Our enjoyable lunch had come to an end, and at last, the time for today’s main event—the Miss Contest—was drawing near.
Sara-san didn't seem particularly nervous, and while the others were buzzing with excitement, I was secretly a ball of nerves.
"Well then, we'll head on ahead," Nishikawa-san said.
"Sara, I won't tell you to do your best, but if possible, at least crush that woman, okay?" Natsumi added.
Everyone headed to the venue first to secure a spot, leaving me behind to see Sara-san off. I’d been told that "securing a spot" was a bit of an understatement; Nishikawa-san had apparently already reserved a prime area for us. In other words, our friends were being considerate and giving us a moment alone. I decided to graciously accept their kindness.
"Well then, I am off," Sara-san said.
She didn't seem overly high-strung, yet she wasn't reluctant either. With eyes that held a hint of deep-seated determination, she stared straight at me.
"Right. Do your... well, 'best' probably isn't the right word. In this case, what should I say...?"
Since Sara-san herself had no intention of actually competing for the title, cheering her on with "Please do your best" felt a bit hollow. In that case, I should...
"Sara-san, I'm always—"
"Kazunari-san, I'm always—"
We both fell silent. Our voices had overlapped perfectly, likely because she was thinking the exact same thing I was. It was proof that our hearts were in the same place.
"Haha..."
"Fufu..."
The realization made me chuckle instinctively, and Sara-san followed suit with a soft laugh of her own. Her gentle smile felt like it was giving me a supportive push against my back.
And so... I decided to take the lead.
"Sara-san, like I said earlier, I'll always be by your side. Always."
"Yes... I know. We are always together, after all."
"Yeah. So... um..."
I wanted to say more, to convey the weight of my feelings, but I couldn't find the right words. I struggled, wondering how to bridge the gap.
"Kazunari-san..."
Wearing a gentle smile, Sara-san waited for me to continue.
I realized then that if I couldn't express my feelings with words, there was no need to overthink it. I reached out and lightly pulled her toward me. As if she had expected it, she didn't seem surprised at all; rather, she settled against my chest, entrusting her weight to me.
I wanted to hold her more firmly, but I didn't want to wrinkle her school uniform before she went on stage, so I kept my grip gentle.
"Kazunari...-san."
At the sound of her voice, now tinged with a soft, spoiled affection, my heart rate accelerated. I worried she might actually be able to hear it thumping against her ear.
"Fufu... Kazunari-san's heart... is pounding..."
A touch of sensuality began to bleed into her tone. Being whispered to like that made me... no, no, now wasn't the time for that. We didn't have all day. I needed to finish this in one go.
"Sara-san."
When I called her name, she slowly looked up from my chest. I found myself mesmerized by her slightly moist eyes and froze for a moment. Perhaps because it had been a while since I had taken the initiative, I was struggling to find my rhythm.
"Fufu..."
Sensing the mood, Sara-san wore a soft smile and gently closed her eyes. I placed my hands on her slender shoulders and slowly leaned in until our lips were just centimeters apart. I poured every ounce of love I had for her into this kiss.
I pressed my lips against hers, hoping my feelings would reach her. Suddenly, I felt a surge of strength from her side. Sara-san’s hand moved to the back of my head, pulling my face down—no, she was drawing me into her with surprising force.
"Nmh..."
"Fufu..."
The pressure increased from both sides, and the kiss grew deeper. Just as I started to panic slightly at the sudden intensity, Sara-san let out a cute little sound, but she didn't let go.
By the time I felt like I was reaching the limit of my breath, she finally unraveled her arm from the back of my head and slowly pulled away.
"Sa-Sa-Sara-san...?"
"Fufu... My apologies."
"No, I mean..."
"I was so happy with your kiss, Kazunari-san, that I simply couldn't help myself."
Despite her words, she wore a mischievous expression. The way she touched her lips with her hand exuded a strange, mature sensuality. Combined with the lingering heat of the kiss, my heart started racing all over again.
"Your feelings, Kazunari-san... I have certainly received them."
"...Yes."
No more words were needed. My feelings had reached her clearly.
"I love you... Kazunari-san."
"I love you too, Sara-san."
I hugged her one last time, cherishing her radiant smile, before finally forcing myself to let go.
"Kazunari-san, see you later..."
"Yeah. Take care."
I smiled and waved back as she gave a small wave and turned to head toward the school building. I watched her from behind until the very moment she disappeared from sight.
As I approached the venue, the small groups of people loitering about began to merge into a single, massive crowd. By the time I reached the school grounds, a sea of people filled the spectator area in front of the stage.
What in the world is this?
There were adult men of a mature age, students, the typical showy types, groups of guys with matching backpacks, a fair number of women, and even families with small children. Many were holding binoculars; they looked like professionals at this sort of thing.
"Takanashi-sama."
As I stood there dazed by the sheer scale of it, someone called out from right beside me. It was a woman dressed sharply in a suit—wait, I recognized her. She was one of the people who had helped with the preparations at the flowerbed.
"We have been expecting you. We have secured a seat for you; please, allow me to guide you."
"Ah, sorry, thank you very much!"
"Not at all. This way, please."
With a polite bow, the woman began to lead the way. I followed her as she skirted the edge of the audience and headed toward a partitioned space directly in front of the stage. It was a very conspicuous path to take.
"Oh, it's the Vice President!"
"Is he here to cheer for the President?"
"Hey... look at that guy..."
"Yeah. But seriously, are he and Satsukawa-san actually a thing?"
"You guys weren't there yesterday..."
"Maybe he's just stalking her?"
"Could be... Man, if he can pull it off, I should have a shot too."
"Idiot, if you'd seen them together, you wouldn't say that. They were flirting like crazy!"
As expected, I drew the attention of the male students immediately. Some of the reactions were clearly hostile. It seemed the news about my relationship with Sara-san had spread even further than I’d feared.
"Oh, here he comes!"
"Takanashi-kun, over here!"
I looked toward the familiar voices and saw the rest of the group near the center of the front row. Natsumi-senpai and Tachikawa-san were waving to me. I managed to join them, though I was amazed they had secured such a perfect spot.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. But how did you get these seats...?"
"Mufufu, that’s the power of Eririn."
"When we arrived, this space was already cordoned off," Todo-san explained.
Calling it a "space" was literal. Staff members in suits were standing like a human wall, surrounding our area to keep the crowd at bay. It was incredibly helpful, but I wondered if it wasn't a bit of overkill.
"Fufu, since we are here to witness your big moment, Takanashi-san, it simply had to be from the best seats," Nishikawa-san said with a smile.
"Exactly. I even skipped going to the hospital for this, so you'd better make it worth it," Natsumi added.
"Takanashi-kun, do your best!"
"We’re rooting for you!"
"Kazunari, let's do this."
"Though there's a chance that once it's over, it’ll turn out to be a whole lot of nothing," Yuji joked.
"You don't need to worry about the aftermath," Hanako said, grabbing my sleeve. "Kazunari, just focus on what you have to do. Your big sister is right here."
"You're right... thanks, everyone."
Having them here was more reassuring than I could put into words. I didn't know what would happen after I carried out my plan, but I could stay calm because my best friends were by my side.
"Now then, while Sara isn't looking..."
Nishikawa-san opened her pouch and took out something wrapped in a heart-patterned handkerchief. There was no need to guess; only one thing made sense at this stage.
"Here you go, Takanashi-san."
As the others watched with bated breath, Nishikawa-san unwrapped the handkerchief. There it was—the small red box.
"Wait... is that...?"
"Eririn, what is this?"
"No way..."
"Nishikawa-san, thank you for everything," I said as I took the box.
Everyone’s eyes were glued to it. I tried to put it away in my bag, but Natsumi-senpai and Hanako-san were staring me down with terrifying intensity. Even Todo-san looked at me with such pleading, sad eyes that I felt a wave of guilt.
"Kazunari..."
"I know, I know."
Hanako-san demanded a look. I tried to keep it hidden from the crowd, though our "wall" made that easier. I cautiously clicked the box open.
"–?!"
"Eeeeeeeh?!"
"Wait, is that seriously a ring?!"
"Takanashi-kun, you're going that far?!"
The group members who hadn't known about the ring were completely stunned. It was a natural reaction; if a ring appeared during a proposal, its meaning was unmistakable.
"Well, it's a necessity, isn't it?"
"I mean, yeah, but..."
"Takanashi-kun, let me see it closer!"
"A-Ah, me too!"
"Kazunari..."
Natsumi-senpai was floored, while Tachikawa-san and Todo-san were practically vibrating with curiosity. Hanako-san gave me a heavy, scornful look for keeping secrets.
"Whoa, it’s gorgeous! Takanashi-kun, you bought this yourself?"
"Fuaah... it's so beautiful..."
"Is it real?"
"That’s rude, Natsumi," Nishikawa-san interjected. "This is a genuine masterpiece Takanashi-san purchased from a shop that serves the Nishikawa family."
"Eeh?! Doesn't that mean it was incredibly expensive?"
"Don't be vulgar."
"Ah, sorry, Takanashi-kun!"
"It's fine. Honestly, it was way beyond my normal budget. I only managed to get it thanks to Nishikawa-san's help."
Suzuhara-san had given me a massive discount, but that only happened because of Nishikawa-san’s introduction.
"This is a half-eternity ring, isn't it?" Todo-san asked, looking more moved than anyone. She seemed to have a deep appreciation for the romantic symbolism of jewelry.
"Are you really giving her this today?"
"Of course."
"Wow... how wonderful. Satsukawa-senpai is so lucky."
"I think I’m going to cry just watching."
"I might actually sob..."
Todo-san’s eyes were already welling up. It was a bit embarrassing to have her so moved before I’d even done anything.
"The wife who gets this from Kazunari will be the happiest person alive," Hanako muttered.
"Seriously. I didn't think he was going to be this formal about it. Sara might actually faint."
"I would. If the person I loved did this for me, I wouldn't be able to stand," Todo-san agreed.
Knowing that the ring I’d chosen with such care was being praised made me proud, but the idea of Sara-san crying was... well, if she was that happy, then it was worth it.
"...Yuji, what are you thinking?"
"The same thing you are."
"Haha, Kazunari really is on another level."
"Yeah. Having a girlfriend myself now makes me realize it even more."
"Testing, testing, one, two! Mic check!"
A high-pitched, high-energy voice blasted through the speakers. It was Minamin, sounding like an idol on overdrive.
"OK? Alright, let's get this party started!"
The atmosphere shifted instantly. The chatter died down, replaced by a heavy, restless anticipation as every eye in the crowd turned toward the stage. Opening music began to blare.
"Alright, you guys! Are you ready?! Let's goooooooooo!"
A massive roar erupted from the audience, a wall of sound that made us all wince. Hanako-san looked utterly disgusted.
Bang! Bang!
Confetti exploded into the air as a small figure bounded onto the stage. With long twin-tails and a fluffy pink magical girl outfit, Minamin made a grand entrance.
"Wait—she beat me to it?!" Hanako-san muttered, looking strangely frustrated.
"Thank you all for waiting! Is everyone having a good time?!"
"YES!" the crowd screamed.
"I can't hear you! I said, is everyone having a good time?!"
"YESSSSSSSSS!"
I’d seen this yesterday, but the sheer energy was still overwhelming. I felt a bit like a killjoy for watching with such a detached perspective, but looking at my friends, they seemed just as overwhelmed.
"Alright! Let's keep that energy up! Welcome to the Rinka Festival tradition, the 32nd Miss Rinka High School Contest! And your MC is, of course, everyone's favorite... Minamin!"
The "Minamin" calls from the fan club were deafening. She kept the crowd engaged with light banter and inside jokes for a while before pivoting.
"Now then, before we meet our lovely contestants, let's have a greeting from the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee!"
"Greetings, everyone. Thank you for joining us today."
A man with a pompous, theatrical tone stepped forward. I had met him once and decided he was 200% pure annoyance.
"I am Yajima, the current President of the Rinka High School Miss Contest Preparatory Committee. It is a pleasure to be here!"
The applause was noticeably thin and pitiful. It was almost impressive how quickly he managed to suck the life out of the room after Minamin had hyped it up.
"Fufufu, I understand. A man on stage isn't what you came for, is it? I quite understand."
He seemed to think the lack of enthusiasm was because he wasn't a girl, rather than because of his personality.
"But please, give me a moment! This year, we have a lineup of contestants truly worthy of the top spot. And as a special treat, we have a surprise entry! Even I was shocked. She is not a current student, but as an OG of Rinka, I have deemed her eligible to compete!"
A surprise entry? So there was someone unannounced. Well, as long as Sara-san wasn't taking it seriously, it didn't really matter to me.
"Allowing an OG to compete? That’s a bit much, isn't it?"
"He probably panicked because Sara was going to win by a landslide, so he scrambled to find a rival," Nishikawa-san whispered.
"That sounds about right."
"So, I am certain this contest will go down in Rinka history!" Yajima continued, oblivious to the cold reception.
"Thank you for your time."
He marched off-stage with an air of unearned triumph. Minamin looked dejected for a second before shaking it off and refocusing.
"Alright! Let's get back to the good stuff! It's time to meet the contestants!"
The crowd exploded. People started screaming their favorites' names before anyone even walked out.
"Satsukawa-san!"
"Goddess!"
"Rena-saaan!"
Our little group stayed relatively quiet amidst the madness. Hanako-san was looking increasingly grumpy, still clutching my sleeve.
"Now, for Entry Number Eight! One of our top contenders!"
The introductions proceeded until it was time for the Stuck-up Woman.
"With elegance she can't hide, a true celebrity young lady! The winner of last year’s 31st Contest—Kusuhara Rena!"
Rena stepped out with a practiced, refined smile. The "Rena" calls from her followers were loud; being the previous winner clearly carried some weight.
"So that’s her. She is beautiful, I suppose," Tachikawa-san noted.
"Only because Sara didn't compete last year," Nishikawa-san said. "Rena actually thinks she won on merit."
"Well, she is good at playing the part," Natsumi-senpai added. "You'd never know what she's really like just by looking at her here."
"Alright, everyone... thank you for waiting! I know who you’re really here for!" Minamin’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, building the tension. Rena, still on stage, looked annoyed by the blatant special treatment being given to the next person.
"Our final official entry! The girl who ignored every invitation last year but is finally here! Top of her class, perfect at sports, and—this is so calculated—a master of home economics! The girl you most want as a wife... Entry Number Nine! The Aloof Goddess, Satsukawa Sara!"
The roar that followed was unlike anything else. It was a physical wall of sound that seemed to shake the ground.
Sara-san stepped onto the stage.
She didn't acknowledge the noise. She simply walked forward, her face a cool, expressionless mask—the "Goddess" persona in full effect. She looked dignified, almost divine. The crowd actually went silent for a heartbeat, stunned by her presence.
But the silence didn't last.
"Satsukawa-saaaaaan!"
"Goddess!"
"Sara-chaaaaan!"
The noise returned, louder than ever.
"Wow... what a reception!" Minamin shouted. "And now, for our special guest! Entry Number Ten! Age unknown, name unknown! With a healing voice, a mature aura, and a body that... well, let's just say she's a mystery super beauty! Please welcome, Mayu-san!"
A woman stepped out. She wore soft, flowing clothes that did nothing to hide a model-like figure—and a very assertive chest that most guys would find impossible to ignore. Her hair was tied up, exposing a sexy nape, and she wore a soft, soothing smile.
Wait.
She looked... familiar.
I blinked, trying to process what I was seeing. My brain started doing a mental overlay. Take off the glasses. Let down the hair.
The woman on stage was a stunning beauty who looked exactly like a mature version of Sara-san.
There was no mistake.
What in the world are you doing here, Mayumi-san?!