I returned to the girls and we continued to eat lunch as we watched some wannabe illusionist, Uryouku Chouno. Yeah this guy too really pisses me off. The guy knows he's not cut out for street magic but stupidly refuses to heed advice and dumps all his wealth into it. Well that's Kusuo's problem anyways.
After lunch break, it was time for the second half of the sports festival. The second half began with the tug-of-war.
Since there were five teams and two were needed in each match, it was decided that a free pass would be handed out to one class for the first round of the game by picking lots and that the losing classes will battle it out and the loser automatically becomes last place.
The leaders of each class was called forward and were present with an opaque box containing 5 folded pieces of papers. Four of them had numbers from 1 to 4 written on them and the final one had free written on it. The leaders took turns taking a piece of paper from the box. They then unfolded their paper and submitted it to the host.
Class 1 pulled the number 2, Class 2 pulled the free pass, Class 3 pulled the number 3, Class 4 pulled the number 1 and Class 5 pulled the number 4.
The first match was between Class 3 and Class 4. The participants of both classes took to the field on opposite sides of the robe. The referee blew his whistle to signal the start of the game. The two classes were locked in a fierce stalemate.
"Squat and lean back. Squat and lean back" Hairo, leader of Class 3, screamed out as he pulled on the robe. Unlike in canon, they didn't have it easy with Kusuo being absent. After an arduous battle, Class 3 finally came out on top as the winners.
The following match was between Class 1 and Class 5. We headed onto the field and took our positions at either sides of the rope. Without suspense Class 1 won the match.
Now it was time for the losers bracket. Class 4 versus Class 5 was underway. The match was a tough one as you could see the veins bulging on the arms of the participants from both classes as they gritted their teeth.
Unfortunately a chubby guy from Class 4 slipped and pulled down the entire Class 5 with him making Class 4 the winners . Class 5 was immediately relegated to last place.
The next match was between Class 2 and Class 4. Class 2 won the match. Next Class 1 completed with Class 3. Class 1 came out victorious.
Then came the match between Class 3 and Class 4 to determine third place. Class 3 won the match by benching Kaido.
Finally it was time for the finals, Class 1 versus Class 2. Well like you'd guess, with a cheat like me in the match, Class 1 won without suspense.
Other games went on until finally the sports festival came to a successful end with the final positions for the class being, Class 1 in first place, Class 4 in second place, Class 2 in third place, Class 3 in fourth place and Class 5 in fifth place.
After the sports festival, I went home with Kusuo's parents. There I told Kusuo about stuff he misses but according to him he still caught some part of the second half with Clairvoyance.
.....
In another part of the town, in a fancy bar, two extremely beautiful women sat face to face in a private room. One of the women had dark blue hair while the other's was blonde.
Soft music played in the background, the evening sun casting long shadows across the wooden table.
The blonde haired beauty sat there quietly, fingers wrapped around a cup of coffee that had long gone cold.
Across from her sat her senpai.
A woman a few years older than her who already had a sixteen year old child as her last born.
"…You look terrible," the senpai said gently.
She forced a weak laugh.
"I deserve worse."
The senpai didn't interrupt. She waited.
And eventually, the words began spilling out.
"I hurt him."
Her fingers tightened around the cup.
"I always thought he'd stay. No matter what."
"En-kun?" the senpai asked carefully.
She nodded.
"He… always looked at me like I was the most important person in the world. I knew it."
Her lips trembled.
"And I used it."
Silence.
"I leaned on him whenever I felt lonely. I called him whenever I needed comfort. I expected him to drop everything for me." Her voice cracked. "And he did."
The senpai's gaze softened.
"Did you ever ask what he wanted?"
She shook her head slowly.
"No."
Her breathing grew uneven.
"I never thought about how he felt. I never wondered if it hurt him. I just assumed… he'd be fine with anything. Because he loved me."
Tears formed in her eyes.
"When he finally said he wanted things to go back to being a normal family… I was angry."
"Angry?" the senpai repeated.
"Yes. I thought he was abandoning me." She laughed bitterly. "The irony."
She wiped her eyes quickly.
"I was the one who never considered his feelings. I kept taking. And taking. And taking."
The senpai leaned forward slightly.
"And now?"
She stared at the table.
"Now the house feels empty."
Her voice grew small.
"He barely talks to me. Just simple greetings. 'Good morning.' 'I'll be late.' 'Dinner's in the fridge.'"
Her fingers trembled.
"He doesn't look at me the same way anymore."
That was the part that broke her.
"That warmth in his eyes… it's gone."
The senpai remained silent.
Letting her confront it.
"I thought I was in control," she whispered.
"I thought as long as I kept him close, everything would stay the same."
She clenched her fists.
"But the moment he stepped away… I realized I was the one who couldn't breathe."
The room felt heavier.
"I feel guilty," she continued. "Not because he left. But because I didn't understand him while he was there."
Her voice lowered to almost nothing.
"I never once asked him what he needed from me."
The senpai finally spoke.
"And what do you feel now?"
She closed her eyes.
"…I think I'm in love with him."
The words felt fragile.
"I didn't realize it before. I thought I just liked having him around. I thought it was normal."
She swallowed.
"But when he stopped choosing me… it felt like something inside me shattered."
The senpai studied her carefully.
"Do you love him," she asked softly, "or do you miss being loved by him?"
The question struck like lightning.
She froze.
Her breath caught.
"I…"
She couldn't answer.
Tears slid down quietly.
"I don't know."
That uncertainty hurt more than anything.
"I don't even know if I deserve to figure it out."
The senpai reached across the table and placed a hand over hers.
"Regret is painful," she said calmly. "But it means you're finally seeing clearly."
She sniffed.
"But what if it's too late?"
The senpai gave a small smile.
"Then your job isn't to win him back."
Silence.
"You can't undo the past. But you can stop repeating it."
Her shoulders shook slightly.
"I don't want to use him anymore."
"Good."
"I don't want to be selfish anymore."
"Good."
She wiped her tears, inhaling deeply.
"But I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"That if I try to talk to him… he won't listen."
The senpai's expression softened further.
"Then you accept that. And you respect it. Though if I know my En-kun, he would definitely stay and listen to what you have to say."
The words were gentle, but firm.
"Love isn't possession. And it isn't entitlement."
The girl nodded slowly.
Her heart felt raw.
"But for the first time," she whispered, "I'm thinking about his feelings instead of my own."
The senpai smiled faintly.
"Then you've already taken your first step."
The sun outside had nearly set. She stared at her reflection in the window. For the first time, she didn't see someone in control. She saw someone who had taken love for granted.
And was now learning what it meant to lose it.