무조건 이겨야만 한다(삽화 有)
Shuo Hero Academy.
Playground.
In front of the main building, a wide playground was filled with colorful flags flapping in the sky, lined up like a parade.
On either side of the parade ground were white and red canopies.
It was the scene of the Shuo Hero Academy Sports Festival featuring the traditional red and white concept.
Banners of all colors were hung on the windows of each classroom.
[Faster, Higher, Further ~ Shuo Hero Academy Sports Festival ~]
A huge banner with such phrases was hung at the entrance of the playground.
What’s this, an Olympic event? Why the weird motto?
It looked exactly like the Shuo Hero Academy Sports Festival I saw in the anime.
“Let’s go, kiddo.”
Seira, dressed in PE clothes, guided me to the very end of the 1st Year A-Class line.
The students of 1st Year A-Class were lined up in neat rows.
Perhaps because the PE outfits were switched from spats to bloomers for the festival, the sight of female students dressed in bloomers reminded me of those old romantic comedy mangas.
When was the last time bloomers were even a thing?
My face was burning.
But unlike usual, wearing PE clothes instead of the school uniform made it a bit more comfortable to move.
It felt liberating, like those weekends in the military when I wore regular clothes instead of combat gear.
I hadn’t worn the school uniform in a while, and it was unexpectedly uncomfortable, taking some time to get used to.
“Gyaaa! It’s the Black Beast!”
“You’re hanging out with Seira from the morning.”
“Oh my, even Seira is caught in the clutches of the Black Beast…”
The whispers of extras were as expected.
Hearing that, Seira puffed up and clung to my arm, linking it.
Why is this girl acting like this?
[Hoo…]
The Black Prince’s sigh could be heard.
“Ziiiii…”
“President, you’re standing right next to the Master from the morning. This is abuse of power.”
“Ughhh… his personal maid should be her…”
“Waaah! Granny Seira’s going wild!”
“Tch…”
Now, the heroines had joined in, with voices from Makoto, Eri, Olivia, Haru, and Rin filling the air.
Seira’s shoulders lifted at their voices.
Just as Seira was getting even closer to me,
“President… uh, Seira? It’s opening ceremony time now. We need to stand in line.”
Mayuzumi Mayu, appearing from behind, pulled Seira away from my side.
“Heh. Got it.”
Seira complied with the teacher’s words.
“Teacher, you’re the best!”
“Of course, only the teacher can stop the Black Beast!”
“There’s only the teacher present!”
The students burst into cheers at that sight.
A scene straight out of a light novel world.
Just as a sigh escaped me.
Tap.
I hear a sound of a microphone being tapped on the speakers set up on the playground.
Standing on the podium is the silver-haired beauty, Saionji Aris.
It seems the Student Council President is giving the opening address on behalf of the special transfer student, the acting headmaster.
Dressed in a gym uniform top and bloomers, Aris has the Student Council armband on her arm as usual.
A white headband, symbolizing the White Team, is wrapped around her forehead.
“Greetings, students. I am Saionji Aris, the Student Council President, in charge of the opening remarks on behalf of the headmaster.”
As soon as Aris finishes speaking, cheers erupt from the crowd.
“Kyaaaa! It’s the Student Council President!”
“President! Give us some Kansai dialect!”
“The President looks amazing in her gym clothes!”
“You’re the best, Saionji-senpai!”
True to the title of the school’s top idol, everyone goes wild just at her greeting.
Aris’s face turns slightly red.
Unlike the time when she portrayed a perfect superhuman lady with an unchanging expression, she now starts to show her feelings little by little.
Not bad at all.
“Ahem. Everyone, please quiet down. Quiet down.”
As Aris clears her throat, the playground quickly goes silent.
“Today is the day of the Sports Festival. The Sports Festival of Shuo Hero Academy is a festival and a place for unity where all students from all grades participate. I hope you all forget about your studies for today and enjoy the Sports Festival purely.”
The formal opening remarks spill from Aris’s lips.
“The Sports Festival of Shuo Hero Academy is a competition that tests the pure physical abilities of the students, and the use of magic, gifts, and extraordinary weapons is prohibited except for equestrian events.”
This was a regulation mentioned in the original work.
In the anime, it was stated by the headmaster instead of Aris.
The use of abilities is prohibited except for equestrian events.
That means, conversely, that the use of abilities is allowed during equestrian events.
Thus, according to the setting materials, the highlight of the Sports Festival at Shuo Hero Academy is the equestrian event, which is reminiscent of war with dazzling gifts being utilized.
“…Furthermore, the student selected as the MVP of the Sports Festival will receive a modest cash prize along with a date request voucher as a bonus.”
Aris announces with a slightly trembling voice.
A date request voucher.
It’s a ticket that grants the right to designate a desired fellow student for a one-day date, and while there’s no obligation, it’s typically hard to refuse due to tradition.
Naturally, it was the core item of the Sports Festival episode in the original work, where the heroines fiercely competed during the festival to propose a date to Yuji.
A date request voucher, truly a setup that justifies the heroines’ bias toward convenience, embodying the essence of a light novel.
If this were a Korean web novel, there would have been unique items offered as rewards.
After all, getting sucked into a damn light novel world like this wasn’t supposed to happen.
A world without a status window or level-ups seems truly cursed.
“Did you hear that? Your Highness. It’s a date request voucher! Eri, I’m going to seize that MVP for sure!”
“Sounds great! It’s finally time for this Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte to shine! Hohohohoho! I will prove that the title of the Platinum Knight Princess is more than just a facade!”
“Go ahead and laugh now. The MVP is still going to be mine, Bonaparte.”
“Charge, Bonaparte.”
“I also want to be the MVP!”
“Nishishishi, it’s so funny to see the girls drinking kimchi soup. The MVP is definitely our cute athletic gal, Haru!”
Voices of Eri, Olivia, Rin, Makoto, and Haru echo in my ears.
Damn.
My head already feels like it’s about to explode.
“Hmm… The little ones are playing cutely.”
Seira, observing the scene, pulls out a black lace fan from somewhere and starts fanning herself.
“Anyway, the MVP is going to be me…”
Wait, are you serious?
[… …]
The silent Black Prince.
Just as I was at a loss for words, thinking this was absurd…
“… The instructions are done. Now let’s begin the Shuo Hero Academy Sports Festival!”
With Aris’s opening speech wrapped up, fireworks explode.
Waaaah!!
Cheers fill the playground.
This was the moment when the sports festival truly kicked off.
*
After the declaration of the sports festival opening.
I seated myself under the tent labeled 1st Year A-Class.
The horse riding competition and ball toss are both team events.
There’s no way I can skip these, so I just have to quietly blend in.
The relay race is a problem, but there’s nothing I can do about that.
“The first event is the mission run!”
The one in charge of the sports festival is Amano Nodoka from the newspaper club.
She stands at the inspection line, her glasses sparkling, and speaks into the microphone.
“The mission run will be held as an individual event. Each team will choose one representative from the red team and the white team to compete…”
Nodoka explains the rules.
I already know since it was shown in the anime.
Essentially, you run a bit, perform the mission displayed in the middle of the track, and the first to cross the finish line wins.
I remember that the mission given to the protagonist Yuji in the original work was to carry a blonde-haired cadet while running.
Truly a light novel level mission.
As a result, the protagonist ended up carrying Olivia while running.
But since that’s the original, there’s no way I’ll be picked as the representative from among all those students on the red team.
This is none of my business.
I can just sit back and enjoy the show like watching a fire across the river while munching on popcorn.
“Now, team leaders! Please select your representatives!”
As Nodoka guides the proceedings, the leaders of the red and white teams face each other in the center of the playground.
The leader of the white team is, of course, Aris, wearing a white headband.
“I, the team leader, will be the representative for the white team,” she announces with a determined look.
Since Aris was the protagonist’s opponent in the original, this isn’t surprising.
The issue now is with the representative chosen by the red team leader.
“Hmm, then from our red team…”
Unlike in the original where Yuji was the leader of the red team, the current leader is Seira, a beautiful girl with red hair and red eyes.
There’s no way she’ll pick me, right?
No way.
“I will listen to the team members’ opinions and decide. So! Team members! Who shall I select as the representative?”
At Seira’s shout, the red team, positioned to the left of the inspection line, starts to murmur.
No way they’re thinking of picking me…
“How about the Black Beast?”
“Isn’t the Black Beast part of our team too?”
“Then it must be the Black Beast!”
“The Black Beast, Kim Deok-Sung!”
“Black Beast!! Come here!!”
“Black Beast!! Run!!”
“Be the bolt on the bed! Become the bolt on the track!!”
What the hell.
My face contorts in an instant.
What do you mean on the bed?
[Pu, puhahaha! Looks like my partner hit the jackpot! I never expected the voices of team members wanting a partner to be this loud! Even this Black Prince did not foresee such a situation.]
“Ha! Hahahahaha! Partner, you hit the jackpot! I had no idea the voices of team members wanting a partner would be this loud! Even this Black Prince didn’t see this coming.”
The Black Prince is laughing in my head.
Voices of the Red Team members cheering for the Black Beast are ringing out.
I quickly signaled Seira with my eyes.
Seira, receiving the signal, pretends to smile alluringly.
This feels unsettling.
“Then I shall respect the opinions of our Red Team members and put forth Mr. Kim Deok-Sung as our representative.”
Damn it.
“Partner, accept your fate. The glorious role of representative for the Red Team…”
‘I really don’t want to.’
“If you win the mission race, you can earn a ton of personal points. Then, your chances of becoming MVP and getting a date invitation skyrocket.”
‘Not interested in that.’
It’s not like I’ll get a unique item like in a web novel.
“Then it’s okay if it goes to someone else?”
At the moment I hear the Black Prince’s words.
My body briefly hesitates.
It could go to someone else.
That means there’s a chance that date invitation could end up with a certain heroine.
Just thinking about the fierce competition among heroines vying for that invitation sends chills down my spine.
Rather than see that…
I’d be better off winning the date invitation, taking control of the situation, and then just not using it so it becomes pointless.
That way, it’s less exhausting.
“No, that’s not okay.”
“Good. That’s the spirit, Partner.”
The Black Prince says.
With a sigh, I stand up.
“Go, Black Beast!”
“Kyaaa! Black Beast!”
“Pride of the Red Team! Black Beast, go!”
“Beat the White Team!”
“I personally prefer the President…”
A thunderous cheer erupts from behind me.
Flap.
The red flag symbolizing the Red Team flutters behind me.
In my line of sight, on the track, I see the opponent, Aris, warming up.
Now that I’m the representative, I absolutely have to win.
In this damn mission race.
*
After selecting the representative.
Seira returns to the special seat for team leaders prepared in the Red Team’s area and opens her black lace fan.
With her psychokinesis, the black lace parasol floats in the air, shielding us from the hot autumn sun.
“Fufufu…”
A chuckle escapes Seira’s lips.
Her face turns slightly red.
‘In this mission race, the Red Team’s mission is to run alongside the beautiful girl, Princess President…’
This mission was directly inserted by Seira through an abuse of power.
Naturally, she is the only beautiful girl president in this academy.
That’s why Seira chose the Black Beast, Kim Deok-Sung, as the representative.
Her plan was for the Red Team members to naturally recommend the well-known Black Beast as the representative due to various rumors around him.
Thump, thump.
Just the thought of being in his arms makes Seira’s heart race uncontrollably.
Flush.
Seira’s face reddens.
She desperately tries to hide her pounding heart as she gazes at the playground with her red eyes.
“Now, little one, let’s see you run to where I am.”
A smirk draws across her lips, hidden behind the black lace fan.
Watching her from behind is a pair of piercing eyes.
A pink-haired beauty.
It was Mayuzumi Mayu.
