“From this moment onward, we will now conduct the Class Replacement Match between First-Year Class 2 and First-Year Class 3.”

As Isshiki, the Student Council President, clad in a white stand-collar uniform, declared loudly from atop the outdoor stage, fireworks burst into the sky.

“Oooh. It’s my first time seeing it in person, but this is pretty grand.”

Just like in the game, the class-versus-class match is regarded by Honey Academy as a core event, one the school places enormous importance on.

Honey Academy prides itself on being a system where students compete with one another in order to ascend to greater heights as refined ladies, which is why a generous budget is allocated to it, resulting in this festival-like spectacle.

“We feel our resolve tightening as well.”

Tatara-hama, watching the opening of the class match beside me, looked just as fired up.

“Everyone, gather up for a moment. Class 2, assemble!”

““““Yes!!””””

At Class Representative Tatara-hama’s call, the girls gathered into a circle and I looked over their faces one by one.

There was a confidence visible in them, the kind that comes from having pushed themselves to the absolute limit without compromise—an unshakable belief that there was no way they could lose.

Their bearing was different.

“You all really did an amazing job getting this far. I love everyone in Class 2. So go win. When you get back, I’ll give you head pats, then we’ll have a celebration.”

“Yesss!”

“We’re gonna win!!”

Mm.

Outstanding unity and morale.

The class match really does get people fired up.

Feeling that there was nothing to worry about, I headed toward the spectator stands.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Oh, Haruto. You came to watch.”

“Yeah.”

When I went to the boys-only spectator seating, Haruto greeted me, so I sat down next to him.

“Ena-san, you’re on guard duty? Thanks for your hard work.”

“You’re welcome…”

Even though it’s called a boys-only spectator section, guards are allowed in as a special exception.

Still, as usual, Ena-san seemed to be taking all the work upon herself.

Maybe later I should give her some advice through her close friend Arasaki-san.

“By the way, the Class 3 boy, Nemuro-kun, isn’t here today. Even though he’s one of the main figures.”

“Hm? O-Oh. Yeah.”

Haruto asked with a puzzled look, but I played dumb.

Well, after what happened yesterday, there’s no way he could come to school.

“But with the Class 3 boy absent, the final event, the Bride Capability Competition, can’t really function, can it?”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

As Ena-san said, the Bride Capability event—the most important competition in the class match—requires male participation as well.

That’s why, even though male students have various privileges, attendance is mandatory during the class match.

“The Class 3 representative, Arasaki-san, is on the stage.”

“Oh, you’re right.”

On the stage, preparations were underway for the first event, the intelligence division competition.

Judging by the rows of desks and chairs, it looked like the most orthodox format: a written paper test where points are competed over.

Well, since this is the first class replacement match for first-years, it’s a sensible choice.

“So Class 3 is sending their class representative into the intelligence division.”

“Yeah…”

In response to Haruto’s comment, I found myself harboring a different sort of doubt.

Arasaki-san had already been completely ostracized within her class, isolated and excluded during the preparation phase.

From her standpoint, it would be more convenient if Class 3 lost the match.

And on top of that, after what happened yesterday, there’s no doubt she would’ve been severely scolded by her parents and probably barely slept last night.

And yet—

Why did she have eyes like a cornered beast?

Arasaki-san’s gaze didn’t look like someone just going through the motions of a throwaway match.

“The time limit is sixty minutes. Begin!”

At President Isshiki’s signal, the competitors on stage all opened their booklets at once.

For a while, silence dominated the stage.

‘In the game this ended quickly, but in reality it really takes the full sixty minutes, so honestly it’s kind of boring to watch…’

No, that’s not fair.

The girls on stage, led by the strategist Mito-san, were fighting with everything they had.

I should be cheering them on properly, but with a written test, I can’t exactly shout encouragement…

Frustrating.

“Hey, Tomoki-kun.”

“Hm? What is it, Haruto?”

Sensing my restlessness, Haruto leaned over and whispered from the seat beside me.

But his voice was so quiet I couldn’t hear him well.

“Can you hear me like this?”

As he said that, Haruto rolled up the pamphlet with the class match program printed on it and held it to my ear.

“Yeah, I can hear you.”

I copied him, rolling up my own pamphlet into a tube and holding it to Haruto’s ear as I replied.

“Good. Um… Tomoki-kun, does it make you happy to be fought over by girls like this?”

“What’s this, Haruto? Are you doing some advance study for a future class match?”

“That’s not it. But if there ever is a class match, we’d end up fighting Class 2, Tomoki-kun’s class… I don’t like that…”

Taking turns using our paper tubes, Haruto and I continued our conversation.

Because of the height difference between us and the short length of the tubes, we naturally had to sit very close together.

“Well, for now it seems like everyone in Class 2 is satisfied with me, so I don’t think you need to worry about that. They’re too focused on Class 3’s pressure right now to aim any higher.”

“I hope so…”

In reality, challenging Class 1 is one of the few decisions boys can’t make on their own.

In that sense, Honey Academy, as a co-ed school, is also telling boys to ‘do your best.’

“Well, there’s no point worrying about it now. More importantly, whispering secrets like this together kind of feels nice.”

There’s no use debating reality or an uncertain future right now.

Not that I, who already altered the game’s scenario, have any right to say that…

For now, changing the subject to ease Haruto’s anxiety seemed like the best choice.

“Yeah. But my ear kind of tickles.”

“Fuu.”

“Hnya⁉ H-Hey, you did that on purpose, Tomoki-kun!”

“Hahaha, sorry, sorry.”

“Jeez…”

Instead of whispering secrets, Haruto let out a strange noise after I blew air into his ear, then lightly punched my arm in protest.

Honestly, I still don’t know the correct way for me, the helpful male friend character, to behave in this world.

But as a fan of Honey Academy the game and as Haruto’s friend Tachibana Tomoki, I hope he always chooses paths where he can keep smiling.

With that thought, I looked at Haruto—who was delivering completely painless little punches—with gentle eyes.

“Um… you two…”

“Hm? What is it, Ena-sa—wait!”

“Ena-san, you’re bleeding!”

Seeing Ena-san clutching her face with trembling shoulders, Haruto and I both panicked.

W-What!?

Are you telling me someone managed to slip past my detection and launch an attack on Tachibana Tomoki (me), the man who single-handedly repelled the Nemuro family’s private armed organization!?

What in the world just—

As I hurriedly scanned our surroundings, I saw multiple girls in the competition venue bleeding just like her!

Damn…

Th-This is…

Is the scenario moving into one where an even greater enemy is the mastermind—

“P-Please don’t worry… it’s just a nosebleed, embarrassingly enough… More importantly, you two… please don’t flirt like that in public. People will literally die… and the competitors too…”

““Huh!?””

At Ena-san’s words, Haruto and I carefully observed the spectator stands around us…

“Two boys whispering together so happily…”

“It’s precious… so precious…”

“I can’t hear what they’re saying. And that’s exactly why the possibilities are infinite…”

“Just being able to witness this scene live makes coming to this school worth it…”

“I’m ascending…”

Bodies were scattered everywhere, but it seemed they had all merely collapsed from nosebleeds.

Wait—judging by their delirious muttering, is this about me and Haruto!?

“Ah… Tomoki-kun, look at the stage.”

“Huh? Oh…”

There, on stage, were the girls competing in the intelligence division, spurting nosebleeds while desperately clinging to their answer sheets, staining them red with blood as they struggled on.

Ah.

Even Mito-san, the ace of the intelligence division, is down…

“Even in moments like this, she doesn’t lose focus… As expected of Mai…”

In the spectator stands, Ena-san praised her close friend with pride as Arasaki-san alone wiped away her nosebleed and continued to cling fiercely to her test paper.

Thus began what would later become a legend within the academy—the opening of the blood-stained class replacement match.