Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume4 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 2===

The sports festival started. All the sights and scenes were quite new and refreshing for Fear. All the students were dressed in either gym clothes or tracksuits. Colorful arches were laid out on opposite sides of the sports ground while simple tents were set up around the track. There were also many parents dressed in casual clothing with their cameras prepared. Although it was not because someone was watching her, Fear somehow still felt nervous and avoided looking in that direction. School on a holiday, school without lessons, school that was like yet unlike school, all this contributed to an incredible feeling.

The opening ceremony. Having everyone do warmup exercises together felt stupid but happy. "The superintendent's speech"&mdash;Delivered by the man in the gas mask, it really was quite strange. Perhaps to avoid attracting undue attention, he instantly retreated out of sight into the VIP tent. In contrast to the students' nonchalance, the tumult in the parents seemed quite amusing.

Soon after, the competitions began. Despite the unfortunate, overcast weather, the students still showed great enthusiasm. Fear heard live cheering she had never heard before, stirring up a sense of eagerness in her heart... But Fear did not forget.

(Who knows when Abyss or Bivorio might show up. Although Zenon is keeping watch, I can't be too careless...)

Glare, glare&mdash;Fear's gaze patrolled the surroundings. No matter what, finding a way to take care of those people is the top goal. Compared to competing in events, she must prioritize staying vigilant. Sorry, everyone, please don't rely on me in the sports events, do your best... Thinking that to herself, Fear went over to where she had to stand by for her first event.

Then&mdash;



"H-Haruaki Haruaki! What's going on? The white team's points are the lowest! But I clearly got first place!"

"That's because it relies on the points from all the members. Isn't this only natural? Besides, the sports festival is only halfway through. This is my first time seeing someone getting so serious about it!"

Haruaki explained to Fear who had come running to tug his shirt. This resulted in&mdash;

"What are you talking about, Haruaki? Without halfway, how could there be any results!? You should learn from Fear-chan's serious motivation instead! Fear-chan is our role model for the white team to reflect on, Fear-chan in the mirror! Woo!"

The idiot classmate, namely Taizou, was supporting Fear with astounding vigor. Haruaki frowned:

"You seem to be in even higher spirits than usual..."

"And you, Haruaki, are acting just like an old man as usual!"

Yes&mdash;Fear nodded with heartfelt agreement. Taizou grabbed Haruaki by the shoulder:

"Listen carefully, I have gambled my life on this sports festival but for one purpose, victory!"

"Eh... Although I can understand your passionate enthusiasm, this really isn't something worth gambling your life over."

"...Haruaki, you couldn't have forgotten? Didn't the superintendent just say? He is offering a luxurious prize to the winning team to express his modest goodwill!"

"Eh? Did he say that...? Also, isn't a luxurious prize kind of contradictory to modest goodwill!?"

"Stop worrying about those little details, this is a display of Japanese subtlety! According to my prior investigations, the prize apparently consists of tickets to a certain entertainment facility... Hoho, do you realize what this means?"

"No idea." "No idea."

Fear and Haruaki shook their heads at the same time. Taizou laughed eerily in a profound manner and clenched his fist:

"In other words... It gives a legitimate chance to invite the girl you like on a date! 'Given this rare opportunity, would you like to go together?' With just this one question, just by asking this one question... She won't suspect any ulterior motives, thus allowing me to succeed in asking her out on a date! The cliche of 'I happen to have an extra ticket' is out of fashion nowadays. If you say something like that, anyone would know what your intentions are, right? So things have to be natural. Precisely because everyone in the winning team already has a ticket, it will be natural... Hoho, obviously I am going to ask Konoha-san, together with Konoha-san... Then... Then! If only there'd be a warm water pool available on that day! Kukuuheehee!"

"Scary!" "Scary!"

In any case, wouldn't your ulterior motives become instantly exposed... Haruaki thought to himself but did not voice his remark. This was out of consideration as a friend.

"Tickets huh... I don't quite get it, but it's something expensive?"

"Probably, Fear-chan. It must be something cordially designed so that those without courage can still redeem them for cash!"

"Oh... Oho... Cash huh... That means I can buy something I like to my heart's content? Who knows how many bags I could buy...!"

Smiling profoundly, Fear and Taizou exchanged glances and&mdash;

"Taizou, the war begins now! We must work for victory!"

"Fear-chan in the mirror!"

As if reaching some kind of understanding, the two shook hands firmly. Watching these two, Haruaki sighed, thinking at the same time&mdash;Ahhh, indeed, she's really getting along with the crowd.

Indeed, this was the first time for "his current self" to witness the way she got along harmoniously with Taizou. It gave Haruaki a sense of what the times spent with her were like. She must be quite used to this, getting along with others albeit noisily. Perhaps there were still many issues but she was definitely trying hard, no mistake about it. Just as Haruaki savored this sort of feeling that carried both happiness and loneliness&mdash;

"Fear-kun and Taizou, the next event is the borrowing race. It's about time you both head over to the standby area to get ready."

Kirika appeared with the programme schedule in her hand. Due to her roles as the class representative and membership in the executive committee, she also had to manage the competition participants from her class.

As usual, she was dressed from top to bottom in a long-sleeved tracksuit. Although she was not the only student wearing these clothes, people felt hot from exertion as the sports festival progressed and there were very few people who remained dressed in this manner.

Watching Kirika send off Fear and Taizou, Haruaki stared at her involuntarily and thought... Doesn't she feel hot? Did the saying, cool minds naturally result in cool bodies, actually work? Who knew how Kirika was interpreting his gaze, but she blushed and approached, saying as she brushed past him:

"...W-What's with your staring? I'm not taking it off unless you're the only one watching, that much is obvious, right?"

She whispered swiftly as though she were sulking slightly yet extremely shy at the same time.

To think she would say something like that.

"...Eh?"

Kirika walked past without turning her head, her ponytail swaying. What? Was there some sort of deeper meaning in what she said just now? Haruaki felt like he was about to remember&mdash;But in the end, he could not recall.

This was terrible. Extremely terrible.

Sure enough&mdash;Am I really that much of a pervert? Furthermore, it seemed as though I were a pervert in all ways to an unimaginable extent. I'm the worst.