On the day the joint sports festival began, the sky was cloudless and the sun shone brightly. The temperature had warmed up, and the sunshine felt cozy and pleasant on the skin.
This perfect weather greatly boosted the enthusiasm of students from both campuses.
Chisato didn't participate in any sports events. As someone without any responsibilities, he should've been wandering around the university campus, cheering on the student athletes.
However, the student in charge of broadcasting suddenly came down with a sore throat and couldn't do the job.
So, Chisato, the otherwise idle one, was suddenly remembered and shoved into the role.
"It's no big deal—just simple stuff. After the event starts, just listen to the live reports from other helpers through the earpiece.
Announce into the mic which student placed where in each event. The rest of the time, play some upbeat music to keep the atmosphere lively," said Fukube Satoshi, who had found Chisato and, without giving him a chance to refuse, slapped a red armband on him and started dragging him toward the broadcast room.
"Here, take this headset. If you've got questions, ask your broadcast partner. Contact me anytime. Good luck!"
After delivering these instructions and dropping him off, Fukube Satoshi closed the door behind him and left with a meaningful smile on his face.
"Hello hello—!"
There was only one person who would greet someone in such a quirky way—Yui.
Today, she was wearing her distinctive bun hairstyle again. Combined with her cheerful, outgoing personality, it was impossible for anyone to feel annoyed with her.
Chisato, brought to the broadcast room by Fukube, gave a small wave in return. After some light chatting, his eyes shifted to another person in the room.
"Can't believe they got senpai to help out... Looking forward to working with you," said Iroha, who was also there.
She was sitting properly in front of the broadcasting console with headphones on, her big eyes blinking adorably.
"Yeah, same here. I don't think I'll be much help, but feel free to boss me around if you need anything."
Chisato sat down in the empty seat beside Iroha.
To him, the university's broadcasting system wasn't too complicated.
After all, he had his own recording booth. While working at STARRY Hall and in the Touma family's basement, he had seen and operated similar equipment.
So, even though this was a last-minute replacement job, he was confident he could handle it. Still, one thing bothered him.
Fukube had claimed that someone got sick, which was why Chisato had to step in—but on the way over, he had asked about the sick student's name.
Fukube dodged the question with a suspicious attitude. It made him wonder if that excuse was real or just a setup.
Maybe that "sick student" never existed.
But now that he was here, there wasn't much point in overthinking it.
Besides, the weather outside—while nice and sunny—still couldn't beat the comfort of the indoor heating.
So, Chisato leaned back in his chair lazily and assisted Iroha as needed, occasionally making announcements. With his skills, this job was a breeze.
It was during this time that Chisato discovered another of Iroha's talents—maybe even a gift.
Her voice, soft and sweet, was perfect for broadcasting.
As she sat with a smile, reading aloud the handwritten notes recorded by Yui, her tone had a captivating charm that made people like her instinctively.
A cute high school girl, sweet, affectionate, and with a voice as pleasant as a nightingale.
Thoughts like that floated into his mind on their own.
But those feelings were fleeting—just simple admiration. His gaze never lingered too long or became inappropriate.
In short, everything in the broadcast room went smoothly over the next two hours.
Then noon arrived.
The joint sports festival was still going strong, but since it was nearly lunchtime, most events paused.
Those that continued were mostly finishing up. After a short break, everything would resume in the afternoon.
The students—and even the event staff managing order and logistics—got to rest.
But not the broadcasting team. Someone had to stay on duty at all times.
Aside from live commentary for sports matches, there were also occasional instances where a student would come here to report a lost item or ask for help finding a missing person through a broadcast announcement.
With all that considered, and seeing that it was now lunchtime, Iroha very considerately let Yui and Chisato take a break, telling them to come back in forty minutes to switch with her.
Yui tried to decline a bit but was eventually persuaded by her underclassman.
Accepting the offer, she stretched her arms in a big yawn, said goodbye to the other two, and left the broadcast room first after arranging when to return.
Left behind, Chisato removed his headset and looked at Iroha's focused expression as she read the announcements, feeling genuinely pleased.
He truly felt that what he had said to Iroha before had finally had an effect.
She had really understood his words and let go of her previous feelings toward him. She had genuinely started to move forward.
The conclusive evidence that gave him this feeling was the fact that, throughout the morning as they worked together, Iroha behaved completely naturally—there wasn't a single vague or suggestive word or action from her like before.
Because Iroha was speaking into the microphone, Chisato didn't greet her aloud like Yui had done when he left.
He simply pointed to the door with a finger to indicate that he was heading out first. Iroha returned a sweet smile and waved lightly at him.
Utaha had gone to Fukuoka for her graduation trip, so during the time she wasn't around, Chisato rarely brought a lunchbox from home.
Not because he couldn't cook, but because he didn't want to bother making one just for himself—it just felt like too much hassle.
So once again, he headed to the on-campus shop.
On the way, he ran into Student Council President Meguri and Yukino. He greeted them briefly when they passed each other.
"Ah, Suzumiya-kun, I've been meaning to thank you properly—thank you so much! If it weren't for the sponsored prizes you secured, today's event wouldn't have been nearly as fun for everyone."
President Meguri seemed rather excited. It appeared the event's turnout had met or even exceeded her expectations.
"Ah, you don't need to thank me so formally. I just did what I was supposed to do…"
While replying, Chisato's gaze shifted toward Yukino.
His neighbor still maintained her usual beautiful appearance.
Like everyone else working at the event, she was dressed in an advertising outfit, yet she still somehow carried herself with grace and composure despite the outfit's slightly ridiculous design.
One couldn't help but wonder if she looked good in literally anything. That kind of talent was just unfair.
However, her expression today was slightly different than usual—less cold, more serious, and there was a faint exhaustion between her brows.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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