Too Many Losing Heroines! - Volume 6 - Chapter 4.3

A drop of water fell from the ceiling, hitting my shoulder and making me shiver involuntarily.

The Hokobaru family's bath is a traditional tiled one. The tub is large enough for two people to stretch out their legs.

I washed myself first, then switched with Sakurai-kun to soak in the bathtub.

...I felt unnecessarily tired. I submerged myself up to my shoulders in the warm water.

I casually observed Sakurai-kun washing himself. His body seems unusually delicate.

I often get called thin (primarily by Yanami), but Sakurai-kun's frame is just- not quite like the average guy's. Surely, there's no chance he's actually a flat-chested girl, right…?

Sakurai-kun looked over his shoulder as I recalled various light novels I had read.

"Nukumizu-kun, you're the president of the Literature Club, right? Things seem tough for you."

"Does it? I think looking after the student council members is harder."

My sincere response made Sakurai-kun smile wryly in the reflection.

"Everyone's nice, they just need a bit of support."

I wonder if that support is really just a bit, especially in Prez's case. It seems to go beyond mere support.

They apparently went to the same middle school, and I wonder how she managed the year before Sakurai-kun entered Tsuwabuki.

"Prez used to do track and field until middle school, right? Is it okay to ask why she quit?"

"Yeah, it wasn't because of an injury or anything. She had just completed three years of track and field and decided to focus on the student council in high school. That's all."

Sakurai-kun poured water from a washbasin over himself.

"Of course, various things were going on for her personally. At some point, you have to draw the line, and for Hiba-nee, that was entering high school."

After rinsing off the suds, Sakurai-kun also settled next to me in the spacious bathtub.

"Are you interested in Hiba-nee?"

"It's not just that I'm interested in her- it's that I don't understand why she goes to such lengths, even though I know she pays much attention to Yakishio."

"I used to hear a lot about Yakishio-san from Hiba-nee back in the day."

Sakurai-kun said as he stretched, interlocking his fingers.

"Thinking about it now, maybe Yakishio-san was one of those turning points for Hiba-nee. Of course, it's not her fault."

-A turning point, huh?

Club activities are significant to an individual, but there comes a time when one has to retire. For many, graduation is that moment, but some people have futures beyond that.

I don't know how far Yakishio will go as an athlete, but from what people say, she might be one of those with a future…

Lost in thought, I watched as Sakurai-kun pushed back the hair sticking to his forehead.

"I'm really grateful to you, Nukumizu-kun. Hiba-nee seems happier these days, almost like she's back in her club days."

"Knowing that makes me feel a bit better. I was worried if everyone staying over tonight would be a bother."

Sakurai-kun smiled softly.

"Despite her look, she's pretty excited about it, you know? Hiba-nee usually doesn't even cook."

I see, so the pots that usually get turned over every day weren't a thing. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Listening to you, it seems like you really care about Prez."

"We're cousins and have been close for a long time. If you say that, then you, Nukumizu-kun, also really care about the Literature Club. I couldn't do as much for my club members if I were in your place."

"Trying to manage the student council while looking after three people seems even worse." 

Sakurai-kun's expression turned amused at my lighthearted remark.

"Shall we switch roles for once?"

"Eh? You mean I would handle the student council duties, and you would-"

"Be the president of the Literature Club. Let's see, there are three other first-year students, right?"

…Hmm, me as a student council member.

Let's see, managing Teiara-san's antics and Shikiya-san's quirkiness while taking care of Prez…

After imagining it for a while, we looked at each other and said in unison-

"Let's not." (x2)

*

The strategy meeting for tomorrow's main event began.

The atmosphere in the ten-tatami mat room where the meeting was held was filled with a sense of tension and the fragrance of freshness from the bath.

Prez Hokobaru, in her pajamas with her hair tied back, had her cheeks faintly flushed with a pink hue.

Yeah, she's really a striking beauty…

Realizing it's rude to stare, I looked away, only to see Teiara-san lying flat on her back.

"...Uh, what happened to Teiara-san?"

"It seems she got a little overheated in the bath. Are you okay, Teiara-kun?"

"Please don't call me by my first name..."

Teiara-san responded weakly.

Given the tissue stuffed up her nose, it seems the Chinese medicine was no match for the bath she took with Prez.

Teiara-san and Sakurai-kun were also in pajamas, making it feel almost like a pajama party. I regretted not changing into pajamas instead of staying in my sweats…

While I was regretting it, the sliding door was slightly ajar, and I had not noticed it before.

Looking towards it, a pair of white eyes flickered in the gap.

"I…wanted to join the bath too…"

Without a sound, Shikiya-san entered through the sliding door in her nightwear.

What she was wearing seemed to be a lace nightgown with a plunging neckline- no, could it actually be underwear!?

It resembled a negligee but was slightly different. According to what I learned from a gacha game recently, it's called a babydoll, a type of lingerie-

"Senpai, what kind of outfit is that!?"

Teiara-san suddenly jumped up and tried to cover Shikiya-san's chest.

But she picked the wrong opponent. Shikiya-san deftly dodged and then embraced Teiara-san tightly.

"...Teiara-chan, so…bold…"

"Hey, hey, it's touching my face! It's really touching!"

...Uh, this is definitely a scene I shouldn't be watching. I'm a F2P, after all.

Prez brought out a projector as Sakurai-kun and I averted our eyes,

"Now, let's review what we've covered up to today. Hiroto, could you turn off the lights?"

Are we really starting in this situation? But if Prez says it's okay, then I guess it's alright. Whatever…

As Sakurai turned off the lights, a video of me running was projected onto the white sliding door.

"This is your run from yesterday. Changing to a standing start has allowed you to accelerate smoothly, and your upper body stability has improved compared to the beginning. However-"

Prez switched the video to slow motion on her smartphone.

My image, floundering as I ran towards the finish line, was hardly flattering.

"The final stretch remains a challenge. You're overthinking the last sprint and losing your form. Your stamina is also lacking."

"Yes, so today what I tried was-"

"Holding your breath during the last sprint, right? Indeed, it stabilized your sprint, and your time improved slightly."

"Yes, so I was thinking of trying that in the actual race."

While I was somewhat excited, Prez looked thoughtful and concerned.

"I've held my breath at the start before, but always with proper guidance and in tune with my body. Doing it haphazardly without understanding your body's limits can lead to injury."

"...Uh, so it's better not to do it, right?"

Okay, let's give up on that. Despite my looks, I tend to yield to authority easily.

"No, out of the five runs today, you were on par with me in two where you held your breath. The actual event is a single run. It's worth a try."

"Eh, are you sure?"

Prez Hokobaru nodded firmly.

"However, only hold your breath for the last 5 meters. Run through to the finish, even if it means a sprain or a heart attack."

That's quite a jump from a sprain.

We then spent some time reviewing the video and performing mental training.

While sipping tea that Sakurai-kun had prepared, I glanced over and saw that Teiara-san had already given up fighting back.

She was lying exhausted in Shikiya-san's embrace.

"We've done everything we could. Just go all out tomorrow."

Prez Hokobaru smiled casually as she sipped her tea.

I returned the smile awkwardly while drinking my tea.

"But I still couldn't surpass you in the end, Prez. It's disappointing that I didn't beat the target time."

"What, you didn't notice? I increased my pace whenever you nearly caught up."

What? I hadn't noticed that at all.

"Wait a minute. So does that mean I-"

"Yes, you've already surpassed the target time. The rest depends on how far Yakishio-kun can push herself."

Prez downed her tea in one gulp.

"Alright, we have an early start tomorrow. Let's get some sleep to prepare. Feel free to use the futons in the closet."

"Okay. Then I'll get the futons-"

I glanced at the wall clock; it was just past 8 PM. ...That's early.

I didn't say anything, though. I have a weakness for authority, after all.

*

An unfamiliar ceiling appeared in the darkness.

Despite having gone to bed just after 8 PM, I fell asleep immediately.

...Only to wake up just after 2 AM.

Next to me, Sakurai-kun is breathing quietly in his futon. There had been a bit of a commotion (involving Teiara-san) about us sharing a room, but it was such a hassle I would rather forget it.

I could hear the low hum of insects from beyond the sliding doors.

I wanted to let my drowsiness take over, but the rest from earlier left me wide awake.

Thinking about tomorrow's match made me restless.

Giving up on sleep, I used the light from my phone to head to the bathroom.

"-In our house, we don't lock the doors. Never."

And her mysteriously proud expression was followed by Sakurai-kun's wry smile.

I hadn't understood what she meant at the time, but it meant the front door was unlocked…

After a moment's thought, I put on my shoes and slowly opened the front door.

*

A midnight stroll. Especially in a land I'm visiting for the first time, it's understandable to feel a bit excited.

As a result, I found myself standing on a sandy beach.

The southern tip of Toyohashi faces the Pacific Ocean, part of a ridiculously long stretch of sand that extends from Hamamatsu in the neighboring prefecture to the tip of the Mihama Peninsula. This area, just a 15-minute walk from the Hokobaru residence, is known as Omotehama Beach.

I recalled the sandy beach I had raced along last summer, pulled by Yakishio, as I walked along the deserted shore, overwhelmed by a night sky filled with stars all the way to the horizon.

The path down to the beach was a steep descent, and I thought about turning back five times, but I'm glad I didn't give up…

I approached a white object at the back of the beach.

It's a white, wall-like structure over three meters high, resembling a stylish, upright slice of bread placed on the ground. Distinctively, it has cloud-shaped holes like those in manga speech bubbles, allowing one to peek through to the other side.

As I approached, the object seemed larger than expected. The cloud-shaped holes were positioned somewhat high, naturally drawing my gaze upward.

Through the cloud-shaped cutouts, the stars seemed to melt into the night sky.

...It felt a bit wasteful to gaze at this sky alone.

An unusual thought crossed my mind, but a night this lonely was just about right-

As I surrendered to the quiet solitude-

Pat.

A white hand reached up to the edge of the hole from the other side of the object.

"Huh!?"

Pat. Another white hand grasped the edge.

Frozen in fear, I watched as the hands weakly slipped back to the other side.

"...Too…high. I can't…"

That feeble voice was unmistakable. As I walked around to the other side of the object, I saw a girl sitting with her knees pulled up against the wall.

Wavy long hair. Pale skin floating in the darkness- it's Shikiya-san.

"What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't climb over it..."

That was definitely impossible for her. But more importantly, why is she here at this hour?

As I pondered, Shikiya-san patted the ground beside her.

"Don't just…stand. Sit…with me…"

"Eh? Ah, yes."

I sat down about a meter away, and then Shikiya-san patted the ground again.

I hesitated before moving and sitting next to her.

"So, why are you here, senpai?"

"I was…wondering…where you might go…"

So- she followed me here.

"Sorry, did I wake you up by any chance?"

"It's…okay. I have…a lot of energy…at night…"

Unusually convincing. Shikiya-san slowly looked up at the starry sky.

In her typically expressionless face, her lips parted slightly in surprise.

"...Amazing, isn't it…? Did you come out here to see this?"

"I woke up and just started wandering-"

I followed Shikiya-san's gaze up to the night sky.

"It kind of feels like I got something just by sitting here."

"...Yeah, me…too…"

We continued sitting without much conversation.

I don't know anything about constellations, but being surrounded by a different night sky than usual is…

It felt like stepping out of everyday life, imagining traveling to some unknown town.

I glanced at Shikiya-san's side profile. Her long eyelashes fluttered in the sea breeze, and her eyes, usually different, gave off a new impression. It took me a while to figure out why.

-She isn't wearing her usual white contact lenses.

It was dark, but her lightly pigmented eyes shimmered with the light of the stars and the flickering waves.

She must have noticed me staring. Before I knew it, I could see my reflection in her eyes.

"What's wrong…?"

"Ah, no, just noticed you're not wearing contacts today, senpai."

"I was…about to…go to sleep…"

Shikiya-san covered her eyes with her bangs.

"It's embarrassing…when you keep staring…at me like that…"

"Ah, sorry!"

I messed up. Staring at a girl without makeup is basically sexual harassment.

As I hung my head in guilt, a whisper-like voice reached my ears.

"...Nukumizu-kun, can I ask you…something…?"

"Ah, yes! Anything!"

"Why are you…trying so hard…?"

...Huh? This doesn't seem to be about my blunder. Uh-

"Are you talking about the competition with Yakishio?"

She nodded slightly.

"Do you...like Yakishio-san...?"

"Heh!? No, it's not like that."

I cleared my throat, ready to dispel any misunderstandings, and explained.

"Well, it's common for people to misunderstand relationships between guys and girls, but Yakishio and I are purely friends, nothing more. The competition was meant to support her decision-making about continuing with the club, not because I wanted to start a relationship or get closer to her-"

I paused to catch my breath.

"I'm her friend and the president of the Literature Club."

Shikiya-san stared at my handsome expression with a puzzled look.

"...You're so kind…to everyone."

Kind? Uh, is that a compliment...?

"Uh, well, not really that much."

"You…tried very hard…for me that time…too…"

Shikiya-san started to say something but then fell silent.

"Hmm? What's wrong, senpai?"

"I'm…going home…"

Shikiya-san wobbled to her feet.

"Oh, then I'll come with you."

"It's…fine. I can…go back alone…"

She said that while staggering off. Did I say something wrong?

I hurried after her, and she was gazing absentmindedly at the road leading to the beach.

Indeed, the path here was a steep downhill. Which meant that, on the way back, it would turn steeply uphill.

"Uh, do you think you can make it up?"

After a moment of silence, Shikiya-san suddenly turned around and said-

"...Carry me."

She reached her hands out.

"Huh!? Uh, carrying might be tricky. I mean, the most I can manage in terms of arm strength is, like, my little sister-"

As I stumbled over my words, Shikiya-san made a noise and reached out her hands again.

"...Uh, how about a piggyback ride?"

My greatest concession seemed to make her think for a while, but eventually, she seemed to agree, albeit with an aura of dissatisfaction and nodded sharply.

...Needless to say, the accidental strength-training event ensured I slept soundly until morning.

*

-March 27th, Saturday. 8:00 AM. Tsuwabuki High School Playground.

After about 20 days, the time for the decisive match had finally arrived.

Facing me are the three members of Team Yakishio.

For some reason, Yanami, standing in the middle, was giving me a challenging look.

"Nukumizu-kun, you came alone? Isn't Prez with you?"

"This is strictly a match between Yakishio and me. I'm the only one in the competition. Yakishio, today let's-"

Yanami interrupted just when I was about to talk to Yakishio.

"Oh, for all that talk, you were pretty cozy with Prez, weren't you? What was that, proving that 'nu' in Nukumizu stands for 'sneaking ahead', huh? If the Literature Club's president is like that, we can't really feel secure going into our second year-"

Yanami's words just kept coming. Can you quit being a pain in the ass…?

Komari forcefully pulled Yanami back just as I contemplated whether I should roast her with something.

"Y-Yanami, you're in the w-way."

"Wait, Komari-chan. I haven't finished telling Nukumizu-kun-"

"A-Alright, get to the s-starting line. Y-Yanami, you're in charge of the s-start, right?"

"Okay, okay, I get it, Komari-chan."

Komari dragged Yanami's ass away. Komari, you're getting stronger.

I faced Yakishio directly once again while being lost in thought.

She's dressed in the track team's uniform. Steam is coming off her body, and it looks like she has already finished warming up.

"I won't lose today, Nukkun."

"Me neither. Don't regret giving me that much of a handicap."

Yanami waved her hand at the starting point. Yakishio and I headed towards her.

"I never thought you would take this so seriously."

"Of course, I have no intention of letting you quit the Literature Club."

"Oh, that's some confidence there."

Walking side by side, Yakishio bumped her shoulder against mine.

"I was thinking maybe I was too rash to challenge you like that, but now that it's come to this, I won't hold back."

Yakishio wanted to tease me again, but then she suddenly looked away and asked.

"...Nukkun, did you stay somewhere else last night?"

"Ha!? Eh, uh, why did you ask?"

Flustered, I faced Yakishio's piercing gaze.

"I saw you this morning getting off the Atsumi Line toward the Toyohashi side. You usually come from the opposite direction."

Did she see me taking the train from Prez's house?

But there's nothing shady about it. True, I carried Shikiya-san on my back in the middle of the night, but that was more like caregiving, and the softness on my back was a different matter.

"It doesn't mean anything significant, and…nothing weird happened either."

"Hmph…"

Yakishio bumped her shoulder against mine a bit harder and quickened her pace.

"You're going to tell me all about it if I win."

The stakes of losing seem to have increased suddenly.

Yanami showed us her phone screen as we reached the starting point.

"We'll use an app for the starting signal. When the app says 'On your marks', get ready- huh? What's 'set'? When do we start?"

Yanami, with a floating question mark above her head, looked confused until Yakishio interjected.

"Yanami-chan, 'on your marks' means 'get set', 'set' is like 'ready', and the pistol sound means 'go', okay?"

"Exactly."

Yanami gave me a smug look for some reason.

"The first pistol sound is for Nukumizu-kun to start, and when the second pistol sounds 2.5 seconds later, Remon-chan starts. Whoever reaches the goal first wins."

Yanami pointed towards the finish line, where Komari was ready with her smartphone.

"Okay, are we all set? Then, both of you, please get to the starting line."

There's a sprinter's starting block at Yakishio's feet, signaling her seriousness.

"Alright, I'm ready anytime."

Yakishio loosened her limbs. Yanami looked at her phone and spoke up.

"Hey, Remon-chan, are you sure you don't want to cheat? We could secretly change the settings, and Nukumizu-kun wouldn't notice."

"Yanami-san, can you not say that in front of me?"

Oof, that was close. This must also be a kind of off-the-board tactic. A strange behavior to wear down the enemy's concentration and tilt the competition in her favor. That's Yanami's specialty.

That's why Yanami's pulling out dried sardines from her pocket to eat from time to time is part of her strategy. Probably.

"Hmm, do you want some, Nukumizu-kun?"

...It's an off-the-board tactic. I shook my head and did a few squats.

"I'm good to go. Ready whenever you-"

-On your mark.

Huh!? A native-sounding female voice flowed from Yanami's smartphone. What timing is that?

"Oops, I think I pressed it. Get ready, both of you!"

Yakishio and I quickly got into position.

-Set.

The native voice followed in quick succession.

I crouched down and took a deep breath, and the sound of the pistol rang out.

There was no time to think. I just kicked off the ground without a thought.

Strangely, all the unnecessary tension had left my body, and I could feel myself accelerating smoothly.

It might not be an exaggeration to say this was the best condition I had ever been in.

I can do it- and then the second pistol fired.

There were tens of meters between me and the newly-started Yakishio. I shouldn't be able to sense her yet.

I pushed the pressure at my back aside and propelled my body forward as I practiced.

By the time I passed the 50-meter mark, it wasn't just my imagination. I definitely felt pressure from behind.

…Wait, isn't she too fast? Is she an animal?

The sound of footsteps was unmistakably getting closer. Sweat was pouring out of my entire body.

-How much am I leading by? Can I keep up this pace until the finish?

The remaining 20 meters approached as I thought.

The footsteps were right behind me. I could even hear Yakishio's breathing.

-Hold your breath at the last 5 meters.

Prez's words crossed my mind.

The moment I saw the 10-meter line- I held my breath and put all my remaining strength into my legs.

I clenched my teeth and kept driving my legs forward. My body's sensations were fading.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yakishio's shadow flash by. She was pulling up alongside me.

The finish line was in sight, but it felt incredibly far.

The moment my vision began to blur white- the finish line passed from my view.

Almost simultaneously, Yakishio sped past me, and a moment later, a gust of wind hit my body-

…………

…Who won?

My legs gave out, and I collapsed on the spot.

As my vision blurred, I looked around to see Yakishio breathing heavily and peering into Komari's smartphone.

Yakishio scratched the hell out of her hair and then took deep breaths from an oxygen can.

"W…W…Who…won…?"

I could hardly breathe, my voice faltering. I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't cooperate.

Yakishio looked at me, her expression shocked.

"You look really pale, Nukkun!? Here, take some oxygen!"

Yakishio carelessly tossed the oxygen can my way.

The can slipped through my outstretched hand- and struck me right on the forehead.

And then my vision turned completely white.