Chapter 71: No Matter How Confident You Are—

On the day of the sports festival, the sky was high and clear, and a gentle breeze blew.

Colorful flags fluttered over the grounds of Starlight Academy, filled with the clamor of voices.

A lively march flowed from the speakers, blending with students’ cheers and laughter, painting a vibrant picture of youth.

Each Class had its own resting area, and brightly colored four-corner tents were scattered across the field’s grass.

Students gathered in groups of three or five, excitement and energy shining on their faces.

The air was filled with the freshness of earth, the faint saltiness of sweat, and that unique, fearless vigor belonging only to youth.

However, while this youthful energy spread across the field, not everyone was swept up in its spirit.

***

Where there are those who enjoy youth, there will also be those who feel out of place.

The people who felt out of place—some were introverted, some feared such gatherings, and others…

Simply didn’t have a real sense of belonging to this kind of youthful time.

Xiao Chun Miura sat under the tent of Class 5, staring blankly at the scene before her—an embodiment of youthful vitality.

Too dazzling.

To her, it was all so bright, it almost hurt.

Back in her own school days, the sports festival was just a boring assembly in a different place to space out.

After entering society, she’d become even more distant from such pure excitement and energy.

***

Confined each day to the narrow world between office and rented room, her life reduced to a line between work and attendance—youth had long become a distant, hazy word.

Yet now, she was in the middle of it, a part of this vivid picture.

All of it felt like another world.

The realness of sight, sound, and touch gave her a strange sense of dislocation.

As if she truly were just an ordinary high school girl, nervous for an upcoming event.

“Xiaochun! Are you nervous?”

Yui Hori had slipped over at some point, a white ribbon tied in her hair and her bangs neatly pinned back, making her look even more cheerful and lively.

“You look so serious! Is competing with Kanzaki-san really that big of a deal~?”

She nudged Xiao Chun Miura’s arm with her elbow, a mischievous grin on her face.

“—It’s not because of him.”

The mention of Kanzaki Sou from Yui Hori made Xiao Chun Miura’s protest sound half-hearted.

“Still denying it? Loosen your grip—look at what you’ve done to the registration book.”

Mio Sato came over too, pointing at the small booklet tightly clenched in Xiao Chun Miura’s hand, her tone teasing.

“Relax, the sports festival is supposed to be fun.”

“Yeah, yeah!”

Yuzuki Yasuda echoed, a Pocky stick in her mouth making her words muffled.

“The important thing is to participate! And besides, didn’t you and Kanzaki-san practice together for a long time already, Xiao Chun?”

“So you all knew about that too, huh.”

“Mm—kind of hard not to notice~”

Yuzuki Yasuda said as she looked across the field.

“Oooh! The main character’s in great form~!”

At her words, Xiao Chun Miura instinctively followed her gaze.

By the Class 1 banner under a red tent, Kanzaki Sou was gathered with a few boys, seemingly in discussion.

Like the others, he wore a gym uniform, yet somehow stood out in the crowd.

Even with his tousled hair held back by a band, it looked fresh and tidy.

Under the sunlight, the sharp lines of his profile and the serious look as he talked made his calm presence even more reliable.

He was like a lone lotus standing tall on a rippling lake.

“Tsk tsk, that Kondo Haruka really sticks to Kanzaki-san like glue.”

Yui Hori clicked her tongue, suddenly speaking in a voice full of disdain.

“Like a human accessory.”

Xiao Chun Miura’s mouth twitched.

It was true.

Well, not exactly that she was a human accessory, but Kondo Haruka did tend to hover close by Kanzaki Sou.

She was chatting animatedly with classmates, a bright smile on her face, her gaze drifting between the girls she spoke to and Kanzaki Sou.

Her energetic, reddish-brown curls seemed to shine like a second sun beside Kanzaki Sou.

Seeing that scene, Xiao Chun Miura felt something lightly prick her heart—a faint, almost imperceptible sting.

She remembered the last time she’d seen Kondo Haruka, a few days ago.

It was after a practice session with Kanzaki Sou.

He’d left early, and Xiao Chun Miura lingered on the field before heading home.

Then,

As she was gathering her things,

Kondo Haruka appeared.

“Xiao Chun Miura, let’s talk.”

It was the suddenly appearing Kondo Haruka, speaking in a remarkably calm voice.

But,

The way she looked at her was filled with scorn, as if staring at a loser.

Xiao Chun Miura couldn’t immediately grasp what the other girl was feeling.

Anger?

Cool confidence from thinking victory was assured?

Or maybe both?

But she’d more or less understood why Kondo Haruka had come.

Telling herself it was coincidence would be a lie.

Her appearance at that moment meant Kondo Haruka already knew everything.

It didn’t matter.

She hadn’t expected to keep it secret until the competition anyway.

After hearing that the girls on the Committee had gossiped to Yui Hori and the others, Xiao Chun Miura had braced herself for things to leak and for Kondo Haruka to confront her.

So now, she felt neither flustered nor afraid.

She simply met the openly challenging gaze and replied calmly.

“—Alright.”

“Let’s talk.”

They stood in a quiet, shady grove at the edge of the field.

“What do you want to say?”

Xiao Chun Miura spoke first.

“I don’t want to discuss anything else—I just want to tell you one thing.”

Kondo Haruka folded her arms and looked down at her.

The eyes that usually burned with fire were now icy and cold.

“You absolutely can’t take Sou-kun from me.”

She paused, then spoke, each word clear.

“—I will beat you, whether in the competition or anything else.”

Xiao Chun Miura’s expression darkened.

This was no hint—Kondo Haruka had declared war.

“I don’t know what tricks you used to get Sou-kun to agree to team up with you, or to do those childish, inefficient practices.”

Her voice dripped with contempt.

“But don’t get the wrong idea, Xiao Chun Miura. Sou-kun probably just didn’t want to see you hurt after being rejected, so he went along with you.”

“I’ve known Sou-kun for over ten years. I understand him far more than you do.”

“Try it if you want—see if acting pitiful for sympathy gets you anywhere.”

“—Borrowed Item Relay.”

“In front of the entire Academy, I’ll prove who’s the better partner.”

She lifted her chin, eyes burning with certainty.

As if, from the bottom of her heart, she believed that no matter the outcome of this conversation or the match—before everything ended, she’d already won.

And that Xiao Chun Miura had never stood a chance.