(A/N Notes: It's alive! IT'S ALIVE!!!... ... ... For the next few weeks at least...)
It was a very hot day in July, very characteristic of summer and on the battlefield... Sports Field, the heat was even more intense, as the students of Yama High and Tani High fought battles... Games against each other, as each of them gave their all for victory!
"Ahahahaha! Die! Die!"
"Motto! Motto! Mottoda!"
"Ouch! Ack! Hey! Thrown those things at the basket and not at m- *Gets hits on the face by a small corn sack*"
"One! Two! March! One! Two! March!"
"Go! Go! Go! don't let them win! Push them if you need to! Don't show any mercy!"
... ... ... I swear, this is a very friendly sports festival, made with very good intentions, and definitely not an event created by the petty rivalry of two principals.
In any case, let's leave the very bloodthirsty... excited students alone and look at our main characters!
"..." *On the verge of becoming a melted blob*
... ... ... Takeru was currently with his head down slumped on the table set up under the tent assigned to the two student councils, as he did his best to not die (figuratively), and besides him was Sakurako who was in the same situation as Takeru, as they both felt like dying from the scorching heat.
"..."
With the small amount of energy that he could muster, Takeru looked ahead of him, and there he could see the current ongoing game, a tug of war, with Yuriko, the student council president of Yama High, and his girlfriend, acting as the anchor for her team, and seemingly handling the entire game in their school's favor by herself, as the rope's white lace slowly crept closer to the victory line.
"! *Shows a bright smile and waves to Takeru*
And even as she slackened a little in the game to happily look and wave at Takeru, the members of Tani High couldn't even budge the rope in their favor.
"C'mon! Pull it! Pull it! PUUUUUULLLLLLLLLL IIIIIITTTTTT!!!"
On the other side of the rope, at the very first position, Himari could be seen shouting very loudly, so much so that Takeru could even make out what she was saying, and out of everyone in her school, she was the one doing the most effort in pulling the rope, though her efforts meant little against Yuriko and her teammates' overwhelming strength.
*Whistling sound* "Game! Yama High won!"
" " " " "YEEEEESSSSS!!!" " " " "
"DAMN IT!!!"
Once the words of the teacher acting as referee were heard, the students of Yama High all shouted in celebration, in turn, the students of Tani High joined Himari in shouting in despair from their defeat. As that happened, Yuriko trotted toward Takeru as she looked as if she had a tail widely wagging from side to side, like a very happy puppy.
"Takkun! Takkun! Did you see it? We won the tug of war!"
"...Yes... I did"
Takeru's answer was languid from his exhaustion even though he wasn't doing anything, but dying from the heat alone. Seeing Takeru, not say what she wanted, Yuriko began pouting in dissatisfaction.
"Takkun... Shouldn't I be getting a reward for winning this game for our school?"
"... ... ... Can you ask for it again later... Once we're back home?"
"..."
Yuriko was about to refuse it, but when she noticed what she could do with it, she agreed to Takeru's suggestion of getting her reward later.
"Okay, then I'll make sure to ask for it later~"
"Hm *Tiredly nods*"
"Fufu!~"
"Yuriko-sama! You are going to participate in the treasure hunt later, right?"
"Yes!~"
With that Yuriko left the tent to go back to participating in the other games, as she showed no signs that she was anywhere close to being tired or exhausted, even though she was actively participating in all of the games available that she could participate in between her duties as a student council member during the sports festival.
.
.
.
"And now, it's time for the last game before the grand finale! It's time! For a Treasure hunt!"
"UWOOOOOOHHHHH!!!"
At the words of Himari, whose fire for victory was still high, the students all shouted in anticipation of victory, especially those from Tani High, as this was the last chance to even, or raise, the scores between the two schools to guarantee their final victory against their "old" rivals.
"Thank you, Himari-Kaichou. I will take it from here"
"Very well, sensei"
"*Nods* Ahem, to all participants of the treasure hunt, go pick the paper over, and you all will have five minutes to find your assigned treasure. Now! Begin!"
With the teacher's signal, through a whistle, the students all dashed to get their treasure paper as fast as possible, and what unloved was truly a very youthful sight of teenagers almost getting into a fistfight for the same treasure, and sometimes, actually getting into a fistfight because they were trying to steal the treasure from the other.
Himari finally managed to get to the box containing the papers, picked one, and looked at what she needed to find.
//A family member//
"JACKPOT!!!"
Seeing that the heavens and stars had seemingly aligned themselves to give her that easy treasure, she immediately departed to get her only family member present at the sports festival. The next person and last one remaining to pick up the paper containing the treasure she had to find was none other than Yuriko she happily put her hand inside the paper box and pulled a paper out of it.
"Now let's see what I need to find... ... ... Hm?... Hmmmmm???"
When Yuriko looked at the words in her paper, she first made a confused expression at what she was supposed to bring, but then her expression began to turn into concern, and then into a mixture of annoyance and unwillingness.
"Nee, can I pick another paper?"
"Sorry, but no"
"I see, then can I forfeit?"
"Pardon?"
"I want to forfeit"
"... Why!?!?!?"
The Tani High student council member acting as the handler of the paper box made a confused expression at Yuriko's sudden request to forfeit her participation in the treasure hunt game.
"Because I cannot fathom the idea of walking anywhere close to that person, not even for a game"
With a bright smile, Yuriko said those words as she showed what she had to find
//The person you hate the most//
Meanwhile
"Gah!"
Daichi who was currently sitting amongst the other spectators grabbed his chest as he felt like had just been stabbed by something.
At another place on the sports field
"C'mon, Sacchan! Just a few more steps and you'll get this cold can of coffee!"
"Uuuuuhhhh..."
"Yes, just like that just a little bit more!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Several people were all looking in silence and a combination of concern and confusion at seeing the image of Himari holding a cold can of black coffee while a slow-moving Sakurako with her arms extended ahead of her followed after said can of coffee, almost as if she had become some sort of coffee-drinking zombie. That was the extent of Sakurako's exhaustion from today's heat and also of her somewhat worrying addiction to coffee.