The amplified voice from the microphone resonated throughout the grandstand.
Comfort for those who made mistakes. And cheers for the only remaining hope.
A person holding the position of Student Council President at an academy. What Mika, who sits at the peak of the Trinity—a place often criticized as being filled with darkness—said could easily feel like pressure for the athletes.
In reality, Saori’s mood wasn’t something that could be easily lifted by a few comforting words.
For the Arius Squad, mistakes were simply unacceptable.
No matter how trivial the mistake, there would be no escaping criticism, and if the mistake couldn’t be brushed off, there were consequences to face.
In this case, a consequence should have followed, that was a mistake.
But it was okay. Just by how much she had contributed until now, it was enough; like a benefactor shouting to her as if it was something she could never repay in her lifetime.
There was no deceit in that.
Under Beatrice, Saori had to learn to read the room to protect the squad from the instructors of Arius who followed her.
If it were someone completely unfamiliar, perhaps, but someone like Mika, whom she had known for a while, could tell whether those words were sincere or not.
That’s why it felt even more devastating. Failing to meet the hope of her benefactor was a feeling that wouldn’t easily go away, even if Mika herself said she was fine.
“It’s okay, sister! You were so amazing yesterday!”
“Right! There’s no need to be so discouraged!”
“You did well…!”
However, the comforting words that began rising from the grandstands soon turned into a wave, crashing down on Saori.
It felt like a gentle wave washing over her toes while standing barefoot on the beach, tickling her in a way that left her feeling refreshed.
It started with the younger students from the junior levels. Relatively untainted by the political atmosphere of Trinity, they easily voiced what they felt.
Following them were students from the senior levels, who also led relatively ordinary lives away from the political fray. Without their usual pretenses, they too were swept up in the atmosphere, adding words of encouragement for Hifumi.
Eventually, even the higher-ups of Trinity, who were supposed to be above, joined in, influenced by Mika’s break from tradition.
The sight of Trinity students, normally so fake and stiff, opened a strange sense of wonder for the Gehenna students. Though no one from Gehenna actively participated, the atmosphere of cheering and comfort spread even to the neutral spectators.
Thousands of students from one academy, and even those who had come simply to enjoy the competition, were throwing out words of comfort, which made Saori squeeze her eyes shut.
Even someone who seemed like they would never lose their composure in any situation had a girlish side buried deep inside. What she had to bury in order to survive in Arius was slowly starting to resurface.
Leaving the others behind, without realizing it, Saori’s feet were headed towards the stands.
There, she found Atsuko welcoming her with a warm smile.
Misaki was glancing at her out of the corner of her eye, seemingly avoiding her gaze.
Hiyori was clapping with a silly grin.
Azusa was, as always, rummaging through something with an expression that made it hard to tell what she was thinking.
All of them were precious family members who helped bring her to this moment.
Though she didn’t shed tears, Saori’s emotional gaze landed last on Mika, who was now joining the commentary booth and winking at her.
At that moment, a small dew formed in the corner of Saori’s eyes.
And in that instant.
[Hifumi, do your best.]
Out of nowhere, Azusa’s dry voice erupted from a loudspeaker, snapping a somewhat emotional Saori back to her senses.
Thanks to that, even Hifumi, who was feeling the pressure, could relax a little.
Surprisingly, Azusa’s antics not only prevented Saori’s embarrassing history from being born but also significantly increased Hifumi’s chances of winning.
As Saori turned away to exit towards the athletes’ waiting room, her back somehow appeared considerably at ease, leaving an impression on everyone.
*
It had been just a few minutes since joining the commentary booth, and I began to wonder if I had intruded here unnecessarily.
[A minor issue has arisen, but it seems we are ready to resume the match.]
[Is a disqualification for one of the athletes considered a minor issue…?]
[It’s not our academy’s representative athlete. To me, it’s a minor issue, Vice President Hanekawa.]
[…Kuh.]
“Well, it’s not entirely incorrect. No need to get all worked up over it, Hasumi-chan. In the end, we all hope our academy wins, right?”
It seemed that Hasumi didn’t mind Gehenna quite as much as I expected, but it was clear that Aco had no good feelings towards Trinity. I thought it was interesting how they managed to keep the commentary going.
Now that I was part of this, it was my duty to mediate between the two… how annoying.
Well, Aco is kind of a chihuahua that barks everywhere, so perhaps mediation didn’t really matter for her?
[…With the disqualification of Jomae Saori, all previous predictions have lost their meaning. Given the current situation, even if the two representatives from Gehenna do not unite, Arius’s Ajitani Hifumi will face a significantly disadvantageous fight alone.]
[Even if she faces countermeasures from the opponents, with no teammate to support her, the moment one of the representative athletes from Gehenna focuses entirely on defense, the chances of winning drop immensely. The problem is that those two athletes may not choose such a straightforward and effective method…!]
“By the way, those two are in school uniforms? Um, that’s a bit disappointing, I guess?”
[Yes, yes?]
[You shameless one! Our President will not be satisfied with that!— cough Mika-san, please refrain from comments that are unrelated to the match. They distract the audience’s immersion.]
Ding. Ding. Ding.
[Ah, the start signal…!]
Bing—
“Yes, start!”
The starting signal seemed to ring out later than usual; it felt like they had filled the time to the brim.
[The match has begun. Taking the lead by a slight margin during the start is athlete Ajitani Hifumi. Following her closely are the two representatives from Gehenna.]
“It looks like Hifumi-chan has managed to overcome the burden of being left alone. Truly our junior!”
[As we enter the first corner, it looks like this setup is likely to hold. All three athletes are accelerating smoothly. Ajitani Hifumi, having secured the optimal inner course position, adjusts her speed just enough to keep her lead while maintaining her speed for optimal cornering.]
[Perhaps judging that keeping this formation makes overtaking before the first corner unlikely, it seems— Wanibuchi Akari has sharply increased her speed, breaking the pace that Ajitani Hifumi was maintaining. Whether she can handle such an increased speed remains questionable.]
[Wanibuchi Akari has proven her skills not only in today’s event but also in the two-person jet ski division. Treating it lightly, having already demonstrated several daring drifts that teetered on the edge of leaving the holographic course… Just like right now.]
With a drift that seemed on the verge of overturning yet miraculously stable, Akari continued to increase her speed. Surprisingly, Iroha was trailing Hifumi without any issues as they surpassed the first corner.
[Once again, none of them have strayed off course… It’s frustrating, but they probably feel confident in maintaining their pace. Wanibuchi Akari has reclaimed the lead.]
[…It seems like Senior Administrator Amau doesn’t want the representatives of Gehenna to win?]
[Not at all! I deeply hope those two troublesome girls bring back a medal. After all, we’ve invested in them from our student council, that’s only natural!]
However, the course for this match was far more complex than the opening day or the two-person jet ski event. In the S-section, speed naturally had to be reduced, and in the near-90-degree turns, positions could easily get disrupted since no one was taking the inner course.
[It seems that the contestants have developed proper discernment due to the complexities of the course. The three athletes are continuously swapping positions, but… what we need to pay attention to is Natsume Iroha’s position. Although she’s been alternating between second and third without attempting to overtake, she has navigated all the courses almost flawlessly.]
[Indeed… As Senior Administrator Amau pointed out, while the other two athletes have made minor mistakes, Natsume Iroha has remained largely mistake-free. It’s likely Ajitani Hifumi is aware of this too…!]
“Well, Hifumi-chan probably doesn’t have the energy to monitor Iroha-chan. Right now, she’s busy competing for the lead with Akari-chan. If she starts paying attention to other things, she’ll completely lose the lead.”
As the race moved past the midpoint and into the latter stages, a notable change occurred. The only athlete maintaining a relaxed posture, Iroha shifted her position, leaning forward for better balance.
I wasn’t the only one who noticed this change.
[Natsume Iroha has changed her position for the first time. The previously stable cornering has become slightly more precarious, but it gives her an edge in maintaining speed.]
[It seems the saying “even a lazy one can roll” holds true. Who would have thought that lazy girl would showcase this level of skill? Truly, the foresight of our President is amazing.]
“Hey, Aco-chan. Are you planning to keep pretending anymore?”
There were five corners left ahead. Currently, Akari was in the lead, but the distances between the three were close enough that the order could change at any moment.
[In a situation where the positions are swapping so rapidly it’s unpredictable, Natsume Iroha takes the lead. Right behind her, Ajitani Hifumi blocks Wanibuchi Akari just before the last corner… What on earth just happened!?]
[…What a bold move! By momentarily slowing down to apply pressure on Wanibuchi Akari, she accelerated suddenly. It seems Akari’s ranking has been locked in as her speed greatly decreased in response to the threat.]
The broadcast screen displayed Hifumi’s risky maneuver, which secured Akari’s medal color. Hifumi’s gleeful, almost manic smile overwhelmed the audience.
“Crossing through the final corner, the two lead-contending athletes! Both are so close to the finish line that it wouldn’t be strange for either to win… Go for it, Hifumi-chan!!!”
[…Mika-san, please turn off the microphone. Right now.]
[I’m sorry, but I have to agree.]
Ah, my microphone.
Forgetting my grievances about having my mic taken, I focused on the match’s outcome.
Racing at the maximum speed achievable without giving ground to each other, Hifumi and Iroha were nearing the finish line.
[Finish! The two athletes crossed the finish line nearly simultaneously… To the naked eye, it appears to be a tie, but the machine has already determined the winner.]
The moment of finishing flashed on the scoreboard. The confirmed winner’s name:
[The winner of the 1-person jet ski division final is athlete Ajitani Hifumi!]
[…Tch, you useless lazy raccoon.]
Unquestionably the best driver of Trinity.
The goddess of the race.
My proud junior, Hifumi.
…As a side note, the moment Hifumi was confirmed as the first-place finisher, I got so excited screaming that I was kicked out of the commentary booth.
