My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 224

Among the Red Team's top members, Senior Xun certainly seemed the most vulnerable target. Looking at her gentle appearance, I couldn't help but worry that even a slight bump could cause the entire team to collapse. Fortunately, that didn't happen.

What are you thinking? Don't get me wrong! (Note 50 is a line from the anime "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion".)

When Senior Xun noticed Kawasaki, she panicked for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and spoke to the people around her.

"Everyone, here we come!"

The nearby teammates quickly surrounded them, both to confuse Kawasaki and to form a barrier in front of the senior student.

This is something only a highly respected senior student like Xun could accomplish. Kawasaki was hampered by the strong defenses and was unable to launch an attack for a long time.

"...Tsk."

She clicked her tongue one last time, regrouped, and temporarily retreated.

At this stage, at least the crisis for Senior Sister Xun has been temporarily averted. However, before they could even relax, a strange sound came from the center of the arena again.

"Hehehe~ Yui—"

Ebina, carried by a group of strong girls, let out peculiar laughter, raising clouds of dust, and happily rushed towards Yuihama.

"Wow! Someone's coming!"

Yuihama became the prey, screamed in fright, and desperately ran away from the opponent, looking like she was about to cry.

She weaved through the crowd, changing direction left and right, with Ebina relentlessly pursuing her.

Both sides roamed the field, creating chaos wherever they went.

The battle here has also reached a stalemate... Fortunately, Yuihama Mitsuru can escape, so there seems to be no need to worry for the time being.

Each team's top players adopted a proactive approach of picking off opponents individually, making the match quite exciting. The audience cheered loudly with excitement.

The generals are constantly clashing in close combat—oh! More troops are about to engage in direct confrontation—

Ooka's live report further heated up the atmosphere. The audience's attention immediately turned to the third group of people.

Yukinoshita displayed exceptional agility, overcoming numerous obstacles and accurately removing the headbands of enemy soldiers blocking her path, before charging straight towards Miura at the forefront.

While keeping an eye on Yukinoshita, Miura dealt with the enemies who kept advancing, taking them down one by one.

Finally, it was time for the two sides to clash head-on.

The two faced off, a cold smile playing on Miura's lips, while Yukinoshita maintained a icy expression, her fighting style the exact opposite of Miura's.

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on them.

As if they had planned it, the two launched their attack at the same time. Miura's attack was fierce, and his heavy footsteps echoed on the ground; below, the snow was quiet, like falling snow.

The moment of contact—

Miura's body floated up slightly.

From my distance, I could only see them pass each other. But I had seen similar scenes before, so I knew it very well. That was a technique Yukinoshita was skilled at; even without making almost no contact with the opponent, she could still throw someone away.

"Air...air fall...could she be Dongfang Bubai (Note 51, a character from the anime 'Mobile Fighter G Gundam')? Could she die in the Dawn Break?"

I gasped. The next second, Miura's men lost their balance and collapsed to the ground. Miura's defeat dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the White Team, causing them to quickly crumble.

It seems the outcome of the match is already quite clear.

The high-pitched sound of the conch shell rang out again.

"A brilliant strike! Congratulations to the Red Team on their victory!"

As the live broadcast announced the winning team, the audience gave a warm round of applause to all the teams.

They actually won the game...

While I was surprised, I also felt I could understand, so I clapped along.

Yukinoshita and the others returned here to meet up. She had almost exhausted all her strength participating in the competition and was panting heavily on her shoulders; Yuihama was also so nervous from being chased all over the field that she was still walking unsteadily.

"Thank you for your hard work."

I gently raised my hand, and Yukinoshita and Yuihama gave me a high-five as they passed by.

"It's up to you now."

"Keep it up!"

Even if you say that…

I watched them walk toward the camp committee's tent, then looked at my own hands.

× × ×

In the brief moment before the pole-falling competition began, I returned to the rescue team's tent to find what I needed and quickly stuffed it into my pocket. One should always try to be as careful as possible.

The live broadcast area has been reverted to its original cast. Miura speaks into the microphone:

Next up is the boys' pole vaulting competition—

Alright, it's about time to head to the entrance.

The final "pole-toppling competition" has very simple rules. Each team will set up a pole, and the team that knocks down the opponent's pole first wins.

By Ebina's standards, I was somewhat surprised that she would suggest such a simple competition. However, this thought didn't last long before her eerie laughter and whispers came through the speakers.

"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, boys, boys are all tangled up together, pushing each other's penises, so, so obscene..."

The next second, a loud "smack" came from the speakers, followed by a piercing whistling sound. I guessed that Miura must have hit her on the head with something.

I listened to the live broadcast and prepared to queue at the entrance, but a crowd had gathered in front of me, making my way through difficult.

I was blocked. Despite inwardly complaining that these people were really in my way, I could only twist my body and squeeze through the crowd.

"Oh, isn't that Hachiman?"

On the way, I ran into the timber pedestal.

"Why is it blocked here?"

Since he arrived here before me, he might know something. However, he simply turned his head to one side.

"Hmm—it seems something happened up ahead."

"Um……"

Never mind, it's not important anyway.

The crowd was so large I could hardly stand it, so I decided to move on quickly. But after only a few steps, I discovered a large empty area in the center of the crowd.

In that blank area, a solitary figure appeared.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Totsuka wearing a school uniform (Note 52: the original text is "学ラン", which refers to the traditional black single-breasted men's uniform in Japan).

How could he wear those clothes... God, thank you so much! I moved closer, and Totsuka noticed me too.

"Hachiman!"

He flashed a bright smile and ran over here, his slightly loose school uniform fluttering in the air.

"Totsuka, what's this outfit...?"

Because Totsuka is just so adorable right now, I feel an overwhelming sense of urgency to find out why. What's going on? Is the person who came up with the idea of ​​dressing Totsuka in a school uniform a genius? This is a perfect example of the Columbus Egg (Note 53, meaning that even things that everyone can easily do are initially achieved through creativity and action). I can no longer distinguish what is right and what is wrong. This feeling is like reversing cause and effect (Note 54, from *Fate/stay night*), guided by the Law of Cycles (Note 55, from *Puella Magi Madoka Magica*)...

Totsuka herself, dressed in a school uniform, didn't seem to understand why things had turned out this way.

"Hmm... I think I've been chosen as the captain of the pole vaulting competition... and then someone asked me to wear this outfit... Will it... will it look weird?"

He nervously clutched the overly long sleeves and shrank back, feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of others. The school uniform was probably hastily prepared, which explained its mismatch with Totsuka's physique. However, this was also a plus.

"Not surprising at all, it suits you perfectly."

That's right, this isn't strange, it's love (Note 56: The original word for strange is "変", which is similar in shape to "恋".)...

"Hmm, this is the first time I've witnessed someone fall in love..."

Zai Muza showed a trembling expression. However, because Totsuka was so cute, I didn't hear a word she said.

× × ×

After the red and white teams lined up, they began to enter the arena. The final pole-splitting competition was about to begin.

"First, let's introduce the key players of both teams. The white team is headed by Hayama Hayato, the captain of the soccer club, and the red team is headed by Totsuka Ayaka, the captain of the tennis club."

As Ebina introduced them, the audience turned their attention to the two teams' captains.

Totsuka panicked when he suddenly heard his name called. Hayama, on the other hand, calmly raised his hand in response to the cheers from the audience.

His calm demeanor was infectious, boosting the morale of his teammates. They even formed a circle around Hayama—it was so youthful!

Looking at the boys in the red team, they clearly lacked fighting spirit and were listless, giving the impression that they had already lost halfway.

If anyone still has any fighting spirit, it's probably only Zaimokuza, muttering to himself on the sidelines, lost in his own fantasies. Those with chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) always enjoy these kinds of war and battle scenes because they can use the opportunity to show off obscure knowledge like the Fish Scale Formation, Crane Wing Formation, and the Six Secret Teachings and Three Strategies—knowledge that's ultimately useless.

Judging from this situation, I'm afraid there's no chance of winning... I couldn't help but sigh as I predicted the outcome before the match even started.

However, this doesn't mean there's no hope. I stared at my hands, trying to gather my thoughts. If I can play the cards I'm dealt well, there's still a way to change the current situation to some extent.

"I have a secret plan for the timber slab."

Upon hearing these words, Cai Muzuo's body trembled instantly.

"A secret plan... The general should have advisors to offer suggestions. Hmm, tell me about it."

Very good, he's taken the bait. This guy really likes the word "secret strategy." Although I'm not happy that he treats me like a subordinate, I'll let it slide for now. Anyway, he'll be in big trouble soon.

I whispered the explanation in the woodworker's ear, and he was immediately horrified.

"...Huh? I'll do it?"

If he reverts to his original form now, my plan will be ruined.

"No one else could do this but you. Your current position is like Guan Yu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Totsuka is like Liu Bei. You are the only one qualified to issue a proclamation and lead the entire army into battle."

"Mmmmmm~~"

I used everyone's favorite Romance of the Three Kingdoms to persuade Zaimokuza, and he indeed struggled with the idea. Finally, he slapped his thigh and made a bold statement:

"Okay, I got it. Leave it to me!"

I successfully activated the switch to chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) in Zaimuza. Now, there's nothing he'll be afraid of. Chuunibyou sufferers with the "evil eye" type possess inexplicably tenacious willpower, which can come in handy sometimes. After all, without a strong sense of self that defies common sense, most people wouldn't dare to voice their delusions or wear a heavy overcoat on a sweltering day.

He walked to the front of the line, coughed exaggeratedly a few times, and announced loudly:

"Listen up, everyone! Our Commander-in-Chief has arrived!"

Totsuka initially stared blankly at the wood stand, not knowing what was happening. After a while, he realized that the wood stand was talking about him and hurriedly ran to the front.

"Ah, um... I'm Totsuka Saika, the leader of the Red Team... th, everyone, let's do our best together."

He clenched his fist lightly in front of his chest, encouraging himself. Although he seemed a little insecure, I could still feel his effort—I wanted to protect that smile.

After greeting everyone, Totsuka took another step forward.

"Our only enemy is Hayama Hayato! All the other grunts can be left aside! Listen up, today is the day we finally get what we've been waiting for! Do you all want to see that annoying, cheerful, handsome bastard win like this? I don't want to! I'd rather die than! I don't want to suffer any more! I don't want to have to let him go first every time we meet in the hallway! I don't want to force a smile when he talks to me! I don't want to silently shut up when he passes by! Don't you all feel the same way?!"

As he cried out, Zaimokuza began to sob uncontrollably. He also seemed to be getting too caught up in the drama, recounting a series of painful memories.

All the boys in the Red Team were awestruck by his tragic story and indescribable courage, and even the boys in the White Team watched curiously from afar. At this moment, Zaimokuza was undoubtedly the focus of everyone's attention.

"Whoa whoa……"

Scattered voices of approval began to emerge from the surrounding area.

"So, what should we do? There's only one way: victory, right? Now is the time for us to awaken! Rise up, people of Chiba Prefecture!"

"oh--"

After Zaimokuza's passionate but somewhat incomprehensible speech, the Red Team boys gained some motivation. Also, it must be said that Totsuka's greeting was absolutely fantastic! Everyone must have been inspired to work hard for him after seeing Totsuka's reaction, right?

At this moment, Timber Stand walked back with a satisfied look on his face.

"Hmm, how about this?"

"Hmm, that's pretty good. Disgusting to the point of being noticeable. I'll leave the rest to you too."

"Disgusting? Disgusting?"

He was a bit taken aback. Not to be rude, but by general standards, the speech was indeed quite disgusting… but it was precisely because of this that it possessed an undeniable force, compelling everyone to listen. The first step in getting a group of demoralized people to listen is to pique their interest.

In this respect, Timber has done a very good job. When he gets home today, he'll definitely regret saying "Why did I say such embarrassing things..." and then he'll roll around on the floor in despair.

People are easily swayed by the atmosphere of a scene, and may even suffer lifelong psychological trauma as a result.

Regardless, thanks to Zaimokuza's great sacrifice and Totsuka's smile, the competition is fully prepared.