The Heroines Want to Confess.

Chapter 138: Sports Festival – Part One

Friday.

When Sakurai Saki arrived at class, he found that everyone had already changed into their sports uniforms.

From top to bottom, the girls mostly had their hair tied in side ponytails, wore white short-sleeved athletic shirts, with blue long-sleeved jackets over them, and blue athletic shorts that reached the knees.

The boys were dressed similarly.

"Yo, Sakurai, you're late today. Something up?" Kazamatsuri Gou patted him on the shoulder.

Sakurai Saki sighed. "If you went for a stroll through the rainforest right after eating, then did a lap around the Moon in the middle of the night while sleeping, you'd understand why."

He was referring to the side effects from yesterday.

"What the hell? A game?"

"Doraemon's anywhere door," Sakurai Saki replied.

Then, he glanced at the top of the other boy's head.

[Financial Detective's Assistant: Assistant to financial detective Echizen Hajime, possesses exceptional intellect. Attribute: Intelligence +3]

[Brother Complex: Feelings for older brother far exceed the norm. Attribute: Charisma +1]

(Note: ( ˶°ㅁ°) !! )

This was today's superpower.

The potential-unlocking module.

Sakurai Saki liked calling it the Title System.

Its function was very simple: as long as someone was within the range he set, people could receive attribute buffs. At least, for now, that was the only function Sakurai Saki had discovered.

Side effect: Cannot be turned off.

"What kind of weird game are you playing?" Kazamatsuri Gou didn't think much of it. He glanced at the blackboard. "Our class's volleyball match starts at 10. The boys' soccer match starts an hour earlier, and the girls' volleyball preliminaries are at the same time as soccer."

"Some classes didn't even sign up for volleyball. As for soccer, it's rare to gather 11 players. There's plenty of time." Sakurai Saki commented.

"Planning to take first place this time?" Kazamatsuri Gou asked.

"You aiming for second? That'd be embarrassing." Sakurai Saki shot back.

Kazamatsuri Gou: "If you're going to enter, you gotta aim for first!"

"Exactly. Honestly, I'm not that obsessed with winning, I just really don't want to lose."

Sakurai Saki added, "Anyway, talk later. I'm going to go change."

He grabbed his sports uniform and left the classroom.

On the way, Sakurai Saki, having nothing else to do, glanced at the top of the other students' heads again.

[Doglicker: Please, stop licking already. Attribute: Tongue thickness up]

[Literature Girl: The wind sure is noisy today. Attribute: Charisma +1]

[Tsundere: ...]

When he saw the third one, Sakurai Saki lowered his gaze.

Then he found the tsundere classmate—no, he should say, the teaching assistant Shijo-sensei.

"Good morning, Shijo-san."

Shijo Maki had just finished changing into her sports uniform. She turned her head toward the voice. "Huh? Saki-chan? Why haven't you changed yet? The sports festival's starting soon."

"You sure get familiar fast, huh?"

Shijo Maki placed her right hand on her chest and proudly raised her chin: "Just call me Maki, this lady allows you to call my name.."

Maki: <（￣^￣）>

"That failed love story—any progress lately?"

At those words, the confident expression on Shijo Maki's face immediately turned gloomy. She mumbled, "Absolutely no progress at all~"

Still Maki: <(╥‸╥)>

The Shijo Maki's Love Support Committee, formed just last week, had come up with quite a few ideas—but none of them worked!

Thinking about it, the Nakano sisters were all romance amateurs with zero experience. How could they offer useful advice?

And as for Sakurai Saki? He was just a melon-eating bystander enjoying the drama from the sidelines.

"If you're not going to fight for him, just sitting around waiting is pointless, girl." Sakurai Saki sighed.

After saying that, he headed for the changing room. If he'd arrived early, he could've changed in class, but now there was no choice—he had to go down to the first-floor changing room.

Shijo Maki chased after him, flustered. "But Nagisa is my best friend! We've played together since kindergarten—it's been ten years!"

"..." Sakurai Saki turned back to glance at her. "How about we think about it from a different angle? Try fighting Tsubasa for Kashiwagi-san."

"That kind of joke's not funny at all!"

While the two were talking, someone suddenly interrupted——

"Huh? Maki? What are you two talking about?"

Sakurai Saki turned around and saw it was Kashiwagi Nagisa.

The titles above her head appeared as follows——

[Girlfriend of Tanuma Tsubasa: Not sure why this is a potential attribute, but one thing's certain—it overflows with pressure. Attribute: Affection for Shijo Maki +200%]

[Tyrant: Her affection and possessiveness toward Shijo Maki have reached terrifying levels. Wants to make her into someone just like herself. Attribute: Affection for Shijo Maki +300%]

[Yuri: Does not reject yuri-related developments. Attribute: ...]

[Yandere (mild): ...]

(°⌓ °;) Gulp... Sakurai Saki involuntarily swallowed.

He admitted—he was actually scared.

At this moment, Sakurai Saki deeply suspected that the reason she accepted Tanuma Tsubasa's confession was probably to prevent Shijo Maki from being taken by someone else...

Shiver.

Thinking about it gave him chills.

He had scanned so many people, but this was the first time Sakurai Saki had ever been genuinely frightened.

"We were just talking about you, Kashiwagi-san," Sakurai Saki answered her honestly.

Then he noticed the other party gave a bright smile.

"Really?" Kashiwagi Nagisa hugged Shijo Maki. "Maki, you're even bringing me up when talking to Sakurai-san?"

Sakurai Saki saw the affection level for Shijo Maki above her head spike to 600%, and quietly looked away.

Sorry, Maki... I've doomed you.

Today, she was probably going to get entangled with her most psychotic fan.

Originally, Kashiwagi Nagisa, who didn't want Shijo Maki getting close to any boys, now had six times the affection level. Even Sakurai Saki couldn't imagine how that happened.

"H-Help me…" Shijo Maki gasped.

Nagisa today was unusually affectionate.

Terrifying!

Saki-chan, save me!

Sakurai Saki could only shrug helplessly.

"Maki, let's go back together," Kashiwagi Nagisa said as she took Maki's hand, smiled sweetly at Sakurai Saki, then walked off.

The Three: (◠ᴗ◠✿)つ(つᗒᗣᗕ)つ ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)~~~

Sakurai Saki watched their backs as they left and felt a strange warmth in his body.

Gambatte, Maki-chan!

…Let's hope you make it home safe today… with all your body parts intact.

Sakurai Saki put his hands together and silently prayed for that poor tsundere girl for a few seconds, then headed off to change clothes.

(Note: LOL, Nagisa and Maki reminds me of Orion and Artemis in fgo.)

...

After changing, he returned to the classroom.

Hayasaka Ai had already arrived.

Sakurai Saki walked up to her and greeted her.

"Good morning."

Only two titles appeared above her head.

[Official Girlfriend of Sakurai Saki: A maiden blessed by the gods. Attribute: Physical Ability +150%]

…So being his girlfriend came with that kind of power boost?

[Faceless One: Possesses many forms and secrets. Attribute: Cannot be deeply investigated]

For the first time, Sakurai Saki's own superpower was getting in his way.

He had planned to dig up a tiny secret about his girlfriend, but unfortunately—nope. No can do.

But what exactly was she hiding from him?

That said, Sakurai Saki didn't feel like pushing her about it. When the time was right, she'd probably tell him herself. Ai-chan had her secrets, and even lovers should keep a bit of personal space.

"Sakurai-chan~ good morning!" Hayasaka Ai said while leaning in close to him.

...Huh?

It seemed she'd caught a faint scent of another girl on Sakurai Saki's shirt.

Hayasaka: (≖_≖ ✿)

"What's wrong?"

Yesterday, Sakurai Saki went home without washing his uniform, so it still carried a very faint scent of Fujiwara Chika, since they had hugged briefly.

"It's nothing."

Hearing that, Sakurai Saki was slightly confused.