The day off after the sports festival had come and gone, and I was walking the usual route to school, but... the atmosphere along the way felt different. At first, I wondered if it was just the lingering excitement from the festival, but I quickly realized that wasn't it. Listening to the chatter of my fellow students, it didn't sound like they were basking in the afterglow; rather, they were buzzing as if some big celebrity had come to town.
Is there a TV crew filming this early in the morning or something?
"Yo, morning."
"Hm? Oh, morning."
A classmate called out from behind, and I turned to greet him. After exchanging some small talk, I asked if he knew why the atmosphere felt so strange.
"Oh, it’s probably because those people are nearby," he said.
"...Those people?"
"You know. The ones who blew everyone away at the sports festival the other day..."
"Oh! Those guys!"
At his suggestion, I clapped my hands together in realization. He had to be talking about the members of that one club that performed that incredible demonstration during the club activity introduction. Those people had completely stolen the spotlight with their performances during both the rehearsal and the main event.
Thanks to them, the members of the other clubs—who were unable to draw a single eye after their own introductions—looked so dejected you could practically see the gloom radiating from their backs.
"True. If they’re nearby, I can see why a crowd of onlookers would gather to catch a glimpse."
"Right? Since they're students here, they have to be heading to school around this time too."
"There were five of them total. It wouldn't be strange for at least one of them to be arriving now..."
My friend and I nodded in agreement and quickened our pace. Whether I was actually interested or not, I figured I’d like to see them if I had the chance.
As the school gate came into view, the surrounding commotion suddenly surged. Could it be...?
"Hey, look at that."
"Whoa... that’s a massive crowd."
Where my friend was pointing, a single male student and two female students were surrounded by a throng of people. That male student was definitely the one who had put on that flashy performance against two opponents during the main event.
During the sports festival, he had looked like a brave, elite warrior, but now he seemed utterly overwhelmed and bewildered by the high-spirited crowd. It was hard to believe he was the same person who had fought like that.
"They’re bombarding him with questions."
"Yeah. That performance made them celebrities overnight. Though, looking at him now, I can't say I'm jealous."
"No kidding. The girls hiding behind him look a bit intimidated by the pressure of the crowd."
"...Wait, you're right. Do the people around them not notice?"
"They're probably so obsessed with getting answers that they haven't even realized."
Despite his confusion, the male student was standing at the forefront, shielding the girls from the barrage of questions. Although his responses were awkward, the way he managed the situation to keep the heat off the girls was impressive.
That said, as for whether we could help...
"Even if we jumped in there now and tried to disperse the crowd... it’d probably be impossible."
"Yeah. If anything, they'd probably turn on us for taking away their entertainment."
"Normally, this is when a teacher should step in and use their authority to break it up, but there isn't one in sight."
I looked left and right, but I couldn't see any sign of a teacher rushing over. Does that mean this crowd only just formed?
I shot a look at my friend as if to ask "What now?", but he simply closed his eyes and gave a weak shake of his head.
"Well... look, the warning bell is going to ring soon. Once someone notices the time and says something, the crowd will probably break up on its own. No one wants to be late."
"...I guess so."
"Besides, if they could pull off a performance like that at the festival, I'm sure they can shake off a crowd and make a run for it if they have to."
After offering a silent prayer and apologizing for our powerlessness, my friend and I slipped past the crowd and headed toward the entrance. Perhaps because of the bottleneck at the front gate, the entrance—which was usually packed at this hour—was almost eerily empty.
I felt bad for them... but it certainly made things easier for us.
After hearing that the most talked-about students in school had arrived, I went with a friend to the neighboring classroom to see what all the fuss was about. There were already people clustered like grapes around the windows and doors, trying to peek inside.
...They really are popular.
"Whoa... look at that mountain of people."
"No kidding. But well, after that performance at the sports festival, I guess it can't be helped."
"It really was something else."
"Yeah. The rehearsal was great, but the main event was just breathtaking."
"Totally."
My friend and I managed to find a gap in the crowd and squeezed in, whispering about the festival while peeking into the classroom. Truly, the demonstration those people gave was spectacular. When I first saw it during the rehearsal the day before the main event, I didn't even know what to make of it. I mean, people were suddenly punching each other at incredible speeds. For a second, I was seriously worried, thinking "What's going on!?" Every time they stepped forward, the ground seemed to rumble, and their punches and kicks let out this sharp whistling sound.
To be honest, the rehearsal performance was over while I was still standing there stunned, so I don't remember much other than thinking it was amazing. But maybe because that built up my tolerance, I was able to actually follow the performance during the main event the next day.
"We could never do a demonstration like that."
"Yeah. Honestly, forget us—I bet almost no one in this school could. Sure, there are probably people who can move that fast, but just because you're an explorer doesn't mean you can move with that kind of grace."
Most of the second and third-year students at our school are explorers. Those at the top levels move in a way that's incomparable to us—we’re basically beginners with a bit of extra hair—and I’ve seen demonstrations by high-level explorers at events before.
But...
"Most people just kind of kick, punch, or slash randomly, don't they?"
"Yeah. Some of them clearly studied martial arts, but it wasn't at the level where they could flow through a demonstration like those people did."
"Exactly. It always feels like they’re being jerked around by their own strength because it increased so fast. Even the forms they should know by heart look awkward."
"Right, right. Like they’re barely holding themselves back from flying off and just forcing the movements to happen."
I don't know if pros or semi-pros at events are the right comparison, but I definitely thought the club members' movements were better. Those people have probably mastered the power they gained by becoming explorers.
As someone who is barely an explorer myself, I think I understand how hard it is to control strength that has spiked in such a short time.
"That's why it's so shocking. They're the same age as us, but they can do all that."
"Exactly, exactly."
When I see people perfectly doing things I can't even dream of yet, I can't help but think they're incredible. I respect them. That’s why it was only natural for me to want to catch a glimpse of them....Yes, it was inevitable.
Even if the students inside the classroom gave me annoyed looks for staring through the door!
"Ah, there! That’s him, I think."
"Where? Ah, you're right. That's the one who fought two people at once."
Enduring the judgmental glares, my friend and I peered into the room and finally spotted our target, who was answering questions with a troubled expression while surrounded by his classmates.
But looking at him now in his school uniform, he looked like a perfectly ordinary boy. For a moment, I almost wondered if he really was the one from the demonstration.
"I heard the three who did the demonstration are in the same class... but is only one of them here? Where are the others?"
"There's still time, so maybe they’re just late... wait, huh?"
Suddenly, I noticed that the onlookers crowding the door had begun to pull away. Why?
"Ah, sorry. Could you let me through? I can't get into my classroom..."
"Ah, sorry! We'll move right away!"
Admonished by a slightly weary male voice for blocking the doorway, my friend and I hurriedly bowed, averted our eyes, and moved away.
After a short pause, I looked up and realized who had just spoken.
"Ah, that person..."
"He was in the demonstration too."
He sat down after greeting his classmates, but I could tell just from his back that he was exhausted. A feeling of guilt started to well up inside me.
And then...
"...Shall we go back? It’s almost time anyway."
"...Yeah. It's a shame we didn't see the last one, but staying here any longer would just be a nuisance."
Seeing him join the first boy in being interrogated by their classmates, we decided to retreat to our own room. A teacher was walking this way, so we really were out of time.
On the way back, a female student passed us in the hallway. She had a perfectly composed expression, but she was moving at the speed of a power walker. Actually, her speed was closer to a sprint, yet she appeared to be just strolling. She was using some needlessly high level of technique...
During the morning staff meeting, a certain incident regarding the sports festival was brought up. Apparently, a recording of the event had been leaked online, causing a bit of an uproar.
The school had been alerted by a student and immediately submitted a deletion request, which was successful. However, even though the original video was gone, copycat videos and forum threads about the "viral" moment were still out there. We were instructed to keep a close eye on things to prevent any related trouble within the school.
"Therefore, I ask that all teachers pay close attention to the students' behavior," the Vice Principal said.
The video he was talking about was almost certainly the performance those students had given. It was only natural that it would cause a stir if it hit the internet. I myself had been thunderstruck when I saw their performances during both the rehearsal and the main event.
Having finished the main announcements, the Vice Principal moved to wrap up, but then remembered one more thing.
"Also, we have final exams at the end of next week. Many students may still be feeling restless after the sports festival, so please help them switch back into study mode. That is all. Everyone, let's work hard today."
"Yes, sir!"
The meeting ended, and the teachers with homeroom duties dispersed. Since I don't have a homeroom class this year, I headed to the copier to prepare handouts for my first-period lesson. Like the Vice Principal said, with final exams coming up, I was printing a mini-test to help them switch gears. I purposely made it difficult; most of them will probably be lucky to get even half of it right.
I hope it gives them enough of a scare to actually start studying...
"Hm? Oh, Hashimoto-sensei. Good morning."
"? Ah, good morning. Are you copying handouts too?"
"Yes. I’m printing a mini-test for today's class."
There was already someone at the copier: Hashimoto-sensei, who just started this year. Even though she's a new teacher, she’s become a bit of a celebrity herself lately.
"It must be tough for you, since it involves the students in your club, right? What the Vice Principal was talking about?"
"Y-yes... I'm sorry for all the trouble."
"No, don't be. The students were just eager to promote their new club, and it’s not like they were the ones who posted the video or stoked the fire, right? There’s no reason for you to worry, Hashimoto-sensei. It was just a bit of bad luck."
"Ah, thank you very much."
At my reassurance, Hashimoto-sensei bowed slightly and thanked me.
As I waited for her to finish while we chatted, someone suddenly called out to her loudly.
"Hashimoto-sensei! You have a call on line one!"
"Eh!? Y-yes! Ah, but the copies..."
"I'll finish the rest for you, so go ahead and take the call. It would be rude to keep a guest waiting, after all."
"Ah, um, thank you so much. I'm sorry, I'll leave it to you."
"Of course."
Hashimoto-sensei bowed again and hurried back to her desk.
From the snippets of conversation I could hear and the confused, stressed expression on her face, it seemed to be another scouting offer for the kids in her club. I don't think there are even any third-years in that club...
In the end, her call lasted longer than the copying did, so I ended up delivering her stack of papers to her desk. She certainly has it rough.