It has been three days since the Erabareshimono no Kyousou draw. During this period, classes had become increasingly intense, at least judging by everyone else's attitude.

  We were catching up on classes that couldn't be held last week because of the Recruitment Festival.

  Many people thought they could avoid it, but life wasn't that easy... I should probably do as they do and take notes in class for once.

  As I was lost in thought, Kaede Mikagura, our homeroom and history teacher, slapped her palm on Ry?ko's desk, seated right beside me.

  "R-y?-ko! No sleeping in class!"

  The accused didn't even jump in her seat; she slowly looked up at her teacher's furious gaze and smiled faintly.

  "Hm... Sensei, I value honesty a lot, you see. So if your classes are boring, I can't pretend otherwise. I'm too dead to pay attention..."

  "Huh? So it's my fault now?"

  Ry?ko nodded before resting her head back on her arms, clasped on her desk.

  I doubt she realized what she just said. Ry?ko values honesty, sure, but let's hope that Kaede-sensei does the same.

  Kaede-sensei turned around and walked back to the podium. He set down the book she'd been holding and looked at us.

  "Listen, my role as a teacher is to facilitate your success with all the knowledge I can teach you. I know that many people are like Ry?ko, uninterested in classes or focused solely on the tournament. But don't forget that classes are important, so that even after achieving your dream, you can have a decent life in this world. Take every class seriously."

  Afterward, she turned her back on us and continued writing down important points on the whiteboard. And the class remained silent not only during that lesson but throughout the entire morning. Kaede-sensei did a great job after all.

  *

  At lunch break, we gathered around Ry?ko's desk as usual. She had her head resting on her desk.

  "I'm soooo tired, with yesterday's training, I don't have any energy for all the classes..."

  "That was predictable. Did you really think that high school was only about fighting?"

  Ry?ko nodded.

  "You seem to handle it pretty well, Harumaki-san." Y?suke said, "Even while planning our training sessions."

  "It's not that impressive; besides, we're still at the basics, so it's not that difficult. On top of that, you'll have to push yourself, even if you get used to it: the training will get harder and harder."

  Ry?ko's head shot up from her desk.

  "I'm looking forward to it, Newbie!"

  I don't know if Ry?ko realizes it, but classes will get harder, too. I can't tell her that when she has such a radiant smile.

  "Speaking of training... Today is my turn, right?"

  "Yes. What time would suit you best, Odogiri-san?"

  Akira looked away from his phone. "Y?suke, don't you have basketball training today?"

  "I do. That's no problem, right, Harumaki-san?"

  "Not at all. I'll just have to reduce the intensity of your workouts so that you can keep up physically."

  "You'd do that for me? I'm really grateful, Harumaki-san."

  It's not much, but judging by his reaction, he really loves basketball. I have no right to forbid him, even if it might cause problems. I'll figure something out.

  "Meet me in gymnasium No. 1, then. Around 5p.m."

  On that note, we resumed our lunch. And the day passed calmly, except for Ry?ko, who had to take supplementary lessons with Kaede-sensei.

  While waiting for Y?suke, I headed to the rooftop, and on the way, I bumped into Inugami Tsubaki. We stared at each other silently before she broke the silence.

  "Why d'you keep staring at me without saying anything?"

  "Because you're doing the same."

  Inugami sighed. I looked at her phone, she still had her accessory, but not the one I'd given her. I guess she wasn't much of a fan after all.

  "What's your deal now?"

  "I was just thinking," I pointed at her phone. "You didn't keep the thing I gave you."

  Tsubaki walked past me without meeting my eyes again. I managed to hear the last words she mumbled under her breath.

  "Of course not."

  Hm... I thought I made someone's day, but it turned out pretty poorly.

  *

  I went to the gymnasium a little earlier. I was curious about how Y?suke played basketball. As I headed there, the being within my mind, Himeguro, started talking with me.

  "Narukami High School, Gymnasium No. 1. Isn't it impressive that this school has multiple gymnasiums?"

  "This school is one of the most prestigious in Japan. All high ups wants to enroll their children here, not only for their children's success but also to win favor with the Narukami clan."

  "This isn't surprising, especially given the Narukami clan's influence in Japan. Young Rachel will need to have nerves of steel if she wants to survive in this jungle and, above all, learn to distinguish truth from lies."

  In the middle of my discussion with Himeguro, I arrived at the gymnasium. The players ran intensely after every loose ball, as if it were a real match. Meanwhile, their coach called out instructions from the sideline.

  A familiar face got the ball, Odogiri Y?suke. He dribbled past the opposing player with ease before driving down the lane for a shot. With a quick sidestep, he dodged a second opponent.

  Y?suke then waved his hand, putting a teammate behind him in motion. As another defender took the bait, Y?suke went up for the shot but tripped, sending the ball over the backboard. Then came the final whistle.

  "Ah! So close!"

  "You'll get it next time, Odogiri!"

  Almost everyone gathered around Y?suke to cheer him up, except for one person. He raised his voice.

  "Oi! Odogiri! I set you up perfectly, how can you miss such an easy shot?"

  "Ah." Y?suke bowed deeply, almost touching his knees. "I'm sorry, Sumiyaka-senpai! I should have been up to the task!"

  "Tsk! You keep repeating the same mistakes; at the crucial moment, you'd better not screw up like this."

  The tension eased when Sumiyaka left the gym, slamming the door behind him. And at the same time, Y?suke finally noticed my presence.

  "Has Harumaki-san been here long? I didn't think you'd arrive before our meeting time."

  I waved my hand. "I wanted to see how you played, and I must say," I pointed in the direction Sumiyaka had left, "I agree with that guy. When you repeat the same mistake several times, it shows a lack of focus."

  Y?suke scratched the back of his head. "I guess you're right."

  "Don't take it too hard on yourself, though. You've done everything else right, and once the final details are in place, you'll be even better."

  I pointed back at the entrance.

  "I'll wait for you outside."

  I bowed to the other members and left.

  *

  It didn't take long for Y?suke to join me.

  We headed to a park near his place. Since it was dusk, only a few people were around, most of them walking their dogs.

  We settled onto a patch of grass near a small pond. At my request, Y?suke had kept his sports uniform on.

  "Are we training here?"

  "Yep."

  "Oh? I thought we weren't allowed to use our Kikai in public without authorization."

  "We aren't."

  I pulled out a notebook from my bag. Y?suke looked at me with a confused expression but kept his usual laid-back demeanor. Then he struck a pose like a male idol.

  "I see, so that's Odogiri-san's fighting stance."

  I pretended to write something down in my notebook. Y?suke laughed softly, covering his mouth with his hand.

  "Hahaha! How am I supposed to tell you're joking when you say it with that face!"

  "Odogiri-san's good at figuring out people, after all. Now, regarding the training. I'm gonna show you drills that you'll reproduce a hundred times each. Just some basic stuff."

  Y?suke's eyes widened slightly, and he tilted his head.

  "For real?"

  "For real, for real. There are ten of them in total, and since you already had your basketball training, the ten-kilometer warm-up won't be necessary. Five will be enough. After that, we'll do some strategy talk, okay?"

  "Five, huh? Nah, let's go with ten. If your training made Ry?ko so tired, I wanna have the full thing too."

  As I thought, Y?suke was really invested in the tournament. He was ready to push his body beyond his limits; that was a good thing. I'll be careful not to make him overdo it.

  "Let's start then, Odogiri-san."

  "Bring it on!"

  *

  Three hours later, we finished the training. Y?suke lay on the ground, out of breath and spent, beneath the soft moonlight.

  "Odogiri-san, are you dead?"

  "Hehe. I still got one or two years, I'd say."

  Y?suke's joke came out between ragged breaths. The training went well, the only issue being his lack of stamina at the end. He still managed to do a little better than Ry?ko anyway, and that deserved praise.

  "What time is it...?"

  "8 p.m. Do you have plans tonight?"

  He nodded. "Yeah, I have to visit someone. Do you want to come with me?"

  "Where?"

  Y?suke stood up with a jump. He stretched before looking at me.

  "At my place!"

  *

  Y?suke lived in Shirokanedai, just a few stops from Narukami High School. The houses were bigger here, and there was a literal forest nearby, as well. This place kinda screams wealth at every turn.

  "You live in a nice area," I observed, my gaze wandering around.

  "I sure do, but it's a bit stiff for me. I'm not into the rich vibe, actually. I can't complain about being from a wealthy family, though. That'd be disrespectful."

  Y?suke turned a corner, taking me deeper into the residential block. And soon we arrived in front of the most normal house I'd seen since we got here.

  "Here we are."

  I said "most normal," but the house itself was still modern and big, especially by Tokyo standards. A garden and a mechanical front gate, I might be entering a palace.

  "My parents aren't at home, so don't worry about being too polite."

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  As the gate buzzed open, I realized that Mister Hiyori was really trying hard in his normal family roleplay back in Kyoto.

  We went inside the Genkan and removed our shoes. There were many pairs on the shelves, but three of them were lined up now that we'd arrived.

  "I have four siblings, our eldest's name is Hagimura, she's currently on a trip. As for the youngest, Kisuke, he's probably with my parents right now. I also have another big brother, S?suke, who is probably out as well."

  He guided me upstairs, and on the wall hung several frames of Y?suke and his family. I could recognize him and his elder sister. And with their heights, his older brother and little brother.

  There was a last person he didn't name, his fourth sibling, and most likely his second-oldest brother. They looked like opposites. He seemed gloomier than the rest, and he smiled only in one of the eight photos.

  "Harumaki-san, do you mind if we take a shower?"

  "No... Wait...? We?" I said, tilting my head.

  We were already in front of the bathroom when he said that. He put his arm on my shoulder and flashed a wide smile.

  "Yes, we!"

  *

  The bathroom was large, even though it had one shower and one bathtub. All the space between them kinda felt like a waste.

  The air was still humid, carrying a faint scent of lemon shampoo.

  "Wanna use the shower first? I will wash your back if you want."

  I could use my telekinesis, but... "If you want, I don't mind."

  "Eh...? You know, Akira actually refused the first time I asked him. His face was red like a tomato, it was hilarious!"

  The conversation shifted to Y?suke explaining Akira's first visit, from the shower to the moment when he felt awkward about them sleeping in the same room.

  While Y?suke told his story and scrubbed my back, I stared ahead blankly. It was actually the first time I'd been to a male friend's house, in a way. Yet it seemed perfectly normal to me, even though we'd only reconnected recently.

  ... Our first meeting... At the ICONOS photoshoot...

  "Odogiri-san, why were you at that photoshoot? Two years ago... when we met for the first time."

  Y?suke didn't answer right away; instead, he turned on the shower. The water cascaded over me, washing away the soap.

  Then, naturally, I gave my place to Y?suke so he could take a shower. I could see doubt on his face as he looked down at the floor. And finally, he spoke again.

  "I planned on telling you the moment I suggested we go to my house. But even now I feel hesitant..."

  "You... you don't have to tell me. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

  Y?suke shook his head. "It's okay... I just need to gather some courage."

  After several shaky breaths, Y?suke looked up at my reflection in the mirror in front of us.

  "I was at that photoshoot because I was a trainee in an idol agency. They planned on making me the new rising star of the group, so they asked if I'd be in the photoshoot as a 'surprise guest' alongside a real member of the group."

  "I see..." Himeguro commented, "That Y?suke boy, he wasn't alone that day. Just like you, his sibling was with him, and I guess you can figure out who that is."

  His fourth brother, and the one he didn't name... Y?suke didn't continue his story right away. We just got into the bathtub, which had room for more than two people. Rich people sure know how to waste money, huh?

  We went out shortly after and dressed. Y?suke was still dead silent. He guided me to the room at the end of the long corridor. The door had a nameplate on it: Odogiri Yusuke.

  "It's my last sibling's room... he's also the person who was originally invited to the photoshoot."

  He opened the door gently, revealing a room that was anything but ordinary. It was full of hospital equipment, a doctor's desk strewn with prescriptions and sheets of heart-rate readings. And at the end of the room, a person sat on a hospital bed, head turned toward the window. He didn't even react to our presence.

  "Good evening, Yusuke Onii-san..."

  "..."

  Y?suke joined him at the side of his bed. He looked at the bedside table, which held open medicines and empty plates.

  "Yusuke Onii-san already had his dinner, I see. Sorry, I couldn't get home early to bring it to you."

  "..."

  "Actually... I didn't come alone. Do you remember the kid who made me smile the day of the ICONOS photoshoot? We're actually friends now, that's crazy, don't you think?"

  "..."

  Y?suke looked back at me, gesturing for me to say hello.

  "Good evening, my name is Harumaki Yuuki. It's a pleasure to meet you, Odogiri Yusuke-san."

  "... Yuuki..."

  Yusuke turned his head silently to look at me.

  "The kid... How have you been...?"

  "Good... Since then, I started doing things I actually liked, and thanks to Y?suke-san, I'm having a fun high school debut."

  "Y?suke...? Who is Y?suke...?"

  That sentence seemed to pierce Y?suke's heart, yet he kept a smile on his face, as if he were used to it.

  "Yusuke Onii-san actually can't hear my voice. And he doesn't recognize me either."

  Y?suke looked at his brother, who met his gaze.

  "Who are you?"

  Y?suke cleared the bedside table and walked toward the door where I was still standing.

  "We had an accident... Yusuke Onii-san protected me, and now he's in this condition because of me."

  We left the room, walked downstairs, and headed to the kitchen. Y?suke loaded the plates into the dishwasher and tossed the empty medicine packages in the trash.

  "My parents work at a talent agency for young idols. And my brother was one of their main stars while still being a high school student. Yusuke Onii-san was dazzling onstage, with a bright smile on his face; even though he wasn't actually like that offstage, it still felt so natural. He made me admire idols so much that I wanted to become one too. I passed the agency's tests and became a trainee. At just thirteen, I was already being called Yusuke Onii-san's successor."

  Y?suke gripped the counter's edge tighter. He kept his face down, the faint smile on his lips fading away.

  "I liked it, being compared to the person I admired. Dancing alongside him was my dream. But... The agency wanted me to take his place. They wanted to create a better Yusuke with me, even if it meant tossing him away completely. And at the photoshoot, it was the last straw."

  "At that time, they officially announced you as the 'new' Yusuke."

  Y?suke nodded.

  "I had no idea... They told me that I'd have a photoshoot with my brother, but I didn't know it was an announcement. Apparently, my brother was aware of it, too, and regardless, he trained for several hours even when he wasn't supposed to. All Yusuke Onii-san wanted was for me to smile because... I had the greatest smile he'd ever seen."

  Y?suke's face was covered with tears streaming down his cheeks and falling to the floor. His hands were shaking, and his voice was nothing like his usual carefree tone.

  "Because of me... he lost his dream... he can't even leave the house because of the accident... Yusuke Onii-san... lost everything and it's all my fault..."

  "Odogiri-san... He—I"

  "So I refused to join the agency, because being an idol meant nothing without Yusuke Onii-san. And when I discovered Ry?kowas planning to enter the Erabareshimono no Kyousou, I realized why I was given a Kikai. To protect my brother's dream!"

  Y?suke looked up at me. His tears had already stopped flowing, and his gaze carried all his determination.

  "Harumaki-san, I want to become strong, so my brother won't have to protect me anymore! Please, help me achieve that!!"

  Y?suke held out his hand, bowing intently.

  "Kids these days, all they think about is being heroes or something like that. What's your answer, Yuuki-kun? He's waiting for you."

  In response, I held out my fist to Odogiri-san. "That's been the plan from the beginning. You can count on me, Odogiri-san."

  For the first time, Y?suke's face appeared overexcited, somewhat like Ry?ko's. He flashed me his best smile, the most natural and sincere I'd seen in a long time.

  "There's also one thing about the basketball club."

  "Hm... Like I said this morning, you can still take part. I'll just adapt."

  "No, it's not about that. You remember Sumiyaka-senpai, right? He is in Watanabe-senpai's team. I want to face him—I want to be his opponent in the first round, please!"

  "Is that so? I don't know about his abilities, so I don't know if it's a good idea, but... I may fight him if you want. Odogiri-san has his chance, I think."

  Y?suke beamed again. He grabbed both my hands.

  "Harumaki-san, thanks a lot!! You're the best!!"

  *

  We talked for a while longer before I left. Now alone in the streets, I began to think back on today's events.

  "There was more behind his smile than the normal eye could see. He is an admirable kid."

  "Yeah..."

  "He is, but you didn't have to accept that request. What if that guy is stronger than him?"

  "Then we'll lose one point."

  "Don't you mind it? It reduces your chances of victory."

  "It's alright. With the mercy rule. As long as we win one point, it should be fine."

  //Mercy rule: If the losing team has at least won twenty percent of their matches, and their captain defeats the opposing captain, they may challenge all victorious opponents in succession (without healing between matches). The captain’s win does not count toward the mercy rule except when the team consists of only one member. //

  "Oh? That rule? So you think one of them will win her fight no matter what? Is it..."

  "Tsukishima Mori. She'll win. If I do my part right, the point I need every time."

  Tsukishima Mori, I still don't know how strong you are. But the feeling I had on the day of the draw, the hidden glow in your eyes... There is something behind it. I planned your training last for the same reason. I want to see how high I can take you.

  To be continued...