Chapter 25: Contest Results (Part 2)  

Cyrus

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「Uh, your girlfriend is bursting out in tears. You ask her why, and she responds that a male acquaintance did something horrible to her. Now, what will you do, Mizuhara-san?」

「I’ll pray for the repose of his soul.」

「What does that mean?!」

I question Mizuhara aggressively, cutting off the MC.

I can mostly tell without asking, but we’ll be put at a disadvantage if I don’t follow up.

「It’s something horrible enough to make you cry. I can’t imagine any other response to that situation.」

Mizuhara answers with a facepalm.

「Let’s have one minute of silence for the guy’s unfortunate death.」

The karate club members put their hands together in prayer at the bottom of the stage.

The MC is visibly confused on how to proceed.

「Can’t we just end it here?」

The stunned MC shakes his head in response to my question.

「No, you have to draw one more card, Noda-san.」

Irritated by the fact that it’s still going on, I draw a card and pass it to the MC.

「What’s this! Noda-san has drawn a chance card! It’s not a question on this card. It says, a certain sport. Noda-san has to make gestures for Mizuhara-san to figure out the answer. Points will be added if Mizuhara guesses correctly. It’s the first time we’ve seen a chance card this year.」

I look at the card that’s passed back to me.『Table Tennis』 is written on it.

Without hesitation, I take a few shadow swings.

He might mistake it for tennis instead.

I make a few small shakes.

「Slapping.」

Mizuhara prepares to defend himself.

It’s table tennis! Take it back!

「He said it’s a sport!」

「Oh, slapping? I thought it was table tennis.」

「Me too.」

The club members mutter below the stage.

It is table tennis!

「Uh… Unfortunately that is incorrect. Points will not be added. Eh, uh, let’s have a round of applause for the interesting Mizuhara couple!」

The executive committee guide us back to our seats.

I’m glad it’s finally over, but it definitely feels like I’ve lost something in this contest.

「In the next 5 minutes, the judges will randomly select a few audience members and choose the best couple. We appreciate your patience.」

There’s a high-tempo music playing, and the screen is displaying a few increasing numbers.

I get annoyed again that it’s still going on. A piece of paper is thrown in my direction from the audience.

It looks like a note, so I open it up and read it.

【Good work. You have been very useful. We hereby assign your final mission, Deputy Leader Noda. Obtain the phone address from the female committee member wearing a white tunic.】

It has nothing to do with Michel and Kinoshita-san, and when I look at the club members who most likely threw the note, I deduce that they’re probably planning to ask her out on a date because they have nothing to lose.

They’ve never succeeded, so I wish they would just stop trying.

I write 【I’ll remember this】 at the back, then throw the note back at the club members.

The results are being announced just as I’m doing that.

There’s the sound of a drumroll. Michel and Kinoshita-san’s names appear on the screen.

It was an expected result.

「Huh. I got dragged into an unpleasant situation thanks to you.」

「I said I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.」

I toss the set of rations we received as a consolation prize to Mizuhara.

Mizuhara takes it, looking unhappy and sleepy, but not really angry yet.

What really pissed him off was the sweets.

We go get our things and see a swarm of ants on the mini Castella.

The ants are dancing around as if they found their paradise.

Mizuhara looks at the sight with a blank expression.

I frown, knowing that things are going to get bad.

The snacks would have been enough to cheer him up after being forced to participate in the Best Couple Contest.

From this instant, the karate club members became Mizuhara’s enemies.

I dash off and buy another mini Castella.

It’s past the sales time, but I manage to get it after begging them.

Phew, I sigh and wipe off the sweat.

I present the mini Castella to Mizuhara.

「What the hell!」

「What’s wrong? And you’re still in those clothes?」

Mizuhara shouts angrily without looking at the mini Castella I bought.

「I was forced to wear these clothes and shoes, and now ants are swarming on my mini Castella!」

「What’s going on there?」

The perpetrator passes by the rowdy club members calmly.

It’s Mizuhara’s perfect chance to throw that useless mini Castella, and he did.

I want to give him a thumbs up, but the mastermind Arioka-senpai isn’t here.

I decide to add that to my photo album later. We go to the executive committee to finish our paperwork.

A lot happened, but we managed to earn the hotel fees, and the school festival came to a relatively harmless end.