Chapter 240: A Surprise Prepared for Ishigami Yu

Resting his chin on his hand and half-leaning on his desk, Tooru glanced sideways at Miyahito, who was leaning against his desk, especially focusing on his best friend's tightly buttoned collar, his gaze incredibly strange.

Then, he looked down at his own collar, where the first and second buttons were unbuttoned, and spoke to Miyahito with an indescribable expression.

"Is it really necessary? It's only a little cooler now than it was in the summer."

"Mind your own business."

Shooting an exasperated glance at Tooru, Miyahito unnaturally scratched the collar of his neck, loosened it slightly, and asked.

"Are you going later?"

"....Mm."

Hearing this somewhat baffling question from Miyahito, Tooru showed a hint of hesitation on his face, and replied cautiously and somewhat hesitantly.

"Will it be a hassle?"

"There's no such thing as a hassle," Miyahito shrugged nonchalantly. "It's pretty much the same as our sports festival."

"In principle, Shuchiin only allows family members to visit the school, but if we're accompanied by a friend, there won't be any problem for us outsiders to get in."

"Besides, I've been going to Shuchiin almost every day recently. I've already built a good relationship with the security guard. I can take you in without needing Yu or Miyuki-nii to come pick us up."

Hearing his best friend from the same class nonchalantly claim he even knew the security guards of another school, Tooru once again updated his mental ceiling for Miyahito's social skills.

It was only because he knew that this classmate, whose social circle was ridiculously large and could practically be said to have friends everywhere, was a genuine guy with a girlfriend.

Otherwise... even a social butterfly wouldn't be this ridiculous, okay...

However, back to the main topic.

"In that case, I don't mind," Tooru said, looking at Miyahito with an innocent expression.

"By the way, are you sure we won't bother Yu? Didn't you say he joined the sports festival support group?"

"Relax, relax." Miyahito looked completely confident, laughing heartily as he patted Tooru's shoulder. "What do you mean 'bother'? Even if the two of us go, what can he do about it?"

...Hey, hey, is it really necessary to be so domineering?

Opening and closing his dry lips several times as if wanting to say something but stopping, Tooru let out a helpless sigh and said, "Alright, let's go then."

"OK." Getting the answer, Miyahito immediately took out his phone from his pocket, opened a website Tooru was very familiar with, and started operating on it.

Seeing this, Tooru curiously leaned over, watching what his best friend was doing while voicing his confusion.

"What are you buying on Amazon?"

"Going to prepare a little surprise for Lord Ishigami." Miyahito turned his head, looking at Tooru, whose expression was gradually becoming speechless, with a brilliant smile. "This is his first time participating in the sports festival. If we don't give him some unforgettable memories, don't you think it's unjustifiable for us to be such good bros?"

...When you can say the word 'good bros' with a straight face, can you please not look at him with such sincere, sunny eyes?

His already dwindling conscience was starting to ache.

"Just in case you didn't know." Suddenly remembering, the Toyogasaki sports festival was also about due... normally, it would be held about half a month after Shuchiin's sports festival ended.

"I think it's necessary to remind you of the date of our school's sports festival."

Looking up at Tooru, who had his arms crossed and looked like he was watching some stupid joke, Miyahito, knowing what he wanted to say, replied lightly.

"And then?"

Ugh... there's no way to reply to that!

"Enough with the nonsense, come look at how this banner design looks."

Tooru looked speechlessly at Miyahito, whose expression was subtly excited, and then at the rough banner design drawn on the software in his hand.

Fastest! Quickest! Strongest! — The Strongest Man on Earth! Ishigami Yu!

Staring in dumbfounded shock at these cringe-inducing words on the banner, Tooru decisively refused on his behalf.

"Don't drag me into this. Something that embarrassing... you go hang it yourself."

"Eh? Is it really that embarrassing?" Feeling discouraged, Miyahito withdrew his hand in disappointment, one hand stroking his chin while the other held the phone, looking at the slogan he had come up with.

After thinking for a moment, he tried to persuade Tooru again.

"Isn't it pretty good?"

"No way. Just thinking about holding up such a banner under the watchful eyes of everyone is basically torture to my dignity, the kind that's absolutely insane."

"But, you don't know anyone at Shuchiin..."

"That's still a no. What if some cute girl thinks I'm cool at that moment? Then I'd be ruined!"

"Heh, wake up! Save the sleep-talking for when you're actually asleep."

"Y-y-y-you!"

"Stop with the 'yous'. Just say it directly. Do you or do you not want to see Yu so embarrassed he'd want to dig a hole and bury himself?"

"....No."

"I'd believe you if you were a bit more firm. Hey, what's the big deal? Put on a mask, change your clothes, who's going to know it's you?"

"..."

"Just this once."

"Ugh... guys being tsundere is so disgusting, I'm getting goosebumps."

Just as the annoyed and flustered Tooru, who had been rejected, was about to engage in a one-sided "friendly exchange" with the disdainful and disgusted Miyahito.

Ding-dong—!

The first preparatory bell for class ruthlessly interrupted the one-sided beating about to unfold in Class B.

Watching the classmates one by one packing up their things, seemingly preparing to change classrooms for the next lesson, Miyahito looked at Tooru, who was also busy rummaging through his things beside him, with an expression of confusion and bewilderment, and asked.

"Do we have to change classrooms for the next period?"

Hearing this question, Tooru stopped his actions speechlessly, looked up at the clueless Miyahito, and replied exasperatedly.

"Are you still not awake? We have PE class next, why would we change classrooms? Hurry up, grab your clothes and let's go to the locker room!"

"I heard we're testing the men's 800m and women's 400m times later, so we need to hurry to the track field to prepare."

Oh, so it's PE class.

Wait, we have to run the 800m later? Aaaah, what a hassle.

Just as Miyahito was feeling annoyed about the upcoming PE test, his peripheral vision inadvertently caught sight of his shoulder, and he froze.

PE class — changing clothes — the sports uniform has unbuttoned collars, and the neckline is very loose — the hickey on his neck.....

It's going to be discovered!!!

"What are you spacing out for? Hurry up, Miyahito."

"Ah, yeah, coming right now!"

A while later.

"Hmm? Miyahito, why is there a bruise-like mark on your shoulder?"

"N-n-no... nothing, I accidentally bumped into something last night."

"A bruise from an accidental bump? And on the collarbone? Wait... the shape of that mark...."

"..."

"Tsk, tsk, you really know how to play, huh?"

"Mr. Ishikawa Tooru, if you make that expression again, I guarantee I'll beat you to a pulp later."