Chapter 144: S2 - Different On Screen (2)
The Michiko Family focused their attention on the upcoming words.
["We also have a young yet illustrious student by our side! Can you introduce yourself and your team?"] The female reporter asked.
When the camera focused on Michiko Keiko, she seemed levelheaded and relaxed in front of the camera.
Her expression was so serene that you could get lost in her blue eyes. Different from Tennouji Mari's calming attitude, Michiko Keiko carried a valiant presence that could make one tell she was strong-willed. It could make people's minds feel energized.
But after her family watched this, they didn't feel that. Instead, they felt dread when they looked at her.
["Hello to you all, I am Team Michiko's leader, Michiko Keiko. We are a capable group containing talented 2nd year middle schoolers: Andou Sennosuke, Hanabusa Satsuki, and Kashino Makoto. Although we are still young, we are competent in the kitchen and will try our hardest in everything we do if we set our hearts to it. I thank you for taking your time to watch us and I *hope for the best of both teams*,"] Michiko Keiko said with a light-hearted smile that could grab the audience's hearts. She bowed her head gracefully to the camera with respect.
A small smile formed on Michiko Kenji's face as if noticing what his daughter was doing due to her response.
["Wow! Amazing! Thank you for that graceful introduction, Michiko Keiko!"] The reporter exclaimed excitedly as the young girl displayed a charming air. It was obvious that Michiko Keiko had gathered the reporter's attention, not to mention the entire room and those who watched the live broadcast.
["Now, I recall that your team is still quite young, right? You all are only 2nd years in middle school yet you have so much fame and talent at such a young age! With how far you've gotten in this competition… Do you think that your team is *superior to your seniors?*"] The reporter asked her, and the expression was written all over Keiko's face.
She remained silent for a moment as she shot daggers at the reporter.
"Just what is that woman thinking?! Asking her that question!" Kenji erupted in a fuse after noticing the reporter's intention. He was a prosecutor, so it was easy for him to tell she was trying to provoke his daughter.
"What? What's going on?" Eiji asked, who didn't quite get the situation.
"Yeah, I don't understand," Haruto added.
Kenji couldn't help but sigh in response before he got ready to explain it to the two boys. It wasn't a tricky question to understand, but for the young minds or the naive, some couldn't quite understand it.
"The lady was just asking Keiko if she thought her team was better than the other," Kenji simplified, to which the two boys only furrowed their eyebrows in confusion.
"What's so wrong about that? Isn't it better if Keiko says that her team's better?" Haruto folded his arms.
"Yeah! Onee-chan's team is much better!" Eiji chimed in, which didn't help the situation.
'Aa, they still don't get it,' Kenji scratched his head.
"What your father's trying to say is that your sister can't answer the question like that. If she did, she'd probably get a lot of hate from the viewers for saying that she's better than the senior team," Kaori stepped in to summarize the situation. With this, the two boys understood it. They didn't want Keiko to get any hate from the public for degrading her seniors.
Although Keiko appeared as a courageous and self-assured girl to the audience, it could be seen that the graceful smile she once had was taken over by a grievous face that could scare one away.
Only those who watched and could understand the context of this situation noticed the shift in the expression on Michiko Keiko's face. She still appeared as a beautiful young girl, but her bright, eerie smile replaced her strong-willed persona. But behind that bright smile she had, it was a smile that shot poison daggers at an enemy.
After momentarily thinking about her answer, she readied her response.
["No, we are not superior to Team Tennouji, if that's what you're asking. They are our seniors so it is only fair that they are superior to us since they have much more experience than I and my teammates do,"] Keiko answered carefully yet confidently to get herself out of this predicament.
After they believed that the reporter would end it there, to their surprise, she didn't.
["Hm… but how would you feel if you were a high schooler going against a middle schooler? That would feel very *strange*, no?"] The reporter asked, to which the expression on Keiko's face got even darker in response.
"What is wrong with these people!" Kenji got worked up again. Although people may not have noticed it the first time, the second time was much more apparent.
Just what were they trying to ask? Were they trying to get a rise out of her by questioning this in front of the public? Did they want her to say the wrong thing and ruin the reputation she'd built?
For some reason, it seemed like Michiko Keiko was asked more tricky and controversial questions than Tennouji Mari, who was asked a question about her dream. Why was this?
Michiko Kenji saw the smirk hidden behind the friendly smile the reporter had. He could see the troublesome woman smirking to herself as she held the microphone, anticipating Keiko would slip up.
As Keiko glanced somewhere off the screen, her facial expression got serious as if she had found a solution. But it was a face that said something like: "I can't believe it."
Her face changed, and it was obvious to her family members who viewed her from the screen.
["Hah!"] Keiko laughed, which only confused the reporter and the people watching her.
'What was she looking at? Did she figure something out?' Kenji asked himself as he leaned in attentively to hear what his daughter had to say. He noticed her slight glance to the side; although it was trivial, he knew she always figured something out whenever her expression grew serious.
["So, is that what this is?"] Keiko spouted, keeping her composure from flying away.
The eyes of the audience and the reporter were glued onto this girl as she spoke.
["What do you mean?"] The reporter inquired about the girl who got rid of that smile she had worn before. The face she had now could poison someone with just a look.
["Truly, it is quite funny how you ask me such preposterous questions. If anything, I'd probably enjoy being asked questions like "What is my dream?" I would surely move the audience with my words, too, don't you think?"] Keiko mocked fearlessly, glowering at the reporter, who gulped in nervousness.
Her family saw how vicious she turned. They usually never saw Keiko like that except when she was furious at something.
["W-what do you mean, Michiko Keiko? Are you mocking the words of Tennouji Mari?"] The reporter asked, trying to gather her courage against this fearless 14-year-old girl.
Keiko crossed her arms and presented a chilling glare in her bright blue eyes.
["Not quite, but it does seem like you're mocking me. Are you not?"] The young girl asked back, which made everyone else more confused.
"What's going on?!" Eiji interrupted, seeing this apparent feud on live TV.
["How am I mocking you? I'm asking you easy to answer questions. Isn't it you that's overreacting?"] The reporter raised her eyebrows at the girl, to which everyone awaited her response.
Each person in the Michiko family leaned in, glued to this spectacle.
Keiko boldly flipped her long brown hair to the side before responding. No more was she playing nice.
["Are they *really* easy to answer questions? If those questions are *so easy* to answer, how about I ask you a few myself?"] Keiko said sharply, enunciating her words. Her words had spiky thorns in them that could make anyone blunder. Such a strong yet intimidating aura from a 14-year-old girl made it unbelievable.
All of her family members could feel goosebumps running up their skin. She never spoke to them like that, but after seeing her use it against someone who deserved it, they couldn't help but cheer her on.
"Isn't Onee-chan amazing?!" Eiji praised while he observed his older sister's fierceness on screen.
"Well, I'd say she's putting on quite an interesting show," Haruto said with a proud face.
["T-the public can see your actions! You're only bringing down your reputation, Michiko Keiko!"] The reporter threatened, but that meant nothing to Keiko.
["If that's so, so be it! I still have a few "easy to answer" questions for you. Say… Did you get paid to do—"] Keiko hadn't finished her question and was entirely interrupted by the reporter.
["—W-what do you mean? I only work for Japan Today! How could I ever do that?!"] The reporter raised her voice, but Keiko was utterly unaffected.
["Ha, as expected,"] Keiko scoffed at the reporter's words before a wicked grin appeared on her lips. ["Only those guilty of committing such actions begin to start defending themselves before the question is even fully asked."]
At this, sweat could be seen dripping down the reporter's face. Although it could've stopped now, the cameras kept rolling!
["My father is one of the top prosecutors of Japan, Michiko Kenji, so I've learned a few things about interrogations from him. Seeing as to how flustered you've become to an unfinished question, I would like an official investigation behind this matter! Let us see after this competition if you are involved in a second-party's bribing!"] Michiko Keiko ended it there, coolly whipping her long brown hair around and strutting towards her station.
Everyone watching her was completely speechless because they didn't know how to react. The reporter was visibly pale as if she'd seen a ghost, and even Tennouji Mari was sweating profusely.
"Haha! That's my daughter!" Kenji reacted, pumping his fists in the air after witnessing how cool his daughter looked, like how she flipped her hair and responded.
'Ha! How did I raise such an awesome daughter like her?'
The live audience couldn't take sides since nobody could add their opinions due to the lack of proof. Was Michiko Keiko spouting incoherent nonsense, or did her words actually reveal some truth behind this matter?
["Could she actually be right?"]
["Well, Michiko Keiko was given some strange questions to answer. It does seem fishy…"]
["We want an investigation!"]
["Yeah! Let's have an investigation to see who's right!"]
["Only Tennouji Mari was asked a probable question!"]
The voices of the live audience who witnessed everything in real life began chiming in until the room went out of control. This could become serious because this competition was live-streamed on air to a large audience. Although it could be seen as a small matter, everything was caught on video. Now, it came down to who was right.
Was it the reporter who asked strange questions or Michiko Keiko who made a big accusation?
It had gotten blown out of proportion that the academy's chairman had to step in.
["Please calm down everybody!"] The chairman tried to appease the loud people through a microphone, and finally, the room seemed to quiet down.
["We shall focus our attention back on the competition! There will be a formal investigation held after the proceedings of this final round!"] Moriyama exclaimed, which appeased the hearts of the people somewhat.
"I'll have this formally taken care of!" Kenji stood up from the sofa, all riled up—until Kaori's voice rang through his ears.
"Hun, you can't do anything to a TV," Kaori reminded, facepalming her forehead in disbelief at her husband's actions.
Calming himself down, he sat back on the sofa again, waiting for the clock to strike 8:30, which would be the official start of the competition.