"The whole class already knew the rumors of the contest by the very next day.
"I heard you guys will be competing against Hyuuga Ruby, and you have to strip if you lose, Haruto?" Sun asked me.
"What's the point of Haruto stripping? It obviously has to be Yang or Weiss who does it!" The one who said that is Hyoudou Issei, everyone's favorite pervert.
It seemed like there was something strange about the information they received. And Yasaka, she was looking at me with tears in her eyes while saying, "I am really happy to see Haruto being that motivated about conducting!" No, you're wrong. I am not the least bit motivated.
The rules of the contest were really simple. Ruby's class will be competing against our class, and the winner will be the class which gets the higher score. There's a total of twenty four classes in our school, and even though they will only announce the results of the top five rankings, but… "It would be impossible for both classes to miss the rankings, because my class will definitely get ourselves within the top five." That was what Ruby said confidently.
"Meaning that Ruby girl will be stripping if we win?" Issei said that, which stirred up those around him. "Everyone, lend me your strength!"
All the guys raised their fists in the air in response to Issei's cry. Please! What are you guys so excited about? However, I was most surprised when Weiss said, "I am willing to be the accompaniment during our practices".
"Weiss… is that really okay?" Yasaka asked that question worriedly.
"It's okay," Weiss glanced at me as she said that. "It should be fine if it is only during the practices. I can do it if Ruto composes the accompaniment."
I nodded my head without even thinking. Weiss had actually said she wants to play the piano… is she that desperate to win?
"Let's do just that. We'll come up with the rest of the plan after we are done selecting our choice piece." Weiss agreed to Yang's suggestion.
On the same day after school, we sent Lee and Issei over to Ruby's class to spy on what our enemies had chosen for their choice piece, but… only one of them came back.
"In order to let me escape, Lee, he… ugh…" Issei the survivor gagged and said no more. What's with the exaggerated acting!
"But… It should be fine! Lee is a really patriotic guy, so he would never reveal our class no matter what sort of torture they put him under!"
"They'll find out from his badge!"
"Ahh, I see. We're done for!"
Our spy went into a frenzy from that retort of mine. Are you idiot!? Even without the badge, there should be at least someone who could recognize him by his face!
"So did you two find out what their choice piece is?" Ino asked.
"Nope. We were arguing on the topic of the girls's uniform. That idiot rejected my notion of cheerleader outfits, so I couldn't help but to protest. And we were caught like that."
"You guys are absolutely useless."
"You two don't have to come back!"
After having seen their idiotic acts, my drive—which was barely there to begin with—sunk even lower. The recordings of last year's chorus contest dealt us the critical blow. The winner was class 1A—in other words, it was Ruby's class.
The person with her hair coiled up and wearing a formal tuxedo was none other than Ruby. Their choice piece was Niimi Tokuhide's ensemble piece Kikoeru. The different tempos of the song were clearly distinguishable, and that was coupled by a meticulous ensemble. We were enchanted by it despite us watching the video while sitting on the hard and uncomfortable chairs of the classroom.
"It's no wonder they got first…" My classmates discussed quietly in the dark. Looks like we have no chance at victory. Well, I was okay with Ruby winning ever since the beginning. In order to handicap herself, Ruby had suggested a one versus three battle. It may seem like we had three times the advantage over her, but since the contest is a fight between the classes, we did not manage to gain any actual advantage from it.
The only thing unchanged was her admirable use of sophistry which placed her in a favorable position on the battlefield. I gave a weak sigh. At the same time, I could feel a gaze piercing through my cheeks—Weiss was staring hard at me from her seat besides me.
"… What?" From the moment the video ended till the lights in the classroom were switched back on, Weiss continued to stare at me.
"Do you really think we can't win?" Weiss finally spoke as our classmates began to leave the audiovisual room.
"But… you did see the video just now, right?"
"That performance… looks more impressive than it actually is."
"What Weiss said is right." That's what Ruby said during the band practice that day.
"There are a few techniques that will help increase the chances of winning the chorus contest. For example, you can deliberately emphasize the strength of the voices; choosing a polyphonic piece; waving the baton in exaggeration… and so on."
"I see…"
"Also, all the judges are inexperienced in music!" Yang added in.
So that's the reason why Weiss said it looked more impressive than it actually was? Because it was a performance to bluff the laymen?
"Wrong." Weiss shook her head as she continued to tune her instrument. "It's to bluff 'the laymen who were forced to become judges but are unwilling to show their lack of expertise'."
… I see. Any amateur of the profession would be able to discern if the performance was good or bad. However, they would try to find "reasons" to decide whether they should be awarding high or low marks to the performance. And that's where our cunning Ruby was aiming at with her tactics.
"I would have adopted a different strategy if the judging criteria was based on the polls of the student population. But since there were only four judges, it was much better to choose a piece that will cater to their tastes."
"That reminds me—considering your class, your choice piece was really conservative."
I thought they would choose rock as their choice piece, but their selected piece sounded way more like the performance of an ensemble. It was kind of disappointing.
"One of the judges last year was the social studies teacher, who advocated freedom."
I sighed. Ruby had actually considered even the tiny details… the song Kikoeru which they sang was composed during the Gulf War. It is a song that advocates peace and the conservation of nature. It must have struck a chord with the social studies teacher.
"So… what will your class be singing for this year?" asked Yang.
"We've decided to do rock."
"Eh? Which song?"
"It's a secret. My assistance to the enemies will end right here." Ruby grabbed her guitar and stood up. "Let's begin our practice! We can't just focus on the chorus contest alone."
Ruby was the only one out of the four members of Folk Music Club who cycles to school. That meant that while on our way to the train station after our practice, we could make use of the time to discuss our battle plans.
"When's the latest we can decide on our choice piece? This weekend? Then we'll have to think harder."
Yang swung her bag around as she walked in the middle of the shopping street. Her eyes were burning with the passion that is possessed only by members of the sports clubs, and that made me feel all worn out.
"Who are the judges this time?" Weiss asked from the other side of me.
"The principal and Rossweisse-sensei are the fixed judges for each year. Who else is there…"
Rossweisse-sensei is our school music teacher, and she's also the supervisor for our Folk Music Club. That was the reason why Yang asked.
"That means we can bribe Ross-chan, right?"
"Problem is, Ruby would be a step ahead of us if it can be done," replied Weiss.
They ignored the presence of me who was in between them, and continued exchanging their opinions enthusiastically.
"Haruto!" Someone stomped on me all of the sudden, which nearly caused me to fall. "You are always daydreaming! Can you please be more enthusiastic about this!? Is it okay for you to lose to Ruby?"
Yang pulled her face close to mine. As we were standing in the direct middle of a crowded street right in front of the station, the stares from the passerby felt really uncomfortable.
"Because I don't think we can win."
"So you want to go to the concert with Ruby?" Weiss came to my front and questioned me with a stinging glare from her eyes.
"No, it's not like I particularly want to…"
"Be clear about it!"
"Why are you so concerned about all this? I can understand the reason why Yang's angry because Ruby is her best friend, but…"
"Oh? So you think that's the reason I am angry?" Yang asked in a really belittling tone.
I nodded my head. Yang's very protective of her friend, and having heard Ruby say that she wanted to go on a date with me—she would not feel that great even if Ruby meant it as a joke, right?
Yang knitted her forehead and sighed when she heard my explanation.
"Weiss, our enemy is probably not Ruby, but the thickhead of this idiot."
"I feel the same as well."
Weiss agreed without hesitation. For an instant, she looked at me as though she had something to say. However, she turned her head away immediately and walked quickly towards the station. Yang made a face at me and caught up with Weiss.
I remained rooted to the ground for quite a while due to my confusion. When I ran down the stairs after realizing that I had to chase them, the doors to the train were already closed.
I sat on a bench on the platform in exhaustion. A voice then suddenly came from behind me, "Looks like it will be an easy victory for me."
I nearly fell off from the bench. I turned my head around and saw Ruby standing behind me with a crafty smile on her face.
"… Why are you here?" Didn't she cycle back home on her bicycle already!?
"I was planning to scout out your battle plans, but it seems like it was an unnecessary move." Ruby sighed and sat down next to me.
"In any case, you had already won the moment you suggested the idea of a contest, right? The one versus three handicap is pointless. We have no chance of winning!"
Right after I was done saying that, Ruby stared at me with a slightly shocked expression on her face.
"Namikaze, it seems like you have some misunderstandings about me."
"What did I misunderstand?"
"You should know very well that I will only fight battles that I will win. The other mantra of mine is… I will never fight in a battle if it cannot even be considered as one."
Ruby placed her hand on my thigh.
"I joined this battle because I believed that you, Weiss and Yang are worthy of being my opponents. This contest is not a pointless one, and I do not want an empty victory either."
The announcement of the incoming train was broadcasted over the station. Ruby gently moved her body away and stood up.
"However… the current you is unable to compete against me. Forget about one versus three—the three of you added together is not even on par with just half of me. What a shame."
I listened blankly to the sound of the incoming train as well as the footsteps of Ruby as she climbed up the stairs before she disappeared from my sight. However, I was unable to pry my back away from the bench for a long time.
She believed that we were her worthy opponents. But the current me is…