CH 227

Chiaki looked at Mika searchingly.

“Alright, I suppose I can accept this.” Her tone of voice returned to normal. “Since you’ve said all this, I won’t pry anymore. It’s just that when you’re ready to say it, you should tell me… tell us.”

“Okay.” Mika nodded.

The conflict between friends disappeared just like that.

‘No,’ Seiji thought, ‘there was no conflict to begin with. It was simply youth.’

Then, the three of them reached their class, helped open the temporary confectionery store, and then went together to the school entrance to wait.

Before long, they saw Mayuzumi and Saki.

“Good morning, Sensei…” When Seiji greeted the manga author, he noticed that something was wrong.

Mayuzumi’s complexion didn’t seem so great.

Seiji could tell that it wasn’t due to the crowd. There must be some other reason…

“Sensei… your condition doesn’t seem so good?”

“I… I’m fine.” Mayuzumi smiled faintly. “I just didn’t sleep very well last night.”

Seiji shot an inquistive look at the editor.

“She definitely didn’t sleep well. I tried convincing her to rest at home today, but she insisted on coming,” said Saki, sighing.

“Today’s the last day after all, and I had lots of fun on the last two days. I’m sure I’ll have fun today as well,” said Mayuzumi before looking at the girl that she didn’t recognize.

“This is Mika Uehara, another one of my friends and classmates.” Seiji introduced Mika to Mayuzumi.

Mayuzumi greeted Mika politely, while Mika returned the popular manga author’s greeting nervously. Then, Seiji also introduced Mika to Editor Yoshizawa, and the two of them exchanged greetings as well.

And so, the extravagant five-person team was created.

“Seigo, with four beautiful women accompanying you, don’t you think your life is rather brilliant?” Chiaki asked flirtatiously.

“Of course, I feel that I’ve already surpassed the mortal realm and become a saint, so please address me as the four-winged archangel.” Seiji made a magnificently pretentious pose.

“Four-winged archangel… why’s that?”

“All of you are my wings!”

Mika, Mayuzumi, and Saki were rendered speechless.

Chiaki broke out into laughter at this. “What the hell’s with wings!? Which anime did you steal that line from?”

“It came from my soul.”

“Who the hell would believe that!?”

Mika and Mayuzumi smiled as they watched Seiji and Chiaki clowning around and exchanging banter. Even Saki allowed herself a small grin.

Their team’s atmosphere soon became lively as they visited the various stands and stores together.

Then, it was time for the school festival’s greatest event for the final day: the “Field Battle” was about to start!

In the Field Battle, all the teachers and students in the entire school would participate together with the large number of visitors in a huge, chaotic battle… whoops, that was of course impossible.

In the laser tag game, the participants would be split into two teams: red or blue. The red team would face the blue team, with twenty players on each side. Victory would be achieved once one side defeated all members of the opposing side. If the battle hadn’t concluded after fifteen minutes, the side with more members remaining would be declared the victors.

The “dead” members of the victorious side would receive prizes, while the “survivors” would proceed to the next round. The greatest prize would be awarded if you managed to “survive” three rounds.

The more rounds you “survived,” the better the final prize would be. There would be three rounds in total.

The battle was to take place in the gymnasium, which had been modified for this activity. Everyone could only take part by exchanging emblems received from the festival activities for entry tickets and items necessary for battle. Of course, it was also possible to directly purchase tickets and items, but that was rather expensive.

Mika and Chiaki hadn’t participated in yesterday’s activities, so they had no emblems to exchange for tickets. However, Chiaki was rich, so she directly purchased two tickets for herself and Mika.

And so, the five of them banded together, forming a small team. They were about to draw for which color team they’d be on, when a girl approached Seiji.

It was Kaho Miyamoto.

“H-Harano-san…” She had worked up all her courage to finally approach and talk to him as she felt this was the last chance during the festival. “I-I also want to join this game… Can… can I play together with you?”

She was stuttering badly, looking around everywhere, and sweating profusely.

‘I’ll probably be rejected…’ Kaho thought to herself with zero self-confidence.

Actually, she had wanted to speak with him yesterday, but Seigo Harano had several beauties accompanying him, so she didn’t have any chances to speak to him… no, it should be said that she didn’t have the courage to speak to him.

After noticing that he intended to join this laser tag activity, Kaho felt that this was her final—and only—chance.

‘I’ll grasp this opportunity! I’ll join his team, so I can speak to him a little…’ She had this small hope in her heart.

“Miyamoto-san…” Seiji was rather surprised. He didn’t expect that this female classmate of his would come talk to him of her own volition.

Then, he started smiling.

“Of course, come join our team!”

‘He accepted… He said yes!’ Kaho’s heartbeat rapidly quickened.

She could literally hear her own heartbeat right now. Her body was hot, her face was burning, and her mind was empty.

By the time she regained her senses, she discovered that she was already a part of his team and was standing together with him.

This was just like a dream to her.

‘Am I actually still sleeping on my bed at home?’ Kaho wondered that to herself.

But Harano-san’s figure, smile, and words… were all so clear.

This was all real!

It didn’t take much time to incorporate Kaho into their team.

Mika and Chiaki didn’t have anything against this classmate of theirs, nor did Mayuzumi or Saki mind adding one extra person. So just a few short introductions were in order.

The five-person team became a six-person team.

Seiji was voted to be their team representative to pick a random side for them.

When he went and drew lots, he received the blue side.

And so, their six-person team was added to the blue side. Together with fourteen other participants, they faced the red team.

The standard equipment for all the participants were helmets, vests, and protective gear. As for their guns—laser guns, of course—they could exchange for various types depending on their emblems.

Seiji, Mayuzumi, and Mika exchanged for assault rifle laser guns.

Chiaki, Saki, and Kaho exchanged for sniper laser guns.

Apart from guns, they could also exchange for walkie-talkies (cell phones were forbidden), grenades (light effects only), extra ammunition (yes, even their laser guns imitated real guns and required ammunition), medicine, and other such items. There was a limit to all their items, and nobody would be allowed to restock on any items once the game started.

Seiji and all his team members exchanged for walkie-talkies, and everyone made their own decisions about the other items.

After they fully equipped themselves, everyone seemed like they were prepared for battle.

Of course, the most eye-catching person of them all was Seiji.

After someone as tall and handsome as him was fully clad in military gear and stood in front of everyone, he looked so cool that he could definitely be the model for an advertisement!

Not only were his five wings… whoops, five female teammates rather stunned when they saw him, the other female blue-team members’ eyes were shining as well.

The male blue-team members were rather unhappy about this.

Luckily, friendly fire was turned off on everyone’s laser guns for this fight, otherwise Seiji might have been ambushed by his own team…

After both sides finished preparing their items, they entered the gymnasium.

The large gymnasium had purposefully been remodeled by paper, wooden, and steel structures into a complex terrain. Judging from the map provided, there were narrow passages, normal rooms, and high spots suitable for sniping from… it seemed all rather professional.

During their preparation time before the game’s official start.

“I have experience playing this type of game, so let me be the commander,” said a male blue-team member confidently. “Everyone listen to my orders.”

“What? Why you? I’ve played this type of game before as well,” protested another blue-team member.

“I’ve played it before too, and I’ve been the commander! Let me lead!”

“You’ve been a commander? Look at how noobish you look—you can’t even hold your gun correctly, so you must be making things up!”

The blue team instantly began arguing with each other.

It was the boys that were arguing. It was obvious that they each wanted to be the leader so that they could look cool in front of their female companions. Seiji frowned upon seeing this sight.

“Seigo, what do you think?” Chiaki asked.

“I think that no matter which of them leads, it wouldn’t be a good idea,” Seiji answered.

“I agree.” Saki’s voice was rather cold in tone. “I feel that we should move by ourselves instead of relying on those people.”

The editor’s suggestion was instantly agreed upon by all six of them.

None of the six had ever played laser tag before… as the only boy, Seiji was unanimously voted their team captain by all the girls.

“I shall do my best to help everyone ‘survive.’” Seiji lifted his laser gun. “First… let’s find a good location.”

He took his team and led them away from the other blue team members.

Not long after, the preparation time ended.

The whistle blew, signifying the start of the battle!