Reiryuu Academy Student Council Chapter 15

Athletic Festival Arc
15 Recommendation and a Talk

Finals had ended but an atmosphere that differed from relief could be felt. The students, especially sports-oriented ones, were restless. There was one reason for that. The final event of the first term, the one in which sports-oriented students flourished, was approaching–the athletic festival.

Having acquired an executive and the highest cla.s.s average in the finals, Cla.s.s F's homeroom teacher, Matsudsensei, set his sights on the athletic festival championship.

"This year, our Cla.s.s F is on the red team!"

When Matsudsensei scribbled "red" on the blackboard cryptically, the usual scene of Meru narrowing her eyes and Maiko sighing occurred. Standing next to Matsudsensei, the cla.s.s rep calmly said, "Please stop wasting chalk," and with Takimoto taking the lead, the cla.s.s burst out in laughter.
With the cla.s.s rep cleanly erasing the blackboard in the background, Matsudsensei leaned on the teacher's lectern and continued his speech in high spirits.

"The red team includes everyone in the second grade high school section!"

Matsudsensei was once again thoroughly explaining facts that everyone already knew. Looking tired, the cla.s.s rep yanked Matsudsensei off the teacher's lectern and cut to the chase.
Having been driven off, Matsudsensei sat in the cla.s.s rep's seat and, with a great effort, crossed his normally uncrossable legs.

"Now then, I think you already know, but I'll explain the event."

While looking at the handout, the cla.s.s rep calmly opened her mouth.

"First, the full-school events are the boys' calvary battle and the girls' tug of war which each take ten people from each cla.s.s. There's also the cheering squad which takes five of both boys and girls. After that, there's the boys' 100 meter race and 2,000 meter race which take six partic.i.p.ants each and the girls' hundred meter race and 1,000 meter race which also take six partic.i.p.ants each. Then there's the representative relay which takes one boy and one girl. Picking multiple events is okay, but please make sure to choose at least one."

After the cla.s.s rep said that indifferently, the time for bidding for an event and recommending began. Of course, at times like this, the first person to raise their hand was the self-proclaimed moodmaker, Takimoto.

"I want to join the 100 meter race and the relay!"

Picking the 100 meter race and representative relay concurrently before anything else meant that he had confidence in his legs. While Meru was thinking that, Maiko looked back at her.

"Meru, which one are you going to choose?"
"Hmm. I have my student council work and stuff… In any case, the cheering squad is a pain, so pa.s.s."
"I don't want the cheering squad, either. Maybe I'll go for the tug of war."
"Ah, I agree with that."

As a result of their discussion, Meru and Maiko decided on the tug of war, but…

"I recommend Kusuhara for the 100 meter race and the relay as well!"

In the instant Meru was raising her hand for the tug of war, Takimoto spoke out. Meru's right hand lost its place to go.

"Eh, um, I'm going for the tug of w-"
"I agree with that as well."

As if to say that was a good idea, the cla.s.s rep nodded. When they saw that, the other students in cla.s.s also all nodded.

"Before, when you were being chased by Fuugkun, you were quite fast, Kusuharsan."

Certainly, until recently, Meru had frequently dashed down the hall ferociously and she had been called out to by members of the track and field club several times, but she just told them the truth that her time was between nine and ten seconds and fled.1

"No, I'm saying that–"
"Then Kusuharsan will be in the 100 meter race and the representative relay."

The cla.s.s applauded, deciding Meru's events on their own.

"This kind of thing happens a lot lately, huh?"

Maiko murmured while holding back a smile. Meru slammed her head down on her desk.

It was after school in the student council room. They were sitting in their established seats and desperately working their way through everything that had piled up while activities had been suspended during finals.

Incidentally, one of the things Meru had learned since entering the student council was that there was a brutal workload. They took care of all the academy's business from the finances from the elementary to the high school section and the calendar of events.

"Meru-chan, what are you taking part in?"

While she was signing the incredibly long school name and beginning to have a mental breakdown, Fuuga carefreely asked that question.

"Ahh, bell pepper and cabbage stir-fry."
"…Eh? Sorry, Meru-chan. That…what are you talking about?"

While smoothly adding the necessary items to the doc.u.ments, Meru randomly answered Fuuga's question. Incidentally, that was a side dish in her lunchtime bento.

"Fuuga. My bad for giving you time to talk. I'll add more work."

Hayate came from the president's seat to where Meru and the others were at the long table and put down a mountain of doc.u.ments with a 'bam.' Fuuga's hair fluttered in the breeze that was generated from that excessive weight.

"Eh, no way! Sorry, Hayate-kun! Forgive me!"
"What? You want me to add more?"

Meru glanced up and saw a sharp glint in Hayate's eyes. Fuuga, who was on the receiving end of that, huddled up, looking exactly like a frog being glared at by a snake.

"But I certainly am curious. What are you taking part in, Meru?"

Hayate asked Meru while running his pen across the doc.u.ments faster than the eye could see. Coming from the one who had given a warning just now, there should have been at least one complaint, but since he was holding the place as the fastest processor amongst the executives, no one could say a word.

"Ahh… The 100 meter race and the representative relay."
"Ehh! …I should have gone for the relay, too. I missed Meru's baton pa.s.s full of love!"
"You didn't miss it or anything 'cause it doesn't exist."

Meru denied that, but Fuuga was in the middle of building his delusion of the moment he and Meru exchanged the baton, so he didn't hear her.

"I'm in the relay, too. I wanted to take part in the cavalry battle, but I was vetoed by everyone in my cla.s.s…"

Yuuri said with a troubled face. If his martial arts switch was flipped in the middle of the cavalry battle, there was a good chance that there would be casualties, so one could probably say the students of Cla.s.s D made a wise decision.

"Ahh. How about you, Katsuragi-kun?"
"It's obvious that I won't partic.i.p.ate in anything, isn't it?"
"Eh"

Shoutarou said that matter-of-factly, but the athletic festival was the everyone must partic.i.p.ate type, so there was a rule that you couldn't partic.i.p.ate in nothing and that situation shouldn't be possible. However, Shoutarou had said it, so only one reason came to mind.

"Could it be that you hypnotized everyone in your cla.s.s?"
"You should use what you have available."

Meru thought the extent to which Shoutarou had gotten away with his wrongful acts until now was absurd. On the day of the festival, the student council had to manage things, so Hayate didn't say anything against it and sighed.

"How about you, Lailchan?"
"The cheering squad. It's the most appropriate, right?"

Laila smiled bitterly. It was true that if he appeared in the boys' events, there would be some opposition.

"I'm glad. With Laila there, this year will be easy, too."

Finally returning from his delusion of Meru, Fuuga said in reaction to the words "cheering squad." Come to think of it, Fuuga was in the cheering squad last year, too, and even as the leader. It seemed that he would be taking over that role this year, too.

"Easy?"
"When Laila is there, the girls don't surround me and practice goes well to the end."
"Ahh…"

If Fuuga was the cheering squad leader, then all of the cheering squad's girls would become his fans in due course. With it like that, Laila, a boy prettier than a girl, was a perfect fan repellant. Meru understood.

"Are you taking part in the cavalry battle this year, too, Kamishiro-kun?"

When Yuuri asked that, Hayate nodded. If Meru remembered correctly, last year, Hayate stole all the headbands and smiled sweetly. There was a rumor that that smile caused a great number of female students to faint, and the school infirmary struggled under the influx.

"Kamishiro-kun, is the cavalry battle your specialty?"
"It seems that standing at the summit is in my nature after all. Also, it's fun to see people prostrating themselves in front of me."

It isn't wrong that everyone in the room thought It's the emperor at that.

And with that, the athletics festival that seemed like it would also have its fair share of ups and downs was one month away.

1 This is kinda weird. The implication is that she didn't want to join, yet she told them the truth, and the truth is that she's really fast (Usain bolt is in this bracket with his fastest 100m dash breaking the previous world record at 9.58 seconds)… I guess she didn't mind cuz she could outrun them? Hah.

My brain is dead as I'm translating this OTL But also RIP Meru. Tried so hard to blend in, unintentionally revealed herself in so many ways. Is now forever doomed. Confirmed ridiculous physical abilities on top of her memory tho.

Also, my apologies. I had intended to get a second one out today, but life generally got in the way and that did not happen. I think the next one's pretty long anyway, so…oh well. Until next week.