"President! I heard it!"
"Eh? Ah, sorry, the Broadcasting Club won’t be abolished! I wouldn’t do such a thing~~"
"You swear it in front of the whole school’s teachers and students!"
"How annoying, Tanaka, even if I wanted to I don’t have the authority to do that, the most I can do is withhold the club budget~~"
"Principal, please save the Broadcasting Club—mmph! Mmm! I still..."
"Hmm-hmm, okay, the competitors are in place, could the news department give Mr. Dubian a close-up~~"
The photographer from the news department adjusted the camera lens at the fastest speed in his life, aiming at Dubian Che.
"Please take it from top to bottom, yes, yes, slow down, good, hmm-hmm, finally zoom in on the profile, right, that’s it, well done news department, there’s a hefty club budget for you~~~"
The photographer wiped his sweat.
Dubian Che looked back at the big screen that showed a close-up of his face.
He felt embarrassed, so he pressed his lips together as if he had a sugar cube in his mouth, moving his mouth around.
"The competitors are in place, the race is about to start!" the gag order on Broadcasting Club members was lifted, "Wind Instrument Club, continue playing! Cheerleaders, keep dancing!"
The inspiring music resumed, with cheerleaders in short skirts (sadly with safety shorts underneath), chanting energizing cheers in their adorable girlish voices.
On the big screen, competitors from various clubs were lined up at the starting line, while a member of the Sports Committee was covering one ear with a hand while hoisting the starting pistol with the other.
At the sound of the gunshot, Dubian Che shot ahead, leaving the other competitors’ speed no match for his.
Since the Ochazuke incident in May, it had been five months, and even on typhoon days, he persisted in exercising at home, especially now with a bottle of Qi Blood Medicine almost finished.
The 200-meter mark was reached in the blink of an eye, and Dubian Che reached into the box on the desk.
"He’s so fast, the others can’t catch up at all!"
"Hmm-hmm, camera, quick, take a look at what Mr. Dubian has picked! It must be me!" The Student Council President’s voice gave the impression that she was already standing up, ready to leave the broadcast room and head to the playing field.
The news department’s photographer quickly focused, but the angle was off, making it impossible to read the contents of the slip.
The audience, including those in the broadcast room, let out a sigh, blaming the photographer for his ineffectiveness.
But not to worry, as long as Dubian Che goes to find the item or person, one could still guess what was written on the slip—that’s what they thought, but the other competitors were catching up, and Dubian Che still hadn’t moved.
"What’s happening? Why isn’t Mr. Dubian moving?"
"Mr. Dubian, what’s wrong?"
Amidst everyone’s curiosity, Dubian Che turned around and aimed the slip in his hand at the camera.
"It’s, it’s actually..."
The entire stands burst into laughter, even the teachers couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
"A girlfriend? Ah, now I remember, I did write that."
"Jiutiao, where is Jiutiao?" accompanied by the voice of a female member of the Broadcasting Club, the camera kept switching to different sections of the audience, "Not here today?!"
"Fantastic~ My chance has arrived~ Mr. Dubian, as the Student Council President and chairman of this sports festival’s Sporting Committee, I permit you to consider me as your girlfriend~"
The Student Council President let out a regretful "ehh—" and said, "Fine, since Jiutiao isn’t here, after everyone else has drawn their lots and found their items and people, I’ll specially allow Mr. Dubian to draw another lot. What a shame! It’s killing me!"
The screen split in two, one half broadcasting Dubian Che standing there like an idiot, and the other half broadcasting the other competitors.
"The Drama Department’s representative has arrived, let’s see what it is, ’crush’?!"
"That’s fine, that’s fine, are you going to confess, Drama Department!"
The guy from the Drama Department stood there, struggling for a while before rushing into the crowd and grasping a girl’s hand.
"Wow—" The jeers from the audience made the girl, who was dragged by the Drama Department, shyly cover her face with her arm.
"Quick, quick, keep looking at the draw, there’ll be more fun stuff!" The female Broadcasting Club member was getting excited!
The big screen shifted again, to a Kendo Department competitor, with a flagpole labeled "Kendo Department Recruitment" sticking out of his back.
"...Eh? Am I seeing it wrong?" the Broadcasting Club girl read slowly from the slip, "’Broadcast Room Microphone’? President?!!"
"Wow, wow, so he’s drawn this? Such a surprise~~"
"Give it back, give it back to me, that’s the brand-new microphone purchased by the Broadcasting Club! It’s like my alter ego! Please—" In the background, through the Student Council President’s microphone, one could faintly hear the intense resistance from the female Broadcasting Club member.
"Hahaha!" Many in the audience were laughing so hard they had to wipe away tears with their sleeves.
Finally, it was Dubian Che’s turn after everyone had gone, and the attention returned to him.
The Student Council President’s prayers kept coming from the broadcast: "Draw me, draw me, draw me..."
The female Broadcasting Club member... had just gone to get a spare microphone and hadn’t returned yet.
This time the photographer had learned and found a great angle. The moment Dubian Che unfolded it, the content of the slip was broadcast on the big screen.
Dubian Che stood there awkwardly.
The other people didn’t care what he thought; at the high school age, as long as it was a boy and a girl, they would tease.
"Mr. Dubian, you don’t have much time~~" reminded the Student Council President.
"Ah, I’m back! Is it over?" the voice of a gasping female Broadcasting Club member could be heard.
Dubian Che could only run towards Kiyono Lin, and as he drew closer, Kiyono Lin herself didn’t react much, but the rest of the crowd was boiling over.