Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

July.

The uniforms have completely changed to summer clothes, and the regular exams and ability assessments are over. Then, within half a month, the summer vacation begins.

At Shibahou Academy, a [Lost Item] training institution located in the Tama area of Tokyo, the mood is changing in preparation for a school event to be held just before the end of the school year.

Then one day, at the weekly LHR.

「...That's why. This is the time to decide on the teams for next week's sports festival」

He's tall. He has some muscle, and his face is rather handsome. But the atmosphere he wore was strangely frivolous, which ruined many things.

His name is Maisaka Shuu.

He is the class president of Class 1C. Since there is no vice-president due to the number of students, he takes care of all the chores in the class.

「So, please write the events on the blackboard, and I'll fill them in with my own recommendations」

With that said, he turned around and looked behind him, where a tall boy was holding a printout and chalking steadily. It was Kamishiro Yuuki, who had been assigned as secretary because he was nearby.

Kamishiro is a typical physical type, and his performance in classroom lessons is not good. However, his handwriting is easy to read and neat, probably because of his straightforward personality.

「So, if there is any event you want to play, please raise your hand」

「Yes」

「Oh, immediately, you're up for it. Where's the guy who raised his hand... Oh, Kamishiro. Then write it down where you want. The others, please」

Usually, sports festivals are held in the spring or autumn to avoid the hot season, but at Shibahou, the festival is held in July every year, just before the summer vacation, for various reasons.

One reason is that, due to the nature of the school, the event involves the use of abilities.

Since a number of students get injured every year, it is preferable to hold the event before the summer break so that it does not interfere with classes.

The other reason is that it is a vertical team competition that exceeds the boundaries of grades.

So, the first-year students will be competing with upperclassmen, therefore, if the event is held too early, many students will not be familiar with their abilities and will not be able to fully enjoy the event. Thus, it is difficult to hold the event before June, when regular exams and ability assesments are held.

The second semester is excluded because of the school festival, and the third semester is too cold, so this time is chosen by elimination. As a result, the Gymnasium was often used as a place to test one's strength or to improve one's performance after the first ability assessment of the school year.

Students who are confident in their physical strength or have useful abilities are the most enthusiastic.

However, since the results of each event lead to the team's score, the other students also put in a lot of effort.

Well, each student has a slightly different vector to aim for.

「...Well then」

For Izumi Chihiro, a D-ranked student with the ability to read minds and sleep enhancement, the sports festival is an important event. That is, in the sense of not dragging down his allies as much as possible.

He now stared at the blackboard from his seat at the end of the classroom, near the window, and thought about what he should join.

Handicap and steeplechase events are rejected, relays are out of the question, scavenger hunts are a little better, but more subtle, and bread eating contests are rejected because the tallest students won.

It seems that there are too many events to run in the national sports festival.

Chihiro's ability can't be utilized in a simple competitive event. In a purely physical competition, he is even less confident.

...perhaps it would be safer to run for tug of war or ball game.

Both of them are competitions in which a large number of people participate, and it is relatively difficult to be influenced by an individual's physical strength.

As Chihiro was about to raise his hand, another student raised his hand a moment earlier.

A girl with dyed blond hair that intentionally bounced. Her natural hair is gradually showing at the roots, and recently she has been seriously considering whether to dye it again. She wears a short-sleeved blouse and a light skirt, which suits her well in summer.

Here she is, Nishizaki Riko, who spoke at Maisaka's request.

「I'm applying for the ball game」

「Okay. ...Oh, so the ball game is filled now」

Chihiro's decision came a little too late.

And his shoulders slump. But what's decided can't be helped, and Riko's illusionary ability could be used for something in the ball game. She is certainly the right person for the job.

And when Chihiro was about to raise again, someone raised a hand again.

「Yes, Fukami-san」

「Tug of war, please」

「Okay. Tug of war is full, too」

Really, he was interrupted by an outstretched white hand.

The student sitting next to Chihiro, a girl with attractive proportions, but who showed no interest in romance, was Fukami Maria.

She glanced at Chihiro and expressed her gratitude in her eyes. Chihiro replied with a slight shake of his head and returned his attention to the blackboard.