Chapter 240: Preliminary Round
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 240: Preliminary Round
BANG!!
"Brother! Are you really going to go through with this absurd plan?!"
Pestered by his cousin, Minami, Akagi Shinjiro nodded with a grim expression and replied.
"Now that things have come to this, it can't be helped. It's my fault for not accounting for the variable that is Minato Nao."
But Minami couldn't accept that.
"You can just change the plan now! You're more than capable of it!"
"No. If we can't perfectly control every variable, then our plan is already full of holes. Honestly, that schedule was only possible if everything went perfectly."
"Kh...!"
Unable to retort, Minami bit her lip in frustration. Shinjiro watched her for a moment before clasping his hands together and speaking.
"This might actually be for the best. I didn't know Sasha was holding such a trump card. I'm not sure how she got it from Kim Yoo-Sung, but since she's put it up as the prize for this competition, he'll have no choice but to go along with the current flow of events."
"...Will that man really do as we wish?"
As Minami muttered with a worried expression, Shinjiro pushed up his glasses with his middle finger and said.
"I know him well. No matter what, he's the type to always keep his word. Regardless of the outcome, he will undoubtedly move in the direction we want."
So, all we have to do is wait.
"And see who will be the one to lift the trophy after a fierce competition."
*
'How did things end up like this?'
I'm sure I didn't intervene at all, yet as if they'd been waiting for it, Nao and Sasha declared their participation. In the blink of an eye, the scale of the beauty pageant exploded.
Apparently, it wasn't supposed to be such a grand event, but the student council offered to sponsor it or something.
In any case, after some massive promotion, the Ichijo Academy Beauty Pageant began amidst the enthusiastic cheers of countless students.
"Ladiiiieeees and gentlemeeeen! And to all my fellow students of Ichijo Academy, heeeelloooooo! I'm your MC for this competition, Ichijo Academy's own social butterfly, Momochi Satoru! And over here are our judges!"
"Akagi Shinjiro, the student council vice president."
"I'm Ayabe Nana, the head of the newspaper club. It's a pleasure to be here♥"
"...I'm Kim Yoo-Sung."
'Shouldn't experts be judging something like this?'
Having been roped into being a judge, I gave an awkward wave and scanned the audience.
"Kegh-"
I couldn't help but let out a strange noise.
And for good reason—the faces in the audience were all too familiar.
'Why are those people here?!'
I know anyone with an invitation from a student can enter the cultural festival, but still, for them all to show up at once like this?
I stared at the group of parents sitting confidently in the middle of the audience.
Starting with Karen's father, Tojo Naoto, there was Rika's father, Mr. Kishimoto, and her mother, Maria-san, followed by Sasha's father, Ivan, and his wife, and then Boris and Fuma Kotaro, all sitting in a row.
Their presence was truly overwhelming.
If you looked closely, other students were stealthily moving away from them.
'Those old guys... they might not seem like it, but their behavior patterns are surprisingly similar.'
I was glancing back and forth between the God of Destruction and the Black Yaksha, considered rivals for the ages, when someone suddenly tugged on my sleeve, forcing me to turn my head.
"It's been a while, Kim-kun."
The one who pulled my sleeve was Ayabe-senpai, who was sitting right next to me.
"Ah, yes. It has been a while, senpai."
"Thanks to you giving us that interview, the newspaper our club prepared for the cultural festival was a huge hit. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you again."
"I didn't really do much. You're the one who worked hard writing the article, senpai."
"So, about that..."
"?"
"Do you think you could maybe get me an interview with Fuma Kotaro-san? It's my lifelong dream!"
"Ah, that might be difficult."
"Whyyyy!"
"No, it's just... I'm not that close with him either."
"No way!"
The moment she heard my answer, Ayabe-senpai's energy completely drained away, and her shoulders slumped.
It was a shame, but there was nothing I could do for her.
Well, anyway.
"I didn't expect you to be a judge for a competition like this, senpai."
As I naturally changed the subject, she replied in a cheerful voice, as if her previous disappointment had never happened.
"The vice president offered it to me. And it'd be a shame to miss out on something this fun."
"The vice president?"
"Yep."
When I looked at the vice president with a new sense of appreciation, he chuckled, "Hmph," and crossed his arms.
"Miss Ayabe. She's a student with such an excellent sense of fashion that she's been in charge of the fashion corner of the school newspaper for three years straight. Her aesthetic sense is also superb, making her judgment truly reliable."
"Hehe, getting praised like that in front of everyone is a little embarrassing."
"The president herself has acknowledged it, so you have every right to be proud."
After exchanging compliments, the vice president and Ayabe-senpai turned their attention back to the stage at Satoru's request to focus.
"Alright, now that the judges have been introduced, let's officially begin the preliminary round! Contestant number 1! The star of the show is none other than this person!"
Flash!
The beam of a searchlight, specially prepared by the drama club for tomorrow's play, illuminated the stage.
And walking out onto the brightened stage was someone I knew very well.
"She may be small, but the potential hidden in her genes is infinite! The current captain of the kendo club and the Red Ogre of Class 2-A! Tojo Karen!"
"Who are you calling Red Ogre, you punk!"
Karen, dressed neatly, snapped at Satoru, the MC, before belatedly seeming to notice the audience and introducing herself in a timid voice.
"M-My hobbies are flower arranging and tea ceremonies. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The audience showered Karen with fervent cheers and applause.
"She's so cute!"
"In this day and age, a flat chest is a status symbol! Don't lose heart!"
As a blushing Karen retreated backstage, Satoru introduced the next person.
"Next up is contestant number 2! The blonde transfer student from Shizuoka! The lovely, cutie, dynamite girl loved by all! It's Kishimoto Rika!"
As Satoru called her name, Rika, who had been waiting below, bounded onto the stage with a vibrant expression.
"Peace☆! Peace☆! I'm Kishimoto Rika from Shizuoka! Great to meet you all!"
Her smile, practically her trademark, which made everyone who saw it happy, drew rave reviews from the audience.
"Ahh, just looking at her warms my heart."
"Is this what a goddess looks like?"
"She may be our daughter, but she truly is beautiful."
"Oh my? Whose daughter is Rika?"
Following Karen, Rika also retreated backstage, and contestants number 3, 4, and 5 came up in succession.
Perhaps because the first two were so stunning, the next three received relatively little attention. However, the next person to appear made an entrance unlike any other.
"Yes! Amidst the ever-growing heat of the venue, another dark horse has appeared! Here to cool down this fiery passion, like a north wind from Siberia! Contestant number 6! Please welcome Alexandra Ivanovna Romanova!"
Flash!
For a moment, all the lights in the hall went out.
But when they all turned back on at once, they brightly illuminated someone who hadn't been on stage just a moment before.
Beautiful silver-blue hair that shimmered in the light.
Long, slender arms and legs, like those of a top-tier ballerina.
On top of that, as expected of a foreigner, the size of her combat-power pouches was also immense.
They were probably among the top five largest in this competition.
As soon as Satoru called her name, Sasha strode out, suddenly checked the mic with an "Ah, ah," and then gave a far-from-ordinary self-introduction.
"I am Sasha, the mascot of Class 2-B. I'm going to win this competition anyway, so I'd appreciate it if everyone else didn't even dream of winning. Ah, but if you want, I'm willing to part with the prize money."
A truly unconventional self-introduction.
Her father, Ivan, seemed to be used to his daughter's eccentric behavior, as he simply watched the stage with a broad smile.
Soon, Sasha's turn was over, and it was time for the person receiving the most attention in this competition to make her appearance.
"The main character always appears last! Here comes the strongest contender for the crown and the idol beloved by all! Contestant number 7! Minato Nao!"
Waaaaaaaaah!!
As if everything up to this point had been a mere rehearsal, a fiery storm of cheers and applause erupted from the audience.
The sheer force of it surpassed the reception for all the previous contestants combined.
Presently, Minato Nao walked onto the stage with light steps and offered a skillful greeting with a refreshing smile that seemed to make everyone watching happy.
"Hello, everyone~ It's truly an honor for someone as lacking as myself to be able to participate in this wonderful competition! I don't know if I can win, but I hope we can all have a good, clean fight with a spirit of fair play! Let's do our best!"
Her perfect stage presence and control of her gaze, along with her skill in completely captivating the audience, made her truly worthy of the title 'born entertainer'.
And seeing this Nao, Ayabe-senpai, sitting next to me, delivered her assessment.
"Wow, she's a total pro, isn't she? A complete vixen."
As expected, the judgment of someone of the same gender is far more ruthless.