“Before we start, I should tell you in advance. Never, ever say anything scary in front of Kayanoh-senpai. Got it? We’re just in a position to ask for an interview from the mass media club, after all.”
“Polite, and we shouldn’t provoke Kayanoh-senpai’s mood… right?”
“Ah, understood! I’ll treat it as a matter of life and death, and do my best!”
Thus, the three of them from the mass media club made their vow.
But from the very beginning, their goal was blocked by a massive wall.
“…Isn’t Kayanoh-senpai always with Tateyama-senpai?”
“Did she expect us to request an interview, and that’s why she put Tateyama-senpai up front?”
“It’s true that if she’s with Tateyama-senpai, it’ll be easier for her to decline an interview citing that she’s with a group.”
So how many steps ahead is Kayanoh actually thinking?
At that thought, chills ran down the spine of the mass media club trio.
“Kuuh… no. Still, there will definitely be opportunities, so let’s just wait quietly…”
Thanks to the encouragement of the president, the remaining two slowly nodded.
But what awaited them was nothing but challenges.
How surprised they were when Kayanoh suddenly looked around, saying she felt a gaze on her.
Even after that, they were about to approach Kayanoh when they saw her briefly part ways with Tateyama during the equipment borrowing race.
“Kaya-chi!”
“Hmm…? Hey…?”
“Let’s run, Kaya-chi! I don’t want the end to be sad!”
Just before they could speak, Tateyama grabbed Kayanoh’s wrist and ran off.
“That’s impossible….”
“Did, did she catch on? Or does she really know our plan?”
Is it really okay to continue reporting on Kayanoh?
If they weren’t filled with fear, that would be a lie.
Yet, what allowed them to move forward was merely the pride of the mass media club.
“Um…? It seems like you parted ways with Tateyama-senpai?”
“I think right after this, Tateyama-senpai is going to be participating in the three-legged race, so this might just be a temporary wait…”
“No… right now, Kayanoh-senpai is heading toward the school!”
And finally, an opportunity was given to them.
With their trembling legs, filled with fear, they positioned themselves in front of the school gate faster than Kayanoh, and the moment she walked up to the gate…
“Hello, Kayanoh-senpai! We are from the mass media club!”
“If possible, could we conduct an interview for about 30 minutes?”
“We want to create a special feature on ‘Ice Princess’ in commemoration of the sports festival!”
They boldly stated their intentions.
There was no ulterior motive. All they wanted was an interview with Kayanoh.
Of course, even that thought made their arms and legs tremble, but the fact that they were members of the mass media club allowed them to stand there.
And when Kayanoh, who had been looking at them, finally spoke…
“Um…?”
She slightly frowned.
Her lips didn’t even move.
She simply crinkled her brow, as if annoyed by the situation, just slightly.
But just that alone increased the pressure on the mass media club tenfold.
“Ah. If I startled you, I’m truly sorry!”
“Um….”
“Is it alright if we take that as permission?”
Yet, seeing their passionate appearance and not backing down…
“Sigh…”
Kayanoh let out a sigh and turned her back, leaving the scene.
No. This is our last chance.
The trio from the mass media club exchanged glances with the same thought.
“Senpai?!”
They shouted in unison and started chasing after Kayanoh.
★
“Hmm?”
The girl happened to witness that scene purely by chance.
While waiting for her friend to return from the match, she was fiddling with her phone when suddenly the surroundings became noisy.
Has the game started?
She briefly thought about it, but the commotion was not coming from the track but from the stands.
Typically, the sports festival is inherently loud, but this felt somewhat different.
Being naturally curious, the girl put her phone away and stood up to look back.
“Um…?”
There, four girls were running.
One in front, three behind.
And the girl in front was…
“Kayanoh-senpai?”
The very one the girl had seen in a video while pondering over her high school entrance exams. The Kayanoh-senpai she admired.
She liked how that image didn’t care about the gazes around her; it was cool.
“Ah…”
Perhaps the three running behind were admirers who were also enamored by Kayanoh-senpai.
Are they doing something special for the sports festival event?
Seeing that the last three had camera-like devices in their hands, that might be the case.
Since Kayanoh-senpai had shown such a scene during last year’s sports festival, she must be preparing something again this year.
“How exciting…”
It was so regrettable that she hadn’t been able to see that scene last year.
In other words, this is a chance given by fate.
An opportunity to capture Kayanoh-senpai’s event before anyone else.
With that thought, the girl immediately started following them.
Meanwhile, the girl’s friend, who had finished their match and returned, could only wait for her alone, saying, “…Where did she go?”
★
“Senpai! Please wait!!”
“Kayanoh-senpai!!!”
For some reason… it feels like there are more people chasing!
Somehow, the number of people chasing behind grew from three to four.
“Haah… haah… hee….”
My chest hurts.
Not in a metaphorical sense; I mean, it literally hurts!
I’m already exhausted, so why am I running like this?
What about my goal to go back to the classroom and do nothing but rest…?!
“Please wait!!!”
How did it come to this?
The situation was chaotic beyond belief, yet no one paid any attention to them.
Because it’s a sports festival.
A sports festival is inherently noisy and chaotic!
It wouldn’t have happened if I were with Tateyama.
But it’s too late to regret that now.
I made my choice.
I decided to separate from Tateyama and rest alone.
“Wh-what?!”
In the end, all I could do was let out a pathetic scream and run away.
But how could someone who abhors running and lacks talent run away for long?
Plus, I had already exhausted myself running with Tateyama earlier.
“Ugh….”
I can’t… I can’t run anymore.
“Haah, haah, haah…”
“Kayanoh-senpai!”
Before I knew it, the four juniors had surrounded me.
The three who followed first and the one who joined later.
“Who are you?”
“Uh… do you have something planned for this year too?”
“Sorry, but Kayanoh-senpai is currently supposed to be doing an interview with us….”
Hearing them talk, they seemed to be from different clubs.
Of course, that wasn’t important to me.
Can’t you just let me go…?
“Eh? Weren’t you preparing something special or something?”
“We were just asking if we could do an interview.”
“I see…”
“Kayanoh-senpai, so will you allow the interview…?”
Are they still not considering the thought that I’ve been running away this whole time?
Well, I mean… they followed me this far; I guess they won’t back down unless I directly refuse.
“As I said earlier, I wanted to interview you about your activities as the Ice Princess that you showed last year during the cheering squad!”
“Really?!”
The one who reacted to that wasn’t me, but the first-year junior who joined last.
“Uh, I really want to see that interview from the side! Please!”
“Ah, no, um… I’ll distribute it in the school newspaper later anyway….”
“I want to see it right now! I decided to enroll in this school after seeing you during last year’s sports festival!”
“Eh…?”
Is it okay to decide on a high school like that?
Especially since our high school isn’t an easy place to apply to with its high standards…
“I practiced so hard to meet you!”
Hearing them say that made me incredibly embarrassed…
But if I’m being admired like that, it feels kind of nice…
No, it somehow feels really cool.
“So, Senpai. Is the interview possible?”
The juniors who initially introduced the mass media now look at me.
“I want to know more about you, Senpai!”
The first-year junior who came later also looks at me.
“Uh, I guess we have no choice…?”
Faced with their passionate gazes, I could only nod in surrender.
Yes. I’m a senpai, right? I have to listen to my cute juniors’ requests!
★
“…So you’re saying that Hinoshita-senpai misunderstood and asked you, and that you had to accept it…?”
“Yes….”
As the interview began, a few minutes passed, and the juniors in front of me seemed to finally realize that their faith had been a complete illusion.
“Oh, I’m even more flustered… I can’t believe such rumors are going around….”
From when they first talked about the Ice Princess and stuff, I half-expected it, but did the juniors actually think of me like that?
I’m truly shocked….
Now that I think about it, my classmates were like that too.
Why on earth would people misunderstand seeing me, a universe’s strongest beautiful girl?
I can’t understand it.
“So, the image of you known in school is….”
“Uh, it’s all a misunderstanding….”
“No way….”
“The Ice Princess, or that I hate people, or that just looking at me freezes people… that was all fake?”
“Yes….”
I mean, the idea that just looking at me freezes people, what kind of nonsense is that?
Upon hearing my answer, the junior who said she admired me fell into a dejected slump.
Seeing that response made me feel sorry for breaking their dreams…
But you know? Dreams will eventually break at some point, so I hope they understand.
“Um… so what should we do about our Ice Princess special feature?”
“Uh, I’m not sure…?”
You can’t ask me what to do; I can’t help you.
Besides, it’s not like I did anything wrong.
“What should we do, President?”
Sigh… Well, I guess we have to give up on this special feature.
“Is that really okay…?”
“We have no choice, right? It’s not like Kayanoh-senpai did anything wrong; we just misinterpreted it. …I’m sorry, Kayanoh-senpai.”
“It’s alright….”
People are creatures that naturally make mistakes, after all.
“So, Kayanoh-senpai….”
“Yes?”
The president of the mass media club finally asked me.
What if we put this interview in the school newspaper?
It could erase the weird rumors about me that have spread in school.
I thought for a moment before answering.
“Um, I think it would be better not to publish it….”
Well, apart from today, nothing bad really happened to me.
Hidden secrets sound pretty cool, right? It’s not like I think like that or anything…?
★
“Really? You talked and met Kayanoh-senpai?”
“Well, it just kinda happened?”
“How was it? Was she really as you imagined?”
“Well, not really…”
“Not really…?”
The girl momentarily recalled her last conversation with Kayanoh.
“I-I’m so sorry! I must have disappointed you since I’m so different from what you thought!”
Kayanoh, apologizing with her hands clasped and her head down, although it wasn’t even her fault at all.
It felt like she was a little animal.
“I thought that was kind of nice in its own way.”
★
“Did you rest well, Kaya-chi?”
…Huh?
I feel like I didn’t rest at all.
What on earth…?
I’m sure I didn’t do anything wrong.
Suddenly, I feel like I’m starting to dislike those juniors…
“I-I rested well.”
“Good! Then enjoy the performance I prepared for the cheering squad!”
“Yes….”
But looking into Tateyama’s expectant eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to say I wanted to rest.
“The Ice Princess…”
“She must have come to cheer for Tateyama-senpai.”
“Is she here to bring victory to the red team again…!”
But I suddenly feel really embarrassed…
I should’ve just asked to have that interview published in the school newspaper…!
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