Kindergarten Bully [Oikawa Tooru] | ✔

Winners and Losers

Dear god, she's like Tobio-chan in a wig.

— Tooru Oikawa

xXx

"After conferring with my associates, we have decided that the winner of the solo category is Kuro Mai."

As soon as the words came out of Souma's mouth, the audience burst into rounds of applause. An apple-cheeked girl with silky, long black hair blushed and bowed hastily, embarrassed at the praise she was receiving.

Charlene Cho—who, due to the lack of an MC, had pretty much taken up the aforementioned role—stood up and trotted up to the stage in her simple but elegant high heels. On her way up to the stage, she took from a stage director a large white cheque for the prize—half a million yen. She handed the cheque to Kuro Mai, whose face turned even redder. The rising star shook the girl's hand and smiled, the audience continuing to scream as she did so.

As Cho left the stage, her high heels clicking on the wooden paneling, Mai fumbled with the large, wide cheque before finally regaining her bearings and holding it in front of her properly so that everyone could get a good look at it.

"Everyone give it up for Kuro Mai!" A.R.I.A cheered, even though the crowds were already going wild. There were even more people than there had been at the start of the competition if that were possible.

"T-thank you so much," Mai stammered, nearly dropping the cheque again.

Flashes were going off in the crowd—people's phone cameras. Eagerly snapping up pictures of the adorable winner of the solo category.

As the cameras continued to click, Leiko lifted up one arm and covered her eyes, the wide sleeve of her brown sweater baggy enough to cover the rest of her face along with her irises.

Naoko tried to sneak her a glance, but Leiko didn't budge her arm.

When the applause finally died down and the solo 'runner-ups' were escorted away, the Makoshima sisters and the Takahiro brothers were left standing.

Their gazes locked and electricity seemed to simply zap between them.

Meanwhile, Oikawa was bouncing his leg up and down in anticipation. Iwaizumi, seated beside him, had his chin propped up on one hand, his eyebrows knitted together. Hinata, his face red, looked as if he were going to explode from the suspense while Kageyama's grimace gave outsiders the impression that he was badly constipated.

Midori was reduced to speaking gibberish, upset at Leiko's loss but excited for the winner of the group category to be named. Katsumi was wailing dramatically, tears streaming down her face in an almost comical manner. Ayame was surprisingly stone-faced while Toshio was slumped in his chair, his head resting on Shinji's shoulder.

At the judge's table, a quiet but noticeable argument was currently ensuing. None of them were smiling and Souma looked like he wanted to punch something. The portly judge's swelled up cheeks were reminiscent of a bullfrog while the female judges seemed extremely exasperated. The fifth judge, a sharply dressed male, was currently pointing an accusing finger at the fat judge, who was animatedly defending himself.

"What's taking so long?" Oikawa complained, sick of the suspense they were currently being held in. "Didn't they make their decisions before this?"

"Dunno," Iwaizumi said boredly. "But I'm hungry as hell. I can't wait for it to be over..."

"Oh, oh!" Hinata spun around, grinning and holding up a plastic bag. "I bought some snacks from the snack stalls! Wanna share?"

"Hey, give me some too," demanded Kageyama, trying to open up the bag between Hinata's fingers. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."