Chapter 14
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Volume 2: The Demons Of The Hananomiya Family
Chapter 14: The Cross-Dressing Boy Decides To Get Serious
Thus, the volleyball tournament between our acting department, Hanako’s voice acting department, and Karen’s general education department had begun.
The rules were straightforward: a 5-set match where the team that wins 3 sets is the victor.
From now, each class will have a 15-minute discussion to form a team of six players.
Students with athletic ability will inevitably be included in the team, but the rest will be spectators, so students without athletic ability don’t need to feel much pressure.
Of course, I also want to avoid standing out in P.E. as much as possible, so I’d like to keep a low profile here… but the running I showed off on the field before has come back to haunt me.
“―――――Right. For now, Kaede is confirmed as a player. Everyone’s okay with that, right?”
“No objections!” “Of course!” “Naturally!”
“Okay, so that’s settled. Kaede, you’re a starter.”
“…Akane-san. Do I have no right to refuse…?”
“Huh? Of course not. There’s no one in our class who can play sports better than you. …I’m playing too, so no complaints.”
“Onee-sama! Fight! Honoka is cheering for you!!”
“If you want, Hiiragi-san, you can join too. Please support Kaede up close.”
“I-I’m not exactly good at sports, but… if it’s to help Onee-sama, Honoka will follow you anywhere! Yes!”
“Then it’s decided. That’s three of us, and…”
The acting department has only been doing regular classes and rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet.
Naturally, since we still don’t know the athletic abilities of everyone, we have to form teams based on recommendations and volunteers.
…After using up all of the 15 minutes, our class’s volleyball team ended up being Kaede Kisaragi, Akane Tsukishiro, Honoka Hiiragi, Suzuka Miyauchi, Megumi Nemoto, and Chiaki Shimano.
Megumi Nemoto and Chiaki Shimano used to be part of Suzuka’s clique… the ones who used to bully Akane together.
But now they’ve reformed along with Suzuka and reconciled with Akane.
…In other words, they are now members of the Kaede Kisaragi fan club.
This team, including Suzuka and Honoka, is essentially made up of four of my supporters out of six.
“To be able to see Onee-sama’s performance up close…! I’m so happy, Megumi-chan!”
“Yeah, Chiaki-chan! …I need to preserve Onee-sama’s heroic figure in my heart’s camera! Haha, hahaha.”
“We might be able to boast to the others in the fan club! Hehehehe.”
“Onee-sama! Honoka doesn’t understand the rules of volleyball at all, but as your number one little sister, I’ll support you with all my might!! Please feel free to give me any orders!!”
I feel like the team was formed not based on athletic ability but rather with my devotees because no one else volunteered.
Hmm, does this mean the acting department’s defeat is certain? Does the new religious organization, the Kaede Kisaragi sect, has unlikely chances of winning?
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
After that, it was decided that the general education department would play against the voice acting department first.
I had no connections with anyone in the voice acting department except Hanako, so almost all of their faces were unfamiliar.
“…Even so, it’s surprising.”
Hanako was among the starters for the voice acting department.
Considering that she’s the type to avoid standing out, I thought she would definitely not participate in such events… but I never expected her to be part of the volleyball team.
Could it be that she actually has some athletic ability? That Zashiki-warashi.
“Sato-san! The serve is coming your way! Receive it!”
“Got it… whoa!!”
Hanako was hit in the face and fell backward.
No matter how you look at it… she was just standing there. Hanako was clearly the least active among the starters of the voice acting department.
It was evident that she was a burden to the team.
“Are you okay!? Sato-san!?”
“I-I’m fine. I can stand.”
Hanako covered her face and somehow managed to stand up, letting out a big sigh.
Seeing her like that, the general education department students, who seemed to be in the volleyball club, snickered and sneered at her.
――――The whistle blew. The match, which had been paused, resumed.
The serve started from the voice acting department, and the ball flew across the court.
“…This is in poor taste.”
It was clear that the general education students were holding back.
They deliberately threw gentle balls to prolong the match… and when their opponents let their guard down, they unleashed a powerful strike.
The target of that strike was always the clumsy Hanako.
Once again, Hanako was hit in the face by the ball and collapsed to the ground.
“Sato-san!? Hey, you guys! You’re targeting her on purpose, aren’t you!?”
“Huh? Do you have any proof? It’s her fault for just standing there like that.”
“Don’t be ridiculous…”
“It’s okay. My nose is bleeding a little, but I’m fine.”
Hanako stood up and, as usual, spoke to her concerned classmate with an expressionless face.
The girl from the same class looked at Hanako with a troubled face and spoke to her.
“But…! If this continues, Sato-san, they’ll keep targeting you…!”
“I’m used to pain. This is nothing.”
“You’re used to pain…?”
“It’s nothing. Anyway, I’m fine. …Running away from those people would hurt my pride much more than getting injured. Francesca-san is the strongest vampire princess, after all.”
…Used to pain, huh.
I remember Hanako once said she lived in an orphanage because of her parents’ abuse.
Could it be… that’s what she meant―――――.
After that, Hanako continued to stand, even after getting hit in the face with the ball repeatedly.
Even after the teacher reprimanded her… she persuaded that passionate teacher by saying, “This is youth,” and continued to stay on the court.
I don’t know what drove her to such lengths, but I felt like she was resisting something… that’s what I sensed.
She had a determination not to run away. That kind of intensity was emanating from Hanako.
―――――And so, after about ten minutes, the match ended with a decisive victory for the general education department.
It seemed that more than half of the general education students were likely experienced players.
Miyauchi initially said that it was unfair because the general education department had students with club experience… indeed, this was an extremely unfair match.
There’s a vast difference in skill between experienced and inexperienced players. It was a one-sided match that ended in a complete defeat.
“………This isn’t even a contest. Are the arts department students unable to play volleyball properly? How embarrassing!”
Four students, who seemed to be from the general education volleyball club, laughed mockingly.
The voice acting department students furrowed their brows and looked frustrated but couldn’t say anything back.
The defeated students walked off the court.
Hanako, with a large bruise on her face, was still expressionless as ever.
But… I noticed a single tear running down her cheek.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
Next, it was the acting department’s turn to face the general education department, and the six of us stepped onto the court.
The general education students seemed to be completely underestimating the arts department after the previous match, looking at us from a distance with mocking smiles.
I looked at them and then shifted my gaze to a student standing alone, away from the group of waiting general education students.
That student, leaning against the wall and twirling the end of her long hair with her fingers, was Karen.
Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but let out a short sigh.
“…She’s really standing out there, huh.”
Well, it would be surprising if that Karen was laughing and chatting with friends.
I can’t imagine her smiling brightly and chatting with friends like Honoka.
“Kaede. Look at them, they’re completely underestimating us.”
Akane stood next to me and glared at the volleyball club members.
I glanced at her profile and then smiled.
“That’s true. Well, I suppose we should just let them say what they want. Just as they’re good at volleyball, we’re good at performing. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. There is no such thing as a perfect person in this world.”
“No one is perfect, huh… Haa, it’s funny hearing that from you.”
“? Akane-san?”
“From my perspective, there’s no one more perfect than Kaede Kisaragi. You can act, you can play sports, you can fight… Hey, let me ask you this since we’re here, what kind of environment did you grow up in? It doesn’t seem like you had a normal upbringing.”
What kind of environment? I just received harsh training from Kyoichiro when I was a child.
I’m not an agent trained with special skills, nor am I a genius with innate talent.
I’m just an ordinary person who was drilled in various performing arts from a young age.
“―――――Kaede Kisaragi? Are you getting a little too full of yourself?”
At that moment, four students from the volleyball club approached and called out to me.
The one who seemed to be their leader stood in front of me and Akane, towering over us with her imposing height of at least 170 cm.
“I’ve never liked you from the start. Got it? There’s an unwritten rule at this school that no one can get close to Senpai Ginjou, only admire from afar. But you? You’ve gotten cozy with her right after entering school… Could you stop giving her those flirty looks? I’ve been a fan of hers since middle school.”
“…Even if you say that… Who Senpai Ginjou befriends is none of your business, is it?”
“It’s got everything to do with me. You’ve broken our unspoken rule, and on top of that, you’re getting Senpai’s attention… It’s enough to make me want to stab you!”
A fan of Senpai Ginjou, huh? That Senior has some intense admirers, didn’t she?
“Some people even call you ‘Onee-sama’ and worship you, but every single one of Senpai Ginjou’s followers hates your guts. There’s even an anti-Kaede Kisaragi thread on the school’s underground forum.”
“An… anti-thread?”
“Anyway! With all the resentment I’ve built up, I’m going to crush you in this volleyball match. Just like I did with that girl Sato from earlier.”
Just like that girl Sato? Are you talking about Senpai Hanako… Are you talking about Senpai Hanako!!!
I wanted to shout and go Super Sai◯yan, but instead, I decided to ask her the question that had been on my mind since earlier.
“…Why were you spiking the ball at Hanako-san’s face so aggressively?”
“No reason. She was clumsy and easy to target――――”
“Or was it because you were angry by how beautiful Hanako-san’s face is?”
“Huh!?’
At that moment, her expression stiffened.
Bullseye, huh? The world of girls really is terrifying.
…To avoid making more enemies here, it might be wise to just take the hits and finish this game quietly. But unfortunately, I’m not mature enough to stay silent after seeing my friend cry.
“…Akane-san. When you receive the ball, pass it to me. I’ll smash it all into the enemy’s court every time.”
“Kaede?”
“Right now, we’re the only ones in the acting department who seem capable of moving properly. The two of us… will show these bullies who think they can prey on beginners a thing or two.”
Akane looked surprised for a moment, but then she smiled and nodded firmly.
Together, we glared at the general education students, and with a fearless grin, Akane spoke up.
“Alright, Kaede. Let’s crush these jerks together. We’ll show them not to mess with the acting department.”
“Yes, Akane-san. Let’s teach them the difference in class between us and them.”
With that, Akane and I stood side by side, smiling.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
Author’s Note: Thank you, everyone, for reading Episode 78 | 79! It’s thanks to all of you that I’m able to continue writing! Thank you so much! If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a rating, following, or liking the post to keep me motivated. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow! It’s been hot lately, so please take care of your health. This was Neko Mikazuki! See you next time!
