I was instantly surrounded by my classmates. Searching for help, I looked around for Souta—only to find that the very person grabbing me from behind was none other than Souta himself.

Oh, my friend… you too?

“────Natsuki.”

Stepping forward as the class representative was Haneda, our class president. He had the classic appearance of a studious type, with a bob haircut and black-rimmed glasses, yet ironically, he wasn’t particularly smart. However, he made up for it with an overflowing sense of humor that brought our class together—he was our leader.

“You understand, don’t you? There’s only one simple answer we want to hear.”

Haneda had a habit of quoting lines from anime and manga. This one also sounded vaguely familiar.

“That incredibly handsome person just now—are they your girlfriend, Natsuki?”

“No, they’re not.”

I immediately denied it. The idea that Tachibana Iori and I were dating was an absurd misunderstanding.

…Honestly, does Tachibana Iori even feel romantic attraction toward men? I wasn’t sure about that.

“Tachibana Iori is just someone I know from my part-time job. And as you heard, the reason why the girls from Suzakura High School came to the Aotaka Festival was thanks to her.”

There were also rumors that the reason they had stopped coming was because of her, but I kept that to myself. In the end, it was simply that the Suzakura students had chosen Tachibana Iori.

“Wait, wait! Wasn’t the ‘Prince of Suzakura’ seriously amazing!? I thought they were a celebrity!”

Someone blurted it out, and that was all it took for the entire classroom to erupt into chatter.

“No, for real! Honestly, it felt like there was no way we could compete. They completely transcended gender.”

“This might sound kinda weird, but… I actually felt my heart skip a beat. I might’ve turned into a maiden for a moment.”

Apparently, no one really believed that I was dating Tachibana Iori, and the conversation shifted toward the ‘Prince of Suzakura’ instead.

“…I just realized something. What if the Suzakura girls didn’t come here for us, but to see Tachibana Iori…?”

A heavy silence filled the classroom. That thought had crossed everyone’s minds the moment they saw Tachibana Iori in uniform.

“────What’s with you guys? Why are you getting so discouraged?”

It was Hiura who broke the silence—a man who had staked everything on today.

“If we put on a great performance, the Suzakura girls will pay attention to us too. Natsuki created this opportunity for us. If we don’t give it our all now, then when will we?”

His words reignited the fire in the room.

“That’s true… Last year, we didn’t even get a chance like this.”

“Just having girls around already makes this a win.”

“Alright! Let’s win this thing and all become popular!”

…Yeah, I really doubt that’s gonna happen.

Still, Hiura’s outburst had revived the classroom’s energy. My excitable classmates transformed into fierce gladiators. Were they envisioning the glory of victory—or a future as popular guys?

We pushed the desks to the side and formed a circle in the middle of the classroom.

“Natsuki, give us the rallying cry.”

Hiura looked at me.

“…Me?”

“This chance exists because of you. Give us a strong start!”

Hiura’s expectant gaze burned with passion.

“If that’s the case… then—WE’RE GONNA WIN THIS THING!!”

“「「「YEAH!!!」」」”

And so, the Aotaka Festival began.

◆

After the first two events—the 100-meter dash and the tug-of-war—our class rankings were:

Class 1: 230 points
Class 2: 180 points
Class 3: 220 points
Class 4: 250 points

Our Class 1 was in second place. No one really knew how many points each placement earned, but the atmosphere was lively anyway.

“…I’m so glad I enrolled at Aotaka.”

Souta, eyes brimming with tears, was staring at the Suzakura cheerleaders. He wasn’t the only one; nearly all the Aotaka students who weren’t competing had completely forgotten about cheering and were mesmerized by the cheerleaders.

I couldn’t say I blamed them, but still… Was it really okay for them to be so easily swayed by midriff-baring uniforms? Apparently, high school boys were powerless in the face of such temptation.

Meanwhile, as expected, the Suzakura girls were completely captivated by Tachibana Iori, who was wearing my uniform. A small crowd had gathered around her in the audience area, making it obvious where she was.

Still, they did seem to be watching the competitions too, as occasional excited cheers rang out. The cheerleaders were also giving their all, continuously pushing the Aotaka students’ enthusiasm to new heights.

『Next up is the second-year cavalry battle. Second-year students, please prepare.』

“It’s time…”

The announcement echoed across the grounds, and a fierce determination burned in everyone’s eyes.

The cavalry battle was the main event for the second-years—the highlight of the competition.

I had watched it last year, and even though that year’s festival wasn’t particularly exciting, the match had been intense enough to make me sweat with anticipation. Injuries were common, but since this was an all-boys school, no one raised any complaints.

We moved to the center of the field and formed our cavalry teams.

Each cavalry unit had four members, and each class fielded ten units. From my vantage point atop my team’s shoulders, I scanned the other classes. Some teams had evenly distributed their athletic members, while others concentrated their strongest into a single elite unit. Various strategies were at play.

Our Class 1 had opted for a balanced approach, and my team included Hiura. We were undoubtedly the fastest unit in our class.

“Natsuki, we’re gonna win this.”

“Of course. The Suzakura girls are watching, after all.”

Apparently, the cavalry battle had drawn their interest, as the Suzakura girls were packed into the audience area, eagerly awaiting the start.

…Among them, I spotted one student wearing an Aotaka uniform.

As I turned toward them, they raised a clenched fist in my direction.

『────Show me your coolest side at the Aotaka Festival.』

I bumped my fist against theirs in midair and faced forward. That simple gesture had set my heart ablaze. The mere fact that a girl was watching gave me an incredible surge of power.

With the Suzakura students’ eyes on us, all the cavalry units were fired up—this was going to be an intense battle.

『And now────let the cavalry battle begin!』