Chapter 145: The Little Loli Carrying a Cannon

This time, Mai Hanai was exceptionally attentive to the movements behind her.
Noticing that Haruno Haruno followed right behind the moment she accelerated, she couldn't help cursing inwardly.
As expected, was he hiding his true strength during the internal selections?
With this thought, Mai Hanai sped up once more, thinking fiercely to herself: *Just you wait, this time I'll make you lose and admit defeat wholeheartedly.*

Ahead lay a large tree. Spotting her opportunity, Mai Hanai executed a sharp drift and immediately sprayed up a flurry of snow.
She had expected this maneuver to shake off the leech trailing her, but who could have imagined that as Mai Hanai rounded the bend, not only did she fail to widen the gap, but Haruno Haruno was actually cruising right alongside her, even threatening to overtake her.

Seemingly noticing this development, the handsome Haruno once again hypocritically slowed his pace, eventually maintaining a position exactly one stride behind Mai Hanai.
To be fair, he really couldn't be blamed this time; he had simply recalled that famous adage out of nowhere:
*"Who says the leader doesn't accelerate! Overtaking on a curve is the true skill!"*
As a result, without paying attention, he had accidentally slipped past Mai Hanai.
Forgive him, truly forgive him.

*This bastard!* Mai Hanai gritted her teeth, feeling her dignity had been deeply insulted. Was this any way to play?
She took a deep breath, fighting to steady her mindset—nothing was more disastrous during a competition than letting your emotions be compromised.

Bypassing the obstacle, the little cow waved her ski poles and accelerated once more, carving two deep grooves into the thick snow.
However, gradually, she realized a grave problem: despite unleashing 120 percent of her peak performance, Haruno Haruno clung to her like a zealous stalker, utterly impossible to shake off no matter what she tried.
What drove her to absolute despair was that every time she looked back, that bastard would flash her a smile, looking utterly relaxed and leisurely, as if he were simply out enjoying the scenery.

It wasn't just her who noticed; the students watching the live stream on the screens had also caught onto this dynamic.
"The one in first place is Mai Hanai from Class 3. She's amazing."
"Haruno Haruno right behind her is amazing too. The two of them are only separated by a single stride, and he overtook her a few times just now."
"Yeah, yeah, and I have a feeling Haruno Haruno still hasn't used his full strength. Look at his expression and posture—what a terrifying guy."
"I—I've just got to say, Haruno Haruno is so handsome! I'd love to go dancing with him at tomorrow night's bonfire party!"
"You? You'd better forget it. That guy's already taken, and by that young lady no less."
"Hmph, so what? Even if I can't invite Haruno Haruno tomorrow night, can't I dream about it tonight? In my dreams, I'll dance with him, and not even Seiryo Misao can stop me."
The beautiful girl gave a light snort, indulging in some harmless boasting.
"Hey, keep it down. Look behind you."
Her companion couldn't help but warn her.
"Behind?"
The previously smug beautiful girl suddenly felt her heart skip a beat, struck by a bad premonition. Stiffly turning her head, she discovered that the entourage of the Seiryo young lady was standing not far away.
A cold, pretty face glanced in their direction, the gaze carrying a tranquil, life-altering apathy akin to "nuclear peace."
"Run, run, run!"
Having completely lost her earlier bravado, the beautiful girl grabbed her companion and scurried away in a panic.

Meanwhile, Yuriko Ogata, who had been holding a camera and searching for angles, paused her movements.
The little loli raised her camera, but her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
The conversation between those two girls just now had reminded her: barring any accidents, Haruno-kun would likely invite Seiryo-san to the bonfire party.
If that were the case, when she dreamed tonight, would she be able to dance with Haruno-kun?
Maybe not at the bonfire party, but dreaming about it should be fine, right? This... this shouldn't just be daydreaming in broad daylight, right?

"It looks like you'll need to be a little careful, Sister. Haruno Haruno is getting a bit too popular!" Yukino Seiryo said with a beaming smile. "Besides, you also need to keep a close eye on the people around you."
Her words instantly made both people on the spot tense up. Kana Terashima, who already had things on her mind, was left completely dazed.
Little Yuriko was the same, though her panic lasted only a fleeting moment before she quickly came to terms with it.
Seiryo-san had known all along that she was pursuing Haruno-kun; what was there to panic about? It wasn't like she was sneaking around behind anyone's back—she was acting openly and honorably!
Right! Open and honorable little Yuriko!!!

"You should worry about yourself first." Seiryo Misao didn't bother to overanalyze her sister's words.
*Keep an eye on the people around you?*
*Did you think I wouldn't know?*
*Isn't that just you? Oh, right, and that stunted Yuriko Ogata.*
What was this? A provocation?
Misao-san could never have imagined that she was surrounded by enemies on all sides.

Upon hearing those words, Kana Terashima felt even more embarrassed to look at Seiryo Misao. Keeping her head down with a flushed face, she drew circles on the ground with the toe of her brown boots, tracing one line after another.

Meanwhile, the race on the screen was drawing to a close, and the situation was becoming clear.
There were only two people in the leading group: Mai Hanai and Haruno Haruno.
Barring any accidents, Class 3 was about to achieve a sweeping victory in this competition, claiming both first and second place in their grade.
The homeroom teacher's perpetually icy face also broke into a rare expression of joy and gratification.
Several teachers stood together, exchanging modest pleasantries.
Only, which one would take first place?

Time ticked by, and the track grew steadily shorter.
Mai Hanai maintained her position at the absolute front, while Haruno Haruno consistently stayed exactly one stride behind, never crossing the boundary by even half a step.
This caused even those who had initially believed in Haruno Haruno to waver.
Perhaps? He wasn't some grand strategist controlling the whole game, but rather his genuine skill was just at that level???
Even Mai Hanai harbored some doubts, though this sensation was utterly exasperating—the helpless feeling of being unable to shake him off no matter what.
A disgustingly clingy pest.
Fortunately, the finish line of victory was right before her eyes.

Haruno Haruno remained unhurried, patiently waiting for an opportunity.
[Event Triggered]
[Deliver a Heavy Blow]
[For your first race, playing the pig to eat the tiger by deliberately holding back has been a massive success. If your plan goes smoothly, not only will you secure the "reward" of five small-foot massages from the two young ladies, but you will also earn a chance to command them both (a chance that can be kept secret from Seiryo Misao) in order to gain even greater benefits. Therefore, you decide:]
[A. Crush the competition with sheer strength and seize victory in one go, enjoying the thrill of absolute dominance. Bring out 100% of your master-level skill and strike terror into everyone's hearts. Quest Reward: Attribute Points +2]
[B. There's no need to display your full strength just to win a race; after all, this is merely a minor grade-level squabble. Stay right behind Mai Hanai, and when there are only fifty meters of the course remaining, launch an overtake to deliver a dual blow to both her race results and her psyche, which might just trigger a special branch storyline? Quest Reward: Unlock Mai Hanai's branch storyline.]
[C. Since the penalty decided by the two of you at the start was already a perk, what harm is there in losing once more? What if the reward is something you'd feel too embarrassed to even ask for if you won? Continue hiding your strength and play the fool all the way to the end. Quest Reward: Acquire Skill: Pig Brain Overload.]
[Skill: Pig Brain Overload: Upon using this skill, the player's brain short-circuits for one hour, reducing intelligence by half while increasing stamina +10.]
[Evaluation: Pig Brain Overload is the ultimate choice for playing dumb and acting foolish. Exchange intelligence for stamina and push the physical body beyond its limits—you deserve it.]

This was the quest panel that the system had refreshed just before the race began. After a brief moment of thought, Haruno Haruno made his choice.
Option C was immediately ruled out. First of all, losing this race was never part of his original plan; besides, what kind of chicken-essence nonsense was this "Pig Brain Overload"? Wasn't this purely designed to disgust him?
No, it was specifically here to torment him. If he learned this skill, he'd probably turn into an actual pig.
As for Option A, while it was quite nice, the quest reward was truly mediocre.
Right now, Attribute Points were the last thing Haruno Haruno lacked.
Only Option B remained. A special route? The last special route he encountered belonged to Mrs. Uehara, so it was worth unlocking to see how things played out.

With a plan in place, Haruno Haruno put it into action.
Nearing the finish line, he kept track of the steps in his mind.
200 meters, 150 meters, 100 meters...
Until Haruno Haruno could clearly see the hair ornament atop Seiryo-san's head, and right beside her...
Excuse me, camera-wielding person, who are you???
Where did my little Yuriko go?

Yuriko Ogata would never let such an opportunity slip by. Lugging her camera like a heavy artillery cannon, she completely obscured her small face behind it, while the sound of "click, click" frantically echoed by her ears.
Seeing this, Haruno Haruno suddenly surged forward with a burst of speed.
Mai Hanai, who had previously felt confident she would secure victory once more, suddenly felt a gust of wind sweep past her—different from the headwinds of wind and snow that resisted progress.
This was a tailwind! Someone behind her was accelerating, and the momentum was fierce!
Knowing instinctively who it was, Mai Hanai gritted her teeth, her speed spiking by another notch!
Still, it wasn't enough!

Haruno Haruno effortlessly glided past Mai Hanai and hurtled toward the finish line just within reach.
By the time Mai Hanai crossed it, Haruno Haruno was already all smiles, sidling up to Seiryo Misao to begin celebrating.
In an instant, Mai Hanai plunged into deep self-doubt. As the wind and snow whipped up her dark hair, she stood frozen in place, utterly dazed...

"Mai, c-con-congratulations on getting second place."
Her good friend Kana Terashima hurried over, offering a forced word of comfort.
Only, the smile on her own face wasn't all that pleasant either; it was rather strained.
Having lost this round, they now owed Haruno Haruno a favor...
Second place—it felt no different from being a loser.

Recovering her wits, Mai Hanai didn't really care about the bet's conditions or anything of the sort; she merely looked at the smug Haruno Haruno over there, a flicker of curiosity crossing her eyes.
"Hahaha, am I awesome or what, Seiryo-san?" Haruno Haruno asked with a grin.
"Mn, very awesome!"
Seiryo Misao nodded, clearly harboring a trace of delight.

Just as Haruno was preparing to strike a super cool pose in front of Yuriko Ogata's camera and brag a little to the beautiful girls,
Haruno Haruno suddenly felt a wave of warmth press against his lips.
"Click!" The camera shutter clicked at that exact moment.
Opening his eyes wide and intending to retaliate as usual, Haruno found that Seiryo Misao had already deftly ducked away.
"This is your reward." Seiryo Misao stood prettily in place, the sunlight bathing her in warmth as everything appeared simply wonderful.

Everyone was happy, save for the little loli, who felt rather depressed.
She stared at the kissing pair captured in her camera's album.
In the photo, the blonde beauty had playfully leaned her upper body forward, pressing her lips to the handsome boy's cheek.
Her lovely eyes were filled with youthful mischief and cleverness, while the handsome, clean-cut boy looked slightly caught off guard.
Against the backdrop of sunlight and trees, everything looked so perfect—so perfect that the composition had captured the contours of their faces in absolute flawlessness.

Aggrieved, depressed, wanting to cry...
Such a beautiful scene, one capable of invoking the imagery of a youthful romantic campus drama—she had captured it herself, yet the female lead wasn't her...
Deeply traumatized, little Yuriko wanted to find a corner and nurse her grief in solitude.
Yet at the ensuing award ceremony, upon laying eyes on the dashing Haruno Haruno once more, she eagerly hoisted her camera and dashed over again.
That appearance made her the spitting image of a dedicated little reporter!!!

In Japanese schools, they didn't hand out participation trophies; the top three were the top three, and everyone else could only hope their posture during the skiing had looked cool enough to catch the eye of some schoolgirl.
Even so, in the grand version of this winter trip, they had already pulled way ahead of the other boys.
She believed that at tomorrow night's bonfire party, she would definitely be able to ask out the girl of her dreams.
Except for... that unfortunate soul Yoji Hiraike...

"How could I have fallen down! And right in front of a whole-grade live stream! I'm completely ruined. I should've just skipped the competition—this is pure negative publicity!"
By evening, inside the wooden cabin,
Yoji Hiraike clutched Kazunaka's torso and wept bitterly.
Indeed, during the afternoon competition, a miscalculation in his movements had caused Yoji Hiraike to tumble several times before finally coming to a halt.
By the time he scrambled back to his feet, he had plunged straight from the second tier to the tail end of the third tier.
The drone had been hovering right above his head at the time, meaning he had completely embarrassed himself in front of everyone...

"It's fine, I'm still here with you!" Kazunaka reached out to pat his good buddy's shoulder in consolation.
Two miserable brothers in distress.
"Kazunaka, when I fell, did I look cool???" Yoji Hiraike suddenly asked.
"Uh..."
This time, Kazunaka didn't quite know how to respond.
Because during the afternoon live stream, Kazunaka's attention had been entirely focused on those warbling, pretty young ladies, only occasionally sparing a passing thought to Hiraike and Haruno's race.
Therefore, had he not heard others mention it afterward, he truly wouldn't have known that his "good brother" Yoji Hiraike had taken a tumble during the event...

Seeing his good buddy's silence, Yoji Hiraike instantly understood, feeling as though his life had turned pitch black.
From now on, his high school career would come with a brand-new label:
*"Look at that guy, he looks so familiar."*
*"Him? He's that guy who fell down and rolled around several times during the skiing competition."*
*"What's his name again?"*
*"No idea..."*

(Two chapters in one)
(End of Chapter)