Chapter 176: So Damn Noisy, You Idiot
There was a relay showdown scheduled for the afternoon.
At 14:20.
But apparently, there had been a bit of an incident——
"I heard the relay runner for the red team from the cheer squad fell."
"So what's the red team gonna do? Their final runner was from the cheer squad, right?"
"They'll probably replace them?"
Beside the athletic field, near the tennis courts, whispers were spreading.
Ishigami Yuu looked into the crowd. Among them was a familiar back—his junior high classmate, Ootomo Kyoko.
She was the light in the dark days of his middle school years, a ray of brightness in his dull life. Ootomo Kyoko was one of the few who had spoken to him back then—and also the culprit who turned Ishigami into the "God of Giving Up."
[Ishigami-kun, you look like you're enjoying life.]
In his mind, the words she'd just said kept replaying over and over like a flickering black-and-white tape—like a phone suddenly ringing in the middle of class—an icy chill rising from the soles of his feet.
He really didn't want to see her again. She was a symbol of one of the greatest failures of his life. But there were some things one eventually had to face.
'You stupid woman, you ruined my life! At least have some damn self-awareness!'
Ishigami Yuu sighed internally.
"Hey! Ishigami! The captain fell—why the hell are you just standing there!?" Onodera Rei saw Ishigami staring at the ground, clearly lost in thought, and rushed over to shout at him.
———
Not far away.
Shirogane Miyuki had finally escaped from his father's clutches and regained his freedom. He was about to participate in the relay race, representing the student council.
"Sakurai, you remember her, right?" Shirogane looked toward Ootomo Kyoko.
Light brown hair in a side ponytail, white blazer uniform—clearly a student from another school here to observe. Judging by her expression, she must've been holding in quite a bit of anger.
After all, from her perspective, Ishigami Yuu had beaten up her boyfriend in front of everyone back in middle school, which led to their breakup. It was perfectly reasonable for her to be pissed.
"Her boyfriend's name was Ogino or something, right?" Sakurai Saki recalled.
At the time, Kaguya heard about the incident and immediately had Shuchiin's VIPs deal with him in a humane obliteration style. Who knows where he's run off to now.
"He was a cheating piece of shit. Ishigami beat him up to protect that girl."
To sum it up simply: Ishigami admired someone who got tricked by a scumbag. After finding out the truth, Ishigami got pissed and beat the guy up—and ended up getting suspended.
In order to protect Ootomo Kyoko's reputation, Ishigami Yuu never revealed the truth. As a result, he was misunderstood as a pervert who assaulted someone out of jealousy when he couldn't get her to break up with the guy.
"Aren't you gonna go comfort him? You're usually into that whole comforting people thing, aren't you?" Sakurai smiled as he asked.
"Then why don't you go?" Shirogane Miyuki shot back.
"I suck at that kind of thing. Besides, the knot in Ishigami's heart—he's gotta untie that himself." Sakurai grinned,"Do you really think he's hurting that much? Hah, he's not that weak."
———
"The captain got hurt jumping a hurdle just now. Twisted her ankle—can't compete."
"Then what do we do? Who'll replace him?"
"No idea! This happened right before the race..."
As the team members buzzed, the cheer squad's captain, Kazeno, who was resting against the wall, suddenly spoke up:"Ishigami, you go. I heard you were really fast back in middle school."
Vice-captain Koyasu Tsubame also smiled:"Ishigami-kun can definitely do it."
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Onodera Rei said with a blank expression.
Ishigami Yuu shot her a glare: "Then why don't you go?"
Onodera Rei snapped back:"I'm just worried you'll embarrass us. You know how people talk when someone screws up, right?"
"Then all I have to do is win." Ishigami Yuu replied calmly.
Give it everything he had! Show his full strength! And live up to the senpais' expectations!
As long as he could do that, it would be enough.
———
[Next up is the relay showdown...]
[In this event, the red cheer squad will ally with the cultural clubs to go up against the white cheer squad and the sports clubs.]
[Each athlete must carry a symbolic item representing their own club or group!]
In the stands, watching.
"Chika is actually representing the board game club in the competition..." Sakurai Saki muttered.
Then he looked over at Shirogane Miyuki, who was standing in the athlete area.
"Shirogane really intends to wear pure gold accessories, huh? That stuff is actually pretty heavy."
After all, that accessory symbolized Shuchiin's 200-year-long history and was also the emblem of the student council.
"The Kendo Club has to wear helmets, the Archery Club has to carry bows… Sakurai-san, from the looks of it, the cultural clubs really have a huge advantage. This isn't fair at all." Shinomiya Kaguya supported the sports group.
"You're rooting for the White Team?" Sakurai asked in surprise.
"?" Kaguya's face was full of question marks.
What the hell is this idiot talking about? Aren't both of us members of the White Team? If we're not rooting for the White Team, then who else are we supposed to support?
"…The student council is representing the Red Team, Kaguya-san."
Hearing that, Shinomiya Kaguya glanced at the white headband on Sakurai's forehead.
"Are you serious?"
She didn't want to lose.
Even if the opponents were all the other members of the student council! She didn't want to lose!
Even if she had to betray the student council — she, Shinomiya Kaguya, would still be the champion of Shuchiin!
"Try thinking with that almost-rotting brain of yours, Kaguya-san. Actually, it doesn't matter which team we cheer for. If we cheer for the White Team and win, we enjoy the sweet fruits of victory. If we cheer for the Red Team — they're all members of the student council — it doesn't count as losing either." Sakurai, head of general affairs, made a logical argument: "This is a win-win outcome!"
"…If you're going to say stuff like that, it'd be best to say it quietly, Sakurai-san." Kaguya pointed at his forehead.
"Right back at you." Sakurai Saki felt like she was a total traitor to the student council.
And she's the vice president, too.
"Red radish." Kaguya's voice was ice cold.
White on the outside, red on the inside. Just like this guy.
Sakurai didn't say anything more — the match had begun.
"Shirogane!!! Go for it!!"
He shouted.
He still had some dignity left — he wouldn't cheer for the Red Team.
Each relay runner was sprinting with everything they had.
Very quickly, it was Ishigami Yuu's turn.
"Ishigami-kun is with…" Shinomiya Kaguya was speaking when her expression suddenly changed.
Why is she here?
And she's even talking to Ishigami-kun.
Not far away, Ootomo Kyoko's voice rang out quite loudly. Both of them could hear — because she was yelling straight into Ishigami's face:
"Ishigami!!! You made me break up with my boyfriend!!! Bet you're real happy now!! This is all your fault!! Go smash your face into the ground!! Dumbass!!"
Hearing that, Ishigami Yuu's shoulders trembled slightly — he was laughing.
"Ha ha ha…"
After laughing, Ishigami rubbed his nose and said with a stifled grin, "Sorry, seeing that you're still just as dumb as always, I feel relieved."
Just keep getting fooled like that.
After all, her smile… was a treasure he once wanted to protect.
Keep smiling like that, Ootomo!
"What the hell do you mean by that?!" Ootomo Kyoko looked completely dumbfounded.
Ishigami Yuu raised his head slightly. With the exact same expression Shirogane or Kaguya might make, he looked at her coldly and said:"Shut the fuck up, dumbass! Just shut the fuck up already!"
Glancing at the approaching relay baton behind him, Ishigami Yuu bent slightly into position.
Smack!
He gripped it tight!!
Run! Run forward!!
And then! Throw the past away!!!
Dash!! Accelerate!!
"Ishigami!!! Go!!!"
"Ishigami-kun!! Keep it up!!"
Faster and faster! Until he couldn't hear anything anymore.
Only one goal remained! The finish line!!
Surpass the past! Leave the opponent behind!
Almost there!! Just one final step!!
…
As he crossed the finish line, the entire stadium instantly fell silent — then roared with thunderous cheers—
"Red Team won!!!!"
"We won!!!!"
"Great job, Ishigami!"
The cheer squad members surrounded Ishigami.
Not far away.
"See, Shirogane? He's not that weak." Sakurai Saku stepped up beside Shirogane Miyuki, who had just finished his run, and handed him a bottle of water. "If he wants to do something, he can do it."
Shirogane Miyuki took a sip of water and glanced at Ishigami Yuu, who was blushing from embarrassment as everyone gathered around him. He quietly said, "Yeah, you're right."
Sakurai looked at Kaguya, who had just walked over with an annoyed expression. "Our only underclassman won, and you're making that face?"
"Stupid traitor." Kaguya shot him a glare.
"What, are you not part of the student council anymore?"
"And you're still on the White Team!!"
They were arguing again.
Shirogane Miyuki sighed as he watched.
Their junior had regained a bit of confidence.
But the relationship between these two senpai… when will it finally get better?
'Every time I enter the student council room, it feels like walking into a battlefield.'
Yare yare daze.