Bright and early in the morning, golden sunlight spilled through the windows of the second-floor classroom.
Along the second-year hallway, four girls gathered around a long table scattered with notebooks, half-empty juice cartons, and a bulky camera case.
Click!
"Airi, could you please stop taking so many pictures of that dead tree? That's not what we're here for."
The girl with short bangs adjusted her glasses.
"Right, sorry, Kanae."
Airi lowered her camera, glancing at the tree through the viewfinder one last time.
"It's just... strange. It's the only one that's dead while all the others are blooming."
She smiled.
Kanae crossed her arms, the sunlight glinting off her glasses.
"Okay, I get it, but make sure you take pictures of things that actually matter. We're submitting this to the school newspaper this week, remember?"
She really is something else...
Another girl watched Airi fiddle with her camera.
I still can't believe we became friends last year... of all people.
Her gaze shifted to the fourth girl, who stood a few feet away.
She clutched her notebook against her chest. Her fingers trembled against the cover, and she pressed her lips together.
"Um, Rie, are you okay? You look pale."
"Um... y-yes, I'll be fine, Yuri."
"Don't be nervous."
Yuri patted her on the shoulder.
"We're just interviewing the sports teams and extracurricular clubs for our article. Remember, we're the newspaper club! It's our job to keep everyone updated on what's happening around school."
"I-I know... but I can't help it."
"This is my first time talking to complete strangers."
Yuri exhaled softly, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she kept a hand on Rie's shoulder.
"Well... there's not much I can do to encourage you."
"Is everyone ready?" Kanae asked.
"Yes!" the others answered in unison.
Rie nodded along with them.
Kanae turned and started down the hallway, her shoes tapping against the floor as the others followed.
Their first stop was the gymnasium.
The moment they stepped inside, the smell of sweat filled their noses. Feet pounded against the mats, followed by sharp grunts and the slap of bodies hitting the padded floor.
"Grrr...!"
"You're definitely not going to lift me off the ground, Captain!"
A judo club member laughed as he squared off against a taller boy.
"Okay, we'll see about that, you little runt!" the captain growled playfully, grabbing the boy's gi.
With a twist of his body, he flipped the younger member over his shoulder.
Thud!
The boy hit the mat, drawing scattered cheers and applause from the surrounding teammates.
"Point! And that's the match. Great work as usual, Captain!" another member said, clapping his hands.
"It'll take years before you can beat me, rookie," Roman said with a grin, reaching down to help his opponent to his feet.
Kanae stepped forward.
"Good morning, Judo Club members. I'm Kanae Yamaoka, president of the newspaper club. We're here to interview your team and observe your practice for an upcoming article. If anyone has any objections, speak up now."
Her voice carried across the gymnasium.
One by one, the members turned toward her. The chatter died down, and a few exchanged puzzled glances.
"Who's this chick?" one of them whispered.
The Captain brushed his sweat-drenched bangs away from his forehead.
"Well, we're in the middle of practice, but if it's for your club, let's get started."
"All right, then. First question. Roman, you've been the captain of the Judo team since your first year, correct?" Kanae asked, flipping through her clipboard.
"Yes, I have. I've led this team since I was a freshman," Roman said, squaring his shoulders.
"Under your leadership, do you believe this club has accomplished anything significant?"
"Of course we have!" Roman said, puffing out his chest.
"Could you elaborate on those achievements?"
"Well... you see..."
Kanae glanced down at her notes.
"We conducted research into the Judo team's performance over the past few years."
She raised her eyes to meet his.
"We found that under your leadership, the team was eliminated in the first round twice."
Murmurs rippled through the members.
Roman's grin faded. His brow furrowed, and his jaw tightened.
"Further research shows that those defeats were the worst in the Judo team's history," Kanae added.
She turned a page on her clipboard.
"Do you have any plans to change that?"
Roman's fingers curled into fists at his sides.
"For two years in a row, we faced the champions in the first round! Of course we lost! It's not like we had a choice in the matter."
He straightened his back, raising his voice.
"But things will be different this year! My team and I are going all the way to the championship. We're going to be the champions!"
Kanae made a brief note on her clipboard.
"I see. Then I'll come back for another scoop when you... lose...I mean, win the championship."
She bowed.
"Excuse me."
Roman's smile twitched.
Kanae turned on her heel.
"Let's go, girls."
"Say cheese, everyone!" Airi called, raising her camera.
Click!
The shutter snapped, capturing Roman's clenched jaw, several members glaring at the girls, and others forcing awkward smiles.
"...Did she just call us losers?" one Judo member muttered under his breath.
"Wow, Prez, that was way too harsh."
Yuri walked alongside Kanae, glancing back toward the judo club's training room.
"You practically crushed that guy's pride! You pointed out all his failures, compared him to the previous judo teams, and then threw it all right in his face!"
"If you think facts and the truth are harsh, imagine how much worse a lie would be," Kanae replied.
She adjusted her glasses with one finger.
"Giving people false hope with deceptive words isn't my style. I'd rather tell them where they stand and what their actual chances are."
"...Whatever you say, Kanae."
"Rie, which club are we visiting next?" Kanae asked.
"Um, let's see..." Rie glanced down at her notes. "The soccer club is next."
"Alright. Let's get this over with."
Kanae turned and headed down the hallway.
The soccer field stretched out behind the main school building, its white boundary lines standing out against the freshly cut grass. The sharp scent of the turf hung in the air as cleats scraped against the ground and players passed the ball between them.
"Hello, beautiful young ladies of the newspaper club!"
A boy broke away from the team and jogged toward them.
"My name is Maki Abe, ace of Toshigawa Academy's soccer team! I'd love to tell you that this team was already exceptional before I enrolled, but now that I'm here, we're going all the way to nationals!"
Kanae pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
"It's true that the team reached the quarterfinals last year."
Maki puffed out his chest.
"See? That's what I'm talking about!"
"However, they suffered a crushing defeat against Yokohama High School. Ten goals to none."
Maki's grin froze.
"...Huh?"
"I'm not sure 'exceptional' is the right word," Kanae continued, her expression unchanged. "Humiliation or embarrassment would be far more appropriate."
"What are you doing!?" Yuri whispered, stepping closer to Kanae.
Ten goals to none?! I knew they'd lost badly, but I didn't know it was THAT bad!
"But I'm here now!" Maki clenched his fists at his sides. "That kind of loss won't happen again! Just you wait!"
Kanae tilted her head.
"By the way, how many students do you think Toshigawa Academy admits based on their athletic abilities?"
"Hmm... I'd say around ten?" Maki replied.
"Did you know that students admitted through sports scholarships are immediately placed on academic probation? Their first-semester grades determine whether they're even allowed to compete for the school."
Maki's mouth fell open.
"W-Wait, seriously? I... I didn't know about that."
"Yes, it's true. So you'd better keep your grades up this semester. Otherwise, you might not even be allowed to participate in the tournament."
Kanae turned on her heel and walked away.
"Say cheese!"
Click!
Airi snapped a picture of Maki just as his shoulders slumped and his gaze dropped to the ground.
"Kanae, that was really mean," Airi said, lowering her camera. "You didn't have to go that far."
"Well, that's Kanae for you," Yuri muttered, pressing her fingers against her temples. "She doesn't think twice about how other people feel."
Rie held her notes up to cover half her face.
"S-Sorry..."
She bowed her head before hurrying after the girls.