‘…But Kayanoh, is the cheerleading team okay?’
‘Well, I guess Kayanoh thought she could do it, so she accepted.’
It was then that I finally realized what Tateyama meant.
Hinoshita-senpai and Tateyama were close.
In other words, Tateyama already knew what role I had taken in the cheerleading team.
She was naturally worried since she knew my personality.
No. I had the chance to notice this from the start.
What did Hinoshita-senpai say when she first met me?
‘I heard a lot about you from Haru. Class 1-A… or should I say now it’s 2-A, the Ice Princess of 2-A.’
After learning about my personality, Tateyama even sincerely apologized, so she wouldn’t keep spreading such a nickname now.
That meant Hinoshita-senpai’s impression of me was stuck in last year.
…Wait a minute.
I can understand being mistaken for an Ice Princess from the get-go.
But what does that have to do with this project…?
If she thinks of me like that, wouldn’t such a plan be out of the question?
I thought so.
“Just challenge it and see if it works. That’s my belief. But I thought it was lucky that Kayanoh accepted right away.”
Hinoshita-senpai awkwardly laughed and said that.
‘Honestly, I didn’t think Kayanoh would come. So I just said it to Miyauchi like, “Just pass the message.”’
Now that I think about it, she did say that…
★
I judged it was impossible to run away without saying anything, so I confessed everything to Hinoshita-senpai.
Starting from how the nickname Ice Princess came from misunderstandings due to a lack of conversation, to my personality being extremely introverted. And that I genuinely thought it was fine to do nothing in the cheering team and joined it.
I spoke without hiding anything.
Of course, if you push it, in this cheering team, I really wouldn’t be doing anything.
Just sitting quietly in my seat.
But the big problem is that the clothes I’m wearing and the seat I have to sit in are unnecessarily extravagant dresses and a throne.
To sit in such a dress on a throne in front of the entire student body and parents…?
Especially when my mom showed up today!
Wouldn’t it be better to just die?
This would be impossible even if it weren’t me…
“That’s troubling…”
After revealing all the facts, I got this response from senpai.
“W-Will it, be okay…?”
“Hmmm. We’ve prepared the choreography based on Kayanoh sitting on that throne. If the centerpiece is missing, it’ll look weird overall. It’s our fault for not fully explaining who we were or what kind of concept we were going for, but…”
“Is it not possible for, um, senpai or someone else to sit here…?”
“If one of us is missing, the dance’s balance will be off. Of course, we can’t modify the choreography in the remaining time… And it’s also impossible for Kayanoh to take someone’s place…”
“Ugh…”
I know that.
No matter how much I’ve been learning dance training, it’s impossible for me to memorize another choreography in less than 30 minutes.
Besides, I hate sitting on this throne in the first place, so it would be like putting the cart before the horse during the cheerleading performance.
“Ah…! What if someone else who isn’t in the cheering team sits here?”
“I’d love that if it could happen, but I wonder if there’s anyone willing? Above all, this throne and dress are all prepared to match Kayanoh’s image…”
Well, I guess hardly anyone could sit here casually without feeling the pressure.
While I was thinking of a way to solve it, Hinoshita-senpai chuckled and spoke.
“Well, we can’t help it. We’ll have to proceed without the throne.”
“…Huh?”
“It might look a bit shabby, but it won’t be unseeable by any means. I think we can manage somehow with improv.”
“B-but that’s…”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Like I said before, it’s ultimately our fault for causing this. Kayanoh doesn’t need to feel any burden or guilt.”
After that conversation, senpai gathered the cheering members for a final check.
“Kayanoh, you can leave that dress in the science room.”
“Ah, yes…”
Hearing that, I headed towards the science room.
“Haah…”
After arriving at the science room and gazing at the gym clothes I had left behind, I let out a quiet sigh.
I thought the person who would sit on that throne would be pitiful, but it turned out to be me.
But at least it ended without incident, so I guess that’s good…
When I suddenly looked out the window, I saw Hinoshita-senpai bustling around.
Even in a situation where a sudden problem might annoy her, senpai… no, everyone in the cheering team was just awkwardly smiling.
That surely means everyone in the cheering team was genuinely enjoying this moment.
Those who volunteered for such a potentially embarrassing role were their kind of people.
…People like that could never be like me.
It’s not that I envy them or begrudge them.
Everyone’s way of living is different.
Just like they can’t live like me, I can’t live like them either.
I couldn’t be someone who holds up the Ice Princess title seriously, and it’s impossible for me to be a foolish person who, even when plans go wrong, won’t give up and move forward.
Absolutely, could never be.
★
“Ugh, ughhh…”
I’m such a fool.
A truly hopeless, stupid fool.
“Everyone ready! I believe there’s no one among us who will back down after receiving this much help!”
“Woohoo!”
“Let’s go! For whom?!”
“For our Ice Princess!”
“Who does our victory belong to?!”
“To our Ice Princess!”
“Red team!”
“Let’s win!”
“Red team!”
“Fighting!”
[Next up is the performance by the Red Team Cheerleading Squad!]
“Alright, let’s start!”
With those words, Hinoshita-senpai, standing at the front, pulled out her phone and started playing music.
“Woohoo!!!”
The cheer squad let out a thunderous spirit as they confidently lifted me and the throne onto the support.
“Hyii…”
At first, I thought it would be impossible to carry me like this, but luckily, the throne seemed extravagant on the outside but was completely hollow inside, so it wasn’t a problem at all.
Of course, the part where I was sitting was just a normal chair.
B-but being lifted up like this in a sudden high position is terrifying!
“Kayanoh, it may be embarrassing, but since this has happened, I hope you enjoy it with all your heart.”
“Uh, yes…”
I nodded quietly, crossed my legs, and propped my chin with my right hand.
I didn’t feel awkward about this gesture itself.
There was something like this in the choreography I did during my recent 3D debut broadcast, so…
O-of course, the level of tension I feel now is at least a thousand times more than that, though?!
I wonder if I’ll still appear coldly to the audience as senpai wants; that worries me too.
“Let’s go!”
With Hinoshita-senpai’s command, the cheer squad began to move in unison.
In the backyard, where no one else was, we headed toward the gym where all the students and parents were gathered.
“What’s that?!”
Naturally, everyone’s reactions were varied.
From those bursting into laughter to those tilting their heads in confusion about what was happening.
But if you were to nitpick, there were probably more people laughing, thinking what a strange thing this was.
Still, the entire Red Team cheer squad remained undeterred.
Surely, they all had confidence in their efforts.
When they arrived in the center of the gymnasium stage, they elegantly lowered the support holding me and the throne to the ground, shifting slightly to the side to serious align themselves.
Of course, I too was doing my best to keep my posture from collapsing.
“Today, who will this victory belong to?!”
Hinoshita-senpai shouted loudly.
“It belongs to our Ice Princess!”
Everyone in the cheer squad replied vigorously.
“Who is this athletic festival stage for?!”
Again, Hinoshita-senpai raised her voice.
“It’s all for the Ice Princess!”
The cheer squad echoed back with great enthusiasm.
“Then everyone, give your all to offer victory to the princess!”
“Woohoo!”
With those words, our Red Team cheerleading performance finally began.
★
It was undoubtedly far more overwhelming than the White Team’s cheerleading.
Even those who were laughing at first fell silent.
A flawless, perfect performance without any disruption.
Yet among them, the most captivating sight was the gaze of the beautiful Ice Princess seated in the center.
Some said her chilly eyes felt like absolute zero and froze all the spectators in place.
After that, every remaining event of the athletic festival—from tug-of-war to throw-the-ball games, and the flower of the festival, the relay—victories belonged solely to the Red Team.
And all that was achieved with overwhelming victories.
Starting from that day, Kayanoh Mina from Shiodome Private High School Class 2-A began to be called the ‘Ice Princess’…
★
“…So, that happened.”
Even now, thinking about sitting on that throne was the worst mistake of my life.
I was almost about to learn that embarrassment could kill a person.
[Didn’t you say your mom would be here?]
“…Yeah. She filmed everything.”
When the athletic festival concluded, and she showed me the video, claiming it was splendid, I almost fainted.
After I asked her to please delete it, she didn’t listen at all and instead sent it to my sister, making my life even more annoying.
…Really, the worst athletic festival of my life.
[…Hold on. I’m going to contact your mom.]
“…Huh?”
[I want to see it too.]
“W-Wait a moment, Akabane?!”
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