Chapter 41
“Class 3, let's go—!”
The class had been fairly noisy since morning.
And no wonder, because today was Sports Day!
At Saint Antiope Academy, Sports Day was held exactly twice a year. The spring Sports Day was larger in scale, but that didn't make the autumn event any less important.
[Cultivate outstanding talents who develop their wisdom, virtue, and physical strength!]
That was the academy's motto.
So the event's ranking also counted toward the overall score. In other words, it was fairly important to Vita Shamal too.
“Ugh…”
But.
There was something that had been bothering Vita since morning. That was why, despite the cheers coming from inside the classroom, she couldn't bring herself to open the door and go in.
‘No, this is too much…’
It was the bloomers.
Because she was wearing those bloomers right now!
A combination of navy blue and white.
As for the bottoms, how should she put it…
‘They're practically panties, aren't they?’
No, seriously. Even giving them the benefit of the doubt, they were close to swimwear, which was enough to leave her flustered.
Bloomers, as people called them, were the flower of one's school days, right? At least, in school-life anime, that was. From a male student's perspective, they were something worth cheering over.
Of course, Vita had loved bloomers too—back when she was a man, when she was the one looking at them.
‘Miss Emily's bloomers…!’
She even remembered feeling excited on the day of Sports Day in the past. But now she was the one being looked at.
It was, how should she put it, considerably burdensome.
‘Haah, what do I do…’
Why was she so embarrassed, anyway? Vita hesitated, completely unaware that, as she stood
in front of the classroom's front door,
with both hands clasped timidly and fidgeting anxiously, she was drawing everyone's attention.
Every male student passing through the hallway was captivated.
It was Bianca Shamal.
Her reddish-blond side-up ponytail, amethyst eyes, and finely formed, catlike features.
Moreover, bloomers revealed her slender figure. Their eyes were drawn to her soft-looking thighs and slim, white calves.
‘She's Carlisle's…’
There was even a rumor she was none other than Carlisle Schultz's girlfriend—the academy's top alpha male.
The cute yet alluring Bianca Shamal.
They slowed their steps and pretended to talk while sneaking glances—
It took Vita a while to notice the eyes around her.
“Uh, huh?!”
Her face flushed bright red, and she hunched inward a little as if to cover herself.
Then she dashed into the classroom—tap-tap-tap—as if fleeing.
‘She's cute.’
‘If only I had a girlfriend like that…’
The male students who had only been sneaking glances let out disappointed sighs.
Even after entering the classroom, Vita suffered another ordeal.
“Wow, amazing!”
“You're so cute, Bianca.”
The classroom, which had briefly fallen silent, erupted in fervent reactions.
Even the homeroom teacher unexpectedly chimed in.
“Our vice class president really does look great in bloomers, huh?”
“Y-yes?!”
Vita was so flustered that her face turned bright red, right up to her ears.
What if they didn't suit her? What if she looked strange?
She had been quite worried about that.
Of course, Vita had once been a man. This was her first time wearing anything like bloomers.
Besides, it was a rather revealing outfit, which made her feel embarrassed.
Carlisle had seen every inch of her already, of course, but it still felt different showing her bloomers to the other students in her class.
This was her first time showing her bloomers to the rest of the class.
She had been terribly distressed even getting as far as the front of the class.
‘I-I did, but…’
Now that she was actually being complimented, she felt a little dazed.
‘Do they suit me a little, after all…?’
Relieved, Vita lowered her head and dashed to her seat. Quick, hide behind the desk!
“Bianca must be embarrassed!”
“Hey, Sasha—!”
Sasha, oblivious to her embarrassment, had gone and said it. The laughter spreading through the classroom left Vita feeling awkward.
‘Of course I'm embarrassed?! I used to be a man.’
And this was her first time wearing anything like this.
At least she wasn't the only one dressed like this, right?
The other girls were surprisingly composed, making Vita feel as if she alone had made a fuss over nothing.
Beside her, her desk partner Sasha grinned and spoke.
“You're not embarrassed anymore, right?”
“Yeah, a little…?”
“Goodness, Your Majesty. Why are you so shy? It just makes me want to tease you more.”
As if I want to be teased.
When Vita pouted, Sasha giggled.
“All right, anyway—shall we get ready to head out?”
“Yes, ma'am!”
The class was in high spirits.
The weather outside the window was cool and pleasant.
Since it was a class competition, before everyone went out, Sasha, the class's social butterfly, shouted once more.
“Everyone, one more time! Class 3, let's go!”
“Let's definitely take first place!”
This was the moment the academy's Sports Day officially began.
***
Students gradually filled the academy's spacious athletic field. The entire grade, roughly two hundred students, had gathered.
“All right, then. Shall we get started?”
The energetic voice of the emcee standing on the platform rang out.
“In some respects, this is a truly meaningful Sports Day.”
“Yes, that's right! It's the last Sports Day for our third-year seniors!”
The student council, the academy's central body, was run by second-years. So it wasn't strange for them to call the third-years seniors, and cheers and jeers mingled as the underclassmen serving as emcees spoke.
“You want to know if we prepared well? Ah, of course. Just trust us underclassmen.”
The practiced hosting continued.
“Usually, the end-of-term comprehensive evaluation is by dormitory, but Sports Day alone is, unusually, a class competition?”
“Moreover, the program was designed not by the academy but by our student council, so it has a somewhat different feel. For example…?”
“Unusual events, for one. These are the kind of events only we could pull off.”
That was the significance of the student council being in charge.
And the unusual events were announced.
Finding candy in flour, running with one's ankles tied together. There were also charades and O/X quizzes, among others.
Chattering murmurs spread across the field. The reaction was mostly positive. After all, some of the events were essentially couple activities.
“We only barely got permission because it's the seniors' last Sports Day.”
“Fortunately, it seems the seniors like them. These unusual events are quite important too, so could you explain them a little?”
“Yes, exactly! The classes placing first through third overall will receive prizes, and the winning class in particular will receive a very special prize and bonus points! The unusual events' scores will all count toward it as well.”
“What is the special prize?!”
Someone shouted loudly.
“Can I tell you this…?”
After pretending to deliberate, the emcee soon offered a hint.
“The after-party for the final school trip. Is that enough of a hint?”
All the students cheered.
“Wow, that's awesome—!”
“You underclassmen are the best!”
The winning class's reward was funding for an after-party at the end of the final school trip.
In other words, yes.
If they failed to win, there would be no farewell party.
The reaction was extremely enthusiastic. Sasha turned to Vita, face alight with excitement.
“Whoa, amazing! They actually got permission.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Vita nodded rapidly, fired up with enthusiasm.
The most important thing was the bonus points from Sports Day.
‘We absolutely have to take first place here…!’
That was all Vita could think about. To be honest, last time she hadn't taken first place because of that Carlisle guy.
This time, she was sure she could do it.
“Then, let us begin!”
“Saint Antiope Academy's Sports Day!”
And so the competition began, with team events and preliminary matches taking place throughout the morning.
The morning events weren't planned by the student council; they were the sort of standard Sports Day events people usually imagined.
“Come on, everyone!”
“Just a little more!”
A tug-of-war was underway at one side of the broad field.
Back and forth.
The close contest finally ended in Vita's class's defeat. Seeing everyone collapse in a heap, Vita covered her face.
This is awful. We lost the first event?
“Oh, that's too bad.”
The voice beside her suddenly fell silent.
***
“B-Bianca? Or, Your Majesty?”
“Hmm? Why?”
Vita was startled.
“Are you feeling ill?”
Her face must have gone stiff. Vita desperately tried to turn away.
“No, not at all…”
The truth was, her heart hurt.
‘Come on, guys, do a little better—!’
Vita cheered hard with Sasha, but her insides gradually began to burn.
Everyone had already been assigned the events they would compete in. In Vita's case, she was entered in the running event, so she had no choice but to watch her classmates compete.
“Class 3, defeated!”
Vita got to her feet.
‘Oh, no! If we lose this one too…’
They lost the team jump-rope event. The same happened in kickball.
Only then, seeing Vita's pale face, did Sasha seem to realize how serious she was.
“Trust me, Bianca! I'll secure the farewell-party funds for the field trip!”
She looked quite solemn. Vita's face brightened.
“Yeah, Sasha. You're really the only one I can count on.”
Sasha went off like that, only to return groaning.
“Oh, I'm dying—!”
Clutching her lower back with one hand, she sprawled out in front of Vita.
“Why are they so good? Did they do nothing but eat and play dodgeball?”
“Sasha, you too…”
Vita was about to say something, but barely managed to hold it back.
‘No, Sasha… You were the first one out, weren't you? That's just your skill level.’
But while thinking that, she forced a smile.
“It's okay, Sasha—! People can lose sometimes.”
But I really had been counting on you, at least.
Vita looked toward the large scoreboard on one side of the field.
‘…We can't go on like this.’
They were still in fourth place, but could they turn things around?
Fortunately, there was still plenty of time, and they had a good chance to catch up.
“By the way, Bianca, you were really fast earlier!”
At lunchtime, conversation blossomed among the classes.
In the stands, they formed small groups and shared the lunches they had brought.
Vita had already qualified first in the preliminaries, so she was feeling a little smug.
“The running events have the highest point value, right?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Bianca's our hope!”
Vita waved both hands.
“N-no.”
Actually, that's right.
You do know that much, huh?
Being praised so lavishly felt good, and being the one everyone expected things from motivated her too.
Her lips threatened to curl into a grin, so she reined herself in.
“And there's Carlisle too.”
“Oh, right.”
That was how everyone around her reacted.
Then Vita happened to meet Carlisle's eyes. He responded with a faint smile.
‘…Oh, right.’
She'd been so focused on the competition that she'd forgotten until now.
It was her first time on the same side as that Carlisle guy.
‘That's right, you! You were still here, weren't you?’
The guy who had annoyed her as an enemy now felt incredibly reassuring.
Vita's face brightened, blossoming brilliantly.
‘We have a chance now!’
To Carlisle Schultz, Bianca Shamal's smile seemed to have bloomed exceptionally brightly for the first time in ages—almost the first time since they had been together at Wizney Park.
So Carlisle Schultz, without having the slightest idea why,
found himself spellbound by Bianca Shamal's smile.
In fact, Carlisle wasn't the only one; everyone looking at Vita felt more or less the same way.
Why was she so beautiful?
At some point, Carlisle's face had turned a delicate red, and he rubbed both hands over it.
‘What's with that guy, all of a sudden?’
Vita came to her senses.
Sasha suddenly spoke beside her.
“Bianca, you…”
“Yeah, why?”
“You really shouldn't smile so freely wherever you go. Especially in front of men!”
Vita had no idea what she meant.
No, why?
What exactly was the problem?
***
After lunch, the final events drew near.
As expected, Vita took first place in the women's running preliminaries, while Carlisle Schultz also took first place in the men's.
[Participants in the women's race, please come to the starting line.]
“Go, Bianca!”
“You have to take first place!”
Sasha's encouragement was the first of many.
Vita nodded and came down from the stands. She had completely forgotten to be embarrassed about the bloomers by now.
‘Right, definitely…!’
She had to take first place.
Running carried a high point value.
It was the highlight of Sports Day, after all. Winning here would have a major impact on the rankings.
“Everyone, get ready.”
There were eight runners in all. Tension hung in the air.
‘Why is everyone so big…?’
Even among these runners, Vita was the smallest. The physical disadvantage made her a little tense, but she meant to show them that small peppers could be hot.
‘I'll beat them…!’
She would win, no matter what. She would take first, without fail.
Defeat had no place in Vita Shamal's dictionary.
‘Anything less than first place is meaningless.’
Everyone else was just a loser. She had practiced every day for the past week. Then she heard her classmates shouting.
“Run, Bianca—!”
Right. Trust me.
Vita's amethyst eyes were ablaze with competitiveness.
She braced her core and fixed her gaze forward.
She kept her eyes solely on the finish line.
“Three, two, one…”
Peep—!
And the race began!