Disclaimer: Prison School belongs to its original creator Akira Hiramoto and the anime series J.C Staff. Shadowdream30 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, original scenes.

(Author Note: To anyone who is following or favorited me or my story. Fanfic have implemented a very dumb feature for your email notification. In order to receive updates from any story, forum or authors of your following, you must go to your account setting and change your email notification to 'yes' and save the changes. It will automatically switch to 'no' after six months.)

The Sports Festival has started in full swing as both the USC and the ASC battle each other for power over the council. What challenges awaits them….


-Atsuhiko Academy- [Hallway]


The two men walked through the school, filled with students who were walking amongst the hall. Plenty of the students took note of the two tall men who were dressed in different outfits from the students who were all dressed in their uniforms.

Hinata felt a little out of place. "Um…I'll admit, I feel a little…odd out here. Not to mention we're attracting a lot of attention."

Yuto glanced back at his partner. "You'll get used to it. Then again, we are two reporters that are investigating a crime that has happened here."

"Shh! Don't say that so loud! They'll hear you!" Hinata whispered to him.

Yuto rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure these students who attend here already know about the incident. Aside from the freshmen that is."

"E-Even so, I don't want to cause an alarm."

"Let's just focus on what we're here for."

"Your right…so recap, how are we approaching this?" Hinata asked.

"We're gonna go to the chairman's office. Since the one we are going to interview a student here at Atsuhiko for some questions, it's best we go to the chairman to seek that student out. Or don't tell me, you thought we were going to go out of our way and find the student."

Hinata felt his cheeks heated up a little from embarrassment. "I mean…at least that's what I thought we were going to do."

Yuto rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Let's focus on what we are supposed to do."

"Right, you're right!" Hinata said with a determined look as he walks straight, but looks rather rigid while walking.

Yuto could only shake his head in shame, but nonetheless was satisfied. "As long as we focus on our main goal. We may hopefully get to the bottom of this case."

The two make it to the front door. Above the door, a sign hung from above. Reading it as:

Chairman Office.

Hinata looks at the door with an intense stare, his hands curled into a fist. He took a deep breath and breathed out. He did this for several rounds.

Yuto glanced at his partner. "You okay?"

"Yup! Just preparing myself in case this goes south."

"You…do remember why we are here, right?"

"Of course…we interrogate the chairman of where Hayakki and we publish the real story behind Yoshimiya's death!"

"...well, you got part of it right. But you're wrong…" Yuto said as he looked at the boy with his arms crossed. "We ask the chairman to bring the student Hayakki, ask her some questions about Yoshimiya and determine whether or not she's truly the culprit behind Yoshimiya's death."

"Right!"

"Okay then…let's do this." He said.

Yuto's hand reaches towards the door and knocks on it. It didn't take a minute before they heard a voice from the other side.

"Please enter." They hear a deep male's voice from the other side.

Both Hinata and Yuto glanced at each other before walking inside the room.


-Inside the Chairman Office-


The two young men entered the room, Hinata and Yuto took note of how big the room was. It was shaped in a circular motion with the end of the room circling back around. At the end were two big windows that gave them a perfect view of the front entrance of the school. And even the entire city in the distance.

At the end, sitting at the large brown table with a chair that looked too luxury for anyone to sit on. A man sat at the desk posed in his seat, looking over at his phone with non expressive eyes. The man looked to be in his early 30s or late. For he had brown hair that was slicked back with some bangs sticking out in front. He grew a beard on his chin that started from the side of his face to his chin. He wore a black and white suit and dress shoes.

The two young investigative reporters became rather intimidated by not only his appearance, but his overall pose in the seat.

Hinata swallows as he looks at the man. "U-Um…excuse me sir…but are you the chairman of-"

"Yes." He said with a blunt tone. His red eyes look up at the two, immediately sending chills in them. "I am the chairman of the school. And also the owner."

"Owner?" Hinata asked.

"That is correct." He said, his deep voice gives off a chilling vibe. "I own this school."

The two were somewhat unnerved by this man tone and his overall status. How in the world…just who is this person.

"Ah. Where are my manners," He said as he put his phone on the desk and sat up straight. Looking at the two. "I am the chairman of this school, also known as Tatsuya Nekumi."

Hinata released a small gasp as his partner raised his eyebrows.

"Y-Your…your THE Tatsuya! The same man who's the owner of Sakura Production!?" Tatsuya merely nodded. "YOU own this school!? BUT HOW!?"

"Well, when you're in the movie business, you can get anywhere. Sure there are a few challenges, but that doesn't stop me from moving up in this world."

"I-I-It's an honor to meet you sir! I've watched many of your movies and I must say I-" He was stopped when he felt a jab on his side. He looked to see his partner with a blank expression. "A-Ah! Right! Please forgive sir!"

Tatsuya grew a small smile upon his lips, but his expression and eyes gave an…almost eerie feeling. "Please, it's no trouble. It's always a pleasure seeing people who are fans of my works. But I assume you two aren't here for my work…I assume you're here on official business."

"That's right," Yuto said, trying to find his footing. "Nekumi-san, are you aware of the incident that happened here several months back?"

Tatsuya's expression fell, his eyes forming a glare, his lips turning into a frown. "You mean the incident with Kakeguri…yes I am aware."

"Right then, you see we're investigative reporters who are currently looking into the case because we believe we can find something that's not right about it. The fact that Yoshimiya jumped off the building and they closed the case concluded as attempted suicide. And lucky for us, we managed to find a potential source."

Tatsuya held his expression, but something felt…off about him. Hinata took note of how he was just standing there staring at them with an unreadable expression…

"Why do I feel something…bloodlust from him…" He thought to himself.

"You see, we got word that there was a witness who saw and knew who spreaded those pictures that led to Yoshimiya's death. And all of it points to a student here at Atsuhiko, the council president, Hayakki Nekumi."

….

Nothing was said. Not even a sound was made. Tatsuya sat on his chair with his face leaned on his clasped fist, looking at the two with those eyes of his. Both Hinata and Yuto gave a slight tremble as he looked at the two.

"I…I feel like I'm being stabbed in the heart…just why the hell am I feeling this…" Hinata thought to himself.

"I see…" Tatsuya broke the silence. "So you believe that the one who caused Yoshimiya's death was Hayakki…my own daughter."

"Well…it's hard to say at this point. But we would like to confirm this with Hayakki…s-so…if you were to be so kind as to call her over…"

Tatsuya didn't say anything as he reached behind him and grabbed a mic on his desk. A loud voice came from the P.A….

[Would the Student Council Members please come to the chairman office. I repeat, would the council members please come to the office…now.]

The two took notice of his tone at the last bit. They glanced at each other.

"What do you suppose that was all about…" Hinata whispered to his partner.

"I mean, she IS his daughter. So I would possibly be mad too to find out if my daughter was a potential criminal."

"Yeah…I guess you are right…"

"Excuse me young gentlemen." Tatsuya spoke to them. He carried a small smile. "Would any of you like some beverages? I mean, I forgot to ask this as soon you two walked in…it is traditional to treat special guests…"

"N-No thank you. We're fine." Hinata waved his hands. Yuto also agreed.

Tatsuya laid on his desk with his hands supporting him. "So…what do you intend on doing with this when you solve the mystery behind Yoshimiya's death."

"Well, to be honest…" Yuto spoke up. "My partner here wanted to find the real truth."

"Oh…" Tatsuya said as he looked at Hinata.

"T-That's right…I just…I remember hearing about the story when I was starting out…and I couldn't believe what I heard. Someone taking a naked photo of the girl defenseless and spreading those around the school that led her to her death…its…it's something I can't stand by and watch. When they wrote the case off as a stressful day, I couldn't stand by. The true culprit is out there somewhere and I want to see this story through…and so…that perhaps Yoshimiya could rest in peace."

Tatsuya blinked as he looked at the man with studying eyes. "You seem to speak of this like you know her…"

"...well…I wouldn't say I exactly know her…but I have met her before. She was a very kind girl. Sure she can be a bit much…but when I found out about her death…something about this case…just doesn't sit well with me…this story is very personal to me…"

"I see…"


"WE'RE HERE!" Coming bursting from the door was a tall blonde girl with fingerless gloves on.

The two detectives were caught by surprise when the girl came bursting in. Luckily they were not close to the door or they would've felt that.

"Homura, what did I tell you about slamming the door open like that? You could injure someone like that." Another girl said as she walked in pushing up her glasses.

Homura pouts at the girl. "Oh relax, no one was hurt, right? You always gotta make this such a big deal Izumi."

Izumi rolled her eyes. "Then are you saying that you will pay the property damage to the door then…"

"...okay I'll stop. Should we start over again…"

"No need." Another girl's voice came from the door as she came walking inside the room. A pink haired teen comes inside with an innocent smile. "We're already here, so mind as well get on with this."

"Right, Hayakki!" Homura grinned at the teen, as Izumi nodded.

Tatsuya sat up straight, looking at his daughter. "Please shut the door behind you."

Hayakki nodded as she shut the door and walked in, taking notice of the two men in the room. Homura and Izumi walked to sit on the couch to the side. Homura sitting with her legs sitting on top of her other. And her arms rested on top of the couch.

Izumi sat on the couch more calmly and delicately. She sat posed on the couch with both her hands on her knee, clasped together. Looking at the two men.

"Father…who are these men…" Hayakki asked.

"Ah. These two men are investigative reporters I believe. They work with the policemen."

Hayakki blinked at that, but nonetheless held a smile on her face as she faced the two men. "It's a pleasure meeting you two. My name is Hayakki Nekumi, the current council president of Atsuhiko Academy. Those two are my members, the blonde one is Homura Shinku, the vice president of the council. The shorter one is Izumi Akatsuki, the secretary."

"O-Oh…it's a pleasure to meet you all." Hinata said as he bowed his head with Yuto following. "Sorry for pulling you from your duties all of a sudden…"

"Oh don't worry~." Hayakki said with a merry smile. "Is there anything you gentlemen need?"

Hinata took a breath before he spoke. "You see…we are currently investigating the murder of Yoshimiya."

"..." Hayakki didn't say anything as she looked at the two rather perplexed expressions.

Hinata and Yuto did not know the expression that both Homura and Izumi were giving.

"I see…um…if I may ask, wasn't her case closed."

"A-Ah…it was…but…this case is very personal to me. I wish to see this story through because Yoshimiya was an old friend of mine…well, I wouldn't say I know her well, but she is someone who I have met on occasion. After I heard about her death…they closed it to say that she was only stressed it just doesn't sit well. Not only that, they couldn't find who the one who took those photos. So...I wanted to find out what really happened."

"...I see…" Hayakki held a somewhat frown on her lips, only to switch to a happy look. "Well, it's nice to see that Yoshimiya had some influences and impact outside of the school~! But I do wonder, why did you come here~?"

Yuto spoke up. "We found a potential source that told us that you were involved in her death."

Hayakki merely tilted her head with a curious hum.

Izumi spoke from her seat with a glare. "Are you implying that Lady Hayakki is the culprit behind Yoshimiya's death?"

Yuto turns to Izumi. "Well, it is hard to say, but the source we heard it from said there was an eyewitness who saw it all first hand."

Hayakki's eyes merely just narrowed at that. "A witness…."

"Yes." Yuto said. "A witness who saw the whole thing first hand, which led us here to you." He pointed at the pink haired girl.

Once again, Hinata felt a bloodlust, almost murderous intent filling the room. "There it is again…why is it? I feel such bloodlust coming from this room. But where is it coming from…"

His eyes looked towards Izumi who sat on the couch with her face looking at her own hands clasped on her knees. Next to her, Homura was almost…shaking in her seat? Taking notice of her fingers fidgeting in place. His eyes then looked up at Hayakki whose eyes gave somewhat of a worried glance to the side, as if she was trying to avoid eye contact. However, the one who terrified him the most was the chairman who sat posed against his desk in the room. Tatsuya held his stance. But from small details, he noticed how he held his forearm with a tight grip, his eyes covered in shadow.

"Is it…coming from Tatsuya…"

"A-A witness…first hand…a-are you sure…"

Yuto tries to find his ground, but he feels a strong pressure in his room. "Y-Yes…a witness…"

Hayakki felt something cold against her shoulders, she felt a heavy shadow loomed over her with such intense pressure, weighing her down. She hears in the deepest in her mind, a snarling wolf almost, bearing over her body.

"If I may interject."

The air became breathable again. Hayakki snapped out of her trance as she and several others looked at the girl sitting on the couch. She made a brief glance at Hayakki before looking at Yuto and Hinata, who looked almost pale as if they saw a terrifying monster.

"You say that this witness saw everything first hand, correct?"

"U-Um…y-yes…" Yuto shook his head trying to find his way back into reality. "We heard it from a source that Hayakki is the culprit behind-"

"Do you have any evidence?" She said cutting him off.

Both Hinata and Yuto did not say anything as they glanced at each other before looking at the girl. "U-Um…well…no."

Izumi glared at the men as she pushed her glasses up. "How bold of you to say such words. However, I believe you're in the wrongs. You say Lady Hayakki is the culprit behind Yoshimiya's death. Do you have any concrete evidence that she did it? Do you have any solid grounds to argue on? If you lack any evidence that Lady Hayakki is the true culprit, then you are not only wasting our time, but you are wasting your time as well."

Yuto wanted to argue back, he wanted to…but in the end, he couldn't find anything to stand on. He looks back at Hinata who held a defeated look. "She's right…we don't really have anything to go on from here."

Hinata sighed to himself. He looked right at a smiling Hayakki. "Apologies. It seems we were in the wrong."

Hayakki released a small giggle. "Oh, it's alright. I mean, we all make mistakes sometimes. But believe me when I say this, but I'm not the culprit. In fact, I and Yoshimiya used to be friends."

Hinata and Yuto blinked at that. "Friends…"

"Hm-mm~. However we used to be friends, but then we had other things. It was truly disheartening when I heard about her death. I mean honestly, some people out there are just so cruel and cold."

"Yes…" Hinata's eyes looked down to his feet with a discouraged look.

"I felt for sure we were so close…but in the end…"

He felt a hand on his shoulders. He looked to see Hayakki with a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure you'll find the culprit soon…you never know, they could be right under your nose~."

Hinata blinked at that, unsure why she said that. He then took a deep breath and looked at Hayakki with a smile. "I hope so…thank you Hayakki."

Hayakki smiled at the young man. "You're quite welcome. It's always a pleasure helping out those in need."

Tatsuya gets off from his desk as he approaches the two men. He held his usual expression with his hand behind his back. "I suppose it is time for you boys to head out."

"Yes, we should get going. Perhaps we should gather more info on this story." Yuto said to his partner.

"Yeah, that's a great idea," He said before he turned to Tatsuya. "Sorry for the bother."

Tatsuya nodded as he looked at the two. "I wish you two luck on your quest! Let me know when you publish the true story behind this case. And hopefully bring this culprit to justice."

The two nodded as they turned to leave.

"Please, allow me." Izumi said as she opened the door for them.

"T-Thank you, Izumi." Hinata said as Izumi nodded.

On that note, the two left the room, leaving them inside alone. Not without Tatsuya giving them a bloodlust glare as the door closes.


-Outside of the School Entrance-


Hinata and Yuto walked out of the building with some…mixed feelings. Hinata held a disheartening look. He was so sure that they could get somewhere with the case, but it looks like they are now back to square one.

"Something off about that man…" Yuto brought his attention.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"I'm not sure…but did you ever feel the pressure in the room feeling…heavy?"

"Ah! So you felt it as well! I thought I was going nuts!"

"No…I felt it as well…the moment we brought up Yoshimiya's death…Tatsuya gave off a…murderous intent."

"I know right…he possibly didn't like us accusing his daughter of murdering a student." Hinata said as he looked up at the window that was the chairman's office.

"That could be it…but we can't be sure at the moment."

"Yes…so now what?"

Yuto looks at his partner with a determined look. "For now, let's focus on continuing the investigation. We can start by gathering more clues on Yoshimiya…"

"But where do we begin…" Hinata said with a desperate look. "They said that there is literally no evidence of the crime…just…just what do we do…"

"We'll think of something…for the moment let's head back to the office…"

Hinata nodded as they walked away from the school and towards the entrance. Exiting the school.

Unaware of the two, there was a female student watching from the side. Amano was watching from doors, looking at the back of the two young men walking further away from the school. Her hand tightened in a grip as she looked onward with a hopeful look.


-Atsuhiko Chairman Office-


"How…" Tatsuya said with his back turned to Hayakki whose eyes were looking down at her feet. Sitting on the couch were Izumi and Homura with stern expressions. "How do they know about Yoshimiya's death…and then saying there was a witness who firsthand saw the whole thing…do you have an answer to that…my dear daughter."

Hayakki gave a slight tremble. "I…I'm not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure." Tatsuya said, his eyes looking onward out the window. "Either you know or you don't know. After all, they came for you."

Hayakki tried to ponder for a moment. "I may…have an idea who spreaded those rumors…"

Tatsuya looked over his shoulders. His eyes pointed dagger at his daughter. "Who?"

"...perhaps…Matsuri."

Izumi pushed her glasses up. "If I recall, wasn't he involved in the scheme?"

"I thought you said you'd handled him." Tatsuya said with a dangerous tone. Almost hinting towards venom.

Hayakki didn't dare look at her father. "I-I did…"

"Then why?" He said as he finally turned around and walked towards his daughter with a glare. His eyes practically glowing in the shadow. "Why is it that this boy is still around? Why is he leaking information about Yoshimiya? Do you not realize that if those two investigative reporters are to find out that you caused her death, do you realize what that would do to not just you but to me?"

He reached towards his daughter. Hayakki bit her lip as she felt a heavy pressure weighing on her.

"Everything that we have in our hand, would all slip away from our grasp. Our future, our status, everything…will all be for nothing." He said with a dark tone.

Hayakki shivered under her father's stare. She felt her heart racing as she felt her body being weighed down as it felt like a dangerous animal was looking down at her with a dangerous glare.

"Master Tatsuya." Izumi appeared between the two figures. A sharp gasp escaped Hayakki's lips as she looked at her friend. "I understand your frustration but would it be best if we handle the problem at hand before it spreads."

Tatsuya blinked as he stared at the glasses wearing teen.

"Lady Hayakki is aware of who the potential witness is, correct? Perhaps we could assist her by dealing with Matsuri. And once the problem is handled…then there won't be any more issues for you or your family in the future."

Tatsuya pondered for a moment before his eyes shifted towards his daughter. Hayakki caught his stare as she flinched, looking the other way. He narrowed his eyes before giving a sigh.

"I covered up your records involving Yoshimiya's death so that the law enforcement doesn't come find you and ruin my reputation. I allowed you to handle anyone else who knew about her death so that they won't go spreading about it. But now…" He narrowed his eyes on the girl.

"I…I promise I'll handle it father…you won't have to worry about me-"

"No…this time we're doing it my way. I want you to find out where this boy is. Once you find him, report back to me. And don't disappoint me."

Hayakki curled her hand into a fist, her lips biting down as she sucked in a breath and released. "I'll handle it…I won't fail you, father."

"We shall assist her." Izumi said as she pushed her glasses up.

"Yeah," Homura patted Hayakki on the shoulders with a grin. "We'll find this Matsuri kid!"

Tatsuya nodded as he walked back to his desk, his back turned to his daughter and her friends. "See to it that it's done. And Hayakki…I'm expecting great expectations from you…do not disappoint me now."

"I won't…now if you excuse us." She said as she walked out of the room followed by her two friends.

As soon as the door closes. Tatsuya looked out the window with a glare. "As for those two…I shall take care of them myself."


-Hallway-


Hayakki walked down the hallway with a dissatisfied glare. Her eyes still looked at her own feet. She rubbed both her arms as she still felt a shiver.

"My Lady…" Izumi asked.

"Hey, are you doing okay?" Homura asked with a worried look.

"...yes. I'm fine." Hayakki said in a low tone. She took a deep breath before bringing her hand to her face and ran it through her hair. "Right then, let us get down to business then, it seems my little doggy has been rather naughty as of late. Perhaps he should receive a much harsher discipline…."

Homura and Izumi nodded. Homura cracked her knuckles. "So, do we rough him up a little?"

Hayakki gave a small giggle, already back to her old self. "I suppose we should do more to keep him quiet…first thing first…"

Hayakki brought a finger to her cheeks, pushing her skin with a cutesy look.

"Oh just where is my precious little doggy now~?"


-Hachimitsu Academy- [Track Field]


[Up next is the boys Foot Race! Would the boys who are going to participate in the race, please line up at the starting line!]

Kiyoshi looks towards the boys. "Looks like we're up!"

"HUH!? THIS EARLY!?" Shingo said with a baffled expression.

"Indeed, but it looks like we have no choice…" Gakuto said. He looks towards Andre who was already at the starting line. "And of course, Andre-dono will be participating."

"How the *cough* hell are we supposed to go up against someone like him?" Joe asked.

"HEY COME ON! WHAT'S WITH THE NEGATIVITY! I TAUGHT YOU BOYS BETTER THAN THAT!" Etsuko suddenly springs up in the middle with a pout. "I TAUGHT YOU BOYS THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR! DON'T BACK OUT ON ME NOW!"

"You only taught them this since this morning…" Tsubaki said with a blank expression.

"DOESN'T MATTER! YOU GO OUT THERE AND SHOW THAT LARGE BONE HEAD WHAT'S YOUR MADE OF!"

Kiyoshi and the others were a little taken back by her attitude, but they knew what she was trying to do. She was merely trying to raise their spirits. This was a fight to return the power to the USC and so that the wet T-shirt contest would be revived once more.

"She's right…" Kiyoshi said with a determined expression. He looks back to his friends. "Remember why we're doing this in the first place."

The boys look amongst each other with a nod. A brief image of the wet t-shirt contest blast in their own thoughts. Their blood started pumping, their heart rate increasing, that was all they needed.

"ALRIGHT! LET'S GO! AND MAKE NAMES FOR OURSELVES!" Kiyoshi yelled as he and the other boys headed out.

The girls (and Matsuri) looked at them with mixed expressions.

Hana leaned towards Mari. "You sure they're gonna beat someone like Andre in a match?"

"Of course not." Mari admitted. "But I merely wish to see what Andre is like in a match."

"Um…" Matsuri brought their attention. "M-Maybe I should go and join them as well since this is-"

"No." They all looked at Mari who was staring at Matsuri with a stern stare.

"No?"

"Madam President…" Meiko looked at her with a baffled expression.

Mari nudged her head in the direction. More specifically at Andre. "In case you've forgotten, you're currently on top of his hit list. There's no doubt that he will aim for you."

Matsuri held an uncomfortable look. "That is true. I'll just be singled out and he'll possibly aim for the rest depending if they get in the way."

"Plus, I wouldn't want you to get hurt, especially with your family here watching. So for now, please sit this one out."

"Right…I feel sort of useless here though." Matsuri said with a disappointed tone.

Megumi crossed her arms as she looked at Matsuri. "Doesn't bother me. Remember back at our old school you participated in an event that you were the last one to come running to the finish line. You were practically the laughing stock of the school."

"...thanks for reminding me." He said with a groan to which Megumi responded with a small smirk.

Yukina went and set her hand on Matsuri's shoulders. "Oh don't worry your little old self, why don't we use this as an opportunity to watch just how our enemy team secret weapon performs in a match. It could be useful data for the upcoming calvary contest."

"Yeah! So let's watch the fateful battle between the boys!" Etsuko said with a prideful smile.

"You really look proud of yourself…" Hana said with a blank tone.


The four boys approach the starting line. Each of them on both sides. Kiyoshi and Shingo on the right, while Gakuto and Joe were on the left. Andre stood in the middle, his eyes looking dead ahead of the track.

Many of the female students, staff and other stand byer watched with interest. Kiyoshi looked towards Shingo with a nod. Shingo looked from Kiyoshi to Gakuto and nodded. Gakuto looks from Shingo to Joe and nods towards him. Joe nodded as well before looking at the girl to his side and nodding in her direction.

The girl held a confused expression. "...why did you nod at me?"

"HUH!? Oh! No reason!"

The girl just blinked before she sighed. "Whatever, anyways. At the shot of the gun, all of you will start running."

"RIGHT!" They all said, except for Andre.

"THAT'S MY BOYS!" Etsuko screamed from the side line.

Yukina shields her face from the public eye. "I don't know this child."

"Boys! Ready?" Said the girl.

"READY!"

She raises her hand in the air. "Right then, on your mark…"

The boys prepare themselves for the race….all four of their eyes on Andre….

"...get set…."

They all gave one last glance at each other before looking forward.

"...GO!" She shot the gun in the air.

In a blink of an eye. Andre released a grudging roar as he practically teleported away from the boys and ran as fast he could. Leaving the boys in the dust. His eyes were bloodshot as he finally crossed the finish line.

No one couldn't process what happened or how he managed to just zip from the starting point to the finish line. But he was rather fast and aggressive. Everyone stared at the large boy with awe struck eyes. It amazed them, even the boys.

The girl blinked. "Um…I-I guess…Andre won.

Andre released a victorious roar in the air with his clenched fist.


"D-Did he just win the race? He's really fast." Ringo asked Takamoto.

"I'll say…it was something…"


The boys blinked. Their mind processes what just happened. They were about the race, but Andre just zipped across the field and won the race at a blink of an eye. Was this the same Andre?

"W-Well…that went badly as expected…" Kiyoshi said with a frown.

"Yeah…looks like we chew more than we can take…" Shingo said.

"THE HELL WAS THAT!?" Hana yelled as she grabbed Gakuto by the collar with an enraged face. "YOU GUYS DIDN'T EVEN TRY!"

Gakuto coughed out some blood before speaking. "I-Indeed…it seems that Andre is more than we anticipated."

"Y-Yeah…but that guy is *cough* seriously strong…"

"YOU IDIOTS! IT'S MORE LIKE YOU DIDN'T TRY AND RUN!" Hana said as she bonked her forehead against Gakuto's forehead.

Etsuko threw herself on Hana back to stop her from doing anymore damage. "Hold on Hana! Don't scold him like that!"

"I-INDEED! PLEASE SAVE US ETSUKO-DONO!"

Hana looks at the girl with a baffled but annoyed expression. "And why the hell not!?"

"Because…" Before Etsuko finishes, she jumps in the air and elbowed Gakuto in the face. "I'M THE ONE WHO SUPPOSES TO SCOLD THEM! NOT YOU!"

"HEY! GET IN LINE, PIPSQUEAK!"

As Hana and Etsuko were scolding them, Mari could only sigh to herself.

"Think I was glad I didn't participate…" Matsuri said with a nervous chuckle.

"As I predicted."

"Still though…" Meiko held a worried expression. "That was fast..."

"Yes…I fear our battle with the ASC will be a struggle…our victory is slim."


"Having doubts, Mari~?" On cue, Kate walks up to Mari with a smug on her face. "You saw how Andre fared, so mind as well want to give up before you end up embarrassing yourself."

Mari looks at the girl with a glare. "That was just the first match. Victory is still up in the air."

Kate released a small giggle. "True, then again, the small events are just for show, but will drastically impact the popularity of the USC. Not to mention, the numbers are stacked against you."

Matsuri held a concerned look, with Meiko holding a snarl at the orange-haired girl.

"I'm not worried."

Kate looks at the girl. "Huh?"

"I have full faith in my friends. Don't you?"

Kate looks at Mari as she blinks at her. "Huh…what the hell is that supposed to mean…"

"Well, surely you're not gonna use Andre throughout the entire event. Otherwise, he would be exhausted for the calvary contest."

Kate's eyes twitched. "Hmph. Don't get too cocky. Only a fool would do something like that."

"Well, glad to hear."

Kate brought her finger to her lips. "Hm~. You know, since you sound so confident in your team, how about we up the stakes a bit. This could be a fun little punishment game before the main event."

Mari crossed her arms under her bosom. "And that would be?"

Just as the two were talking, Hana came over scratching her head with an annoyed expression. She took notice of the two speaking with each other.

"How about this," Kate said with a smirk. "The loser has to dance in front of everyone. And hell, let's go all out with this bet; she has to change into favorite casual clothing first."

A gust of wind blew past them. Hana's eyes widened in shock, breaking out into a sweat. She looked towards Mari with worried expressions.

"She wouldn't possibly go for such a deal, right?" Hana thought to herself in a panic.

"That's it then. Nothing else?" Mari asked, causing Hana to become more panicked.

"Yes. Isn't that embarrassing?"

"...okay. I'll accept that."

"HUH!?"

Kate's smile widened even further. She turned around as she made her exit. "Let's see if you're confident enough when I win."

Matsuri looked towards Mari. "Was the bet really necessary?"

"It's no problem. It's not much of a bet anyways…"

"M-Mari…" Hana gained her attention. "M-Maybe you should back out on the bet…y-you know, for safety concern…"

"It's fine Hana." She looked towards Hana with a stern expression. "I'm willing to take any risk against Kate and her silly games. Besides, If I don't accept the bet then I'll never hear the end of it."

[The next competition is the 'Girls Obstacle Relay Course'. Would those planning to participate please line up.]

Hana bit her lips before she turned to Mari. "I'll participate in this event!"

"You?"

"Y-Yes! I'll win this event for you!"

"..." Mari looked into Hana's eyes. The blonde girl held a determined expression with fire being lit in her eyes. Mari lips pulled into a smile. "Alright then…"

Hana nodded.

"Hoho~? Should I be of assistance?" Yukina said as she made a pose in front of them. "It's my time to show these ruffians what I'm made of!"

"You seem like a bitch to me…" Megumi said from behind, causing Yukina to develop a twitch under her eyes. "Anyways, I'll help out as well."

"You too Megumi?" Hana asked.

"Actually, I recommend having her participate alongside." Matsuri said. "She's known to be the fastest one at our old school."

"Is that so…alright. I trust your choice." Mari said.

"In that case," Meiko raised her hand. "I shall assist as well."

"Okay then, this team formation should work out then." Mari said with a satisfied grin.

Etsuko jumps on top of Matsuri's shoulders with her legs sticking out. Her thighs rub against his cheeks, ignoring the boy's protest as she looks at the group.

"LISTEN UP! YOU FOUR BETTER NOT SCREW UP! THE VERY EXISTENCE OF THE USC REST ON YOUR SHOUL-" She was cut off in mid sentence as Yukina hand shuts her mouth.

"Yes, yes, yes. We're aware of what we must do. No need for the child to order us 'adults' around what to do."

"MMMPPPPHHH!"

"Oh don't give me that." Yukina said with an annoyed tone. She turned towards the small group. "Shall we girls?"

They all nodded as they approached the starting position.


It only took a minute or so for everyone to get into their position for the relay race. Yukina was at the beginning of the track, doing her stretches.

"A-Are you participating in this event as well, Yukina-chan?"

Yukina turns to see a familiar green haired girl coming next to her.

"Ah, Mitsuko, right? I'm surprised to see you participating as well. Considering your poor coordination and all."

Mitsuko flinched. "U-Um…I well…I tried to tell Kate-chan that putting me in this race was a bad idea due to how bad my coordination is but she insisted that I should."

"Hoho~? Is that so? Is anyone else participating? Hopefully not Andre…"

"N-No. After all, it's the GIRLS obstacle relay race. So having him here wouldn't work. Plus, we can't use him for all the matches."

"True. But it's surprising seeing you here…"

"Honestly I don't understand why she persisted in having me participate, I'm just gonna end up losing."

"Hm~? If I were to be honest, could it be the reason why she included you is because she has full faith in you?"

"F-Faith in me?"

Yukina looks at her with a smile. "Of course~. Or it could be because she has a screw loose."

Mitsuko groaned at that. Only for Yukina to set her hand on her shoulders.

"Oh just kidding. She possibly must have some faith in you to participate either way."

"Y-You think so?"

"Of course~. However," She opened her eyes as she gave her a determined look. "I don't intend to lose. So don't think I'm gonna go easy on you."

Mitsuko blinked at the girl before nodding, looking back at her with fire in her eyes. "I…I intend to win this match…I wish to win this match for Gakuto-kun!"

Yukina blinked a few times before she held a smile. "Then by all means, I cannot wait to see how you and your team will fare~."


The many participants look at the battle that is about to start. The boys, girls and the small members of the USC saw who Yukina was going to go up against.

Gakuto looked surprised. "M-Mitsuko-dono?"

"Hey, hold on. Isn't that the klutzy girl who keeps on getting into different situations? Why in the world is Kate having her participate?" Shingo asked.

"Must have a screw loose…" Joe said with a cough.

"You know, I take offense to that, she IS my cousin after all." Anzu said, giving the boys a glare. "But then again, I do have to agree, why is Kate making her participate in this event…"

Gakuto looks back at the girl who is preparing for the race.

"Mitsuko-dono…"


[Particpaters! Please get ready!]

Yukina, Mitsuko and many others got on the ground, with both the palms of their hands on the ground with their feet planted against the small foot pedal.

[ON YOUR MARK…GET SET…GO!]


And they were off! Yukina got a lightning headstart as she ran as fast as she could, leaving Mitsuko in the dust. The green haired girl was startled a bit by how fast she was going, she recovered from her stupor and tried to catch up to her.

The participants reached towards their first obstacle, the balancing beam.

Yukina jumps on top of the beam, she spreads both her hands out to keep herself from falling. She continued on ahead, her eyes watching up ahead while carefully not trying to trip herself on the beam.


"Incredible," Gakuto said. "Yukina-dono is truly athletic. I guess she isn't all for show."

"Yeah, to be honest I thought she looked to be the type to just care about her make-up…" Kiyoshi added.

"I wouldn't underestimate Ojou-san…" Etsuko said from atop of Matsuri. "She may have a sharp tongue, but she isn't all for show."

"...oh yeah. That's right." Matsuri said. "You and her did challenge each other last time. And despite her fear, you two were on par with each other during the Boob-and-Butt sumo match."

Etsuko crossed her arms across her chest, holding a stern expression. "She maybe annoying, but she's a worthy rival."

"Indeed, Yukina-WAIT A MINUTE!"

The boys suddenly surrounded Matsuri with enraged eyes. Causing the boy to flinch.

"MATSURI-DONO!? YOU WITNESSED THE BOOBS-AND-BUTT SUMO MATCH! AND WITNESSED YUKINA IN A SWIMSUIT!"

"Gah! Yeah…what's the problem?"

"YOU BASTARD! YOU HOLDING OUT ON US AGAIN!?"

"MATSURI! YOU *WHEEZE* NEED TO TELL US THESE THINGS AND *COUGH* NOT KEEP THEM TO YOURSELF!"

"GIVE US THE DETAILS!"

As Matsuri (and to an extent Etsuko) were being surrounded by the boys. The girls just look at the boys with mixed expressions. While some held annoyed or whether just a concerned expression.


Mitsuko was struggling a bit while trying to balance herself on top of the beam. She found herself almost falling on the beam, but she managed to catch herself.

"Ugh! This is so embarrassing…why did Kate have me participate in this event! I'm just gonna-"

"MITSUKO!" Mitsuko heard a familiar voice from the crowd. She looks to see Kate with her hand raised high in the air. "YOU GOT THIS! JUST FOCUS ON THE RACE!"

Mitsuko breathed heavily, taking in the words of the ASC president. She sucked in her breath before exhaling. She pushed herself up from the beam and standed up straight. She took another deep breath before she started walking on the beam. She took it slow and steady, once she got the hold of it she then walked as fast she could. While somewhat tripping herself, she manages to find her balance and push onward.

Yukina looked behind her and took notice of her standing straight up. A smile graced her lips. "Well now~. Looks like this won't be a bore after all."

Yukina jumps off of the beam as she lands with a pose and smacks Megumi's hands. "GO FOR IT!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Megumi said as she made a mad dash forward towards the set of hurdles.

Mitsuko jumps off the beam as she rushes towards the girl standing there, ready to take off. She runs up to her, the moment she taps her shoulders, the girl takes off. Catching up towards Megumi.

Mitsuko dropped to her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

"Well now~. Aren't you full of surprises…" Yukina complimented the girl. "Sure, you almost made an embarrassment of yourself, but you stuck it out till the end."

"I *huff* did…I guess I couldn't l-let Kate down after she cheered me on…"

"Well, she's your friend, right? It's normal for friends to cheer each other on and on that note…" She looks up ahead. "GO MEGUMI!"


Megumi could hear Yukina cheering for her from behind as she wasted no time and kicked up the gear. She approaches the hurdles, she uses her one foot to spring off from the ground and into the air. She stretched her legs out and crossed over the hurdle. She repeats this at a decent pace.

She could hear cheering from the sideline, but her focus was on the race. Both the girls pass the obstacle and on their way to the next course. Ahead of them were big loop rings on the ground.

Megumi and the girl approach the ring, their foot stepping into each of the rings, one foot at a time on each of the hoops.


"GO MEGUMI! KICK THEIR ASS!" Ayame yelled with her hands cupped next to her mouth.

"GO! GO! GO!" Ritsu yelled from the top of Ayame's shoulders.

As the two girls were cheering, Kenchiro and Akari were looking onward with nervous expressions, but nonetheless were glad that the two were enjoying themselves.

"Well, they're getting into this…" Akari said with a nervous chuckle. "Although, it would be nice for them to calm down a bit."

"True, but at least they're having fun…." Kenchiro said.

"Oh my, hopefully I haven't missed anything."

The family stopped watching the race and looked to the side. Walking up to them was Miyuki who wore a smile towards the group.

Ritsu had sparkles in her eyes as she jumped off of her sister as she ran over and hugged Miyuki legs. "HI MIYUKI!"

Miyuki's smile grew wider as she ruffled Ritsu's hair. "Hello dear."

"Took you long enough to get here," Ayame said with a grin. "Granted, you haven't missed much, but still. You got caught in traffic?"

"Ah no, I got caught up on something else…well…" Miyuki pondered for a moment before speaking this to the family. "I'll tell you guys during break. For the moment, let's enjoy the race. Oh, looks like Meiko is running next."

Ritsu suddenly perked at that as she looked back at the race. She sees Meiko climbing a wooden plank wall, while hanging onto the rope hanging from the top.

"GO MEIKO!"

The girls go back to cheering for the race. Miyuki held a soft smile at the girls.

"So what did you get caught up on?" Akari whispered to the woman.

Miyuki leaned in. "Curious?"

"Well, it seemed important since you wanted to bring it up during break…did something happen…" Akari asked with a serious expression.

Kenchiro glanced over towards them with a curious expression.

Miyuki sighed before she spoke. "It seems two investigative reporters came over to my place today. They asked me questions about my daughter's death."

Both Kenchiro and Akari held a shocked expression on their faces.

"Huh?" Akari questioned.

"Hold on, I thought they closed the case."

"That's what I thought as well," Miyuki said. "But one of them wishes to find the truth behind my daughter's death. Apparently my daughter knows one of them."

"S-So…what did they ask?" Akari asked with a curious look.

"...they were asking who took the pictures…" Miyuki looked to the side, feeling a little ashamed. "I told them about who was involved in it."

"...you told them about Matsuri…" Kenchiro said with a sympathetic tone.

"Well, I had to tell them. But I did put Matsuri in good words."

"It's fine…" Akari said with a frown smile. "I'm pretty sure Matsuri would've liked it if you told them the whole truth either way…I just…I just hope nothing bad comes out of this. I just want my son to live a normal life without all these troubles."

Kenchiro settled his hand on his shoulders. "We all do Akari…but there's nothing we can do about that. I believe Matsuri must do something about that on his own. As I said to him, no man can walk out on his own story."

Akari sighed at that. "Honestly, you think Matsuri would even get that…"

Kenchiro smiled. "He's a smart boy. He'll figure it out."

"Honestly…"

Miyuki giggled. "Well, let's watch the game for now. I'll tell you about it during break."


Hana stretched out her limbs as she prepared herself to take on the final run.

"If I lose this, then the USC will lose any other dignity left reputations wise. I have to win this…win this for Mari's sake."

"You sure are getting into this…"

Hana glances over at Risa who was stretching her hand behind her back.

"What? You're not?"

"Don't misunderstand me. I'm gonna take first and win the race."

"Oh please, you're not as fast as me. I'm taking first place…" Hana eyes glances over towards her foot, realizing that she was not wearing any shoes. "So you're going barefoot?"

"You remember last year's race? You only won by a fraction, plus I was wearing boots back then, but this time, I will take first place."

"Hmph. We'll see about that." Hana said as she glanced over her shoulders and saw Meiko with a piece of bread in her mouth, coming up towards her. "And it looks like we'll find out soon enough."

Meiko reaches up towards her and smacks her hand. Giving Hana the signal to run, leaving Risa in the dust as she takes off inside her sack bag. Jumping towards the final set of obstacles. The girl reaches Risa as well, as she jumps into her bag and immediately jumps at a rapid pace towards Hana.

Hana was caught off guard as Risa caught up towards her. But that didn't stop her as she kept up with her. "You're pretty fast!"

"Hmph. Told you so. But I could say the same to you." Risa said. "But I'm still gonna win."

"Yeah!? We'll see about that!"

Both Hana and Risa looked at each other with fire in their eyes as they hopped over to the next obstacle! Risa quickly hops out of the bag as she immediately goes for the box on top of the table.

"A treasure hunt, huh? This should be easy! I just need to find what I need to find and get ahead of Hana," She reaches inside the box and immediately takes out the piece of paper. "Okay, simple, I need to find the objective and….a-and…."

She stopped. Her eyes were glued to the paper. Her hand trembled, shaking the piece of paper in her hand. Her heart started to pound hard against her chest. What was written on the paper, in kanji was….

A Friend.


"Look! Risa-dono is frozen!" Gakuto said with a shocked expression. "She may have got something that is hard for her to find."

"HANA! THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!"

Hana manages to catch up as she slips out of the bag and tosses it to the side. Rushing over to the box, she grabs hold of it as she digs right inside. Grabbing the piece of paper out of the box, she showed it to the crew.

"A FOUR LEAF CLOVER!"

"Seriously! But finding a four leaf clover is like finding a needle in a haystack!" Tsubaki said with a frown.

Etsuko jumps on top of Tsubaki's shoulders, much to her annoyance. "LESS BITCHING AND MORE FINDING! QUICK! WHILE RISA IS PARALYZED! COME ALONG BOYS! THAT INCLUDES YOU MATSURI!"

"Why does she have to include me like that…" Matsuri said with a groan.

As the girls (and boys go to find the four leaf clover. Risa however, was still frozen in place. Her eyes glued to the paper in her hand.

"RISA-CHAN! YOUR FALLING BEHIND!" Mitsuko called out to her friend.

"IS IT SOMETHING HARD TO FIND! RISA!?" Kate yelled with a worried expression.

Risa could not even hear their cry as she was too occupied in her fear. Her eyes remained glued to the paper. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of her heart that pounded against her chest.

"A friend…a friend…I…I don't have any…the only friend I had was Antionette…m-my cat. But…she's gone…there's no other person I can call a friend…"

She looks over to Andre who was currently sitting by a tree with his back hunched over.

"No. He won't. Plus, with the mindstate he's in, it's difficult to call him a friend…"

Her eyes traveled to Mitsuko who held a concerned look.

"Mitsuko…you're a kind girl and all but…I'm pretty sure she has many other things to do instead of being with a gloomy friend like me. I don't want to be a burden to her. Then that leaves…."

Her eyes laid on Kate who was more equally concerned with Risa's predicament. The goth girl felt her heart threatening to pound out of her chest. Her eyes looked into Kate's soul who blinked at the girl.

"Excuse me." Risa was snapped out of her trance as Takamoto spoke up. "Is something wrong, Risa?"

"U-Um…w-well…" Risa became a stuttering mess.

Takamoto's curiosity peaked when she took notice of the paper in her hand. She peered over at it, reading the kanji letters.

"A friend, huh?"

Risa flinched. Her sweating intensifies. Her heart was pounding like mad against her chest.

"Risa…do you have a friend…"

"I…I…I don't know…"

"What about Kate and Mitsuko? Aren't they your friends?"

"No…I mean…y-yes….I….I'm not sure…."

Takamoto blinked as she looked back at the two girls who held concern for their member. She looks back at Risa who looked almost on the verge of crying.

"No matter how tough they look on the outside…nothing can change what they are on the inside."

Takamoto sighs to herself as she calls out to Kate. "KATE! YOUR FRIEND NEEDS HELP!"

Risa flinched at that, looking at Takamoto with a betrayed expression. "W-W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

"Helping you out."

"B-BUT DON'T CALL HER OUT LIKE THAT! WHAT IF-!?"

"Risa! I'm here! What's wrong!?" Kate said as she wasted no time coming to her.

Risa remained frozen in place. Her eyes were not looking at Kate who looked at her with concern. But the goth girl could only mutter and just groans here and there. Something that made it hard for Kate to understand.

Takamoto sighed once more but with a more amused expression. "She's looking for a friend."

Risa flinched once more. Her heart threatened to break loose.

Kate looks to Takamoto with a confused brow. Until she looked at the paper that Risa was holding…she looked back at Risa who was shaking like a leaf. A small gasp escaped her lips. She pins the dots together.

"Risa…you…"

"..."

"Honestly…I can't believe you…"

"...I-I'm sorry…I don't have any friends….p-please…I don't care if you lie just-"

She stopped when she felt something warm against her body. A warm gentle embrace. Risa's eyes widen in shock, she looks over to her side and notices Kate was hugging her. The orange hair girl hand wrapped around her neck, her head over her shoulder as she felt the breathing against her neck.

"K-Kate…what are you-"

"Hush now. No more of that." Kate simply said. "For goodness sake Risa, you had me scared half to death. For a moment I thought it was something difficult for you to find, but it turns out it was something so trivial. But I must ask," She said as she parted half way from her. Looking at the girl. "Why didn't you say anything then?"

"...I-I….I thought…you never saw me as a friend." She said as she looked the other way feeling ashamed. "I thought that…you only saw me as a tool or just that one girl who you felt sorry for…you remember the time we first met…"

"Of course."

"...I…I didn't know how to respond to them when they messed up my order…then you came. You helped me out in that situation and even invited me to eat with you…but…I thought you never saw me as a friend, but as-"

"Enough of that." Kate said as she brought her finger to Risa's lips. Stopping her from talking. "Risa, I'm hurt. I'm hurt that you thought of me like that. I helped you because I felt sorry for you. You tried to overcome your fear by trying to stand up for yourself, but you didn't have the courage to. You looked lonely, so I invited you on my behalf. I never once saw you as a tool, that one girl in the group or any ill intention you may think of."

Kate pushed her forehead against Risa's, her eyes looking deep into hers.

"Both you and Mitsuko…both of you girls are my precious friends. And I would never take you girls for granted."

Risa's body felt light as a feather. Just hearing her say those words, it was as if the heavy weight that was weighing her down was now easing up. Her heart pounded against her chest, but was softer and didn't hurt. Her vision became clearer as she looked at Kate as if she was seeing a different person.

"So I'm guessing you are her friend, then." Takamoto asked with a smirk.

Kate looks at her. "Not just friends, we're practically BFFs."

"Then you pass the scavenger hunt." Takamoto said with a smile.

Kate looks at Risa with a smile. "Well, go on and go. You're all good, Risa~."

Risa didn't waste any time as she ran off to the next and possible final obstacle course of the race. She was running fast like she never ran before. Feeling light as a feather, a small but graceful smile formed on her lips.

"I'll win this! I'LL WIN THIS FOR MY FRIENDS!"

"YOU GOT THIS RISA!"


"Well, that was something new." Mari said as she walked over to the girl.

Kate looked over at Mari with a smirk. "Ah, Mari. Aren't you worried about the race? After all, Risa is in the lead and Hana-chan is still nowhere to be found. Perhaps she got up and left because it was difficult."

"She'll be fine. I have faith in my group."

"Oh, aren't you confident? Though, the minor events have no real effect on the calvary contest. So I wouldn't be surprised that you're not worried. Even if it may impact your popularity…" She said with a smirk.

"..." Mari looked at Kate with a stare.

This made Kate unsettled. "W-What?"

"Nothing. It's just…I'm surprised how half of you changed."

"Huh?"

"You know…your connection with Risa and Mitsuko."

Kate narrowed her eyes on the girl. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing. It's just surprising for me that the same girl who used to be the school yard bully to Meiko and I, turned into such a friendly and mature individual."

Kate cheeks flushed red. "W-What!? What's that supposed to mean!?"

Mari giggled. "What~? It's a compliment."

Kate blinks at the girl as she turns the other way. "I should say the same to you…since when did the male hating girl become so casual around them…."

"...I believe you know the answer to that."

"WE FOUND IT!" Hana yelled as she came a bomb rushing towards the table and set the four-leaf clover on the table. Panting like crazy. "It took a while but we found it!"

"Okay then, hurry along to the final course." Takamoto casually said.

Hana didn't waste any seconds as she immediately rushed over to the final obstacle.

"I BELIEVE IN YOU HANA!"

Hana hears her cheer, shifting into high gear as she hurries over to the final obstacle course.

Takamoto looks between the two girls who were cheering for their respective members. A sigh escaped her lips. "You know…both of you girls share a lot in common."

"Huh?" Both stopped as they looked at the nurse.

"I mean, both of you girls care for your friends and both are council members. So why go through this battle if you share so much in common…"

"Me? Share common with HER? Please, I'm nothing like Mari. And besides, this is a personal battle between us two." Kate said.

"I mean, if it's a personal battle then don't let me get in the way. However, there is something you should know…it's best to keep your friends close, but it's also better to keep your enemies closer."

Both Mari and Kate looked at the woman with raised brow.

Takamoto waved her hand carelessly. "Ah, don't mind me, just me speaking my mind out."


Hana runs as fast as her leg could carry her as she rushes over to the girl who is ahead of her. Coming up to the final course, the cosplay course. she spots Risa who is currently…fitting into a dress with Mitsuko helping out. A maid outfit of sorts.

The maid wore a black and white outfit. With the coat being black and the apron white. On top of her head were cat ears and at the bottom was her cat tail. The skirt was rather short enough for anyone to see her undergarment.

"W-WHY THE HELL IS THIS SKIRT SO SHORT!?" Risa yelled.

"J-Just calm down, here let me at least get your outfit on." Mitsuko said.

"Hana! Over here!" Hana sees Kiyoshi right next to one of the boxes. She approaches one of the boxes. "S-So now what?"

"Just get me an outfit that's easy to run in."

"Right." As Kiyoshi opened the box.

He took the outfit out of the box and revealed it to the girl. Both Hana and Kiyoshi held blushes on their faces. The costume that she has to wear is a pink and white outfit. The chest was partly revealed, having a V-shape around the collar and chest area. A pink brooch right in the middle. Puffy skirt at the bottom with the behind having a stream ribbon on the back.

"The hell…" Hana asked herself. "The hell kind of outfit is this?"

"Is this…some sort of magical girl outfit?" Kiyoshi asked.

"HANA!" They all turned to see Etsuko waving with a big smile on her face. "YOU CHOSE THE OUTFIT I MADE!"

"OF COURSE IT WAS HER!"

Hana sighed as she turned to Kiyoshi. "No choice. Put the dress over my head! Quick!"

"H-Huh!? Right!"

Kiyoshi approaches her as he raises the costume and tries to put it over her head. He lowers it over her head. Surprisingly, Hana was able to slip right into the outfit just fine. Her hand slipped right into sleeves, but her head struggled to pop out.

"Damn it. I can't get through!"

"Hold still, I'll get you through."

Kiyoshi try to stretch out collar, allowing Hana to pop out of the collar. Hana could feel the costume hugging against her due to having her P.E outfit on her, which was over the costume she is currently wearing. She puffs out the skirt.

"Ugh, this looks stupid on me. Remind me to bonk that twerp on the head."

Kiyoshi blinked as he looked at the costume that Hana wore. He took note of the outfit fitting against her body, the way how the puffy skirt puffed out and somewhat covered her bottom area.

"To be honest…I think it looks cute on you."

Hana flinched, her cheeks completely flushed red. She snaps her head towards Kiyoshi and punches his arm.

"Ow! Why!?"

"S-SHUT UP! SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT!"

"OKAY! I GOT IT! GO RISA!" Mitsuko said as she cheered for Risa, who bolted off with great speed.

"Hana! You have to win this race!"

"No shit…." Before she ran, her thoughts pondered for a moment.

"H-Hana…"

He didn't receive any replies as she just raised her foot and took off one of her shoes. Doing the same thing to the other one as she gives them to Kiyoshi.

"Hold these."

"H-Huh? W-What are you doing?" Kiyoshi asked, greatly confused.

"I'm gonna fight fire with fire." Hana said with a glare in her eyes.

She took a deep breath, before taking off with great speed, kicking off many dirts off the ground. Leaving a stunned Kiyoshi as he stared at her with awe struck eyes. He watched her zipped towards her opponent at lighting speed.

"W-Whoa…"


"HOLY SHIT! HANA JUST UNLEASHED HER INNER DEMON AND IS NOW RUNNING AT TOP SPEED!" Etsuko said, her shoes standing on top of Tsubaki's shoulders.

"At least she isn't chasing us…" Tsubaki dreaded remembering the other time that Hana was chasing them.

"GO HANA-CHAN!" Chiyo cheered.


Hana was running at lighting speed as she felt herself being light as a feather. "Risa wasn't kidding! My feet feel so much lighter! It's like nothing is wearing me down! I'M FREE LIKE A BIRD!"

She quickly catches up to Risa, who was startled by her sudden appearance.

"The hell!? How the hell did she…"

Risa looked down at her feet and noticed that she was lacking her shoes. The blonde girl was now running on her bare feet.

"I see, so that's how you run fast."

"Yeah! And you weren't kidding!" Hana said between each breath.

"Told you so…"

"Don't want to hear that shit from you!"

"Then shall we…"

"YEAH!"

Both Hana and Risa ran at top speed. Both pushing it to their limit as they run towards the finish line where the rope was. Both eyes were glaring at the finish line. Both ready to take home first place.

The race was close as both were overtaking one or the other. Hana went up ahead, but was overtaken by Risa. They can hear the cheering from both teams. What looked to be the photo finish for either group, Hana was about to overtake the lead….

However, she suddenly tripped, she felt pain in her foot as she fell forward. Her eye level drops as she falls down. She impacted the ground, falling body first onto the dirt.

Risa overtook the lead, crossing the finish line.


[RISA WON THE RACE!]

"I DID IT!" Risa exclaimed with escated glee.

"YOU DID IT RISA-CHAN~!" Mitsuko cheered with small tears in her eyes.

"YOU'RE THE GREATEST, RISA!" Kate exclaimed.

As Risa and the ASC were cheering, the USC group held concerned expressions. All of them ran towards Hana with worried looks.

"Hana!? Are you alright!?" Mari asked with a worried tone.

Hana didn't say anything but remained on the ground with a disapproving expression. Her eyes didn't dare look up, but still felt the sting on her ankle. But nothing was more painful than losing the race.

"I….I lost…I lost the race…."

"Hana…" She looked up to a worried Mari and Meiko.

"M-Mari…I'm sorry…I lost the race…"

"Are you injured…"

"Huh?"

"Are you injured…"

"...I-I may have sprained my ankle but-"

She stopped when she felt Mari pressed her forehead against hers. She looked up at the president who held a sympathetic smile.

"I'm glad. But please don't overdo it."

"B-But-"

"Hana. What's more important at the moment is your health. Not the race. Besides, we gave it all." Meiko said.

"She's right." Megumi spoke as she kneeled before her. "Well it was amazing how you pushed yourself through that last stretch, but please don't overdo it again. You can easily hurt yourself."

"She's right, Hana. Pay no mind to the race, just relax for a moment." Yukina said with a stern stare.

Hana looked among the group with widened eyes. She couldn't believe it. She lost the race for the team, but they were not mad at her or anything. But we were worried. She felt her eyes being built up with tears, biting down on her lips. Lowering her head.

"I-I'm sorry…I'm sorry Mari…" She choked between breaths.

"It's fine, Hana." She turned to the group. "Take her to the resting area."

They all nodded as both Meiko and Yukina helped Hana up. The blonde girl was limping a little as they walked over to the resting area where the others were at.

Mari sighed to herself as she felt a familiar presence behind her. "Are you here to gloat?"

"Oh, how rude." Kate said with a somewhat frown, but held a smirk in. Risa and Mitsuko behind her. "I just wanted to know how Hana-chan was doing. That was a rather gutsy move of her taking her shoes off and pushing herself to the limit."

"Yes well…it was a close race." Mari said as she looked over her shoulders. "What do you want?"

"Oh alright. I'll cut to the chase. Risa wanted to say something…" She said as she stepped aside, all attention were on Risa.

Risa held a blush on her cheeks as she looked the other way. "Um…could you…relay this message to Hana…"

Mari raised a brow.

Risa took a deep breath. "Tell her…it was a good race."

"!" Mari's eyes widened. She was not expecting to hear that, especially from Risa.

"Next time…if she wishes for a rematch…tell her I'm up for it anytime…t-that's all." Risa said as she turned around and headed back with Mitsuko giggling at her expression.

Mari blinked at that. This was something completely unexpecting.

"There, see." Kate said, gaining her attention. "No gloating from us. And you have to admit, it was a good race. Wouldn't you agree?"

"...I suppose it was."

Kate's smile widened as she fully faced Mari. Her hand planted on her hips. "But don't let your guard down just yet. After all, this was just for show. The real battle is during the calvary contest."

Mari blinked again before releasing a small chuckle. "Hmph. I suppose I shouldn't let my guard down. The real fight has just begun."

Both Mari and Kate stared into each other's eyes before walking in different directions. Not looking back, both held a smirk on their faces. While it was a loss for the USC, the fighting spirit is still lit inside of them both.

The sports festival just heated up….


.


And that's a wrap! Despite losing the match, it did not impact the calvary contest. The fighting spirit is still lit within them as they move onward towards the next competition. The heat of battle has cranked up between the USC and the ASC. What next battle awaits the group? Only one way to find out…..

Thank you for waiting. The sports festival has started out with a bang with two events in a row. While the foot race was more of a comedic take, the Obstacle Relay Race was more of a serious take on. The differences from this from the canon is pretty obvious, I changed it to an Obstacle Relay Race to include as many characters to participate. Especially someone like Mitsuko who is prone to getting into accidental situations. But this time, she got some time to shine on the spot, even though it was little, but she got some needed attention. I'm never so sure of her relationship with Kate, but I always think of her as a close friend of Kate.

Then there's Risa. Who got the most attention during this chapter. Her relationship with Kate is pretty much well written, but I wanted to go the extra mile and show just how deep her relationship is with Kate. As I said before, Kate may be mean, but she has a good side to her as well, this shows with her chemistry with Risa. She brings out the best part about Kate and I was not gonna pass on that opportunity with this chapter. Plus, I didn't have them boasting about their win during the race, but had Risa as someone with good sportsmanship. Showing more side to her character than having her bragging about.

I'm pretty sure you are all aware, but in this one, Hana loses the match. I don't know, I just find the whole idea of Hana winning the obstacle race with the head of her costume crossing the line. Don't know if that was just there for comedic purpose, but I did my own version of the story element. Plus, without Hana and Kiyoshi in different underwear situations, so yes, it's different from the canon story.

But aside from the sports festival, we get some more look at Hayakki and the others. Including the ever dangerous Tatsuya, who seems to be someone who is not all pleasant at all. Hope you guys liked what you saw with these characters, because you're gonna get a whole lot more when they make their grand comeback in the future story arcs to come.

As always, thank you all for reading. Make sure to leave a review for feedback on the story. Stay safe and I will see all in the next chapter!

Edit Time Stamp: 9/23/23