Chapter 421: What Happened at the National Competition #3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 421: What Happened at the National Competition #3
Thanks to the stellar performance of Renka and Chinami at the women's division of the National Kendo Sports Festival they took first place, just as expected.
Standing on the podium, Renka received the championship trophy and the MVP award—symbols of authority and honor. With a bright smile on her face, she looked especially beautiful today.
The same went for Chinami, who was up on the podium in her capacity as vice-captain.
A pretty girl standing next to another pretty girl. It was a sight for sore eyes.
I didn't like other guys looking at them, but there was nothing I could do about it.
I'll just have to gouge all their eyes out later.
Goro, standing between the two of them, looked absolutely radiant.
It was because the men's team had done quite well.
The men's team placed fifth.
It wasn't a bad result, but it wasn't exactly great either.
However, it was a huge improvement compared to last year's National Sports Festival, so a smile was plastered on Goro's face for a good while.
"Good work. Congratulations on the win."
I said this amidst the other club members who had gone to greet the two as they came down majestically from the podium. Chinami, who was being showered with congratulations, flashed a cheerful smile.
"Mufufu... I feel the strength returning to my weary body. Thank you."
After hearing Chinami's thanks, delivered in her characteristically old-fashioned way, I turned to Renka.
"Congrats to you too, Captain."
"Yeah. Thanks."
She had a blank expression, but I could see the joy in her eyes.
Both Chinami and Renka had worked incredibly hard this year.
They were busy with all the new underclassmen in the kendo club, too.
And yet, they won without a single loss. As expected, the two of them are exceptionally talented.
After the tournament was completely over, Goro, who was in a fantastic mood, took us to a restaurant he had booked in advance for a team dinner.
And there, at the shop next to the restaurant, I ran into an unexpected person.
"If it isn't Matsuda-kun."
I had run into the class vice president by chance.
"What the. It's the vice president, isn't it? What are you doing here?"
"Vice President...? Do you even know my name?"
"Do I have to?"
"....."
The vice president's jaw dropped.
She must have found my nonchalant response absurd.
I chuckled and waved a hand.
"Just kidding. You're Natsume Honoka."
"Oh... you know it...?"
"Why do you sound so surprised?"
"Because it is surprising...?"
Miyuki says your name several times a day. How could I not know it?
My memory might be crap, but of course I'd know that much.
"Are you here for the tournament too?"
"No. I came to cheer. I'm in the Archery Club."
"You are?"
"See? Your memory is terrible. It's a miracle you even remember my name."
"No... I just remember your club not being an athletic one."
"It is an athletic club."
"Really...? Is my memory distorted?"
"Seems like it."
Should I start paying more attention to the people around me?
I'm relatively indifferent to anyone who isn't a heroine, so I couldn't tell if the vice president was teasing me about switching clubs or if she was being serious.
"Did the Kendo Club win?"
I nodded at her follow-up question and answered.
"Only the women's team. The men's team got fifth."
"Oh, really? The women's team gets good results every year."
"How'd the Archery Club do?"
Instead of answering, the vice president pointed to the transparent window of the shop next door.
I looked over and saw several gloomy-looking members of the Archery Club sitting inside.
"You bombed."
"Yep. The atmosphere is something else, isn't it?"
If we had been in the same restaurant, their depression probably would have been contagious.
"They'll probably feel better once they start eating."
"That's possible. Anyway, congrats. Enjoy your meal."
"Yeah."
The thought of shoving something into her dumbfounded, gaping mouth crossed my mind as I left her and entered the restaurant.
Soon after, the food started arriving in earnest, and I began to stuff my face.
* * *
"What are you doing?"
I was in front of the restaurant, where a cool breeze was blowing for a summer evening.
As I rubbed my stuffed stomach, Miyuki's voice came from the other side of the phone.
-I was watching a movie on my phone.
"Did I interrupt?"
-Yeah. How did the tournament go?
"The women's team won, and the men's team got fifth."
-I figured the women's team would win since they're famous and skilled, but the men's team did well, too?
As part of the student council, she probably knew the average results of each club.
"Yeah. The coach was ecstatic."
-He has every reason to be. Congratulations on the win.
"I'm not the one who won."
-Still, the club you belong to won, so you're allowed to be happy, you idiot.
"Don't insult me."
-Idiot.
My Miyuki is so cute. The worst insult she can muster is 'idiot'.
It's gotten to the point where I feel a little empty if I don't hear her call me that.
"Should I stop by tonight?"
-Huh? You can, but why?
"To touch your boobs in celebration of the victory."
-What are you talking about...?! Cough! Stop making me laugh, I have a cold...
"You think this is funny?"
-Yeah. It was funny.
"You laugh at the weirdest things. Are you a pervert?"
-I guess so. Don't you have to be at the team dinner?
"I ate for a while and just stepped out to digest. Have you eaten?"
-Not yet. I'm about to eat with my sister.
"Eat a lot. I'll call you again later."
-Okay.
After ending the call with my dear Miyuki, I turned to go back inside the restaurant and nearly jumped out of my skin.
"Gah...! Jeez... you scared me."
Tetsuya, who hadn't been there before, was just standing next to me.
When the hell did this bastard get here? He made no sound at all, and even though he wasn't right next to me, I was so startled I almost fell over.
Just like the gloomy bastard he is, he's got stealth down. He'd make an excellent secret agent or something.
I silently calmed my racing heart and looked him up and down.
"When did you get here?"
"Just now."
"What for?"
"To get some air. Were you on the phone with Miyuki?"
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
"I heard her voice."
"You could hear that? Is my call volume set too high?"
"I couldn't really hear what you were saying, so don't worry."
"That so? Anyway, get your air and go back in."
I nodded and was about to walk past Tetsuya when he called out to me in a low, heavy voice.
"Matsuda."
His eyes were incredibly hostile.
It made sense. Today was the day Tetsuya's long-simmering inferiority complex would reach its peak.
He had been indirectly gathering information that suggested Miyuki and I were in a pretty heated relationship.
Things like how we'd often been seen together at the academy recently, how I frequently visited her house, and how we came out of the same room during the school trip...
On top of that, at the tournament today, he picked a fight with me and got shut down hard.
And just now, he probably came outside to call or text Miyuki, only to find that I had beaten him to the punch and was already on the phone with her...
He even heard Miyuki's voice through my phone.
Furthermore, while he didn't know the details of our conversation, he must have noticed how friendly we sounded, which would only make him feel more miserable.
Of course, the phone call wasn't something I had planned.
He was the one who came out and secretly eavesdropped, so I didn't need to feel any sympathy for him.
The same went for all the previous incidents.
He keeps shooting himself in the foot, so what can you do?
There was no reason for me to be considerate.
"What."
"Treat Miyuki well. She's a really good person."
The pathetic lecture of a dog who lost in the game of love. Not even worth listening to.
Come to think of it, people who can't gracefully accept defeat after having their crush stolen away often say the same things as Tetsuya.
Treat her well. Don't make her cry. She's a good person...
Their repertoires are all so similar.
The winner will take care of things just fine on their own. It felt like his lingering attachment had soured into meddling.
"I plan to, but what's with the sudden sermon? I know Miyuki is a good person better than you do, so mind your own business."
"...I've known Miyuki for over fifteen years."
My slight provocation got a strong reaction.
The fact that he doesn't even remember provoking me first makes me sick. Now, I can't even stand him being near me.
"I know. So?"
"It means I know Miyuki far better than you do. So don't talk so carelessly."
Why is he going full throttle like this today?
He seems even worse than he was at the tournament.
Could he have overheard me saying I was going to touch Miyuki's boobs?
If he imagined his childhood friend engaging in heavy skinship with me, then his behavior becomes just a tiny bit understandable.
"Did you eat something bad? Why have you been so aggressive since the match earlier?"
"I don't think I'm being aggressive."
"Try talking to a random passerby with the same attitude you have now. See what they say."
"Really? I'm sorry if it came across that way."
"And why don't you try being a little more honest?"
"What?"
"I'm saying you should stop trying to provoke and test people while pretending to give advice. If you had just come out and said, 'I like Miyuki, so please treat her well,' I would have been considerate and given you a proper answer."
Tetsuya's face flushed bright red.
He was embarrassed because I, the person he hated, had hit the nail right on the head.
I let out a dry laugh as I looked at the still-pathetic guy and continued.
"You're being petty, and it's making me say nasty things. Let's not do this."
"...Petty?"
"Am I wrong? I don't think you used to be this bad... Get a grip."
Someone with Tetsuya's disposition absolutely hates being talked down to.
My words, delivered as if a superior were advising a subordinate, had a clear effect.
Squeeze...!
His fists clenched tightly at his sides, and they began to tremble.
If Tetsuya had a clear conscience, he probably wouldn't have reacted like that.
But this reaction could only be described as an inferiority complex.
It seemed he knew he was being pathetic.
Still, is it a good thing that there's room for self-reflection?
It's his last lifeline. Will Tetsuya be able to grab it?
No. It's none of my business, so I shouldn't care.
I glanced down at Tetsuya's clenched fists and scoffed.
It was a provocation, daring him to try and hit me if he could.
If Tetsuya were to throw a punch, I'd let him get one in.
Not on a hard place like my head, but somewhere that would swell up or get bruised.
With that resolve, I walked past Tetsuya. But he must not have had the courage to throw a punch, because he just stood there until I was back inside the restaurant.
Does this mean we won't come to blows? I feel a little disappointed.
I sat down next to Chinami and was about to start eating again when—
Bzzzt-!
My phone vibrated. It was a message from Miyuki.
[Matsuda-kun, did you get into a fight with Tetsuya-kun?]
How did Miyuki know what just happened?
I wondered if Tetsuya had already spun the story to his advantage, but that was impossible given the timeframe.
Then how? The answer came to me immediately.
'It must be because of the vice president.'
The vice president, whom I had run into by chance, must have seen Tetsuya and me through the restaurant's transparent window, or maybe she stepped outside for a moment and overheard our conversation.
No, it wasn't a "must have." It was certain. There was no other reason for Miyuki to send a message like that.
They say nothing happens by coincidence. So this was the reason I ran into the vice president today.
It seems she's acting as a secret witness for me. In that case, I should probably stop provoking Tetsuya and just ignore him from now on.