Chapter 114: Then, all troops, give your all and dedicate victory to the princess!

“…But, Kayano, is everything okay with the cheer squad?”

“Well, I guess you accepted because you thought you could do it, right, Kayano?”

It was only then that I realized what Tateyama meant.

Tateyama and Hinoshita-senpai were close, weren’t they?

In other words, Tateyama already knew about the role I’d been assigned in the cheer squad.

Knowing my personality, it was natural for her to be concerned.

No, actually. I had the chance to notice this from the beginning.

What did Hinoshita-senpai say when we first met?

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Haru. You’re the Ice Princess of Class 1-A… no, now it’s Class 2-A, isn’t it?”

After learning about my personality, Tateyama sincerely apologized. There’s no way she’d still be spreading a nickname like that.

That means Hinoshita-senpai’s impression of me was stuck in the past, from last year.

• Wait, hold on.

It’s one thing for her to think of me as an Ice Princess.

But what does that have to do with this plan?

If anything, thinking of me like that would make this plan even less plausible, wouldn’t it?

That’s what I thought, but…

“Try it first and see if it works. That’s my philosophy. So, when Kayano accepted right away, I thought I was lucky.”

Hinoshita-senpai said this with an awkward smile.

“I didn’t think Kayano would actually come to me. Honestly, I just casually mentioned it to Miyauchi, like, ‘Could you pass this on?’”

Come to think of it, she did say something like that…

Realizing I couldn’t just walk away silently, I decided to tell Hinoshita-senpai everything.

Starting with how the nickname Ice Princess was a misunderstanding caused by my lack of communication, how my personality is actually incredibly introverted, and how I joined the cheer squad thinking I wouldn’t have to do anything at all.

I didn’t hide a single thing. I told her everything.

Of course, if we’re being technical, it’s true I’m doing nothing in this cheer routine.

All I have to do is sit quietly.

But the problem is the outfit I’m wearing and the seat I’m supposed to occupy—a ridiculously ornate dress and a throne.

I’m expected to sit in such an extravagant setup in front of the entire school and their parents?

And on top of that, my mom came today?

I’d rather die than do this.

This isn’t just impossible for me; it’s unreasonable for anyone.

“That’s… difficult.”

After I explained everything, that was the response I got from senpai.

“Uh, is there no way to make it work?”

“Hmm. We’ve already choreographed the routine around you sitting in that throne. If we lose that focal point, the whole routine will look off. Of course, it’s our fault for not properly explaining the concept or considering what kind of person Kayano is… but still.”

“Th-then, c-could one of the senpai or someone else s-sit there instead…?”

“If one of us leaves, it’ll throw off the dance balance. There’s no time to revise the choreography. Besides, none of us can fit into the role you’re filling.”

“…I understand.”

Even if I’ve been learning dance training recently, there’s no way I could memorize an entire routine in less than thirty minutes.

I hated standing out so much that sitting on that throne felt unbearable, but stepping into the cheer routine would make me stand out even more.

“Ah…! T-then what about having someone from outside the cheer squad sit there…?”

“It’d be nice if we could, but who would be willing to take your place? Plus, the throne and dress were designed specifically with Kayano in mind…”

True. There aren’t many people who could sit there without any hesitation.

As I racked my brain for a solution, Hinoshita-senpai chuckled and spoke up.

“Well, I guess we have no choice. We’ll just proceed with the throne empty.”

“…What?”

“It might look a bit underwhelming, but it’s not like it’ll ruin the whole routine. We’ll just improvise.”

“But, isn’t that…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Like I said earlier, this is ultimately our fault. Kayano, you don’t need to feel any guilt or pressure.”

With that conversation over, the senior gathered the cheer squad to finalize their formation.

“Kayano, you can leave that dress in the science lab.”

“Ah, uh, um… okay….”

Hearing that, I headed to the science lab.

“Sigh….”

Upon arriving, I looked at the gym uniform I had left behind earlier and let out a quiet sigh.

I had thought the person sitting on that throne was quite pitiable, but I never imagined it would turn out to be me.

Still, I guess it’s a relief that nothing bad happened….

Glancing out the window, I spotted Hinoshita-senpai busily moving around.

Even in a situation where an unexpected problem could have been infuriating, neither the senior nor the cheer squad seemed bothered. Instead, they just chuckled awkwardly.

It was clear—they were the kind of people who genuinely enjoyed this moment.

Only people who willingly joined something as potentially embarrassing as the cheer squad could be like that.

・They were the kind of people I could never become.

That doesn’t mean I envy or resent them.

After all, everyone has their own way of living.

Just as they couldn’t live like me, it was natural that I couldn’t live like them.

I could never become the kind of foolish person who would believe in a nickname like “Ice Princess,” push someone like that to the forefront, and persist with their plan even when things went awry.

I could never be that person. Absolutely not.

“Haaa, haaaa….”

I’m such an idiot.

An irredeemable, hopeless fool.

“Everyone ready? We’ve come this far with so much support, so I trust no one here is backing down!”

“Yeahhhhh!”

“Let’s go! For whom are we doing this?!”

“For our Ice Princess!”

“Whose victory will this be?!”

“It will be our Ice Princess’s!”

“Red Team!”

“Let’s win!”

“Red Team!”

“Fighting!”

[Next up is the Red Team cheer squad’s performance!]

“Alright, let’s begin!”

With those words, Hinoshita-senpai, who was standing at the very front, used their phone to start playing the music.

“Yeahhhhhhh!”

With a resounding cheer, the squad hoisted the platform, along with me and the throne, high into the air.

“Eek….”

At first, I thought there was no way they could carry and move it with me on top, but thankfully, the throne was merely elaborate in appearance and hollow on the inside, so there were no problems.

Of course, the part I was sitting on was just an ordinary chair.

S-Still, having my perspective suddenly shoot up like this was terrifying, no matter how you look at it.

“Kayano, it might feel embarrassing, but now that things have come this far, I hope you’ll give it your all and enjoy it too.”

“Uh, o-okay….”

I nodded and quietly crossed my legs, resting my chin on my right hand.

This pose itself didn’t feel too awkward.

There had been a similar move in the choreography for “Quean” during my recent 3D debut broadcast.

O-Of course, the tension I felt now was probably thousands of times more intense than back then?!

I couldn’t help but worry—would I manage to convey the cold, composed aura the senior expected?

“Let’s go!”

At Hinoshita-senpai’s command, the cheer squad moved in perfect unison.

From the secluded backyard, where no one else was present, we made our way to the sports field, now packed with the entire student body and their parents.

“What is that?!”

Predictably, the reactions were varied.

Some burst into laughter, while others tilted their heads, trying to make sense of the situation.

But if one were to categorize the responses, those sneering at us for doing something strange were undoubtedly in the majority.

Even so, not a single member of the Red Team’s cheer squad faltered.

Each of them carried confidence in the effort they had poured in.

Upon reaching the center of the sports field—the stage for our performance—they placed the throne’s platform firmly on the ground with disciplined movements. Then, they calmly stepped to the side and arranged themselves into formation with serious expressions.

O-of course, I also tried my best to maintain my posture and not let it crumble.

“To whom does today’s victory belong?!”

Hinoshita-senpai asked in a powerful voice.

“It belongs to our Ice Princess!”

The entire cheer squad shouted in unison, their voices resounding.

“For whom is this sports day dedicated?!”

Hinoshita-senpai’s voice rang out again, loud and clear.

“All of it is for our Ice Princess!”

Once again, the cheer squad roared their response in unison.

“Then, troops, devote all your strength to delivering victory to the princess!”

“Uoooohhhhh!”

At that moment, the Red Team’s cheerleading performance finally began.

It was undoubtedly far more overwhelming than the White Team’s cheerleading.

Even those who had initially laughed at us were rendered speechless.

The routine was flawless, with not a single misstep—a perfect, synchronized performance.

However, what captivated everyone’s gaze most of all was the cold, piercing eyes of the beautiful Ice Princess seated at the center.

Some would later say that her gaze was so cold it felt like absolute zero, freezing the audience in place.

Following that, every remaining event of the sports day—from tug-of-war to ball tosses and even the highlight of the day, the relay race—was won entirely by the Red Team.

Each victory was utterly dominant.

And from that day forward, Kayano Mina of Class 2-A at Shiodome Private High School became known as the “Ice Princess.”

“Th-that’s what happened…”

Even now, thinking back, sitting on that throne was the worst mistake of my life.

I nearly learned firsthand that it’s possible to die of embarrassment.

[Didn’t you say your mother was there too?]

“…Yes. She filmed… everything.”

After the event ended, she gleefully showed me the video, saying she’d witnessed something truly special.

I begged her to delete it afterward, but she refused outright. Instead, she sent the video to my sister, making my life even more miserable.

…Truly, the worst sports day of my life.

[…Hold on. I’m going to contact your mother.]

“…Huh?”

[I want to see it too.]

“W-wait, Akabane-san?!”