Volume 2 - Top-Tier Character Ayanokōji-kun [DISCONTINUED] [READ THE REVISION]

Chapter 38 - Wailing In Unknown Unawareness

The farmer was devastated when he found the remnants of his beloved scarecrow scattered across the field. 

He had grown attached to the lifeless creation and felt a deep sense of loss. 

But as he picked up the pieces of the scarecrow, he couldn't help but notice something strange. 

The plants in the garden next to the scarecrow had grown to be larger than any he had ever seen. 

They were bursting with life, as if the scarecrow's sacrifice had somehow nourished the soil.

Intrigued, the farmer began to experiment with different combinations of crops and soil. 

He learned how to cultivate plants that were stronger, healthier, and more abundant than ever before.

The farmer realized that the scarecrow's legacy lived on through the bountiful harvests that he was now able to produce.

And so, he made a realization:

A single sacrifice was needed to produce such harvests.

So what if he offered even more sacrifices? Wouldn't that give him even greater harvests?

With those thoughts in mind, the farmer got to work.

And the next morning, there were already two scarecrows standing next to each other.

---

A tie? Seriously?

This exchange between me and Yagami was only for show. It must have been peculiar to look at for those who knew both of us personally—I could practically feel Takahiro's and Hinami's gazes burning in my back. There was no way their curiosity would let this situation be a mere oversight.

Seems like I'll have to do some cleanup later.

"You fought well, Yagami," I said, wiping my pants of any filth. Our hands were still interlocked and his grip was steadily getting stronger.

Yagami leaned forward. "We'll continue this at some later point. The sports festival is not our stage," he whispered. I'm sure no one had heard him, but I still let my gaze wander around for a bit. It never hurt to be careful.

"If that's what you want," I responded, putting my hands in my pockets and approaching my group. Yagami's eyes were boring into my back for just a moment, but I didn't pay them any heed.

Once I arrived I was greeted with the congratulatory cheers of my group. Their voices intertwined with the noise the crowd made and it steadily got louder. They ran up to me, patted my back and shouted some encouraging words. When I turned my head to look at the throng of people forming at the other end of the field, I sighted Yagami with a perfect smile on his face handling the situation like any A-list celebrity. When they walked up to him, he greeted them with a warm expression on his face which made the guys feel appreciated and welcomed, and the girls vying for his attention. Rather than being used to that situation, it was more likely that he got the appropriate training to handle being the center of attention.

I looked back on my group and thought about how I interacted with the people around me.

It's not like I hated them praising me or anything, not at all. Like all humans, I felt a certain sense of accomplishment seeing their smiles and happy faces directed at me. Unlike the past where I just completed assignment after assignment without ever receiving any kind of response from the educators, the students here were celebrating from the bottom of their hearts.