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Chapter 128 Part 1

Quiz Championship (1) ~This is just the beginning~

Friday, July 27th

Finally, the day had come.

It was the day when the inter-school quiz between Sairyou Academy and Sairei Academy, officially named the 『1st Ayakuni Cup High School Quiz Championship』 by the Ayakuni Group’s board of directors, was held.

As if to match the start of the first semester’s final exams, the end of the rainy season was announced, and the days had been clear and sunny since.

There were also days when huge cumulonimbus clouds appeared, and they had a brief period of heavy thunderstorms in the evening.

「I sure am glad we’re having a sunny day, as the weather forecast predicted.」

「Really. If it had rained and the events were postponed until tomorrow, some of the club members would have been unable to participate because it would have overlapped with the regional qualifying rounds, after all.」

Riko and Eimi were chatting right next to Yuu.

Not only in the student council office, which they usually used, but also in the waiting room next door, the student council members and the important members of the executive committee had gathered early to make final confirmations for the two events to be held today, and they had just finished.

If they were to look up outside the fully opened window, a cloudless blue sky would spread out before them.

Today, too, the maximum temperature was expected to exceed 30 degrees.

However, thanks to the abundant greenery around this area, it didn’t seem like they would be affected much by the heat island effect.

There was not much humidity, so it was cool in the shade, and it even felt refreshing until around 8am.

「It seems that the preparations outside are pretty much finished, too, so it’s a relief.」

「When I saw it when I came to school this morning, the place had completely changed, so I was really surprised.」

Yuu stopped what he was doing and approached Sayaka, who was looking out the window.

Looking down from the window, he could see a number of female students in gym uniforms carrying something here and there.

The school building stood in the way, so they couldn’t see it from the student council office, but on one side of the road from the main gate to the schoolyard, there were a row of food stalls like at a festival.

In addition, from among the guardians of both schools, they had solicited the cooperation of those who dabbled in the food and beverage industry, and asked them to provide them with drinks and snacks at low prices.

The school cafeteria and store were not available during the summer vacation, so they would help students to stay hydrated and fill their stomachs instead.

Several tents had been set up around the first ground, the main venue for the quiz championship.

The unusual schoolyard scenery gave off a vibe as if a sports festival was about to be held.

「Everyone worked hard until late yesterday, too, didn’t they? Until what time did you stay, Sayaka?」

「Huh? Err… as you know, I live close by, so… ahaha.」

Yesterday, contractors came in to bring in materials, and they spent the whole day doing preparatory work, setting up the stage and so on.

Yuu also came in at 1pm, and together with everyone, he was in charge of checking and compiling materials such as the program timetable for the day.

The boys, including Yuu, went home by 7pm, but he saw many of the girls from the student council and executive committee, including Sayaka, staying behind.

There was a reason for this.

Yesterday, students from Sairei came to help with the preparations, but they left at 7pm, matching the timing at which the boys from Sairyou went home.

After that, they worked on delivering supplies and ingredients that would be used during the boys-girls social event, the school camp, that was scheduled to be held that evening.

They were split and stored in various places, such as the second floor of the administration building, the cafeteria kitchen, and the storage room on the second grounds side.

As opposed to Sayaka, who was speaking in a vague manner, Yuu looked at Riko.

「I decided to stay over at her place last night, and we went home a little past 10 o’clock. However, Sayaka said she still had some documents to check, so she brought them home and started spreading them out as soon as we finished our dinners. And since I went to bed first, I wonder until what time she stayed up…?」

「Err…」

Right now, Sayaka was looking sharp, but that must be the reason she looked sleepy when they exchanged greetings this morning.

「Sa~ya~ka-san~?」

「A, ahaha. It’s nothing. Look, I’ve been working out since I was a kid, so of all things, I have confidence in my stamina!」

Yuu looked at Sayaka with half-open eyes as she flexed her biceps and laughed in an unnatural manner.

However, that strong sense of responsibility was also characteristic of Sayaka.

Yuu smiled and casually held her hand.

「Ah…」

「It’s going to be a long day, so don’t push yourself too hard, okay? So I say, but you’re the kind of person who doesn’t listen to others, after all. If that’s the case, at least be sure take a break in between, okay?」

「Yuu-kun… I, I understand, alright.」

Sayaka nodded shyly.

「As expected, the president and Hirose-kun are a good match, aren’t they?」

「They’re a picture-perfect duo.」

The girls from the executive committee in the room murmured words of admiration as they stared at Yuu and Sayaka, who had held each other’s hands before they knew it.

Noticing this, Yuu and Sayaka hurriedly pulled their hands away.

「N, now then… it looks like we’re done here… Oh! Look at the time. We have to head to the headquarters soon!」

「I suppose so. People from the other schools and the board of directors should be arriving too.」

The clock in the room was just about to go past 8 o’clock.

◇ ◇ ◇

「Oh my, everyone, good day. It’s a beautiful day today, is it not? It’s almost as if it foreshadows the victory of our Sairei Academy High School!」

As Yuu and the others were on their way to the first ground, they ran into the members of the Sairei Student Council coming out of the gymnasium.

Today, the entire gymnasium was being lent out for the use of the Sairei students.

The Sairei executive committee had already changed into their gym uniforms and were hard at work preparing for the event, but the student council led by Mitsuse Rinne had probably worked indoors, just like Yuu and the others.

The officers standing behind them seemed to be carrying stacks of documents.

「No. Victory will be ours, Sairyou Academy, to take. You should be grateful that we even let you get into the competition stage like this.」

Sayaka stepped forward and declared, not wanting to be outdone.

Rinne and Sayaka glared and shot daggers at each other.

「We’ve finished the parts we’re in charge of.」

「Us too.」

Sairyou’s vice president Riko and Sairei’s vice president Li Weifei exchanged words in a very businesslike manner.

Weifei instructed the accounting and secretary students behind her to take the documents to the headquarters, then shot a cold look at Riko.

「Are you going to participate?」

「Of course.」

「I’m looking forward to it.」

「I suppose so.」

The exchange of words was kept to a minimum, but they were probably talking about the quiz championship.

Sairei’s other vice president, Oomori Norika, was not paying any attention to the confrontation between the presidents and vice presidents, and was looking at Yuu as if licking his body from top to bottom.

When their eyes met, she gave him a smile.

On a closer look, he noticed that not only the student council, but also the Sairei students nearby were stealing glances at him. Mainly at his lower body.

The student councils of both schools were wearing uniforms, but Yuu alone was wearing the school designated short-sleeved gym uniform and shorts.

From the perspective of those girls, who hailed from an all-girls school, it was as if they were taking this opportunity to look at the boys’ bare feet and burn it into their minds.

Feeling embarrassed that before he knew it, he had attracted the attention of those around him, Yuu put his hands on the shoulders of Sayaka and Riko, who were still glaring at Rinne and Weifei respectively.

「C’mon, let’s get going. We’re pressed for time, after all.」

「Ah… I’m sorry, Yuu-kun.」

「W, what manner of things have I done… I’m sorry.」

「It’s fine.」

As Yuu smiled and lightly tapped them on the shoulders, Sayaka and Riko blushed happily.

It was just a light touch, but Rinne, who was shown their close relationship right in front of her eyes, sent them off with an expression of envy and vexation.

Large tents had been set up on either side of the morning assembly platform, with the headquarters seats on the left and the guest seats on the right.

On the side of Sairyou’s student council, Riko and Yuu had decided to pair up with their friends from the same class to participate in the quiz championship.

As far as Riko was concerned, she wanted to pair up with Sayaka, but the student council presidents of both schools were responsible for watching over the progression of the tournament at headquarters and issuing instructions in case an accident occurred.

As for Eimi, she was to work as a clerical staff at headquarters together with Sairei’s secretary and treasury.

After leaving their respective secretary and treasury at headquarters, the student council members of both schools, including Yuu, headed to the guest seats. It was to greet them before the start of the competition.

First, they met the directors of the Ayakuni Group.

For Sairyou’s side – even though Sairei was the ringleader – they were the ones who had pushed the sister school social event, which they didn’t want to do, so dark feelings were welling up inside them.

However, they handled it like adults. Sayaka, accompanied by Riko, exchanged safe greetings with them.

「Oh, my! You must be the Hirose-kun I’ve heard so much about. It’s nice to meet you! I’m Kodama Ayako, the chairman of the board.」

She was probably in her 60s.

She wore a light gray suit over her well-built body.

Her hair, which was short for a woman, was swept back, and her round eyes were reminiscent of a bird of prey.

She was slightly taller than Yuu, so as they stood face to face like this, he could clearly feel her powerful presence.

She was a person that reminded him more of a capable business manager than an educator.

「Good morning! I’m Hirose Yuu. I’m a first-year student, but I’m helping out with the student council. Nice to meet you.」

When you met this type of person, the best thing you could do was greet them clearly at first.

She went, 「Oh」, and showed a look of surprise for just a moment, and then held out her hand.

Yuu held out his right hand and exchanged a firm handshake with her. She turned out to be someone with hands bigger than he had expected.

Then she muttered in a low voice.

「It was nearly 20 years ago, I believe. When Toyota Sakuya-shi pushed for high schools and universities across the country to become coeducational, I mean. Our group was one of the parties that went along with it. A lot happened after that, and now, 15 years after Sairyou became a co-ed school, we have you as a student in this school. I feel like some curious fate is at work here.」

As she said this, she looked at Yuu with a meaningful look in her eyes.

There was nothing strange with her meeting Toyota Sakuya nearly 20 years ago.

But it was not just that, perhaps she knew about his relationship with his father?

However, she didn’t say it explicitly, so Yuu responded with a smile.

「It’s only been four months since I enrolled in this school, but I think Sairyou Academy is a school I can be proud of as my alma mater. This, too, must be thanks to the teachers and seniors who have worked hard as a coeducational school.」

「Oh my! I’m so glad to hear you say that!」

Yuu thought that line was a little too honor student-ish, but the chairman showed a look of utter joy and shook his hand vigorously.