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Chapter 34 Part 2

「We will now begin the opening ceremony. Silence!」

As a voice came through the microphone from the front, the students who had been making a lot of noise quieted down.

Before they noticed it, there was a podium set up like the one used for the morning assembly and about ten female students were gathered there.

Yuu spotted three members of the student council among them.

「We will now begin the opening ceremony of the new students’ welcome orienteering. First, an opening speech from the executive committee chairperson.」

For some reason, the scene was reminiscent of a sports day.

Excluding the social event held in April in which first year boys and girls showed their faces to each other for the first time, this was the first student-led event of the school year.

Even though Yuu had joined the student council midway through their term of office, he knew to some extent that the student council and the executive committee had been giving their all to prepare for this day.

Without a lengthy address by the principal, the opening ceremony conducted by the executive committee members proceeded in a simple and speedy manner.

Things like orienteering explanation, what to bring, and points to take note of had all been listed in the pamphlet distributed beforehand, and all they needed to do was read it to know all about it, so they didn’t go into any lengthy explanation here.

The third-year students, who should have understood the contents given that this was their third year, the second-year students, who had switched from the position of being welcomed to that of welcoming, and the first-year students, who were participating in an off-campus event for the first time.

Everyone was quietly attending the opening ceremony conducted by the executive committee members.

Around these parts, unlike in middle school, there were no students who were joking around and making merry, which made one keenly feel that they were a gathering of relatively earnest students.

To finish the ceremony, they would have a few words from the student council president, so they could see Sayaka stepping up to the podium.

Even though she was dressed in a jersey, one could tell how good her figure was.

With her long black hair dancing in the wind, her dignified bearing could be seen even from Yuu’s position, and it was to the point where they were captivated by her beauty.

「Dear first-year students. Today we will be having an off-campus orienteering event, an event where you will go around the city together as groups of boys and girls. For the boys in particular, it is rare for you to go outside the school with other students only, so it is understandable that you are feeling a bit apprehensive. However, there is no need to worry, as the second and their year students will be there to support you. As such, I hope you could interact with as many girls as possible. For the girls, too, I hope you could secure as many opportunities as possible to talk with boys and deepen your friendships with them, and not with those of the same sex only. It is my greatest wish to see you all, boys and girls alike, enjoy this day without reservation.」

After speaking to such length in a calm, yet clear and well-projected voice, Seika floated a smile.

The next instant, numerous voices leaked out of the students, such as 「Haa」 and 「Hoh」.

「Saaya-senpai is admired by the underclassman girls, too, you know?」

Yuu remembered those words from Eimi.

In addition to being the daughter of a president of a well-known company, she boasted an attractive face and figure and was excellent in her studies. As student council president, she was in a position to lead.

It could be said to be only natural that she would be showered with passionate gazes even from girls as a senior whom they admired.

Given the fact that he was in a physical relationship with such her, Yuu was flooded with a sense of superiority inside.

After a short pause, Sayaka took the microphone from the stand.

And then, as soon as she straightened her back again, spread her feet shoulder-width apart, and reaffirmed her expression, she called out in a strong tone, a far cry from her earlier one.

「Second- and third-year girls!」

With that voice, the buzz instantly died down, and they felt as if the air had changed.

Amidst the silence in which not even a single whisper could be heard, Sayaka’s voice echoed through the air.

「The new students welcome orienteering is an important social event for first-year boys and girls, but this year, too, it is expected that there will be interference from students from other schools. The sabotage by those who envy our school, which is a co-educational one, is becoming more and more sophisticated every year. However! We must not let their despicable acts ruin this important event for our cute juniors! Including the security teams, the second- and third-year girls must break through all these obstacles and ensure that the entire event is carried out without fail. As student council president, I ask only one thing of you: fulfill your duties.」

「「「「「Yes! 」」」」」

In response to the instruction given by Sayaka, the senior female students let out a threatening cry.

The atmosphere was somewhat like a ceremony held before going into battle rather than the opening ceremony of a school event.

The second- and third-year girls lined up in the school yard, divided into groups, and immediately began to move.

From here on, they would probably set out to the points that had been assigned with, either by bicycles or riding in teacher’s cars or buses.

After the second- and third-year girls completely disappeared, the first-year students followed the guidance of the executive committee members and headed for the buses, which were divided by class.

As they passed by the area near the podium, Yuu directed a fleeting glance at them.

A complete change from her previous self, Sayaka was seeing him off with her usual gentle smile and graceful gesture. The same went for Riko, who stood by her side.

Eimi alone had stepped forward, waving her hands with all her might while jumping around so much that her twin-tail hair was swinging around wildly, so Yuu involuntarily showed a wry smile.

When Yuu waved back with a smile, not only the three members of the student council but also the seniors from the executive committee around them waved to him.

Yuu felt that he now fully understood the meaning of what he had heard at the student council meeting the other day, that this event was meant not only to promote interaction between first-year boys and girls, but also to promote unity among all the students of Sairyou Academy.

◇ ◇ ◇

The microbus in which the girls from class 1-5 plus the five boys including Yuu boarded was a vehicle that was usually used to transport boys to and from school.

Normally, there were only enough seats for 29 students, but with the auxiliary seats provided, all of them were barely able to get their own seats.

After a 20-minute time adjustment to allow the preceding group of second- and third-year girls to make it to the points they had been stationed, the bus left the school and traveled to the farthest point in the vicinity of the Kosaka Inari Shrine near Kosaka Station.

As such, in the meantime, they would have to spend about 20 minutes on the bus.

The three boys who joined another group were sitting in the front. While Yuu and Rei were sitting in the auxiliary seats in the back.

It was an arrangement so that the boys would talk with the girls as much as possible.

In the fourth row from the back, from left to right, there were Kazumi, Youko, Yuu, Mashiro, and Yuma.

First, Yuu turned to his right to talk to Mashiro, whom he had not had much contact with.

「Gotou-san?」

「Yes… Hyah!」

The auxiliary seats were a little lower than the normal seats.

That was why the height difference between Yuu and Mashiro, who casually turned toward him, was reduced and the two ended up looking at each other at a very close distance.

In an instant, Mashiro’s fair skin turned bright red up to her ears and as soon as she turned her head straight ahead, she hung her head.

There’s a limit to how innocent she could be, right?

So Yuu thought, but his smile never faded away from his face.