Meanwhile, the student council president from Minejo clapped his hands to gather everyone who remained, organizing the clean-up efforts.
Chisato, along with four other boys, was assigned to collect the folding chairs. It was physical work, but he didn't mind. What concerned him more was Yukino.
He had thought the ceremony's end meant they were done—he'd totally forgotten about this part.
Given the physical state of Yukino that Chisato had just witnessed, it was doubtful she'd be able to hold out much longer.
Yui, who stood beside her, clearly wanted to speak up. She had just raised her arm to do so when Yukino stopped her and shook her head at her worried friend.
Yukino understood her friend's intentions but still refused to make an exception for herself.
It was exactly the kind of thing that suited her personality.
Chisato felt somewhat reassured when he heard that she would be grouped with fellow club members Yui and Iroha to clean up the stage microphones and sweep the area.
He turned to follow the four boys who had just been called on to put away the folding chairs in the venue.
As a result, the wrap-up work for the sports festival ended up dragging on for nearly three hours.
It was completely dark by the time they finally headed home—well past seven o'clock, with stars scattered across the night sky.
If they had only been tasked with cleaning up the gym, everything would've been finished in just over an hour.
But the real issue was the temporary booths—like the information desk near the school gate, the help stand near the field, and the emergency aid tent set up just in case—that all needed to be dismantled too.
While they were packing up these outdoor setups, they saw one of the school janitors still picking up plastic bottles and trash left behind from the sports day.
Moved by the sight, the group spontaneously assigned more people to help her.
That was how things ended up taking so long.
Originally, the student council presidents from both schools had planned to host a celebration party to mark the festival's success—just a simple dinner at a local restaurant or something.
But it was too late by then. The idea was shelved for now, with plans to reschedule.
After everything was finally done, the students laughed and chatted as they walked toward the school gate.
A few pairs—boys and girls—quietly slipped away from the group to exchange contact info.
After all the teamwork over the past few days, it was no surprise that many hearts had been stirred by a youthful flutter.
There was no shortage of girls who had taken a liking to Chisato.
But the girls from Minejo Academy knew that he rarely showed much interest in other girls, so they tactfully kept their distance.
As for the girls from Soubu High, they noticed how closely Iroha stuck to him, calling him "senpai" with obvious affection.
Not understanding the nature of their relationship, they didn't dare make a move either.
So, his surroundings remained relatively peaceful.
Yukino, on the other hand, equally eye-catching in the crowd, experienced something quite different as they neared the school gate.
Two boys from Minejo Academy each tried to ask for her contact info, but both attempts ended in failure.
Under the amused gazes of the Soubu High boys, the suitors walked away dejected.
One of them even had tears welling up in his eyes. It left everyone wondering—what exactly had Yukino said to make him react like that?
Chisato chatted idly with Iroha, catching the incident with Yukino out of the corner of his eye. For some reason, it made him feel a little uneasy.
He didn't think too much about it, simply unbuttoned his collar to cool down. After all the running around earlier, his body still felt hot.
At the school gate, everyone scattered and waved goodbye.
Yui lucked out—just as she reached the bus stop, a bus that would take her straight home pulled up.
As for Iroha, her father picked her up after work. Just before getting into the car, she insisted that her dad also give Chisato and Yukino a ride.
But both of them politely refused in sync.
At this hour, traffic in Tokyo was at its peak, and since their apartments were in the opposite direction from the Isshiki residence, it didn't feel right to impose.
So in the end, Chisato and Yukino walked together toward the train station.
The situation Chisato had been worried about didn't occur.
Although Yukino looked absolutely exhausted, she was still walking normally—not to the point where she needed to be physically supported.
They exchanged some idle talk about the minor events of the day during the sports festival.
As they were nearing the station entrance, an old Honda sedan suddenly pulled up beside them, blaring its horn.
Chisato instinctively stepped in front of Yukino to shield her.
The car window rolled down to reveal a familiar face.
"Yo!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka had one hand on the wheel and the other raised in a salute, greeting the two with a cheerful smile.
"Don't just stand there—cars can't stop here for long. Hop in. I'll give you a ride home."
Yukino and Chisato exchanged glances before moving toward the curb and getting into the backseat together.
Once she saw through the rearview mirror that they had buckled up, Hiratsuka Shizuka pulled away from the curb.
"Sensei, I don't remember your car being this model."
"Ah, about that... My usual commute car scraped a roadside barrier, so I took it in for repairs. The dealership lent me this one as a temporary replacement."
"Sensei, you need to drive more carefully."
"Hahaha, I know~"
Hiratsuka laughed the comment off with her usual hearty tone.
She already knew where Yukino lived, and she'd also heard from Haruno that Chisato was her little sister's neighbor.
So she didn't need to ask for directions and simply headed straight toward their apartment complex.
"Still, the event today was a big success—and that's largely thanks to how involved you guys were."
"It was… everyone's… hard work…"
Yukino gazed out the window at the passing scenery, her eyelids beginning to droop.
"The principal said they might hold a similar event next year, so they'll probably be counting on your help again."
"Mm…"
"Don't think of it as a hassle. It's actually a good thing.
Experiences like these go on your graduation record and will be helpful when you're job hunting in the future. School activities are part of life too, after all…"
"Sensei."
Chisato gently interrupted her.
Hiratsuka glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Chisato putting a finger to his lips—a quiet shush gesture.
Because at that very moment, Yukino, overwhelmed by exhaustion, had quietly fallen asleep with her head resting on his shoulder.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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