of excitement.

“Mufufu, did you hear that, Konagi-ōtei? The entire nation is waiting for the sight of you squirming in distress.”

“N-No…!”

Yawakaze’s eyes started to water lightly.

“Now then, for the battle method! From now on, the person who lost in the previous match will choose the next one. So, Yawakaze, it’s your turn!”

“Eh? Me? Well then, I choose number 25.”

“Understood! Number 25—Donnn! Ohhh, it’s Oil Wrestling!”

“Oh, this one looks fun!”

“W-Wrestling? I’ve never done that before…”

Yes! The oil part is a bit concerning, but in terms of physical competition, Yuuouji has the clear advantage.

“For this match, we’ll be using a special ring. Please allow us a bit of time to prepare. The event committee will assist, and during that time, the players will change into the provided gym uniforms.”

Following the smooth progress of the host, Yuuouji and Yawakaze left the stage to prepare.

A few minutes later, a ring filled with oil was set up in the center of the stage. Well, with just two thin ropes barely stretched, it hardly resembled a proper ring—more like a large inflatable kiddie pool, if anything.

“Yeeaaah!”

“U-Uuuh…”

Both players returned to the stage, now in their gym uniforms. Yawakaze hesitantly raised her hand.

“Um… Why are we wearing bloomers?”

Normally, gym classes at their school are held in shorts, so this question was completely reasonable.

“It’s the rules.”

“Isn’t it fine if I just wear regular gym clothes?”

“Nope, it’s not.”

The host sharply rejected Yawakaze’s plea in a way that hadn’t been heard before.

From the crowd, there were cheers of “That’s the spirit!” and “Go, great host!”

“Come on, let’s get started already!”

“Huh? Huh?”

Yuuouji, clearly growing impatient, suddenly picked Yawakaze up in a princess carry and ran toward the edge of the ring. Without a second thought, she threw Yawakaze into the oil-filled pit.

“Ughhhaaaaa!”

Yawakaze slid across the oily ring.

“Yaaaahoooo!”

Yuuouji followed quickly, leaping into the ring herself.

The match quickly became one-sided.

“Hyaaa! German Suplex!”

“Aaaaahhh!”

“Cobra Twist!”

“It hurts, it hurts!”

“Hissatsu Rider Kick!!”

“Ouka-chan, please stopppp!”

Yuuouji, happily applying technique after technique, and Yawakaze, helplessly being tossed around.

Two beautiful girls, tangled up in oil, both in their bloomers. What a sight… What a feast for the eyes. The entire male audience stared, mouths half-open, captivated by the scene in the ring.

However, despite being hit with so many moves, and clearly showing pain at times, there was no sign that Yawakaze had been seriously injured. Yuuouji must have been carefully controlling the situation.

After some time, with Yuuouji dominating the match…

“Mufufu, I think I’ll finish this off with a special lariat!”

Yuuouji, grinning, slid to the far end of the ring.

“U… Uuuh…”

Yawakaze wobbled to her feet, her back to the audience. It was a bit pitiful to watch, but it was clear that Yuuouji’s victory was all but guaranteed now.

“Koyogi-ōtei, don’t move too much, it’s just flashy, and it won’t hurt—being still is the best thing for you right now.”

Yuuouji said, delivering a villainous line, and then rolled up her gym shirt to her shoulders.

“Yahhoooooo!”

With great enthusiasm, she began sliding toward Yawakaze.

“Hiii!”

The moment Yawakaze seemed to shrink back, resigned to her fate…

“Ughhh!”

She tripped. She completely fell.

“Huh?”

As a result, Yuuouji’s lariat completely missed.

“Oh? Oh? Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

Yuuouji, overzealous, flew through the ropes—there were only two ropes in place—and out of the ring entirely.

Her momentum didn’t slow even as she landed, and she slid across the stage floor, heading straight towards… me?

“S-Seriously?!”

“Ah, Amacchi, move out of the way, it’s dangerous!”

I reflexively stood, but it was already too late.

“Uoooooooh!”

Yuuouji slammed into me with all her force, knocking me flat.

“Ouch…”

“Ahh, I really messed up there, Amacchi, sorry, are you okay?”

Yuuouji, who had gotten up first, extended her hand toward me while turning off the mic.

“Ah, I’m not injured or anything—wait, what the heck?!”

My gaze was fixed on a single point.

“Amacchi, why are you looking at my bloomers… huh?”

Yuuouji’s bloomers, covered in oil, had completely slid down due to our contact.

In other words…

“Hello, panties.”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

A piercing scream echoed throughout the venue.

“W-W-What just happened?! L-Lights, please!”

The announcer, responding to the voice, frantically gave instructions.

“Damn it!”

Just before the spotlight hit, I hastily pulled up Yuuouji’s bloomers.

By a hair’s breadth, I managed to do it, and the spotlight revealed Yuuouji, her body shaking uncontrollably.

“W-W-What exactly happened to Yuuouji?”

“I-I’m glad it wasn’t seen by everyone…”

“Again… AGAIN, I was seen!”

Yuuouji, her body trembling with shame, dashed off like a bullet.

“H-Hey, wait, Yuuouji! Ow!”

I tried to chase after her, but slipped on the oil scattered on the floor, falling down.

“W-W-We can’t grasp the situation, but please follow after Yuuouji!”

By the time the announcer called for the staff to respond, Yuuouji had already dashed out of the event hall at an astonishing speed.

A few minutes later, the announcer spoke again after receiving information through the earpiece.

“Y-Yuuouji has been safely found sitting in the middle of the schoolyard. However, for some reason, she is experiencing unusual facial heat, and continuing the match is judged to be difficult. Therefore, Yuuouji will be considered to have forfeited, and Yawakaze is declared the winner of the next round!”

…What a bizarre ending.

A few more minutes later.

The ring was removed by the event staff, and the announcer raised their voice.

“Despite the mysterious accident, it’s tied—one win, one loss! Things are getting interesting! Next up, we have the middleweight match! Yukihira and Reikadou, please come forward!”

Following the announcer’s call, the two contestants faced each other in the center of the stage.

One win, one loss… If we lose here, there will be no more chances. Before the match began, I had especially asked Yukihira to focus on winning—yet, all I feel now is unease.

“Yukihira Furano… Today, I will definitely make up for that previous humiliation!”

“You think you’ve said something clever about avenging yourself, but don’t get too cocky over something so small.”

“I’m not thinking about some old-man nonsense like that!”

Yukihira and Reikadou glared at each other.

“Well, it seems these two have some past history! Alright then, Yukihira, please choose the number!”

“Hmm, let’s go with eight.”

“Y-Yes, eight!”

The announcer, slightly flustered, pressed a button, and the panel spun. What was revealed behind it was “Nickname Battle.”

“Let me explain. In this challenge, the contestants will come up with nicknames for each other. The person who comes up with the most fitting nickname within the time limit will win! The winner will be decided by audience voting, just like before!”

Something tells me this is going to be a disaster…

“Let’s get started right away! The time limit is ten minutes, and Yukihira, you can go first!”

Yukihira stared intently at Reikadou’s chest and, without a hint of expression, declared.

“‘Surprisingly hard.’”

“Wh-What are you even talking about?!”

“It’s your chest’s nickname.”

“It’s not hard!”

“Then how about ‘Dull and Saggy’?”

“That’s not it at all!”

“We’re supposed to take turns, but why are you giving two at once?”

“Sorry, sorry. How about, ‘Hard-looking, but squishy when touched’?”

“That’s the worst!”

From the very start, Yukihira was going full throttle. Well, at this point, there’s no stopping her, and mentally, she’s definitely in the lead, so it’s not the worst situation.

However, this isn’t getting anywhere fast. The announcer, seeing this, decided to intervene.

“U-Um… we still have some time, so Reikadou, could you give a nickname, please?”

“Ugh… Fine. Then… ‘Expressionless Woman!’”

“‘When she gets old, they’ll sag.’”

“They will not sag!”

“To say that something will definitely not happen in the future, when the possibility still exists, is an arrogant thing to say from someone like you.”

“Why are you making it sound kind of cool?”

It would be better if she didn’t respond to everything… Well, I can’t really talk when it comes to retorts myself.

“‘Cold-blooded Woman!’”

“‘You look like you have no common sense!’”

“No one believes in that kind of nonsense these days!”

“Then, what about your actual performance?”

“I-I could count from the bottom faster… but… what are you making me say!?”

…As the back-and-forth continued, an atmosphere of “I’ve had enough” began to permeate the hall. Just as it seemed the crowd was getting tired, Yukihira’s comment brought a sudden change.

“‘There’s silicone in it.’”

…Ah.

“Wh-What!? No way, no, no, no, there’s absolutely nothing like that!”

Reikadou, in complete panic, was desperately trying to deny it, as Yukihira had casually pointed out an undeniable truth.

“Oh? I was expecting a reaction like ‘It’s not silicone, I swear!’, but… this is suspicious.”

Yukihira gave Reikadou a skeptical look.

“I never thought it’d be the case, but… I think this might require a little… ‘adjustment.’”

As Yukihira created her own mysterious term, she walked up to Reikadou.

“H-Hey, what are you doing… Stop… A-Ahh…”

With a lewd gesture, Yukihira began to grope Reikadou’s chest, squeezing it in front of everyone.

This… is so erotic.

All the men in the room (including the teachers) were watching intently, holding their breath as they witnessed the scene.

“I see… the answer lies within this hand.”

A few seconds later, it seemed that Yukihira had made her judgment. She raised her right hand high.

“S-Stop…”

Tears welled up in Reikadou’s eyes, her words faltering. If she said “stop” now, it would mean admitting the silicone, so she remained quiet.

Though I felt a bit sorry for her, Yukihira coldly declared:

“Unfortunately, it’s all natural.”

…Huh?

Reikadou, just like me, had a confused expression on her face.

What? Couldn’t she tell just from touching it? Or was she… showing mercy?

The crowd of men sighed in relief, while a few women clicked their tongues in frustration.

“Well, it was a pretty good feeling.”

At Yukihira’s comment, Reikadou’s face turned bright red as she covered her chest with both hands, shouting.

“Y-You perverted breast-groping woman!!”

Bbbbbbbbbb—!!

“Oh, and here comes the buzzer signaling the end of the match!”

…Seriously? The timing couldn’t be worse.

Right now, all that was left in the minds of the audience was the image of Yukihira groping Reikadou’s chest.

“All hundred judges, please vote on the nicknames that were presented!”

As the announcer spoke, nicknames like “‘Hard-looking, but squishy when touched,’” and “‘Expressionless Woman’” appeared on the screen.

Then, the results of the voting came in:

“The best nickname was… Reikadou’s nickname, ‘Breast-Groping Perverted Woman’!”

…Well, that was inevitable.

However, Yukihira returned with an attitude as if she had already won.

“Well, in a way, I won, didn’t I?”

“In a way?”

“She owes me a big favor now.”

A favor? Did Yukihira notice the silicone and intentionally stay silent about it?

“…I get it. I understand the struggle of wanting to make your chest look bigger.”

What? She seemed to say something, but it was too quiet to hear.

No, no, no! I can’t be thinking about that right now! With Yukihira’s loss, the score was now one win and two losses. This is bad… really bad! We have no more chances left. I need to make sure that Yumejima-senpai pulls through.

“And now, with the current scoreboard, the opposing team has taken the lead with two wins, and they’re on the verge of reaching victory! Next up, we have the Vice Commander match! Yumejima, Yoshihara, please come forward!”

Yoshihara stood up and walked toward the center of the stage, receiving a cheer from the audience.

However, the Yumejima-senpai sitting beside me showed no signs of moving.

“Senpai?”

I felt uncertain and placed my hand on the shoulder of the person sitting next to me.

“Hm?”

What I felt was an oddly soft sensation.

“W-What is this…?”

What I saw was a scarecrow with a drawn-on face in the shape of “he no he no mo he ji” (a kind of simplified Japanese character design).

W-Wait a second. It was definitely Yumejima-senpai sitting here just a moment ago… when did they disappear?

On the scarecrow’s body was a note.

“After failing the backflip, my back, waist, and heart hurt too much to bear, so I’m going home.”

Are you kidding me!?

At that moment, the announcer also noticed Yumejima-senpai’s absence.

“Oh, it seems like Yumejima has unexpectedly bailed out!”

Hold on, wait a minute! In this one-win, two-loss situation, if the Vice Commander match ends in a default, this will turn into a huge disaster!

“Now, if this continues, it seems ‘The Reject Five’ will lose by default… but what can we do now?”

This is bad! I need to shout and get some time to search for Senpai!

Just as I was about to do so, Yoshihara’s voice rang out from the center of the stage.

“Ah, well, if that’s the case, I have a proposal. Would it be alright if I choose someone to replace Yumejima-senpai and continue the match?”

“Yoshihara, what do you mean?”

“Well, a default win would be boring, so I’ll pick someone to replace Yumejima-senpai and we can continue fighting.”

That was quite an unexpected proposal. The announcer seemed confused and asked for advice from Utage-sensei

“A replacement for the fight? There’s never been a precedent for that… Douraku-sensei, what should we do?”

“Eh, sure, whatever.”

…That’s too casual. Well, I guess it’s better than spending time looking for Yumejima-senpai, who might not even be in the school anymore.

“It’s been allowed, so Yoshihara, please make your selection!”

“Thank you. Then, I choose Chocolat-san from Class 2-1.”

…Huh?

For a moment, I didn’t understand what Yoshihara had just said.

“Chocolat-san, you say? Wait, there was a foreign exchange student in this school…?”

At that moment, it seemed there was a communication issue, and the announcer held his earpiece.

“Uh, it seems we’ve just confirmed. Apparently, Chocolat-san, who was just picked, is indeed in Class 2-1, but technically she’s not a student. She’s a ‘academic support pet’ of Amakusa Kanade, the Captain of ‘The Reject Five’… Douraku-sensei, what’s going on here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Umm… Sensei, you’re the homeroom teacher, right?”

“Homeroom teacher is just a title.”

“…I see.”

…I want to comment on that, but now isn’t the time. I don’t know why Yoshihara picked Chocolat, but this situation where she’s about to appear in front of all the students… it’s way too dangerous.

“Well then, Chocolat-san from Class 2-1, please come up to the stage.”

“Okay!”

Chocolat stood up from the audience and ran toward the stage. The event staff rushed to her and handed her a microphone.

“Chocolat-san, you’ve been picked by Yoshihara to participate in this match. Will you join?”

“Yes, I’ll do my best for Kanade-san!”

Ugh… Normally, I would definitely stop her from doing this, but with the situation being a guaranteed default loss, there’s no other choice.

“Isn’t she super cute?”

“She’s like a dog, so adorable!”

“Oh, that’s the girl who was in our class. I just want to give her some sweets or something.”

Chocolat, who spread love and smiles, was met with kind and warm gazes from the crowd.

“But, what does it mean that she’s Kanade’s ‘academic support pet’?”

“I heard they live together.”

“Treating a girl like a pet… disgusting.”

On the other hand, the looks I received were nothing but judgmental… This is totally unfair.

“Now then, Chocolat-san, please do your best!”

“I will!”

Yoshihara and Chocolat exchanged cheerful handshakes… I couldn’t shake off the sense of dread.

“Now, let’s decide the rules for the match. Chocolat, please choose a number.”

“Then, I’ll go with number seven!”

“Alright, number seven… Boom!”

At the announcer’s voice, a panel spun around.

“Oh, here it is, ‘The Insult Match’!”

…What is that?

“As the name suggests, in this match, each participant has three minutes to insult their opponent as much as possible, and the first one to break their opponent’s spirit wins!”

No way… this isn’t something that should be happening at a school event, right? Also, wasn’t the previous match between Yukihira and Reikadou pretty much an insult match too?

“The first move will be by ‘The Reject Five,’ who lost earlier. Chocolat-san, please begin!”

“Okay!”

Chocolat raised her hand enthusiastically, but for some reason, she turned toward the announcer instead of Yoshihara, tilting her head in confusion.

“U-Um, by the way, how exactly do I insult someone?”

…Are you serious?

I buried my face in my hands, while the crowd’s murmur spread throughout the venue.

“Wh-What is this adorable creature…?!”

“Chocolat-chan is like an angel!”

“H-Hah, I wanna take her home!”

People were being easily deceived by her exterior. Fools… They didn’t know just how useless Chocolat could be.

“Well, you just have to say things that would upset the other person.”

“Got it, I understand!”

Taking the announcer’s advice, Chocolat turned toward Yoshihara and, making a sad face, spoke.

“You… you’re not getting dinner tonight.”

…Wait, that’s something I said to her!

“And if you eat that daifuku, I’ll kick you out of the house!”

The crowd’s reaction to Chocolat’s playful insults only grew louder as the match proceeded.

That’s the one where I ate nine out of the ten daifuku I was really looking forward to.

“You should always stay hungry.”

This line came from when I had eaten everything in the fridge and still said I was hungry.

Yoshihara, who was being insulted (?), just stared at Chocolat with a smile, showing no signs of being hurt.

Of course, anyone would be confused if they were suddenly told something like this.

The announcer quickly intervened to try and redirect the match.

“Ch-Chocolat-san, that’s not quite the right way to insult.”

“Huh? I said something that Kanade-san said that made me sad, but doesn’t that count as an insult?”

Don’t bring up my name!

“Hey, is that Kanade guy not feeding Chocolat-chan? A little girl like that must get full easily. How heartless can he be?”

“Should I take her home? She’s just so cute.”

It seemed like Chocolat noticed the accusing gazes directed at me, as she suddenly raised her voice toward the audience.

“Ah, no, everyone’s mistaken. Kanade-san treats me very well and I’m very happy!”

“What does ‘treating well’ mean?”

“Chocolat-chan really looks happy saying that… Could it be that Kanade-san is ‘training’ her?”

“Kanade… I want to punch him.”

Chocolat, the more you speak, the worse my situation gets.

“And with that, Chocolat’s first round of time is up!”

The announcer, having checked the time, declared the turn over… This is bad. There’s no way I can win repeating things like this. This is trouble… big trouble!

“Now, Yoshihara-san, your turn!”

Yoshihara, encouraged by the announcer, smiled warmly at Chocolat and spoke.

“I give up.”

Huh?

“I could never insult a girl. The moment this became the rule of the match, I lost.”

What the hell is this? That’s way too over-the-top.

“To all my supporters… I’m sorry.”

Wow, I got goosebumps. Such a cheesy line, I can’t believe anyone would accept this, even his fans—

“He’s so cool!!”

“Toya-kun is such a gentleman!”

“I’m okay with being insulted by him!!”

Turns out, they loved it after all.

“And with that, Yoshihara’s unexpected surrender means that ‘The Reject Five’ wins the vice-captain match!”

As much as I didn’t like Yoshihara’s popularity, I was grateful… This situation really helped me out.

“Now, with the score tied at 2-2, the final match will determine the winner!”

There were definitely some close calls along the way, but somehow… we made it this far.

“Now, the final competitors, please step forward!”

“Woooooo! We’ve been waiting for this!!”

“Seira-sama, we’re cheering for you!!”

Just like when the competitors were introduced earlier, the crowd cheered so loudly that it shook the whole venue.

On the other hand, my own support was:

“Go for it, Kanade (lol)!”

“Don’t lose, Kanade (lol)!”

“Our Kanade (lol)!”

…Such overwhelming friendship made me tear up a bit.

No, I can’t afford to lose focus now. I have to concentrate on the match ahead!

“Now, Seira Kokubyakuin-san, please choose a number for the match method!”

The president, who was called by the announcer, cheerfully made her declaration.

“Well then, I’ll go with number one!”

“Alright, number one, here we go!”

Under the announcer’s voice, the panel flipped over to reveal…

“A… rock-paper-scissors match?”

It was a somewhat anticlimactic match, and it was easy to understand the announcer’s confusion. Who prepared this panel, and why on earth would they include something like this?

“Oh, oh well. Alright, let’s do this… Rock, paper, scissors!”

Without waiting for the announcer’s cue, the president suddenly started the match.

“Huh? Wait, wait, not so suddenly—!”

I hastily tried to stop her, but the president didn’t pause.

“Rock!”

Oh no! I panicked and made my move too quickly. At this timing, the president could easily choose after seeing mine. This is bad… really bad!

But then, I made my move first—rock. And, after a slight delay, the president made her move at the proper timing… and it was scissors.

“Huh? D-Did I win?”

“Oh dear, I lost.”

“A-And the winner is… Kanade Amakusa!”

The announcer, clearly caught off guard, declared the outcome. The time it took from the moment the method was chosen to the conclusion was barely a few seconds. It was a very anticlimactic finish.

From the audience, I heard murmurs like:

“Seriously…?!”

“Wait, that was it?”

“Is this how it ends?”

But honestly, I didn’t care about that right now.

What mattered was that I had beaten the president. I turned off my mic and spoke to her.

“President, I won. So… uh…”

Although there was something almost cruel in the president’s loss, I was so excited that I didn’t have the capacity to understand the deeper meaning behind her actions.

“Yes, I’ll keep my promise. Right now.”

“Huh?”

I didn’t quite understand why she emphasized that, but the president, with a wide grin, turned her mic back on.

“Excuse me, everyone! I have an important announcement!”

The students, who had been grumbling moments before, immediately quieted down.

“The final match might have been a little anticlimactic, so, in place of that, I’d like to make a rather bold confession!”

A confession? I had a really bad feeling about this…

“Actually, I, Seira Kokubyakuin…”

Oh no… could it be…

“I, Seira Kokubyakuin, like Kanade Amakusa, who is here right now, as a man.”

The entire venue froze.

“W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-What!?”

The announcer asked again, his voice cracking.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, but there was no time to check it.

“Oh, did you not hear me? Let me say it again, louder: I, Seira Kokubyakuin, like Kanade Amakusa here as a man.”

Everyone in the room was speechless, and after a brief pause, the reactions exploded.

“W-What did she just say?!”

“What the hell?! No way!!!”

The room was filled with disbelief and shock.

The event hall shook as if it were about to collapse, filled with overwhelming screams.

However… however, the nightmare didn’t end there.

“Eyy!”

“W-What?!”

Wait, what’s going on? Is this person… trying to hug me?

“Hiihiiihiiihiiii!”

“My Seira-sama…!”

“What is she doing to Seira-sama?!”

“It’s over! The end of the world!!”

“Amakusa, you bastard!!!”

Angry voices, screams, and chaos filled the air, creating an atmosphere of absolute madness.

I… I get it. I really do… but the one who wants to scream and shout the most is me!

“President, what are you doing?! Let go of me!!”

“I don’t want to~!”

What is this person thinking?! She’s so strong, I can’t even move…!

“Everyone, please calm down! I’ll wrap it up right now, so please calm down!!”

The host tried to calm the chaos, but at that very moment, while still clinging to me, the president whispered softly in my ear.

“Amakusa-san, is this really okay~? The competition will end now.”

“The competition will end? That’s not the point right now! Besides, I’ve already completed the mission… huh?”

In that instant, an uneasy feeling shot through my mind.

I hastily pulled out my phone and checked the message from “God.”

“Kokubyakuin Seira – Clear”

Wait… This is strange. I got the “clear” message for Kokubyakuin Seira, the last person, but why only an individual “clear” email?

Why haven’t I received the “Mission Complete” email like I did for the other two rounds?

I mentally replayed everything, starting from the beginning: Yuuouji, Yuragi, Konagi, Reikadou, Yukihira, and then just now, Kokubyakuin Seira. There’s no mistake, I got a “like” from each of them.

I don’t remember anything about Yukihira, but since the “clear” message from “God” arrived, I have no doubt.

I rechecked the mission details in my mind. “Get a confession of ‘I like you’ from every girl participating in the competition.”

“Oh…!”

“Fufu, you figured it out, huh~?”

It was her… I’d had plenty of “likes” until now, but after receiving the “clear” emails, I hadn’t heard the words “I like you” directly.

As I was thinking this, the host was desperately trying to calm the students, who were on the verge of going wild.

“Calm down! We’ll end it soon—”

“Wait a minute!”

My loud voice made the entire chaos suddenly go silent.

Damn… I was planning to sneak through in all this confusion.

The president was still holding me tightly with her overwhelming strength, not letting go… There was no choice but to say it now.

“Ch-Chocolat!!”

I managed to turn my head toward Chocolat, who was sitting in the vice-captain’s seat, taking the place of Senpai.

…I never expected that even this unexpected participant would be included in the targets.

“Oh, what is it Kanade-san?”

“Come over here, quickly!”

The moment I tried to call her over, the president suddenly performed an incredible backbreaker, as if to snap my spine in half.

“That’s no good~! A boy’s confession needs to be loud, you know~?”

The voice whispering in my ear was still that sweet, languid tone, and I couldn’t bring myself to resist at all.

No… there’s no choice. I have to say it.

“What do you… think of me?”

I hesitated with all my might, yet I still asked the question I already knew the answer to.

In response, Shokora gave me a wide, cheerful smile and said without hesitation:

“I love you!”

…

Alright. Let’s try to process this objectively. Right now, I’ve been confessed to by the most popular girl at the academy, and she’s hugging me. Then, I even called over a girl who’s become quite popular today, and I made her say “I love you” too.

What kind of ending could this possibly lead to…

“Alright, good job!”

The moment the president detached herself from me…

“””DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!”””

THOUGHT SO!

“P-Please don’t throw things onto the stage! It’s dangerous, so please don’t throw anything! Hurry, bring the lights down! Amakusa-senpai, get down quickly—!”

“Gweh!”

Someone had thrown something with incredible force, and it hit me right in the temple with pinpoint accuracy.

In the fading moments of my consciousness, the last thing I could sense was the vibration of my phone in my pocket.