"Haha... two kids have diarrhea and need to go to the restroom. Let's wait a moment, okay?"
The host hurried to the front desk and made up an excuse with an awkward laugh, not forgetting to point to the stage curtain with his left hand. The staff understood and quickly lowered the red curtain.
The principal, sitting next to Daisuke, also hurriedly followed the host's words and explained with an awkward laugh:
"Hehe... President Miyamura, the weather has dropped again recently, and the children are catching colds and getting diarrhea if they're not careful at night. Please forgive us..."
Daisuke simply waved his hand, expressing his understanding.
Seeing the other party's indifference, the principal breathed a sigh of relief—until he heard the next question:
"Was that person who just spoke backstage a staff member or a teacher?"
The principal understood what the other party meant and nodded in confirmation. "Backstage staff. I will definitely talk to him after the competition. Don't worry."
After speaking, he took a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Daisuke gave him a playful look and said nothing more.
After seeing him chat with his wife and ignore him, the principal took a deep breath, his face as livid as cast iron. He leaned back in his chair and looked toward the backstage area, wishing he could go up and slap that guy right now.
"Let them come down first and have the next class go up to perform. We don't know if those two kids will come back."
The host said this to the gloomy Takeuchi as soon as he returned backstage. Takeuchi nodded without responding and walked straight to the stage.
However, because the backstage lights were a little dim, he couldn't see the other person's face at all.
After confirming that the surrounding microphones and equipment were turned off, Takeuchi said impatiently, "Alright, everyone come down and go back to the temporary venue to wait. Kawai, you organize it."
As soon as he finished speaking, he hurried away. He knew he had made a big mistake this time, but the only thing on his mind now was to smoke a cigarette and calm down.
"What the hell are those Ishida and Shimada guys up to?"
"That's right! We've all worked so hard for a month!"
"This is no joke!"
"Normally, I'd put up with it, but this time, I really can't."
"No chance. We're not going to get this grand prize."
"Those two bastards! A month's hard work has all gone to waste!"
"Bakayashi!"
After watching their homeroom teacher, Takeuchi, leave, everyone began to complain. At first, seeing Takeuchi's gloomy face, they didn't dare say anything to provoke him.
"Hirose, why aren't you with them? Aren't you three best brothers?"
A sudden voice rang out, silencing the grumbling.
Keisuke, who had been trying to remain invisible, saw everyone's gazes turn toward him because of this comment and angrily looked toward the source of the voice.
Realizing it was Tsunayoshi who had spoken, he was completely furious. He was very self-aware and knew this was someone he couldn't afford to offend.
But he still had the nerve to retort, "It's none of my business! They didn't tell me their plan!" He then looked down at the ground, ignoring everyone's strange looks.
*Pa pa pa.*
At this time, a round of applause sounded. Miki waited for everyone to look at her before she continued, "Okay, everyone, let's go back to the previous venue first. Class D is going to come up and prepare."
Everyone said nothing more after hearing this and left the stage silently.
---
Everyone returned to their previous positions and began to disperse in small groups to chat with their relatives and friends.
Shouko looked down at the concrete floor and asked someone next to her a little stiffly, "Tsuna... what if I get nervous when we go on stage again?"
Tsuna looked at the girl's blushing ears in front of him, and he couldn't help but understand what she meant. He mimicked her previous words and actions:
"No, no, Tsuna, you can't do that. Mom will scold you. Why don't you kiss her tonight when we're alone, okay?"
He even finished the rest of her sentence while imitating her.
A blush like the setting sun tinged Shouko's cheeks. She looked up at the man who had teased her, and after checking that no one was paying attention, she cautiously asked:
"Well, well, well... when we get back... can't we... give it a try?"
Tsuna refused without hesitation, poking her forehead. "What are you thinking, little brat? You're so young and already thinking about this nonsense." He felt that sometimes he really couldn't understand what was going on in Shouko's little head.
"I'm going to tell Auntie you bullied me today."
Shouko, not getting the answer she wanted and seeing his teasing look, snorted softly, punched him in the arm, and ran off to chat with Miyoko.
Thirty minutes passed, and the two hadn't returned. Homeroom teacher Takeuchi had the students disperse and search every restroom and classroom in the school, but they couldn't find them.
The security guard at the school gate also denied seeing them. After a complete loss of their location, Takeuchi checked the surveillance footage and discovered they had escaped over the wall more than twenty minutes earlier.
Ultimately, everyone had to go back up and sing along to the original song. Originally, if only the two had returned to the stage, everything would have been fine, and first place would have been a 100% certainty for Class B. But there were no ifs.
Daisuke even told the principal standing by that the first place could be taken by any other class.
Other classes had students playing the piano, and some had dancing. With so many parents watching, he decided against choosing a class that had an accident and two students who had simply run away.
After the competition, the principal came on stage and said a few words, and the students went home with their parents. As for the prizes, they would find out tomorrow when they got to school.
"Don't you think it's a shame?" Daisuke asked as he drove, not turning back.
"It's a shame, but after all, we had so many accidents this time," Shouko casually replied, resting her head on Tsuna's shoulder.
"Yeah," Tsuna simply nodded in response.
---
**Slap!**
A slapping sound echoed from the principal's office.
"Come on! Is this the joke you've been preparing for a month?" The principal stood up from the sofa, grabbed Takeuchi by the collar, and roared.
"I—"
**Slap!**
Takeuchi had barely finished speaking when the overweight middle-aged man across from him slapped him across the face.
"I want you out right now, you know?" The principal ignored his murderous glare and slapped him several more times.
"Get out." The relieved middle-aged man, unwilling to listen to his explanation—dismissing it as nonsense—simply raised his hand and pointed at the door.
Takeuchi wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand, nodded, suppressed his anger, and walked out of the principal's office with his fists clenched tightly.
---