"The Athletic Festival will be held in three weeks."
Ms. Fukushima, the homeroom teacher for Class A, made the announcement to the class.
"Please check the handbooks you've been given for details on each event. Participation is mandatory for everyone, so please decide which events you'll enter and submit your application by the end of the week."
I flipped through the pages of the handbook as I listened to the teacher.
This was... quite an extravagant event.
Even after the first period began, my mind remained occupied with thoughts of the Athletic Festival.
When lunch break finally arrived, I headed to the roof of the Old Student Council Building to eat with Hinako, as was our habit.
"The Athletic Festival, huh..." I muttered, chewing on a piece of thick rolled omelet.
"In the high school you used to attend, Itsuki... did they not have anything like this?"
"We had them, but definitely not on this scale."
I picked up a piece of smoked duck with my chopsticks and held it out to Hinako’s mouth.
"Mnh... It’s delicious."
Hinako gave a soft, adorable smile. The chef would be pleased to hear her reaction.
I had brought the Athletic Festival handbook with me to discuss it with her. I set the booklet on the floor and began leafing through the pages.
"I thought the Academy grounds were huge enough as it was, but the Athletic Festival uses multiple venues. They even have golf, horseback riding, and skating."
That meant they had their own golf courses, ranches, and skating rinks. Even more surprising was the fact that these weren't rentals; the Academy apparently owned the land outright. Just how much property did this school have?
"Itsuki, I want something sweet next..."
"Yes, yes."
I tasted a bit myself first to check. The shredded omelet and pumpkin were sweet and delicious, but the sweetened black soybeans were the highlight. I picked up a single bean with my chopsticks and brought it to Hinako’s lips.
"Mnh-fuu... Delicious."
"Why don't you eat the beans yourself?"
"No way..."
Feeding her one bean at a time was going to take forever. I noticed a spoon sitting at the edge of the lunch box and decided to make use of it.
"Itsuki... I don't think you need to worry so much," Hinako said, chewing a mouthful of beans.
"What do you mean?"
"The Athletic Festival is actually pretty casual. There are plenty of people who just slack off."
Is that so? Looking at the handbook again, I did get a casual vibe from it. The festival didn't affect grades, and it seemed they prioritized having fun over achieving results.
That made me feel a bit better. It didn't look like the Academy’s atmosphere would change drastically just because of the event.
"So, are you just going to coast through it, Hinako?"
"I want to... but I have to aim for victory."
I blinked in surprise. "Is that an instruction from Kagon-san?"
"Yes. It’s such a drag..." Hinako went limp, looking completely drained.
No matter how casual the event might be for others, aiming for the top sounded exhausting.
"By the way, how did you do last time?"
"I won. It was... very tiring."
I was astonished as Hinako told me this while munching on her omelet. I occasionally forgot, but Hinako was a Gifted Girl. Even among the elites gathered at this Academy, her abilities were exceptional.
I couldn't entirely dismiss Kagon-san’s logic. With talent like hers, it would be a waste to let it rot. I could understand that much of his parental concern.
Even so, I was on Hinako’s side. I would do what I could to reduce her burden.
"Which event are you entering?"
"Tennis, same as last year. There are a lot of participants, so winning gets the most attention."
True, compared to golf or skating, tennis likely had a much larger field.
"Maybe I'll enter the tennis event too."
"...Can you play?"
"A long time ago, I used to play with an acquaintance."
A certain childhood friend had invited me, and we’d played several times for fun. Since she was in the tennis club, I was occasionally roped into helping her practice after school. I felt a pang of nostalgia for those days, hitting the ball back and forth in the park as the sun set.
It had been a small park where you couldn't really run around, and we spent half the time fishing balls out of the bushes. If I were to play with Hinako and the others now, it would be in a massive, high-end facility. It would be far more convenient, and my past self would have been envious, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy for how much my daily life had changed.
Just then, I heard the sound of a vibration.
"Hinako, you have a call."
"...Oh, you're right."
Hinako pulled her smartphone from her skirt pocket. She hit the answer button and immediately switched it to speaker mode.
『Young Lady, do you have a moment?』
"Mm-hmm." Hinako nodded.
The caller was Ms. Shizune.
『It's about the upcoming Athletic Festival. We were planning to hire a tennis coach as we do every year, but it seems the person in charge suffered a sprain the other day and is unable to attend. We are currently searching for a replacement, but depending on how that goes, it might be better for you to participate in a different event.』
It was timely news, though not exactly good.
"Is there any chance I could just... not participate?"
『No chance.』
"Aww..."
『The Athletic Festival is a prime opportunity to demonstrate that you are gifted in both the arts and athletics. Kagon-sama will not compromise on this.』
Even if it didn't affect grades, it was still a major event. Winning would only solidify Hinako’s image as a perfect lady.
『Besides, the exercise will be good for you, Young Lady. Lately, perhaps because you've been enjoying your meals with Itsuki-san, you've become a bit—』
"Ngh...!"
Hinako suddenly let out a strangled squeak, drowning out the rest of Ms. Shizune’s sentence. I wondered what they had been talking about. Her face turned bright red as she grabbed the phone and scurried away from me.
『Young Lady?』
"I-Itsuki is right here... so don't say things... like that...!"
『I see. In that case, it is all the more important that you get some exercise.』
"Mnh, uuu... hmph..." Hinako made an incredibly pained face.
『Itsuki-san, are you there?』 Ms. Shizune called out.
Hinako handed the phone back to me.
"I'm here."
『Which event do you plan to enter, Itsuki-san?』
"I was thinking of doing whatever Hinako does."
『Understood. In your case, please be careful not to stand out too much or reveal any flaws.』
"...Right. I'll be careful."
I thought back to the previous month. My true identity had just been discovered by Tennoji-san. Many students would be watching the Athletic Festival. If I messed up in public, it might cause trouble for the Konohana family... and for Hinako.
『That said, you have excellent reflexes, so you should be fine with most standard sports. I would suggest avoiding equestrianism, however.』
I had no intention of trying that even without being told. I was curious, but there was no need to attempt it at a school festival.
I finished the call and handed the phone back to Hinako.
"So, Hinako, what's the plan?"
I was asking about her choice of event and the coach situation, but for some reason, Hinako was looking frantic while clutching her stomach. She pinched the side of her waist and broke into a cold sweat.
"...Itsuki."
"Yeah?"
"What do you think... of me lately?"
I had no idea what she was getting at. I tilted my head in confusion.
"Have I... gotten a little... rounder, or anything like that?"
Rounder... Ah, she was talking about her weight.
"Now that you mention it, you might have put on a little weight."
"Ngh."
Hinako had always been on the thin side, so I thought it was a good thing—but she looked at me with an expression of pure despair.
"...I'm going to win," she declared, clenching her fists. "I am... going to win...!!"
"O-Okay."
I couldn't quite keep up with her sudden burst of motivation, but it was better than her being depressed.
We finished our lunch, packed up the boxes, and started heading back to the main building.
"Wait, Hinako. You've got a grain of rice on your face."
"Mnh..."
I wiped it off with my handkerchief. That was a close call; I almost let her image as a perfect lady be tarnished.
We resumed our walk back.
(The real question is which event I should join. If Hinako is determined to win, she should stick with tennis since she's practiced it... but...)
And if she did, I would have to join her. I was worried about the lack of a coach, but I personally preferred a sport I was familiar with. I hoped they could find a replacement soon.
"I-Itsuki...!"
Someone called out to me as we walked through the connecting corridor. I turned around to find—
"Narika?"
A girl with her long black hair tied in a ponytail approached us. It was Narika.
"What's wrong? You look frantic."
"...Itsuki, have you heard about the Athletic Festival?"
"Only what the teacher mentioned this morning."
When I answered, Narika’s eyes filled with tears as she grabbed my shoulders.
"Please, Itsuki! Help me!"