Volume 6, Chapter 2: The Uplifter
*****
...
"*Sigh*..."
Another week has passed ever since Hoshizawa and I met at the rooftop. Even though I'm already used to this situation that we're having, I still can't shake the feeling of whether Hoshizawa can take it any longer...
...
Or I can take it any longer...
...but it looks like she isn't bothered by this set up at all...
...am I the only one who's really overthinking this...?
...
As usual, I'm sitting on my desk, minding my own business as I secretly glance over Hoshizawa, who was chatting with her friends, when suddenly, Ryu came up to me
"Shun!"
"What?"
"Eh? What's with the irritated face?"
"Don't mind it, what's with you calling me right now?"
"Oh, yeah, about that, they finally released the rules and mechanics for the upcoming Cavalry Battle!"
"Mechanics? I thought it'd be an all out brawl though"
"I thought at first too, but they changed all the games' mechanics!"
"Just like what Aikawa senpai said to us last time huh..."
"Also, look at this!"
He gave to me the paper where it showed the four main activity for the event, as well as the rules and supposedly new mechanics
"In the cavalry battle, the mechanics here are quite odd, but unique!"
"Hmm...three scarfs?"
"Yeah! One for the head, and the other two for the arms!"
In Cavalry Battle, the rules and mechanics were simple...
- There are three scarfs that are tied to the leader, the scarf tied to the head is worth 10 points, while the scarf on the arms are worth 5 points
- The representing block is disqualified once all of their scarfs are taken from them, and half of the points will be taken by the one who took the last scarf from them
- Tactics and strategies that indirectly affects the enemy are permitted. However, if it directly affects the enemy, they will be disqualified on the spot, surrendering the points to the affected party
- Tactics resulting to physical injury, whether it'll be indirectly or directly, will get disqualified
- Fight to your hearts' content!
No. 5 wasn't even a mechanic though...
"Well, I guess its safe to say that no one will get heavily injured because of it"
"You can't say for sure Shunnichi!"
"Eh?"
"Yeah, Takeshi's right, there's probably some other block that will still break the rules"
"Just break the rules if they do then"
"You always resort to violence huh Masacchin?"
"Hmph! You have a reason to make them taste their own medicine if they did it first!"
"I don't think that's always the answer Masa..."
As I look over to the other games' mechanics...
The tug of war's mechanics didn't change...
...but it said in the paper that there will be a challenge for both participating teams. The activity is also made to be in a tournament style...
...No wonder Aikawa senpai said it will be one of the longest main activity for the event...
"Hm...? Potato Sack Race?"
"Oh yeah, that's the new game they added recently"
"They really added a fourth one?"
"Apparently, some seniors made a petition for it"
"The seniors?"
"That's surprising, that the seniors were the ones who requested it and all..."
"I wonder why..."
As for the Potato Sack Race, they didn't change anything prior to the game's mechanics as well...
...but it says here that they have a endurance challenge for those who will participate...
...Hence why, its more of a "How long can you reach" game...
I don't know how it will go myself, but we'll see later on I guess...
"You can tell that the activities for the sports day event isn't gonna be as ordinary as we think"
"Yeah..."
"I wonder what they changed for the Relay Race then?"
"Hm..."
I looked over to the Relay Race, the last one on the list...and apparently, the last activity to be held on the event...
...
Oh...
They also didn't changed anything to the mechanics on this one...
...but they added 'obstacles' to every positions, which every member must clear to finish/give the baton to the other member...
...by any chance, could that obstacle be...?
...
"Sucks that you didn't join huh Shun?"
"Not really"
"Acting like a tsundere again!"
"Want me to break your leg?"
"Even if Shun wants to join later on, he can browny"
"Eh? I can?"
"? Yeah, Every grade year level and block has one golden option"
"Golden option?"
"It says right there on the paper"
"...?"
...As for the golden option, each block can only have one. You can use this golden coupon for letting someone join in the game, in your team, as long as that someone is in the same block as yours and hasn't joined in any activities.
If you do want to use your golden coupon, show it to a student council representative. If he/she accepts your reasoning, he/she will approve the member change
Golden coupon will be given to each blocks once the event has started
"Isn't that basically being a substitute?"
"Yeah but, in this case, anyone from our class can join without listing themselves"
"So that's why there's no substitute players' slot in the form..."
"Isn't that stupid? Why did they even do this in the first place?"
"Think of it as an element of surprise Ryu"
"Eh?"
"Shun's right browny. From what I can hear, Seniors and sophomores are quite competitive in the events. That's why having a golden coupon is like them hiding their secret weapon"
"I don't get it...secret weapon?"
*Sigh*...why even bother explaining it to him? I doubt he'll even use it...
...I mean, Ryu, Yuu and Take, participating in cavalry battle as a team with Ryu in the lead, surely there's no need for them to use their coupon...
"By the way...cavalry battle consists of 4 members right?"
"Yeah, well, we can't convince Masato here, so we went ahead and find a replacement for him"
"Musclehead and blondy tried to convince me many times, they even bribed me, but I told them I can't"
"You can't?"
"Its because of Pinky. She told me that she won't gonna take no for an answer when the event happens"
"Hm..."
...Since when did those two got so close with each other...?
"Well, even so, Masacchin wouldn't join to any activities!"
"Why would I? Its a waste of my time"
"Such a loner huh?"
"Shut up musclehead!"
"What about you Shun?"
"Huh?"
"I know its been a week and registration has already ended, but you really don't want to join?"
"..."
...Not like I had to join...but...
"We should go now Ryuuichi! The teachers did gave us time to practice for the event!"
"Oh right, you guys are exempted from classes to help yourselves prepare for the game..."
"Regretting it now huh?"
"..."
"I'm kidding! See ya later Shun!"
...And just like that, Ryu, Yuu, and Take left the classroom to practice...
"Don't mind them Shun, its a waste of time anyways"
"Yeah..."
"Settle down, class is about to start"
...
*****
...
Time skip to where classes ended for the day...
...As usual, I spent the recess with Aikawa senpai, but this time, without Ryu around, her expression is always more lively ever since Ryu stopped coming with us due to their practice, but I thought to myself that maybe its just my imagination...
Ryu, Take, and Yuu left earlier to continue with their practice while Masa got dragged again by Maria...
...And again, Hoshizawa and her friends left the classroom after the bell rang...
...
...I packed my things and headed out from the classroom, and like any other day, she was standing near our doorstep
"...Ready to go...?"
"Yeah"
...
As we walked down the hallway, I've realized, that all this time, I've spent most of my time with Aikawa senpai...
...but as we spent more time with each other...it slowly became a habit of mine to find myself always hang out with her...
...is it just me...or I just can't find myself wandering around the school anymore without Aikawa senpai by my side?
...
I don't know if its because of the time we spent together, but I somehow find myself comfortable around her. Its always peaceful and relaxing whenever we're together...
Not to mention, she would always listen to everything I say, including the things that I find interesting, things I like, and such...with a deep interest to all of it...
I talk a lot whenever that happens, but she doesn't seem to mind even the slightest, more like, she's more invested to it whenever I start to do it...
Right now, she's also doing the things I like too, and apparently, she's also liking it...
...Because of that...I sometimes forgot that she's a year older than me, thus eliminating the awkward tension between us...
"...Amagasa...?"
"Yeah?"
"...You've been quiet up until now..."
"Oh, sorry, I just thought about how long has it been since we're hanging around together"
"...Does it bother you...?"
"Quite the opposite, I found myself at ease when I'm with you"
"..."
"Oh! by the way, how's the anime I recommended to you? Was it good?"
"..."
"...?"
I looked at Aikawa senpai, who was apparently looking down the whole time as I was talking...
...wait...
...why's her face red...?
"Um...are you perhaps not feeling well...?"
"...No...I'm fine...I'm fine..."
"Okay then..."
If she says so...
"...What were you talking about...?"
"Oh right, about that anime, the one I recommended to you recently..."
...
I went on and on with that topic until we finally reached the big tree, or final stop...
"Oh? We're already here? I didn't even realized"
Suddenly, Aikawa senpai asked me something
"...Amagasa..."
"...?"
"...Don't you miss Hoshizawa...?"
"..."
I do...I do miss her...
...but its not like last time...I'm slowly getting used to it...
...and besides, we are still chatting through MILE...
...but the only reason why I'm don't feel lonely like last time is because...
"Its because you're here Aikawa senpai"
"...?"
"Its because you're here that I don't feel that lonely without Hoshizawa san"
"..."
"I seriously should be thanking you all this time now, so let me do it right now. Thank you for being by my side, Aikawa senpai..."
"..."
...She's doing it again...
...Her face is getting redder and redder that she can't even hide it no more...
She's definitely embarrassed!
I want to tease Aikawa senpai because of it, but I felt like its wrong of me to do so, since I've never done that to her...
After a few seconds, she had a faint smile on her face, and replied back
"...I told you...I'd do anything for you...Shun..."
"S-S-Shun?!"
"...Can't I call you that starting from now on...?"
"S-Sure you can!"
"...Call me Kana then..."
"Y-You know I can't do that-"
"Call me Kana...now..."
She said as she leaned closer
"K-Kana...senpai..."
"..."
"..."
...
"...Good..."
She then took a step back...
...That was the first time a girl called me by my first name! Made me jumped a bit because it came from Kana senpai, whom is known as the cold hearted secretary!
...
...well...technically, its the second time that a girl called me by my first name...
...I forgot Maria calls me by my first name...
...
...Who the heck cares! Kana senpai was the first one to surprise me!
...
...The first one...huh...?
...
I remembered again the line that Hoshizawa dropped at me...
("I meant it...I want you all for myself...that's why I'm prepared to do anything for you...")
...
"...Shun...?"
"O-Oh, nothing, Aikawa sen-"
She leaned closer to me again, as if telling me she heard something wrong just now
"-K...Kana senpai..."
"..."
She then took a step back
"...By the way...do you want to help me for the upcoming event...?"
"Huh? Can I even help? A non student council member?"
"...You can...I can just excuse you myself from your teacher..."
"Oh really?!"
To be honest, I'd rather help Kana senpai out than bore myself out from listening in class!
"...What do you say...?"
"Count me in Kana senpai!"
"...I'm glad...well here's food as thanks..."
"Eh?! You still had more food?! I thought what you gave me earlier was just that!"
"...I intentionally hid some other food for this reason..."
"...Did you, by any chance, knew this would happen?"
"...I thought I'd bribe you into helping me by eating if you didn't want to..."
"What do you take me for? *Chuckles*"
...
Kana senpai and I then ate the food that she apparently had prepared for us as we talk more about anime and stuff...
*****
End of Chapter 2
