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V6 Chapter 2: A Truly Fair Competition
🕑 Added 2025-06-27 13:46:01 +0000 UTCMaybe it was the atmosphere of the upcoming cultural festival, but time seemed to slip by especially fast.
Every day when the 3 p.m. bell rang, it signaled the start of that laid-back afterschool freedom for Haneoka High students.
Many of them would head off to their club activities. Naturally, there were also those in the "go-home" club who would hang out with friends in town until dinner before heading back.
And then, there were the special cases.
Take Kazami Haru, for example: a guy who had to work part-time jobs just to stay afloat. If there wasn't band practice or anything urgent, he always headed to the café.
So the moment the bell rang, and with his bag already packed, he stood up without hesitation and made for the door.
But just then, something unexpected happened nearby.
Bocchi, who had been slumped over her desk with her soul halfway out of her body, suddenly leapt to her feet and quickly caught up with him. Even the usually slow little penguin sprang up in a rush, falling in step with Bocchi as they both trailed after Haru.
Haru, with his bag in hand, blinked in surprise and couldn't help but ask, "What's going on? You two coming with me today?"
Pink-haired Hitori Gotoh nodded rapidly, so forcefully it looked like she might summon a gust of wind.
Still standing in place, she stole a glance toward the front of the classroom from the corner of her eye, then quietly moved closer to Haru and whispered in a nervous tone:
"K-Kita-chan and Anon-chan just messaged me in the Line group... They said we need to talk about the school festival stuff, so today's guitar practice is canceled…"
School festival planning?
Haru looked subtly toward Kita Ikuyo, who was supposed to be heading to practice with Bocchi. But there she was, firmly planted in her seat with no intention of moving.
Anon Chihaya had just gotten out of class and was already making her way over to Kita. That's when it hit him that during class, they'd both been staring at the blackboard, but their hands beneath the desk had been furiously tapping away at their phones.
Wait. Something feels off.
"What do you mean, 'Line group'? You made a secret group without me?"
Hitori Gotoh started trembling all over.
Oh no. She'd let it slip!
The look in Haru's dark eyes, cold and sharp, was like that of a judge high on the dais, ready to deliver a verdict, and little Shimokitazawa no-tsuchinoko shrank into a lamb laid out on the butcher's block.
If she so much as made a wrong move, she'd be reduced to dust in a blink.
"Uh, um…"
Under Haru's pointed gaze, cold sweat soaked her back instantly. Even her pale forehead, hidden beneath her long bangs, was drenched.
What do I do, what do I do, what do I do…
At this point, she was stuck. There was no way someone as sharp as Haru wouldn't catch the slip-up, but there was also no way she could just admit it now.
If Haru found out she'd gone behind his back like this…
He'd definitely hate her!
Just as Bocchi's soul began floating out of her body, Ikuyo tugged anxiously on Haru's sleeve.
"…Haru! I wrote some lyrics recently. Can you look at them for me later?"
"You wrote lyrics?"
That seemed to distract him, at least a little.
Taking advantage of the opening, Ikuyo shot Bocchi a frantic glance. Even a panicking little no-tsuchinoko knew this was her chance, so she shakily pulled out her lyrics notebook to shift the topic.
Unbeknownst to them, their little act was playing out right under Haru's nose.
"…"
He gave the two of them a strange look.
In truth, Haru had already figured they probably had a secret chat group.
It made sense. With him around, there were definitely things they felt they couldn't say. So he chose to go along with their clumsy attempt to change the subject, stepping down the little ladder they'd offered him.
Of course, he wasn't about to interrogate them about what they were whispering behind his back.
...
From the back of the classroom, Chihaya Anon let out a deep sigh of relief once she saw the three of them leave. Like an unsealed Exodia, she finally relaxed for now, at least, she didn't want Haru to notice too much.
Not far away, Kita Ikuyo was waving goodbye to a friend with a beaming smile like sunlight. Once the coast was clear, she and Anon shared a glance of perfect mutual understanding.
Ikuyo, with a sweet smile blooming at the corners of her lips, opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Anon, whose raised eyebrow gave away her annoyance.
"Kita, you're still going to pretend you don't like Haru?"
"That's right. I like him."
The once-timid Kita Ikuyo lifted her clear yellow-green eyes, meeting Anon's gaze without an ounce of fear. Honestly, they had both known the truth for a while.
This was just Kita formally declaring war.
"I knew it…"
Anon leaned back in disbelief, her expression darkening.
So Soyo was right after all. The one who looked the most cheerful and innocent, without a trace of romantic ambition, was hiding the deepest game.
That red-haired fox always trying to jump the gun!
Seriously, why do all the foxes come after my boyfriend?
"…Even if we're friends, Kita-chan, I'm not backing down when it comes to Haru!"
"Kita-chan, are you saying… you want a fair fight?"
Fair competition?
Chihaya Anon had heard that phrase more than once.
Back then, she and Nagasaki Soyo had made a pact not to "jump the gun", but it turned out neither of them ever intended to honor it in the first place. So in the end, so-called "fair competition" felt about as futile as Yamcha trying to fight Vegeta.
"Hearing those words come out of your mouth doesn't exactly inspire confidence, Kita-chan."
Anon slowly arched a brow, her voice tinged with sarcasm and disbelief.
"I…"
Even the bright and cheerful Kita Ikuyo could only lower her head, cheeks glowing red. With skin as thin as paper, she nervously twirled a lock of her fiery red hair, eyes flicking away from Anon's gaze.
She knew it all too well, she had been underhanded.
She liked Haru, yet she hadn't had the courage to say it out loud. Instead, she'd been inching closer to him from the shadows, little by little. It was the behavior of someone underhanded, no doubt about it.
But things were different now.
The Kita Ikuyo standing here had made up her mind. She was ready to put everything on the line.
She drew a deep breath and spoke with unwavering resolve.
"I love Haru, more than anyone else ever could!"
"Anon-chan… this time, let's settle it fair and square!"
Her yellow-green eyes blazed with conviction. The usually radiant, cheerful, picture-perfect Kita Ikuyo now revealed a side Anon had never seen before.
That fierce, unshakable look made Anon involuntarily step back.
"B-but if you suddenly say 'fair and square'… what exactly do you mean?"
"We're both on the school festival committee. During those three days, the only time we might get a proper break is during the bonfire night… Don't tell me you're planning to ask Haru to dance?"
"Of course not."
Kita shook her head gently, taking another deep breath.
A soft, glowing smile spread across her face, warming everything around her. Her brilliant red hair, draped over her shoulders, swayed gently in the breeze from the open window.
In that moment, she seemed to release all the energy and charm of her youth, her vibrant aura so bright it was hard to even look at her directly.
And then, with that dazzling smile, she declared:
"We'll settle this through our bands!"
"B-bands?"
Anon blinked in surprise at the word, and then her eyes widened as realization struck.
She was no fool, of course she understood what Kita meant.
After all, both Kessoku Band and MyGO!!!!! had debuted as new bands from the same generation.
And the person responsible for composing their music and playing keyboard in both groups was the same, Kazami Haru. That meant their songs were on equal footing in terms of quality, and neither side would have an advantage on stage.
Using their bands to settle things... really was the fairest way.
"Of course, if you're not up for it, Anon-chan, we could find another way."
"Either way, I'm not backing down."
Kita's eyes burned with purpose. That surging passion of hers felt undeniably real and to Anon, there was no doubt that Kita's love for Haru was as genuine as it could get.
Maybe… not even weaker than her own, as the official girlfriend?
"If this is the fairest way to decide things, then why would I turn it down?"
When it came to her love for Haru, her passion... There was no way she would ever lose.
"My feelings for Haru are more serious than anyone's! I'll prove it with this!"
"No way! I'm the one who's more serious!"
"That's not true!"
Kita Ikuyo puffed out her cheeks in protest as she snapped at Chihaya Anon. Naturally, Anon didn't take that lying down. The two of them kept bickering for quite a while, only stopping once they both ran out of breath.
With her throat parched from all the talking, Anon grabbed her water bottle and chugged it down in one go.
"Phew... So if we're settling this with our bands, we'll be performing in the main hall during the culture festival?"
"Exactly! As long as we submit a 'personal performance application,' we can get on stage in the auditorium. And once we're up there, we'll be part of the vote for Best Activity…"
As soon as Anon heard the word "vote" from Kita's mouth, her doubtful expression cleared. So the winner between the two bands would be decided by the number of votes they earned from the audience.
Whoever could win more hearts would win the battle.
But if it was a competition, there had to be something at stake, right?
"If I lose, I'll give up on chasing Haru."
Kita's words came calmly, hands still wrapped around her water bottle. Her voice was so even, so composed, that Anon snapped her head up in shock. That disbelief in her eyes showed just how rattled she was.
This Kita Ikuyo, who had just been overflowing with love, now saying she'd give up that easily, it didn't even seem like the same person.
Anon hadn't expected her to make such a bold declaration. If she lost, all her efforts and feelings up until now would be wasted.
"Better to retreat than be reckless", that idea didn't apply to Kita Ikuyo at all. She looked like a bright, easygoing girl who loved helping others, but she was anything but passive. When she found her chance, she'd strike without hesitation.
That fiery optimism of hers was both her greatest strength… and her biggest weakness.
"All I want is for Haru to be happy. Even if the one standing beside him in the end… isn't me."
Kita rubbed the tips of her hair, eyes closed gently as if lost in a certain memory.
Then she gave her head a small shake, and when she opened her eyes again, they were steadier than before.
"What about you, Anon?"
"I…"
Even someone as composed as Anon was shaken by such a serious wager.
Because if she lost, it meant walking away from Haru completely. Under Kita's unwavering gaze, she felt herself start to squirm, but she also felt an unwillingness bubbling up inside. How could Kita say such things with such certainty?
Even Anon could see it now, Kita's feelings for Haru weren't any weaker than her own.
Neither of them wanted to let go of Kazami Haru.
But if Kita could bet everything so fearlessly, how could Anon, who believed her own feelings ran deeper, back down now?
Anon took a long, steady breath. Like she had just made a massive internal decision, she clenched her fist tight and raised her crystal-gray eyes, full of determination.
Matching Kita's fierce energy, she pronounced each word clearly:
"If I lose, I'll walk away from Haru too."
"Then it's a deal!"
If either of them lost, it would all be over.
…
Kazami Haru, for his part, was hardly living a carefree life.
Juggling responsibilities across three bands was more than most people could imagine.
On top of that, he still worked part-time jobs to make ends meet. If it weren't for the recent 2M he'd gotten from simulating performances, even someone with [Endurance Lv. 5] might've buckled under the pressure.
Physical resilience couldn't shield the mind from exhaustion.
Now that he'd decided to take on Yamada Ryo head-on, Haru knew he needed to prove he had the skills to match that ambition and the first step was freeing himself financially.
After all, someone like Ryo (who spent recklessly) needed a partner who could keep up.
"Looks like I've got to rely on art… or music?"
With [Music Theory Lv. 4] and [Legendary Art Lv. 5], becoming a successful artist or musician was just a matter of time and effort for Haru.
But if he wanted to raise his "value" fast, he needed to decide whether to specialize.
Or maybe… he could choose both?
As he mulled it over, he absently took the black hair tie from his wrist between his teeth, slipping out of his school uniform. Then, without hurry, he reached up and gathered his dark hair behind his head, tying it into a neat, practical ponytail.
His smooth movements caught the eye of Togawa Sakiko nearby. She couldn't help but glance his way a few times, cheeks slowly reddening before she turned back to her work in a fluster.
When Haru noticed and glanced over, she quickly pretended nothing had happened and resumed making coffee with a cool, practiced air.
What're you looking at? If you've got a crush, Sakiko, just say so.
"…Haru, try this."
Sakiko suddenly spoke, sliding a steaming cup of mocha across the counter toward him. After all this time working here, her skills as a barista had grown more than anyone expected.
Even Haru, her so-called "senpai," raised his eyebrows after taking a sip. A flicker of surprise passed through his dark eyes.
That aroma… it tasted almost exactly like something he would make.
Sakiko tilted her head, puzzled. She worried she might've messed something up, so she asked nervously, "What is it? Did I do something wrong?"
Haru furrowed his brows and put on a serious look. His voice was slow, laced with mock suspicion.
"Sakiko… why are you being so nice to me?"
But someone who knew him as well as she did could easily read the teasing in his tone. Her pale, delicate face flushed pink, and she puffed up her cheeks in mock irritation.
She didn't get the chance to respond before something interrupted them:
"Kazami-kun, can you come here for a second?"
It was the voice of the middle-aged store manager.
Normally she was never around, always vanishing off somewhere. But today, she suddenly showed up at the shop and, looking unusually serious, called Haru over. Something about it made Sakiko glance toward him, visibly nervous.
"I'll head over. I'll come back for the coffee later."
Noticing her unease, Haru gave a small, reassuring smile as he gently set the steaming mocha on the counter and walked toward the manager.
He'd barely taken a seat before he could even say anything when the manager, sipping her own coffee, gave him a meaningful nod.
"I'm thinking… how about leaving this whole shop in your hands?"
