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[-Continuation-]
[-After Two Weeks-]
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[Hachiman's POV]
The past couple weeks had been a whirlwind, but somehow I had managed to keep my head straight.
Now it was the final day of the Sports Festival, and everything came down to the last event - [Offense and Defense]
The scoreboard showed White in the lead with 150 points, with Red trailing close behind at 130.
Whoever won this last game would snag 30 points and take home the championship.
No pressure, right?
As soon as the whistle blew, both teams exploded into action.
Red and White players alike charged across the field, colliding in a chaotic mess as they tried to topple each other's standing logs.
A few hung back to defend their own territory, but most were caught up in the frenzy of offense.
Now, it was time for my final move, the ace up my sleeve that nobody saw coming.
Taking a deep breath, I struck what I hoped was a dramatic pose – left arm thrust out, right hand adjusting an imaginary hat - perfectly mimicking the pose of a certain red-hatted kid.
"Zaimokuza! I choose you! GOO!"
I yelled, my voice cracking embarrassingly from overuse.
I struck a pose, left arm outstretched, right hand adjusting an imaginary cap - perfectly mimicking the pose of a certain red-hatted kid.
For a split second, nothing happened. Then, like a switch had been flipped, Zaimokuza sprang into action.
"Gotcha!!!!"
He bellowed, his eyes going wide as saucers.
I swear I could see smoke coming out of his nostrils as he entered what can only be described as barbarian mode - or more accurately, berserker mode.
"Zaimokuzaaaaaa!!!.....Crusher!!!" He roared, charging forward with surprising grace for such a big guy.
A cloud of dust kicked up in his wake as he barreled across the field, catching everyone off guard.
I heard Hayama's panicked voice cut through the chaos. "A decoy for a decoy? Crap! Everyone, help!"
Tobe, Yamato, and Oooka reacted instantly, rushing to intercept Zaimokuza. They linked arms, forming a human barrier in his path.
"You shall not pass!" Tobe yelled, trying to make his best Gandalf impression.
"Just try and see!" Yamato added, sounding far less confident than he probably intended.
Oooka, bringing up the rear, managed a weak. "We're going to get you!"
The three of them locked arms and stood in Zaimokuza's path.
But Zaimokuza was unstoppable. He plowed forward, showing absolutely zero fear.
"Hohohohohho! Buzz off!"
He laughed maniacally, his momentum and sheer mass proving too much for the makeshift blockade. He burst through their line like tissue paper, making a beeline for the enemy's pole.
There was a moment of tense silence as the pole wobbled. The crowd held its collective breath, all eyes fixed on that shaking log.
For a second, it seemed like it might stay upright.
Then – BAM! Down it went.
A whistle cut through the air, signaling the end of the game. For a heartbeat, everything was dead quiet.
Then the crowd erupted, with cheers and screams filling the air.
Above it all, I could hear Zaimokuza's victory roar, louder than a freight train.
In the enormous applause, Zaimokuza let out a victory roar that was louder than everyone else.
I glanced over at Yukinoshita and caught her mask of indifference slipping. She was on her feet, caught up in the excitement despite herself.
And just like that, we, the [Red] team, had claimed victory in this year's Sobu High Sports Festival.
As the adrenaline started to fade, I found myself pondering my newfound fame.
It made sense, I guess.
I did play major roles in two of the biggest high school events back-to-back.
No wonder people started to notice me.
It's no wonder, really.
I took on a main role in not one but two of the most popular activities in high school, back-to-back.
So, I guess it's only natural.
Maybe a few more days, and I will be receiving a pink envelope with a heart sticker waiting in my shoe locker. I chuckled to myself.
Hey, a guy can dream, right?
...looking back, I realized that my sudden popularity probably explained why my teammates had actually listened to me this time around.
It sure is convenient to be popular. Funny how that works.
But the best part?
This victory was completely legit.
No disqualification for my clever headband trick – wrapping it with a white bandage had been a perfectly valid strategy, thank you very much.
So, no complaints on that side.
I spotted Hayama nearby and couldn't resist a little gloating.
"Yo... Hayama." I called out, my voice rough from all the shouting.
"..." He turned to me, the setting sun glinting off his perfectly styled hair.
That genuine smile of his spread across his face – no bitterness, no resentment, just pure... pleasantness. Ugh.
Damn. I felt my triumph deflate a bit.
How was I supposed to enjoy my win when he looked so damn happy about it?
Forget it.
As I turned my head dismissively, I caught sight of a large figure hurtling in my direction. Zaimokuza, still riding high on our victory, was barreling towards me with arms wide open.
"Hachhhiiiiimmmaaannnn….."
He bellowed, his glasses askew, and his face flushed with excitement.
Oh, hell no. I was not about to get crushed in a victory hug.
I sidestepped neatly, letting Zaimokuza stumble past me.
As I watched him regain his balance, a thought popped into my head.
I had been toying with the idea of playing matchmaker between Zaimokuza and Ebina lately.
They'd both volunteered for the festival planning, and weirdly enough, they seemed to hit it off.
Maybe a little too well, actually.
I remembered overseeing them during one of our meetings...
….
.
Zaimokuza stood up, his chair scraping against the floor.
"Comrades! I propose we utilize secret ancient art to make this festival legendary!" He declared, struck a pose with all the gravitas of a Shakespearean actor.
I rolled my eyes, expecting the usual round of groans and eye-rolls from our classmates. But to my surprise, Ebina's eyes lit up behind her glasses like a kid on Christmas morning.
"Ooh!" she squealed, practically bouncing in her seat. "Like in those BL manga where the protagonists pretend to hate each other, but secretly–!"
Before she could finish that thought(:thank god), Zaimokuza cut in.
His face was a mix of embarrassment and excitement as he blurted out, "Exactly! A feint within a feint! The art of war, as it were!"
….
.
I chuckled to myself, realizing the potential disaster of my matchmaking scheme.
Right, Tobe was in the picture too.
That could get messy real quick. Maybe it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.
As I mulled this over, I noticed the crowd starting to thin out. People were heading off in twos and threes, chattering excitedly about the day's events.
I was just about to make my own escape when a familiar voice caught my attention.
"Hikigaya!"
I turned to see Senior Meguri making her way towards me, that ever-present gentle smile on her face. Her hair was a bit mussed from all the excitement, but her eyes were bright and lively.
"Congratulations on 'our' victory." She said warmly, stopping a polite distance away from me.
Right, I had almost forgotten she was on the Red team too.
I shrugged, feeling a bit uncomfortable under her warm gaze. "Just trying to make it memorable as promised."
She laughed, the sound light and melodious. "Well, you certainly succeeded there."
As we exchanged the small talk, I couldn't help but notice a group of underclassmen watching us from afar, heads bent together in hushed conversation. Great, just what I needed – more fuel for the school gossip fire.
"I should get going then." I mumbled, shifting my weight uncomfortably.
Senior Meguri nodded, her smile never faltering. "Okay! Keep up the good work, Hikigaya. I am looking forward to seeing what else you will accomplish this year."
Next year, hum? Do people always think that far?
Also, something about her attitude struck me as odd. She used to be a bit skeptical about my abilities, but lately, it seemed like she was deliberately handing things off to me.
Wasn't she close with Haruno? That thought made me uneasy.
She is close to Haruno, isn't she?
As she stayed behind, probably to help with clean-up or something equally responsible, I took my cue to exit.
….
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[-Few Days Later-]
Autumn was approaching, and the wind entering the clubroom had also become cold.
Thanks to that, my MAX coffee tastes even better.
It had been a few days since the Sports Festival ended, and we were back to our usual routine in the Service Club.
Yukinoshita was reading, I was pretending to read, and Yuigahama was glued to her phone. Typical.
Nevertheless, a little bit of the aftertaste of the Sports Festival remained.
"It's a good thing the Sport festival went well…" Said Yuigahama laidback, easing up from the sensation of finishing a job.
Yukinoshita looked up from her book, a gentle smile gracing her features. "That's true. I was unsure how it would turn out, but it looks like we are relieved of a burden now."
"Ah!" Yuigahama perked up. "Senior Meguri was super happy with how we helped out!"
"I suspect her joy stems more from our victory." Yukinoshita mused, her smile widening slightly. "I must admit, the satisfaction of winning is... surprisingly potent."
"I bet!" Yuigahama nodded enthusiastically. "Winning the Sports Festival in her final year must mean so much to her."
"Maybe so." Yukinoshita muttered.
As they chatted, I found my gaze drawn to Yukinoshita.
The way her eyes lit up when she smiled, the soft curve of her lips...
I quickly looked away, mentally kicking myself. Dangerous territory, Hachiman.
Suddenly, Yuigahama leapt to her feet, practically vibrating with excitement. "Let's make our final Sports Festival unforgettable too! We'll win next year, right, Yukinon?"
Yukinoshita blinks, momentarily caught off guard by the outburst.
"Ah... yes, let's." She agreed, her smile widening in response to Yuigahama's infectious energy.
I couldn't help but notice how Yuigahama's cheerfulness seemed to bring out a warmth in Yukinoshita.
….but, isn't Yuigahama being unusually energetic?
I mean, she usually is, but she seemed to be even more energetic, which I don't even know is possible, especially not right after a draining thing like a sports festival just a few days ago.
But Yuigahama wasn't finished. She leapt to her feet, bouncing slightly on her heels, hands clasped together in excitement.
"Yay, Yukinon! I'm soooo excited about our date today!" She squealed, her eyes sparkling.
Date? The word caught me off guard.
When had they planned this?
I vaguely remembered Yukinoshita mentioning wanting to hang out with Yuigahama, but I hadn't realized it was happening so soon.
"And no, Hikki! You are not allowed to come." She quickly turned to me, making a cross mark(:X) with her two index fingers in front of her.
"I never said I wanted to come along." I retorted, trying to sound more irritated than I actually was.
She ignored me, barreling on. "Oh, and we're having a girls' night at my house tonight. It's gonna be awesome!"
At that comment, I subconsciously glanced at Yukinoshita, noting the subtle excitement in her expression.
A nagging thought wormed its way into my brain. If Yukinoshita and I ever... pursued something, would she lose these moments with Yuigahama?
I am not completely oblivious. I know there's been some progress between Yukinoshita and me. We're just... stuck. Probably my fault for delaying the inevitable confession.
At least, I hope that's the case.
The upcoming field trip next month might force us to address some of these unspoken things.
For now, they still have Christmas to celebrate to their heart's content.
"...well, good luck then. Have fun, I guess." I mumbled, feeling weirdly lost.
As they chatted, I retreated into my thoughts. Would next Christmas be different?
Would I be celebrating with someone? God, I hope I am not still single by then.
….when did I start thinking that far? I shook my head, trying to clear it.
No use wondering about that now. Better to focus on my coffee and let the girls have their fun.
As they prepared to leave, Yukinoshita paused, her eyes meeting mine for a brief moment.
But then Yuigahama was tugging on her arm, and the moment passed.
Left alone in the clubroom, I stared out the window, my thoughts a jumbled mess of what-ifs and maybes.
The path forward was unclear, but one thing was certain – things were changing, whether we were ready for it or not.
….
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[To be continued…]
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