Chapter 31: Class 1-5's Conflict [Commentary by Tanaka, Tendou]
Tanaka "Kousuke-kun! Good work! Could you look over this for me?"
It's been a week since the new term started. Ordinary days as usual. At the end of the month, we've got the sports festival coming up.
So, my best friend Tanaka-kun came over after club and handed me a hard drive.
What's this?
After our seat changes, we decided on various things for the sports festival and club activities started up again—back to our regular routine.
I'm spending my days working hard at both club and studies.
As for Tomonaga-san, she's apparently being kept out of sight with the help of influential classmates so she doesn't stand out.
Her weight isn't dropping as sharply as during summer break, but she's steadily losing more.
Today, too, Tomonaga-san is running alongside the basketball club, supervised by Airi-senpai, or helping out with manager tasks.
And then Tanaka-kun, after handing over the hard drive, whisked Tomonaga-san away.
Is it a regular interview or a boot camp...?
By the way, the film club members are also dieting along with her, so they're all losing weight.
I go home, take a bath, and eat dinner.
While I'm reviewing and prepping for class until 22:00, I remember Tanaka-kun's hard drive.
Maybe I'll watch it before bed.
Thinking that, I hook it up to my PC and check—inside, there's a video file.
??
Class 1-5 Replacement Match
That's the title.
What is this? I open the video file to find out.
Is this the film club's clubroom?
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Occasionally, commentary from Tanaka-kun and the others will be included.
Please be aware.
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Tanaka "Hello, everyone. I'm Tanaka, first-year, your commentator."
Tanaka-kun gives a small bow.
Airi "I'm Tendou, second-year... Tanaka-kun? Are you recording this?"
Tanaka "Yes, just this part. After this, it'll be audio only."
Airi "Eh? I'm not wearing any makeup, and I'm in my tracksuit after club! Don't film me!"
Tanaka "Haha! It's fine, probably only Kousuke-kun will see this."
Airi "!! That's even worse!"
The screen goes dark.
Tanaka "From here on, it's the play-by-play. Class 1-5 is Mishima Satsuki-san's class. She finally became a top girl. But, you know, everyone's looking for a chance to overthrow the order if they get one, lol."
Tanaka-kun... is he having way too much fun?
Here, the screen changes.
A caption says it's after school on the second day of the new term.
The girls are apparently talking about the sports festival they'll decide on tomorrow.
Tanaka-kun, how did you even film this?
There's a noisy crowd of girls gathered.
Satsuki, standing in the center, speaks to everyone,
Satsuki "For the sports festival, let's all wear our headbands like ribbons, matching together, okay? And let's put on matching team color scrunchies to go all out and cute!"
Sounds good! Cute! Matching is great! So flashy-cute!
Voices of agreement continue, but—
?: "Aren't you forgetting about the boys in our class? Wouldn't class T-shirts be better?"
Commentary
Tanaka "All right! First to speak up was Mishima-san! She's claiming the top spot, saying 'With my suggestion, the class policy is decided!' The one who objected is Akino-san! Before summer break, she was the top of the second-tier group thanks to her looks, personality, academics, and sports. Flashy Mishima-san reigns over the class's top clique! Because of things like dating Yamamoto-kun, her flashy appearance, and her social circle, the 1-5 top clique was basically Mishima-san and her Follower faction, but..."
Airi "...Girls, you know, after summer, when they gain some confidence, sometimes they come back so much prettier or totally change their look—they transform."
Tanaka "Exactly. Akino-san is beautiful and well-balanced, but she used to hang back a bit from Mishima-san. But did she grow over the summer? She looks prettier, sexier, and seems more confident than before. She's definitely cuter than before summer!"
Airi "...Mishima-san... this girl is Kousuke-kun's..."
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Akino "It's not just us girls, right? If we're thinking about the class, everyone should wear matching T-shirts, and the girls can match with something else too!"
Ah, I see. If the boys match too, it does make the class feel more unified.
So, the whole class—what about the boys?
Satsuki "Eh? Everyone? I'm talking about the girls, you know? The boys can do their own thing, right? ...Akino, I thought you'd agree with me."
Commentary
Tanaka "Akino-san rejected Mishima-san's idea, using the whole class as her reason."
Airi "...Yeah, she's turning down the idea, but also suggesting the girls match with something else, kind of holding back a little out of consideration for Mishima-san, to see how she'll react. Are they fighting to see who has more influence?"
Tanaka "So it's a battle for influence. That's why they're watching the audience's reaction as they speak? Ah, so Mishima-san's comment about expecting Akino-san to agree is actually peer pressure?"
Airi "It's like saying, 'You're going to go against the top clique?'..."
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Akino "But, you know? My best friend was chosen to be on the sports festival committee yesterday? And the class rep is also my best friend?"
Satsuki "Yeah, it's a whole-school event, so the class has to come together! Let's cooperate!"
Akino "Yeah, yeah! That's right! The execs and class rep have it tough! Everyone, please help out too!"
That's right! Let's show off our unity! Fired up!
Let's do our best!
The others are going along, so it seems like a united class... but.
Commentary
Tanaka "On the surface, it looks like there's no problem..."
Airi "No, that's not it. Mishima-san's top clique is sending a message not to go against them, but Akino-san is saying, 'My group has the class rep and exec committee, so we'll take the lead!' And then Mishima-san rejects that, saying, 'This is a schoolwide event, so your faction doesn't matter.' Akino-san is then appealing, 'But we have the class rep and exec, so we're the real class leaders!'..."
Tanaka "So that's why things are so tense despite the conversation. As expected—girls! So scary!"
Airi "Not all girls are like this, you know..."
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Mishima "Yeah, cooperation! That's important, right? By the way, how was your summer break? I was with my boyfriend the whole time!"
Akino "Oh? I got a boyfriend too!"
Mishima "Oh, really? Since it's you, Akino-san, is he a quiet, gentle guy?"
Akino "Yeah, maybe?"
Mishima "As for my boyfriend? He's a little wild, always going to clubs or night pools, always partying and getting hyped up, so it gets exhausting! Jealous?"
Akino "That sounds tough. My boyfriend's a college student, and he said he's outgrown that stuff! Lately, it's all nighttime drive dates!"
Mishima "!! Really...? A college student?"
Akino "Yep! Driving all the time in that Citroen my parents bought me! He goes to Prefectural National University, so his parents got him a car, but he just uses it for dates!"
Amazing! Citroen? An import? Drive dates...!
So mature! The audience seems to think Akino's boyfriend is winning this round.
Commentary
Airi "Mishima-san switched the topic, right? Since their influence is about the same, she changed it to a battle of who's more popular. So Mishima-san brags about having a boyfriend. Like, 'You know that, right?'"
Tanaka "I see. So Akino-san responds with, 'I've got a boyfriend too.' Is this the confidence you mentioned earlier? Then Mishima-san asks, 'So, Akino-san's boyfriend? Must be a quiet, gentle guy?'"
Airi "Nope, actually Mishima-san is provoking her, like, 'Your boyfriend is probably some dull, plain guy, right?' Then Akino-san affirms it, and Mishima-san pushes harder, going, 'My boyfriend's always partying at clubs and night pools, living the fun life—woohoo!' She tries to win with her popularity, but then—Akino-san's boyfriend is a college student!"
Tanaka "Oh! To us, a college student feels like a step above! Mishima-san's boyfriend now seems like just a kid acting wild!"
Airi "Right? And not just that—the top university in the prefecture, Prefectural National University! Citroen! Nighttime drive dates! Akino-san overwhelms her all at once!"
Tanaka "He goes to a national university! Drives a Citroen bought with his parents' money! That's a real power move! Is this match over?!"
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Mishima "Let's both treasure our boyfriends, okay? Anyway, for the sports festival! Akino, I'll leave it to you! I'll go all out for the culture festival! Let's cooperate!"
Akino "...Yeah, that's fine! Let's all do our best for both the sports festival and the culture festival! Let's get results!"
Yeah! Let's do our best! That's right!
Let's help each other! Fired up! Hyahhaa!
Commentary
Tanaka "Mishima-san is talking about treasuring their boyfriends, but...?"
Airi "She's suggesting they call it a draw, you know? So Akino-san takes the sports festival, Mishima-san takes the culture festival, and they settle it like that. If they don't get results, it's like promising they'll be demoted next term."
Tanaka "Huh? It looked like Mishima-san managed to pull off a draw?"
Airi "For the top clique girls to accept the demands of the second-tier girls and split up the events, it's basically the same as 'losing.' It's like declaring that their positions could be reversed depending on the event results."
Tanaka "It looked like Akino-san was winning... so why did they settle for a compromise with a swap based on next season's results?"
Airi "Even so, the top clique girls are still strong. If Akino-san loses, she's totally overstepping her place! She could drop all the way to the very bottom, not just the second tier. But if the sports festival and culture festival get the same evaluation, the top clique girls' position won't change."
Tanaka "...It's just like a title match where you challenge the boxing champion, right? All that talk about working together and cooperating is just empty formalities..."
Airi "But you know, from what I've heard? Normally, Mishima-san's advantage shouldn't change because of her looks, connections, and boyfriend, so it really felt like she was the one making a concession."
Tanaka "Ah, that's because Mishima Satsuki-san got failing grades in three subjects and her summer remedial classes dragged on, but then she brought up summer break herself, so if that got pointed out, she'd lose! I think she panicked about that."
Airi "!!! Three failing subjects... that's fatal... If Akino-san had known, it would've been an instant shutout victory..."
Tanaka "Maybe Akino-san didn't imagine it was that bad either? The top clique girl swap match will be decided at the fall events! For now, Mishima Satsuki barely survived! The outlook for next season is looking stormy! And with that, this was Tanaka from the film club bringing you the live commentary."
Airi "And Tendou, basketball club manager, signing off♪"
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What was that? What did I just watch?
I really don't understand Tanaka-kun lately...!
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That was a bit of a different episode.
While cleaning up my HDD, I found some old recordings of martial arts I forgot to delete, and suddenly I just wanted to write something this silly (lol)
I regret it.