Game Developer in the World of Anime

Since it was the day of the Sports Festival, there were no classes. After gathering briefly in the classroom, homeroom teacher Shizuka Hiratsuka gave everyone a rundown of the key things to watch out for during the event. Once that was done, she sent everyone off to change into their gym uniforms and head to the field for the opening ceremony.

The girls headed to the locker room to change, but the boys—as usual—just changed right there in the classroom.

Taking off his shirt, Ichin glanced at the event schedule placed on his desk and nodded.

"100-meter sprint is at 10 a.m.—should be over quickly. Then I can just relax and be a spectator."

Just as he was about to grab his gym uniform, a few boys immediately crowded around him.

"No way—Ichin, your muscles look that good?"

"You've been secretly training?!"

Seeing everyone gathering around, Ichin tugged at the corner of his mouth in mild discomfort. He quickly pulled on his shirt and replied,

"Not really training, just regular daily exercise. Between schoolwork and my job, I've got a lot on my plate. I don't want to start falling apart physically while I'm still this young."

He looked around the room at his classmates, a faint smile on his face.

"Don't just focus on me—most of you guys really should work out more. I mean, compared to that delicate pretty-boy vibe, being a bit stronger gives girls more of a sense of security."

Having said that, he picked up his phone and walked out of the classroom, leaving behind a room full of awkwardly silent guys.

"Ah! Hurry up! The opening ceremony's starting!"

Snapping out of it, the boys all scrambled to get dressed. But as they changed, they couldn't help but glance at one another, then compare themselves to Ichin—and the contrast was just too harsh.

"…Should we maybe start training too? Not for attention from girls or anything… just to get healthier."

"Yeah, same here. Health comes first."

"Let's find a sports club after this!"

---

On the sports field, the students quickly lined up in their designated formations. After the principal gave a speech that dragged on for several minutes, the Spring Sports Festival officially began.

Finding Utaha, Ichin walked with her to the viewing stands. Together with their classmates, they sat down to watch the upcoming 50-meter sprint.

Honestly, either one of them showing up alone would've been enough to attract attention. But now that Toyogasaki's most well-known couple had arrived together, they were practically glowing with presence—their ability to draw stares had at least doubled.

That said, neither Ichin nor Utaha seemed to mind. As long as no one bothered them directly, they could easily ignore the stares.

Sitting beside her with their fingers intertwined, Ichin looked toward the track where the freshmen boys were warming up.

"So it's first-year boys and girls first, then second-year, right?" he asked.

Utaha nodded, then scanned the area. She pointed toward the 2 o'clock direction and said,

"Over there—Yukino and Eriri."

Following her gaze, Ichin spotted Yukino stretching and warming up, while Eriri stood nearby acting as her support—holding a towel and a bottle of water.

Since Yukino had events to participate in today, she'd tied her hair up in a neat high ponytail instead of leaving it down. The new look gave her a sharp, athletic vibe.

Ichin stroked his chin thoughtfully as he watched her for a few seconds. Then he glanced at Utaha beside him and finally said,

"Still think she looks better with her hair down."

Utaha gave him a knowing smile and teased,

"Even if you say that, you're not getting a reward. There are too many people around."

"What about when we get home?"

"Hmm… I'll consider it."

Their carefree flirting made all the girls sitting nearby start rubbing their arms from secondhand embarrassment.

Numb… I've got goosebumps.

Even the class rep, who was sitting right behind them, was blushing as she joined in,

"Ichin-kun, Kasumigaoka-san, could I ask you two to tone it down a little while we're at school? Spare a thought for us lonely singles, please!"

"Yeah, exactly! The class rep is right!"

"No more public displays of affection!"

Ever since Utaha had started dating Ichin, the aloof aura that used to make people hesitate to approach her had gradually softened. She'd become much closer with the other girls in class, to the point that they now felt comfortable joking around with her.

Ichin and Utaha exchanged a glance before he lifted her hand and gave it a little swing, showing off the matching rings on their fingers.

"It might look like flirting to you guys, but for Utaha and me, this is just part of our everyday life. No need to be jealous. Who knows, once you find boyfriends, you might end up doing things way more daring than us."

After all, the most they ever did in public was hold hands. Nothing beyond that.

Utaha agreed, nodding thoughtfully.

"That's right. Honestly, I never imagined I'd change this much. And for you girls, who knows—you might end up being even bolder than me. So do your best! I hope I get to see something fun from you all before we graduate."

"Ugh… falling in love is so hard…"

"Yeah, the guys around here are just… not it."

"Ichin-kun, do you know any other cute guys? Mind introducing us?"

Ichin smiled and shook his head.

"Sorry, I really don't."

"No way! We don't believe that!"

"It's true," Utaha chimed in with a playful smile.

"All the people around Ichin are girls. All kinds of girls, too. If you're not that picky about gender, though, I could introduce you to a few options."

Just as she said that, Utaha's phone rang.

She glanced at the screen and her face lit up with surprise and delight. She immediately stood up and said,

"Ichin, my mom just arrived! I'm going to the front gate to meet her!"

"Huh? Auntie came? Didn't she say she wasn't coming?"

Ichin stood up too, surprised.

Utaha quickly waved him down and gently pushed him back into his seat.

"No need, no need! Just hold our seats for now. I'll be right back!"

With that, she hurried off the stands and dashed toward the school gate.

Watching her go, Ichin felt a little suspicious.

Something felt off… like she was hiding something from him.

But the sprint event was just about to begin, so he shook the thought from his mind and focused on the track instead.

It was a rare chance to watch a school sports festival, and there were plenty of fun events lined up—especially the object-carrying race in the afternoon, and of course, the three-legged race that Eriri was participating in. It was turning out to be way more interesting than he had expected.

---

Meanwhile, at the school gate, Utaha had just arrived.

As the Sports Festival progressed, more and more parents were arriving. However, for them to enter the school grounds, they still needed a student's signature.

Utaha quickly spotted her mom—and standing beside her was someone she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Mom, Auntie!"

Utaha's mom was chatting with Ichin's mom while they waited. When she saw her daughter running over, she happily opened her arms and pulled Utaha into a warm hug.

...

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