Kino Karen: [That's the end of the second round of Cops and Robbers! All players, please exit!]
Kose Erica: [I will now announce the scores obtained in this Cops and Robbers game. Toyogasaki side, 300 players entered, survivors are... 38. Total points earned: 3640.]
Kino Karen: [Shuchiin had 10 cops, and they caught a total of 262 people, earning a total of 2620 points! The overall MVP is Enyun-chan! Her personal record is catching 140 people!]
The cat made a huge contribution! Enyun-chan showed the red mark on her paw. Anyone she tapped counted as captured, and no one could outrun her in the forest.
The only reason she didn't surpass Uchiha Ryo's record was simply because Enyun-chan didn't have a ranged attack.
The first half of Cops and Robbers ended there. Shuchiin's principal, Adolf Pescarolo, shed tears of emotion.
"This is the passionate youth of high school students! By the way, I'll announce it now. This afternoon's event is the team scavenger hunt race."
Adolf chuckled. "Young people need to know that Cops and Robbers tests students' stamina and quick thinking. But in today's society, being smart and physically fit is far from enough."
"Luck... is also a part of strength."
As soon as the school announced the second event, the girls who had been spectators finally found an event they could participate in.
After all, playing Cops and Robbers in the hot forest was indeed more of a boys' interest. For girls, their childhood wasn't like that.
But a scavenger hunt race... this traditional Japanese sports event was worth participating in.
Shinomiya Kaguya, Hayasaka Ai, Yukinoshita Yukino, and Chitanda Eru looked at each other.
Amakusa Shino: "A scavenger hunt race, huh. Are you sure you want to participate? A classmate of mine in the student council said that this scavenger hunt seems to be quite special."
Shinomiya Kaguya: "Special?"
Amakusa Shino nodded. "I heard that the principal expanded the scope of the items to be borrowed, so it will be even harder to find them."
Chitanda Eru: "If that's all, we shouldn't have to worry. By the way, where did Uchiha-kun go? And Shirogane-kun is missing too."
Yukinoshita: "Who knows? Maybe they went to eat. Let's go back to the clubroom and eat our bentos first."
Hayasaka Ai pulled Shinomiya Kaguya and Fujiwara Chika beside her.
"Yay! Shinomiya-san and Fujiwara-san, come with us too. But we really don't know where Ling-kun went. I'll go invite him to join us for bento at the clubroom."
Inner thought: (Great! They're all going to the clubroom to eat. I'll find Ling-kun and we can have lunch, just the two of us~)
Just as Hayasaka Ai was about to leave, Shinomiya Kaguya grabbed her.
"Well, since it's a bento party for girls, we don't need to invite Uchiha-kun, do we?"
Inner thought: (Are you kidding? If I let you, Hayasaka, go call Uchiha Ryo, it would be a miracle if you brought him back! You probably wouldn't even come back yourself.)
Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai looked at each other with smiles. They must be very good friends.
Fujiwara Chika: "Mmm, I'm not very hungry. But let's go first!"
Amakusa Shino nodded. "Mhm, as the president, let me take everyone back for a bento party. Let's go!"
Hayasaka Ai and Shinomiya Kaguya, who were in a standoff, were forcibly dragged away by Fujiwara Chika.
Since the girls from Shuchiin were planning to participate, what about Toyogasaki Academy?
The situation here was.... Kasumigaoka Utaha was about to fall asleep. She felt the sports festival was so boring! Maybe she should ask for leave and go back to write her manuscript.
"Eriri, go help me ask for leave. Just say I'm not feeling well, and then take me home."
Eriri: "Huh? Why should I help you? If you want to slack off, go ask the teacher yourself."
Kasumigaoka Utaha rubbed her temples. "To write the game's plot, I've been sleeping less than four hours a day. I'm a little sleepy now. And~ if you take me home, you can slack off too...."
Eriri fell into thought. Although she was outwardly a sunny and cheerful normie young lady, in reality, she also wanted to go back to her air-conditioned room, lie down, and read manga. As a hidden otaku, Eriri was tempted.
"We're back."
Katou Megumi waved, pulling Gotou Hitori along. The other three members of the Kessoku Band also ran over quickly. Ryo and Kita immediately grabbed Bocchi-chan's hands.
Kita Ikuyo: "Bocchi-chan! Bunnies are so cute, why did you eat the bunny!"
Yamada Ryo: "Bocchi-chan, was it really that delicious! (gulps)"
Gotou Hitori scratched her head. "Sorry, I didn't eat much. But... Ling-kun grilled it really well."
Ijichi Nijika patted Bocchi-chan on the shoulder. "The sports festival isn't as scary as you said, Bocchi-chan. Let's all participate in the scavenger hunt race this afternoon!"
Gotou Hitori: "I...."
Kita Ikuyo: "Yeah, yeah! It's boring being a spectator all the time. Ryo-senpai, join us too!"
Yamada Ryo gave a sound of agreement, then looked at Bocchi-chan, whose body was trembling slightly.
Gotou Hitori: "Um... can I not... participate?"
Borrowing things from strangers... this was a max-level challenge for someone with social anxiety! How was a game like a scavenger hunt race even conceived? Did no one consider us socially anxious people!
Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri also walked over from not far away.
Kasumigaoka: "Katou-san, Bocchi-chan, didn't Ryo-kun come back with you?"
Katou Megumi shook her head. "He and Natsume-kun left with a boy from Shuchiin."
A boy... Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded, then leaned weakly against Eriri.
"Since Ryo-kun isn't here, let's just go back."
Eriri: "Don't lean on me, you idiot! Your fat is ridiculously thick."
Kasumigaoka Utaha murmured while leaning on Eriri. "Mmm... it's a bit uncomfortable."
"Ka-su-mi-ga-oka!!"
.....
On the grass of the Shuchiin sports field, a blind spot from the school building discovered by Ishigami Yu, four boys were lying there bored, looking at the sky.
Uchiha Ryo: "Are you guys participating in the scavenger hunt this afternoon?"
Shirogane Miyuki: "No, I was exhausted this morning..."
Takashi: "I'm not participating either. I'm not interested in any of the afternoon events. If possible, I'd like to ask for leave and go home with Aunt Touko and the others."
Ishigami Yu: "Haha, by the way, you senpais were amazing in the morning game. Especially Uchiha-senpai as a cop, so cool!"
Uchiha Ryo sat up. "Well, so what did you call us here for, Shirogane? If there's nothing, I'm going back to the Classic Literature Club."
"....Hey, hey, I remember I'm a member of the Classic Literature Club too. Why do you all seem to have forgotten me?"
Shirogane Miyuki also sat up and suddenly said.
"It's just... actually, it's about something I asked you before. Recently, I... a friend of mine realized that he doesn't seem to be very popular. Not many people even greet him at school anymore. What should he do to change himself and become popular?"
Ishigami Yu: "Does Shirogane-senpai want to... be popular?"
Shirogane Miyuki quickly shook his head. "I told you, it's not me! It's a friend of mine who asked me to ask. I'm focused on studying right now and have no time to think about anything else."