Honami Ichinose Wants to Go Again / Their Concern

But seeing Shiina Hiyori an expectant look on her face, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't bring himself to directly refuse her.

"Hmm... I do have one, but I'm not wearing it with me right now."

Kitagawa Ryo carefully chose his words, then reached into the pocket of his backpack and finally took out an item that had been gathering dust in his simulator inventory for a long time, handing it to Shiina Hiyori:

"Hiyori, please use this for now."

"Uh-huh."

Because she was determined to win first place, and because she trusted Kitagawa Ryo, Shiina Hiyori accepted the item without even looking at it, clutched it tightly, and ran back to the track to show it to the school's referee.

A beautifully designed ring sparkled in Shiina Hiyori's palm, even prompting a staff member to exclaim, "It's so beautiful!"

But after the referee confirmed it, Shiina Hiyori hesitated to take a step forward. Instead, she looked at the ring for a few more moments, somewhat confused, before belatedly running towards the finish line.

During this run, for reasons unknown, or perhaps simply by chance, Shiina Hiyori subconsciously aimed it at her left middle finger.

It was as if it belonged to her all along.

Not a fraction off.

Chapter 307: Ichinose Honami Wants to Come Again

Shiina Hiyori herself wasn't quite sure what she was feeling at the end of the race, even after crossing the finish line she was still a little dizzy and couldn't stop immediately, leaving Ibuki Mio and Nishino Takeshi were waiting for her, somewhat puzzled.

In a sense, Shiina Hiyori now understands why the twenty rules of detective novels emphasized not including romance elements. It turns out that once various emotions related to romance erupt, the entire brain's thinking and thought processes will be irreversibly changed, and even the most famous detective may lose all composure and rationality.

Just like Shiina Hiyori Kitagawa Ryo had such a ring on his hand that she had never seen before, and why this ring matched her finger perfectly.

While it's possible that this was custom-made by Kitagawa Ryo for another girl with similar stats, if that were the case, given Shiina Hiyori's understanding of Kitagawa Ryo, he would never lend her something like this.

But if it really was meant for her from the beginning, Shiina Hiyori Kitagawa Ryo doesn't remember when Kitagawa Ryo measured her size, then how did he manage to order such a perfectly fitting ring for her?

Even though she's a mystery novel enthusiast who has read hundreds of mystery novels over the past ten years, Shiina Hiyori was clearly unable to analyze things calmly like the detective protagonist in the story. She just unconsciously touched the ring that she had put on the middle finger of her left hand, and it wasn't until a while later that she came back to her senses at the shouts of Ibuki Mio and Nishino Takeshi, who were running over.

"Even though we know Hiyori came in first, there's no need to walk half a lap around the track like that, there are other events to come."

As the girl in the group who borrowed things the fastest, Shiina Hiyori unsurprisingly won first place in her group. The two who rushed over assumed that she had run so far because she was too excited. After all, Shiina Hiyori had been enjoying the Sports Festival since morning, and after winning the tug-of-war team event, she had jumped and skipped to show off to Kitagawa Ryo.

"By the way, what was the item you drew that you borrowed? I saw you dash off to Kitagawa's side just Hiyori, and Ibuki and I initially thought you drew some kind of... well, you know..."

As Kanzaki Ryuji, who is in Class 1-C, Nishino Takeko, who has gradually become closer to Shiina Hiyori Nishino Takeshi since the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, is clearly more focused on another aspect, and her tone is full of joy.

"N-nothing."

Faced with Nishino Takeshi's question, Shiina Hiyori instinctively hid her hands behind her back, a little shy as if afraid they would discover her little secret. She quickly took the ring off her middle finger and hurriedly waved it in front of Ibuki Mio and Nishino Takeshi:

"This is it. I need to return it to Liang. Bye."

Because the time was too short and the movements too fast, the two, who hadn't seen clearly what Shiina Hiyori was holding, could only exchange confused glances and whisper as they watched each other's departing figures:

"Hey, did you see what Qingri was holding Hiyori now?"

"No, it seems to be a small trinket. After all, it can be held in your hand. Could it be a hair clip? Didn't Ichinose from Class B recently get a pretty hair clip from Kitagawa?"

Is that true?

"Of course, after all, she's Ichinose. Quite a few girls in the grade are secretly copying her style. Besides, she's never worn any hair accessories before. Apparently, even some upperclassmen have asked her about them. They say Kitagawa bought them for her off-campus. Anyway, you can't buy the same style on campus."

"Could it be that Kitagawa actually bought land for everyone back then?"

"Wow, now that you mention it, he's such a jerk!"

"Does that mean he wasn't a jerk before?"

"..."

The two stared at each other in silence for a while, and then, after a long time Nishino Takeshi made a gesture of encouragement:

"That's why we're here supporting Hiyori, right?"

However, instead of giving the positive and affirmative response that Nishino Takeshi had expected, Ibuki Mio fell into a thoughtful state, and after a while, she slowly spoke:

"You know, I've recently been learning to cook from Horikita in Class B."

Takeko Nishino Takeshi gasped.

There is a traitor among us!

Chekhov once said that if a gun appears in a story, it will inevitably fire a bullet at some point.

However, this theory does not apply to all works of art. For example, Kitagawa Ryo's choice to give away the ring at this time was not because it had been hidden away in an unknown corner for a long time, but rather it was more like a natural relief.

In a sense, this ring is actually a relic of that simulation. Its owner has no memory of anything related to it, so Kitagawa Ryo never thought of using it as a medium to awaken anything. After all, his memories with Shiina Hiyori were not limited to that one simulation. In fact, that memory had already vanished in an instant along with the dazzling light left by the drone's tail fin as it streaked across the night sky that night.

That's why, even when he officially confessed to Shiina Hiyori during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam and Confessions their relationship, Kitagawa Ryo never brought it up, nor did he ask her opinion.

Perhaps for him now, giving that ring to Shiina Hiyori simply means giving her a ring, and all the meanings that modern society has assigned to the act of 'a boy giving a girl a ring'.

He wanted to give her a ring, and since he happened to have a suitable one on hand, he gave it to her, that's all.

"... Yes, I'm back. I'm number one!"

Shiina Hiyori's voice interrupted Kitagawa Ryo's thoughts as he lay half-reclined with his eyes closed, taking a nap. He opened his eyes and found that the other girl had bent down slightly and moved very close to him. He could almost see the girl's trembling eyelashes and blinking pupils. Her plump cheeks made Kitagawa Ryo feel an irresistible urge to pinch them.

"Um, give this back to the cooler."

Although she said she would return it to him, she didn't make any further moves. Kitagawa Ryo glanced over and saw that Shiina Hiyori had somehow put the ring back on her left middle finger. After he noticed, she didn't try to hide it; instead, she smiled and stretched out her palm, twirling it twice in front of him.

"Liang, you know what? I couldn't resist trying them on just now, and they fit me perfectly."

"If Hiyori likes it, then I'll give Hiyori."

Gazing at the ring that gleamed in the sunlight on Shiina Hiyori's left middle finger, Kitagawa Ryo's thoughts drifted away, and even his tone became somewhat unsteady:

"It was originally made specifically for Hiyori."

As it turned out, after Kitagawa Ryo said those words, Shiina Hiyori completely gave up on thinking about when he took her measurements or when he ordered the clothes. Her thoughts even froze, and after a long while, she suddenly stammered:

"I... I'm willing?"

"Wait a minute, who gives a girl a ring at a borrowing contest? Ryo, are you still lying to me?"

Hearing the words "liar" from Shiina Hiyori's mouth again brought back some unpleasant memories to Kitagawa Ryo's mind. Then, to Shiina Hiyori's slightly surprised look, he suddenly grasped her hand and replied very seriously, word by word:

"I didn't lie to Hiyori, not even a little bit."

His serious demeanor made Shiina Hiyori feel a little guilty, and since their actions had already attracted the attention of many students who were peeking in their direction, she subtly turned her head away.

"I... I understand, I'll accept it, but..."

As she spoke, Shiina Hiyori casually removed the ring from her finger.

After confirming that it was indeed a gift from Kitagawa Ryo, her anxious heart was able to settle down again, even if she didn't wear it.

"Let's choose a more suitable time to deliver it next time."

It's not about pursuing a so-called sense of ritual, nor is it about satisfying a vanity that wants to be watched and witnessed.

At first, Shiina Hiyori kept her head down shyly, but in the end, she chose to look directly into Kitagawa Ryo's eyes, and with a smile, she revealed her feelings:

"At the very least, I should prepare a return gift of equal value for Liang."

As time went by, it was soon time for the girls' group to finish the obstacle course race, which was between Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei.

Why do you seem a little restless?

Standing near the starting line, Ichinose Honami was doing some simple warm-up exercises with her arms crossed, glanced at Karuizawa Kei next to her and felt that there was something strange about the other person's behavior.

"It's nothing, Honami, but you should still be careful. You bet those 200,000 Private Points on your Class B winning this project yourself, didn't you?"

Shaking her head slightly to try and temporarily forget what she had just witnessed, Karuizawa Kei responded just as defiantly.

"Hui, you don't need to say that to me. After all, didn't you also bet 200,000 Private Points on Class A for this project?"

As the only head-to-head competition between the two in individual events at this Sports Festival, Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei had tacitly used some of their Private Points to indirectly challenge each other before the Sports Festival. However, they were both rational and did not spend too much, only a small test of 200,000 points.

Before the two could exchange another few words, school staff reminded them to get ready for the start. About fifteen seconds later, the starting gun, which they had heard countless times that day, rang out crisply in their ears simultaneously.

Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami had similar physical abilities, and both had been regulars at the gym for the past two months, intentionally making extensive preparations for the Sports Festival. In addition, there were no other outstanding competitors in their group, so from the beginning they showed a two-way lead, running towards the lottery box 100 meters away with the momentum and speed as if they were not participating in a race with an object, but sprinting 100 meters.

Arriving almost simultaneously, Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei each reached into the opaque lottery box without hesitation. Their swift movements and serious expressions, with pursed lips and taut faces, startled the staff members nearby who were still pondering the ring from earlier.

As the first slip of paper was quickly unfolded between their fingers, neither of the answers seemed to satisfy them. They could only return the slips with the incomprehensible words "refrigerator" and "skateboard" to the staff and wait for the chance to draw again after thirty seconds.

Ichinose Honami held her breath and concentrated.

"One more time... one more time!"

She muttered to herself, and after the thirty-second CD ended, she waited a few more seconds before taking out another slip of paper from the lottery box. She quickly opened it, turned around, and ran straight towards Kitagawa Ryo with the slip of paper in her hand.

Knowing he couldn't escape no matter how hard he tried, Kitagawa Ryo waited by the track early on. A few seconds later, Ichinose Honami rushed up to him and grabbed his wrist, as if afraid he would run away at any moment. The force he showed was greater than Kitagawa Ryo had expected, and he was taken directly to the school staff for the routine confirmation.

At this moment, Karuizawa Kei is still waiting for her third chance.

Ichinose Honami unfolded the slightly crumpled piece of paper in her palm to the staff, clearly displaying the words 'person I like'.

"Liang is the person I like."

After saying this, before the referee could even speak, Ichinose Honami spoke up for him:

"As for confirming..."

Unlike the almost clandestine scene that took place in the stairwell during previous summer vacations.

During the intense second half of the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School Sports Festival, under the watchful eyes of teachers, students, and other spectators, Ichinose Honami took the initiative to tiptoe and passionately yet quietly kissed Kitagawa Ryo's lips.

"Is this okay?"

Chapter 308: Their Concern

"Is this okay?"

A few seconds later, Ichinose Honami's speech, delivered with a light step back, reignited the atmosphere in the arena. The audience, who had almost lost their ability to speak due to extreme shock, seemed to regain their vocal cords and facial expressions at this moment. The almost noisy exclamations and clamor that erupted together even attracted the curious attention of athletes and spectators participating in other events on the other side.

As a student who stands at the top of the class in terms of popularity and social connections, just as Nishino Takeshi said, Ichinose Honami's everyday clothes and speaking style would attract other girls to imitate her, whether intentionally or unintentionally, let alone the scene of confession and kiss that she staged in public.

It's no exaggeration to say that even the most hardcore bettors on the field, who only cared about the outcome of the game, completely forgot about all their betting and stared in disbelief at this unprecedented event at the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School's Sports Festival.

"Ah, it passed."

The school staff member, who was already in her forties, displayed adult manners at this moment. Although she inevitably felt a little sentimental about youth and love, she quickly regained her composure and said that Ichinose Honami's borrowed item was approved by the person she liked.

However, even though the referee had confirmed it, Ichinose Honami seemed not to hear it. The surrounding noises were automatically filtered out by her brain, and her azure eyes, the same color as the sky, were only focused on Kitagawa Ryo.

Kitagawa Ryo met Ichinose Honami's gaze directly, and their eyes met naturally in the air. In that instant, it was as if only the two of them existed in each other's field of vision, tinged with color.

Everyone else is black and white.

"Honami is also someone I like."

The pause button on time was pressed again as these words were spoken, and colors returned to everything in a more vibrant form than before, entering her field of vision once more. Having received a satisfactory answer, Ichinose Honami finally turned around, not quickly, but with a hint of looking back every few steps.

But Ichinose Honami felt inexplicably that everything around her was rushing backward like a roaring train. Finally, she quickened her pace and ran towards the finish line without looking back.

It wasn't until Ichinose Honami had run another dozens or even hundreds of meters that the remaining competitors belatedly realized what was happening. However, their minds were no longer on the race. Ichinose Honami's lead was too great to catch up with, and secondly, they were still immersed in the afterglow of the previous race.

Even so, as time went on, most of the contestants eventually drew the items they could borrow, and after confirming with the school staff, they ran over to the area one by one.

To prevent situations where a contestant has bad luck and can't draw the required item, thus disrupting the race schedule, the rules for the borrowing race specifically include a clause stating that the race officially ends when seven people reach the finish line.

Just as another contestant from Class 1-A, Amikura Mako, successfully received her items and was ready to leave, Karuizawa Kei, standing next to her, suddenly shook her head, pursing her lips, indicating that she should not leave for the time being.

Amikura Mako subconsciously stopped in her tracks. She turned her head to look at the class monitor, whom the students of Class A considered omnipotent and wholeheartedly supported. She found that he was still standing in front of the lottery box, silently lowering his eyes, drawing a slip of paper every thirty seconds, glancing at it, and then clutching it tightly in his hand.

Because they were so close, Amikura Mako could even vaguely make out the words on those slips of paper, such as the 'water bottle' that was being pulled out now.

These items were practically everywhere; even in the rest area just a few meters away from them, there were numerous empty mineral water bottles that students had used.

But Karuizawa Kei only glanced at it, then silently crumpled it into a ball in her hand; there were already seven or eight such crumpled slips of paper there.

At this point, even Amikura Mako could tell that her class monitor had given up on the borrowing contest and was now simply looking for an option that suited her taste.

Thinking of this, Amikura Mako glanced at Kitagawa Ryo not far away with some dissatisfaction, feeling a burning itch in her back teeth.

Before the Sports Festival, he even told the students in Class A at karaoke that he and Megumi had been dating and that there were no problems in their relationship. Now it seems he really is a scumbag and can't be trusted.

However, since it was a private matter between the two of them, even though she always considered herself a good friend of Hui, Amikura Mako chose to suppress her emotions and instead began to vent her anger by stomping on the gravel and pebbles on the track.

Since the parties involved are already in this predicament, all they can do as friends is offer their blessings and pray that Kitagawa Ryo can be transferred to their class soon.

Another period of waiting ensued.

Just as the staff were constantly checking their watches, considering ending the match early to avoid disrupting the schedule, Karuizawa Kei seemed to have finally found a result she could accept. Just like Ichinose Honami had done earlier, she went straight to Kitagawa Ryo Ichinose Honami brought him to the staff member who was twitching at the corner of his mouth, wanting Kitagawa Ryo to return the emotion he had just felt.