Miss Shuo Selection Contest
[Contestant #2, the Sword Master’s Daughter, Kurosawa Haru, is entering!]
The voice of the host can be heard.
The highlight lights shine on the stage.
Since Seira has been disqualified, Contestant #2 is practically Contestant #1 now.
All eyes, including mine, are focused on the stage.
The stage curtain opens.
“Here comes the super cute and totally sexy racing queen little sister, Haru-chan!”
Haru, wearing a racing model outfit with a plunging neckline and a short mini skirt, sticks out her tongue.
Her side-tail, tipped in red, flutters in the air.
“This year’s Miss Shuo is all mine! Nyah nyah! Because I’m the youngest, the cutest, and the sexiest racing queen!”
Haru beams with confidence.
She gives her parasol a little shake.
Whaaaaaa!
Cheers erupt with applause.
It’s true she’s the youngest, but did she really just say she’s the cutest?
Just as my head was spinning.
Beep.
Someone in the judging panel presses the score button.
“The fashion and attitude are absolutely terrible. 0 points.”
The scorer is Shinozaki Ichiro.
[0 points! 0 points have been given! That’s the score from the Association President!]
Nodoka announces with excitement.
“······.”
Yuji’s expression hardens.
According to the settings, Yuji is the type to dote on his little sister fiercely.
He presses the button.
Beep.
“She really is cute. I’ll give her 10 points out of 10.”
Yuji says with a gentle smile.
The number 10 appears on the scoreboard below.
Pachutsutsuch!
The gazes of Association President Ichiro and cross-dressing Yuji collide in the air.
Starting with points given based on connections and bloodlines – is this really fair?
[Now, all the other judges, please score Contestant #2, Kurosawa Haru!]
Following Nodoka’s direction, the other judges press their buttons.
Beep.
0 points, 0 points, 0 points.
A shower of 0 points rains down as if they coordinated.
“Uuuuuuuuhhh…”
Haru’s face turns slightly red.
Looks like she’s shocked by the 0 points.
Only I’m left.
[Partner. What score will you give?]
The Black Prince speaks in my head.
Aside from my brother Yuji, everyone else gave her 0 points.
For the sake of balance, I have to give her 10 points.
Beep.
I press the score button.
[Kim! 10 points! You pressed 10 points! Kurosawa Haru’s total score is 20! Currently in the lead!]
“Thanks, big brother! I knew you would recognize the charm of super sexy racing queen Haru! Nyah nyah. Isn’t Haru the cutest? Right?”
Seeing my score, Haru waves her hand with a smile.
The bracelet on her wrist jingles with each movement.
I just felt sorry for her and gave her that score.
Oh well.
“······Haru, what about me?”
“What? Yuji big brother? It’s only natural for you to give me 10 points. Hmph. But still, thanks, I guess.”
Haru responds to Yuji’s question with a business-like attitude, unlike her normal self.
Seeing that, Yuji exclaims.
“Thank you… Haru said thank you! Haru said thank you!”
No wonder he’s the Light Novel Protagonist; he’s all sappy and keeps repeating how she said thanks.
Caught up in saying thank you like a fool, I kept repeating my gratitude.
“Just watch, Miss Shuo’s spot will be taken by my ultra-kawaii little sister Haru!”
Haru, who looked back at us until the end, walks off the stage.
[Yes, Participant No. 2 is out. Next is Participant No. 3!]
Nodoka’s hosting continues.
Who’s next after Haru?
[Here comes Miss Shinozaki Rin, the lady of the Shinozaki family and famous Samurai of the Cold Wind!]
The person Nodoka called was Shinozaki Rin.
Following that, the stage curtains open, and with a dry ice smoke effect, the lights shine on the stage.
There stands Shinozaki Rin.
Dressed in red bottoms and a white top, it was a typical Japanese shrine maiden outfit you only see in anime.
“Nice to meet you all. I am Participant No. 3, Shinozaki Rin.”
Just as Rin spoke with a blank expression,
Beep.
Association President Ichiro presses a button.
“Perfect. She’s definitely my daughter. The shrine maiden outfit suits her beautifully. I can’t give anything less than a 10.”
He says with an excited voice.
The number displayed on the scoreboard is 10.
No wonder he’s a doting dad, pressing the button without a moment’s hesitation.
Looking at that, Yuji bites his lip.
“······I’m sorry, Shinozaki.”
As he mutters an apology, he presses the button.
Beep.
The number 0 appears right below Yuji’s spot on the scoreboard.
“Kurowasawa, you······.”
Shinozaki Rin, shocked.
Though Yuji is a pushover, the President giving his sister a score of 0 clearly stunned her.
Beep, beep, beep.
As Yuji gives a 0, other judges follow suit, pressing their buttons.
A barrage of 0s rains down.
Rin’s face stiffens.
“Ugh······.”
She bites her lip.
Rin’s gaze turns towards me.
A sigh escapes me.
Why does it feel like everyone except one person gets a 0 this time, too?
At this point, I have no choice.
Beep.
I press the button.
[Kim Deok-Sung scores 10! 10 points registered!]
Amano Nodoka makes a fuss.
Rin’s face lights up upon hearing the score for her shrine maiden outfit.
“Deok-Sung, I thought you’d recognize my true worth.”
A smile grows on Rin’s lips.
Her face flushes as our eyes meet.
[Currently, Kurosawa Haru and Shinozaki Rin are tied for first place with 20 points!]
Another hurdle cleared.
Rin steps forward.
[Now, let’s welcome Participant No. 4. The National Beauty Kunoichi, the galaxy’s number one beautiful girl, Nishizawa Eri! Please come up to the stage!]
Once again, as the dry ice smoke dissipates, Eri makes her appearance.
“Here comes the galaxy’s number one beauty, Eri-ring☆”
She winks.
The metallic part of her collar still sparkles in the light.
“Today’s Eri-ring is showcasing a ‘no bottoms’ shirt fashion! Galaxy rank beautiful girl Eri-ring!”
Eri smiles.
As she says, Eri is wearing an oversized shirt that’s long at the hem.
If you look closely, she does have bottoms on, but they’re hidden under the long shirt.
It’s the epitome of “no bottoms” fashion.
“Woohoo! The academy’s idol! It’s Nishizawa-chan!”
“Eri-chan is the best!”
“She’s really pretty······.”
“Truly the top beauty in the city······. Nishizawa Eri!”
As soon as Eri appears, the audience buzzes with excitement.
There was applause when Rin and Haru appeared, but Eri’s cheers are on a whole different level.
To be fair, when it comes to beauty, Eri is the prettiest among everyone I’ve seen so far.
“Eri-ring, I wear this outfit and serve my master every day with my collar on······. Hehe······.”
Eri fiddles with her collar, her face turning red.
She smiles brightly.
“Nishizawa! You look like a real angel!”
“Serving every day?”
“Getting to be served by the top beauty in the city every day······.” “Of course, she’s the Black Beast······.”
“So envious!!”
Just then, amidst the audience’s cheers,
Beep.
Someone presses a button.
It was Morishita Miho, the Student Council Vice President.
“Your intentions are impure, Nishizawa!”
“You’re so pure! Nishizawa!”
The scoreboard lights up with a big 0.
Eri’s expression stiffens slightly.
“I can’t forgive inappropriate relationships!”
Starting with Morishita Miho, the judges keep pressing buttons.
A shower of 0s falls.
Eri’s expression awkwardly freezes upon seeing this.
Why do they keep giving me zero points?
The only judges who haven’t assigned scores are Yoo Se-Ra and me.
“Master…,” Eri’s gaze turns to me.
Her eyes tremble.
She looks like a puppy who’s been abandoned.
“Seo-Jin was right after all…”
Yoo Se-Ra mutters quietly in Korean, with the microphone off.
Beep.
She presses a button.
[10 points! Judge Yoo Se-Ra gives 10 points!]
I can hear Nodoka’s voice in my ear.
“What was that about?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Hahaha.”
Yoo Se-Ra laughs awkwardly.
Did Han Seo-Jin give her some kind of hint?
Eri’s face softens slightly upon receiving 10 points.
Beep.
She presses the button.
[Kim Deok-Sung also gets 10 points! Total: 20 points!]
Nodoka’s loud voice announces my score.
Eri’s eyes widen.
Her face lights up with joy, and a smile blooms.
“Master! Thank you! Eri-Ring will serve you loads from now on!”
Eri exits with a smile.
“Serve, huh?”
“Loads?”
“Black Beast… That’s scary…”
“Truly the Harem King…”
I can hear the voices of the extras.
Everything’s fine, but I don’t get why they add those unnecessary comments.
My head hurts.
I sigh while rubbing my forehead.
[Next is participant number 5… ]
Nodoka’s voice echoes in my ear.
[Assassin Prince Kamiya Makoto!]
Makoto, huh?
The attention shifts.
There stands Makoto, her face beet-red.
She’s wearing a halter neck sweater that openly shows off her cleavage.
It’s infamous online as the “Virgin Killer Sweater.”
Her large bosom is fully visible.
“Wuuuuu…”
Red-faced, Makoto fiddles with her fingers.
Her green bobbed hair shines under the lights.
“I-I’m so embarrassed…”
Just when the shy girl says that.
“10 points.”
Beep.
Ritsuko presses the button.
“Perfect, indeed.”
As Makoto’s eyes widened at her score of 10.
“Hmph. Who says it’s perfect?”
The Association President coldly laughs at Ritsuko’s remarks and presses a button.
A score of 0 appears on the scoreboard.
Makoto’s shoulders slump.
Another shower of 0s follows.
Isn’t this getting a bit pathetic?
Once again, I’m the only one left.
“Master…”
Makoto whispers softly.
Sighing, I press the button.
10 points.
So far, 20 points for everyone from 2 to 5.
This could mean I might decide the winner in the audience vote later.
“Thank you! Master… Hehe. Do you like my outfit?”
At that moment, Makoto regains some confidence and blushes.
Her large chest bounces.
Being the typical light novel heroine, her smiling face was actually quite cute.
[Participant number 5 has exited. Next, participant number 6… the Witch of Starlight, Hoshino Kasumi!]
With the announcer’s voice, a strange sound echoes from afar.
Pyorororong♪
With a childish sound effect, a purple flash falls from the sky.
Boom!
Amidst the smoke that erupts with a loud bang, someone appears.
“Magical Girl Magical☆Kasumi has arrived!”
With her hands making a V-sign, Kasumi, dressed as a magical girl, appears.
In her hand is a wand, spraying purple magic power.
Magical Kasumi, huh?
Where on earth did she hear that title?
I’m so embarrassed.
“Hehe. With Magical☆Kasumi’s magic, I’ll make everyone fall deeply in love with my charm! This time, I’ll definitely get the heart of that bad boy and black beast, Junior!”
Pyorororong.
A ridiculously childish sound comes from the magic wand in Kasumi’s hand.
That sounds incredibly childish.
What on earth am I even watching right now?
Just when I was about to lose my mind over this.
Beep.
Someone presses a button.
“Hoshino! You’ve truly absorbed the teacher’s lessons well! I’ll give you a perfect score of 10 out of 10!”
It was Teacher Mayuzumi.
Seems like there’s some sort of understanding between fellow magical girls.
“Hehehe, thank you, Teacher.”
Poyoroong.
Just when the sound effects kept coming from Kasumi-senpai’s magic wand.
Beep.
A barrage of zero points began again, starting with Association President Ichiro.
[It seems like everyone has different favorites among the participants. Partner.]
The Black Prince’s voice echoes in my head.
Well, Ichiro gave 10 points to his daughter Rin, and Yuji gave 10 points to his sister Haru.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that they’re trying to sabotage other contestants to boost their own favorites.
I’m not sure why Yoo Se-Ra gave 10 points to Eri, but it’s likely because of Han Seo-Jin’s request.
That said, I can’t just jump on that bandwagon and give out zero points.
I should continue to give 10 points; that’s the right decision.
After thinking that far, I pressed the button.
[Black Beast! Another 10 points! Is this a declaration of his intention not to discriminate against harem members?]
Harem members, what?
It’s dizzying to see someone boldly calling me the Black Beast even at official events.
[Then the next participant is… the Noble French Princess! The Platinum Knight Princess, top of her class! Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte!]
A voice announces the arrival of the next contestant.
Kasumi-senpai exits, and Olivia enters.
Her long platinum hair sparkles under the spotlight, revealing her blue eyes.
“Of course, the victory will belong to me, the noble French princess, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte!”
Hmph.
Olivia puffs out her cheeks while crossing her arms.
The outfit she’s wearing is a hanbok.
Specifically, it’s not a traditional hanbok, but rather a modified maid outfit in black and white.
With a frilly maid apron, Olivia places her hand on her chest.
“I am the only exclusive maid to him! I cannot tolerate any intruding strays! And only the noble Bonaparte princess like me is qualified to wear Miss Shuo’s crown! Ohohohohohohoho!”
Olivia giggles behind her hand like a lady.
I’m now used to her declaration of being the exclusive maid.
No, I shouldn’t be getting used to this.
It’s driving me nuts, really.
Is this what “light novel gaslighting” feels like?
Beep.
This time, Bella presses the button.
“Perfect. Young lady. 10 out of 10.”
I saw this coming.
The moment Bella pressed 10, a competitive wave of zero points rushed in.
Seeing that scene, Olivia puffs her cheeks again.
“Hmph! I’m not at all concerned about the world’s judgment!”
She glances at me.
[Partner. You’re not thinking of giving my lovely sister a zero, are you?]
The Black Prince’s voice resonates in my head.
Of course not.
Beep.
I press 10.
“10 points? Did you know to be thankful for such an obvious score? Hmph. Fool, idiot, sea cucumber, sea squirt, anemone!”
Olivia puffs out her cheeks and says in a huffy voice.
But seeing her face turn red shows she’s probably thankful.
Tsundere is such a problem.
“Anyway, the crown is mine. I’ll be watching from the waiting room!”
With a confident smile, Olivia exits.
[The next participant is… the strongest in the academy! The Silver Queen! Student Council President Saionji Aris!]
With the announcer’s voice, Aris appears.
As Aris makes her entrance, the crowd stirs.
“President!”
“Saionji-senpai… What are you wearing!”
“What in the world…”
I totally understand the extras’ reactions.
The outfit Saionji Aris is wearing…
