67 – 67. hahahaha, just kidding!
While everyone is busy under the scorching sun, sitting indoors where the air conditioner breeze gently blows, sipping tea is quite enjoyable.
But there’s always a limit to everything.
If the jealous Kenichi or Sento, who are very sensitive, find out, they will surely sulk all day long.
With such worries, I slowly stepped outside and soon found the jealous one.
“Kenichi, it’s okay. The second record turned out pretty well, right?”
“…No, Hotaru. It’s not because of that.”
Kenichi, looking somewhat down, and Hotaru, comforting him, seemed to have something happen.
I wonder what it is. With a cheerful mood, I sneaked up behind them and asked.
“Kenichi, have you been good at spear throwing?”
…!
Startled by the sudden voice from behind, Kenichi stiffened and turned his head with a startled expression.
“S-Sure.”
His hesitant tone and twitching face made him look like he had seen a ghost.
In contrast, Hotaru, showing no surprise at all, smiled and said to me.
“Ah, Ichimaru-kun! Hah, there you are. It’s Kenichi talking. Heard you set a new Japanese record in javelin throwing competition?”
“…Ho, Hotaru!”
“Heh, a Japanese record?!”
“It’s only a mere 1 meter difference from the world record! If he practices until the Olympics, he’ll easily snatch the gold medal, right?”
“Already breaking records, he’ll surely grab the gold when he grows up. Heh, Kenichi. You’ve got immense talent in javelin throwing!”
“Is that so? But I heard Kenichi looked really down after his second attempt.”
“…Well, that’s, that’s not it.”
“Kenichi, cheer up! You can do better!”
Hotaru, almost like a current shrine maiden, showered praise as if trying to boost Kenichi’s spirits, but his face suddenly aged as if ten years had passed.
Well, there seemed to be no need to add fuel to the fire. If I added my two cents here, the guy with a weak mental fortitude would probably keel over like a jellyfish.
I sighed and reluctantly decided to help Kenichi out, patting his shoulder.
I flashed a grin.
“Kenichi, whatever happened, I don’t know, but for now, cheer up.”
“…Got it.”
“Whatever mistake you made, we can talk about it calmly when we get home later.”
“…”
“hahahaha, just kidding!”
Above all, the guy who should be giving his all in the competition had barely even started, so if he collapsed now, it would be truly troublesome.
“[…First-year soccer matches are commencing in the sector. All participating students, please hurry…]”
Pointing at the loudspeaker starting to blare, I smiled.
“Well, do you think you’ll do well this time?”
Kitagawa Kenichi, who had a momentarily blank expression, clenched his fist and shouted.
“…Of course!”
Surely he wouldn’t burst the soccer ball.
***
And so, not just the soccer match.
Every game we both participated in ended with the Red Team’s victory.
Honestly, there was a significant gap in physical abilities to the point of almost being considered foul play, but well, maybe protecting the Earth wasn’t such a heavy price to pay.
We rationalized it and enjoyed ourselves to the fullest.
Of course, we didn’t do foolish things like setting new Japanese records like Kenichi did.
We simply controlled our strength appropriately, ran faster than anyone else, and hit the ball harder.
Thwack!
“───Ho, it’s a home run!!!”
Whether it was baseball, basketball, or soccer, we seemed to have become nightmares for the sports clubs, but it was inevitable.
The upperclassmen were so formidable that we had to do this to stand a chance.
Yet, thanks to our efforts, our Red Team ultimately clinched the championship.
“Hmm, didn’t expect to receive the MVP, though.”
Never thought I’d end up receiving the championship medal as the Red Team’s representative.
I didn’t particularly strive for it, and there was no real benefit, but it did make me feel good in some way.
Having wrapped things up in a good mood, all that remained were the reasons and outcomes of the hard work put in before.
Boom─Boom─!
Fireworks embroidered the night sky.
Unlike the daytime fireworks that simply signaled the start with sound, the bursting patterns were vividly beautiful.
It was still not late into the night, so it wouldn’t disturb the nearby villagers’ sleep.
“Well, I did get permission beforehand.”
Having thrown off all responsibilities, now all that was left was to enjoy.
Sizzle! Beneath the night sky, a hot and splendid torch was lit.
Building a fire with logs in the center.
If it were an altar, it would be for a ritual, but given the location was a sports field, it had a different name.
──”Campfire.”
A traditional Japanese activity enjoyed after sports competitions.
From all the pop culture works I’ve seen, it seems to be a tradition, anyway.
Yes, this is a promised tradition of Japanese sports festivals.
Students in gym uniforms or with jackets on still roamed around the fire, awkwardly dancing and laughing.
Watching them from the back, it felt like I had become an old man, but I wasn’t alone, not lonely.
It’s just natural for people to get close in their own groups.
Quietly, a familiar presence came next to me. In the distance, the pink hair was shimmering in the firelight.
“Good job.”
Sawamura Sento.
She, who had worked hard as part of the student council today, looked more disheveled than usual due to sweat and dust all over her body.
Maybe it wasn’t me who worked hard, but her, I suddenly thought.
“Yes, you worked hard too. You were busy all day.”
“…Did you see?”
“I caught glimpses. I thought you weren’t participating much in the matches, but I didn’t expect the student council duties to be so demanding.”
“…I didn’t know it would be this much either.”
Sento, sitting on the bench next to me, grimaced as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
Despite saying something that might make her angry, her expression had definitely become more varied than when I first met her.
As I stared at her intently, Sento’s face suddenly softened.
“…What is it?”
“No, I just thought you’ve been through a lot. It hasn’t even been six months since Sento started learning magic from me.”
“That’s true.”
“But with this level of skill already, hmm, our kid might be a total genius?!”
“…”
Taken aback by the sudden flattery, Sento frowned, but soon let out a chuckle.
“Didn’t know? That I’m a genius?”
Though it sounded petty, I decided not to pick a fight with my own words.
I simply agreed and nodded.
As far as I know, she was a genius in the field of magic, to the extent of being able to hold it between her two fingers in the world.
“Yes, I am well aware, so please continue to work hard in the future.”
At this moment, I decided to purely appreciate the talent and efforts of Sawamura Sento.
Simply agreeing, Sento seemed flustered for a moment, but as I got up from the bench, he opened his eyes wide and asked.
“What’s up? Where are you going?”
“I have something to see for a moment.”
“…If it’s related to the barrier you just set up, should I help?”
“I appreciate the thought, but this is something I need to handle myself.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, I’m meeting a lady for a moment.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“…Huh?”
Sawamura Sento’s face twisted for a moment.
“…A meeting?”
“Yes, it’s a very important moment in my high school life, so please cheer me on!”
“…”
“Oh, and please don’t get jealous.”
“Please die.”
With that buff, I moved on.
***
Late-night classroom.
A white full moon hung in the sky beyond the window, and on the field, everyone danced under the bright lights.
Truly a grand festival.
Although the owner of the body expressed deep regret for not enjoying this event, wasn’t it partly their own fault?
It was because of the barrier surrounding the school that their powers were involuntarily disturbed.
Yoho, who rested his chin on the desk, muttered in a listless atmosphere and voice.
“I had planned to raise a bit more mischief.”
Well, after fulfilling this woman’s wish, all that was left was to kill the sorcerer. Then the contract with the human would be properly concluded.
“If I just have them meet once, they should be satisfied.”
Despite the host’s rampage in the hidden depths of his mind, the yokai ignored it.
Before she knew it, Sawako Tachibana, who had become the hair of the military office, smiled as she slowly revealed the figure of a young man beyond the classroom.
…It was definitely Ichimaru Shiki.
Taller than his peers, with muscles showing through his shirt, he seemed to have a good body.
Although his face was somewhat sinister, it wasn’t too bad.
By recovering energy through the man in front of her, she could easily destroy the barrier.
The man, drawn by the enchanting aura, soon stood before her on the field.
Sawako smiled seductively as she gently touched the man’s face.
“Hey, is there anything special you desire, little one?”
In a situation with an enchanting woman in front of him, a man’s wish is usually almost always the same.
As if knowing everything, Shiki Ichimaru casually replied to the subtly smiling woman in front of him.
“What is your name?”
“…What? Oh, don’t tell me you can’t even remember my name. What a pitiful child you are.”
As the yokai expressed regret to the child in his heart, the man in front suddenly raised his hand.
Was he trying to touch her cheek or something?
Contrary to expectations, Ichimaru Shiki gently caressed her cheek and asked, “I’m asking for your real name, yokai.”
“…What?”
The fox spirit (妖狐) saw it.
The hidden killing intent in the man’s wide smile.
The gradually whitening hair.
In an instant, she sensed the magical power surging in the space.
“I’m quite sensitive about what’s mine.”
The hand that was caressing her face moved away.
Between the man’s thinly opened eyes, a turquoise iris was visible.
Ichimaru Shiki suddenly grasped the empty air.
“Open.”
At that moment, a full moon bloomed in the classroom.