Chapter 2

Aaaand we’re here!

First stop: SpoJoy Park~!

Ah, so we're here to revel in the joy of sport together!

Since we’re all here, I thought we might as well make things interesting.

So we've prepared a tiny challenge.

A challenge, you say?

We’re each gonna go one-on-one against Tsukasa.

The rule’s simple: every win gets you a better lunch from us.

Rack up wins, rack up flavor.

Each victory upgrades the meal…..

So if I win them all, I’ll be dining like royalty!?

Not promising anything five-star, but..… you got the gist of it.

But don’t worry, even if you lose every match, we’ve still got a surprise you’ll like.

Hah hah hah! Me, lose every match? Preposterous!

I vow to claim a flawless, glorious victory!

Oooh~ feelin’ confident, arentcha? ☆

Fufu, then let’s make our way to the battleground—

The ping-pong arena.

Take this!

Feel the wrath of...… MAGICAL DREAM PEGASUS SMAAAASH!!

Oooh, so cool~!

Okay, okay, then I’ll use…..

Glittery Sparkly Rainbow Special Attaaack!

Impossible! How did you counter my Magical Dream Pegasus Smash!?

Tch.… then behold my next move—

TECHNICAL REVOLUTION PEGASUS SMAAASH!

......…Not a single one of those names have anything to do with ping-pong.

So cool!

They’ve been going at it foreverrrr!

It’s getting intense, Tsukasa-kun’s just one point away.

Ugh… No matter where I hit, he sends it back.

He’s so annoyingly persistent..…!

But still, I won’t let Tsukasa beat me—

Ah...!

You're full of openings, Nene....!

Prepare yourself for..… PEGASUS SMAAAAAAAASH!!!

Yes! Just two more points ‘til my victory!

Not bad.

But now…... I’ve finally gotten a feel for this.

It's time for me to get serious.

Go go Tsukasa-kun!

Go go Rui-kun~!

(…If I win this, it’s a clean sweep.)

(Just imagine the glorious luncheon that awaits me...… then there’s only one thing to do—!)

I swear...… I’ll win this maaaatch!!

.........

I’ll admit it..… Rui beat me.

I couldn’t keep up with that wild spin move once he got serious...…

But… I know I won at least two rounds!

And yet… and yet…...

WHO DECIDED WE’RE GOING INTO THE MOUNTAINS?!

Now that's exactly the reaction I was expecting.

Don’t worry, the spray from earlier is strong stuff.

You’ll be fine.

Ooh, how reassuring—hold on! That’s not the point!

Who thought having luncheon in the middle of nowhere was a good idea!?

I don’t see a single restaurant around here!

I’ll explain, okay?

Just calm down a little.

Yeah, we’re in the mountains, but there’s a reason— it's so you can enjoy freshly picked ingredients.

Come again…?

You saw that open area near the trail entrance, right?

That’s actually a barbecue spot.

This area’s known for edible wild plants.

Anything on this brochure? They're all free to pick.

All-you-can-pick...…?

So that means… we can cook and eat as much as we want!?

Ding-ding-ding! ☆ And it’s not just veggies, you can go fishing in the river over there too!

Incredible...… Foraging, fishing, and barbecuing.....

What an adventurous way to spend the day!

I jumped to conclusions—sorry, everyone!

You all went through the trouble of planning this, so I’m gonna enjoy it to the fullest!

Thank you for the meal!

Thank you for the meal!

Whew… I'm totally stuffed.

The wild vegetables we picked were all delicious.

and the salt-grilled trout straight from the river was absolutely perfect!

We might’ve gone a little overboard with the extra meat order...

Good thing we worked out this morning.

True!

Not a single bite was wasted thanks to our morning warm-up.

Still, I had no idea there was a place like this where you could enjoy such fresh ingredients.

Ehehe~!

Actually, Haruka-chan and the others told me about this BBQ place!

Wh-What!? Really?

But why would Kiritani and the others...…?

Umm, while I was cooking up ideas for the tour at school, I happened to run into Haruka-chan and the others!

And when I told them what we were doing, they were like “We wanna celebrate for Tsukasa-kun too!” and helped me out!

So they pitched in as well.

I'll make sure to express my gratitude to Kiritani and the others then.

You guys really went above and beyond too. I’m truly grateful from the bottom of my heart!

We battled it out with sports, and then got to savor a delicious luncheon.

Thanks to all of you, this has been a truly enjoyable birthday!

I see… I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Right. But… you don’t actually think the surprise tour is over, do you?

After all, what was the saying again? "It isn't over until it's over".¹

I’m familiar with that saying for sports...… but what are you implying here?

Ahem~☆ Now then, it’s time to reveal our final destination!

This phone’s for you~☆

Hm? It’s already in a call…!?

<Hiiiii~! Big bro, are you having fuuuun?>

Th-This voice...… Saki!?

<That’s right! And the very last stop on this surprise tour is... our house!>

<I’m helping Icchan and the others get everything ready for your party!>

<There’s cake too, so don’t be late!>

Y-Yeah... got it...

<See you later, big bro!>

And that’s a wrap!

Our special guest was Saki-chaaaaan~!

I let my guard down... I can’t believe I was hit with this surprise at the very end.....!

Everyone! Get ready to leave!

We’re heading back immediately to meet Saki and the others!

Okaaay~! Time for a group clean-up party!

We’re technically on schedule, but judging by Tsukasa right now...... maybe we should speed things up.

You're right.

Best to finish this swiftly.

WOOOOAAAAHHH!! Hang on, Saki!!

I’m coming home as fast as I cannnnnn!!

Happy birthday, Tsukasa-senpai. I really wasn’t expecting a thank-you song...... it honestly caught me off guard.

Calling it a song feels wrong.

That was a whole musical number.

The staging was weirdly elaborate too........

That was seriously amazing!

Both the singing and the performance.....

I mean… it’s Tenma-senpai’s birthday, right? And we still got treated to such a performance?

It was really something Tsukasa-san would do, wasn't it?

—Thank you again, Tsukasa-san! And most of all..… happy birthday!

Happy birthday, Tsukasa-senpai~!

Mafuyu and I went gift shopping the other day~!

I’ll leave it with Rui, so go grab it later, 'kay? ♪

Mizuki really agonized over which hat would suit you best, Tenma-san.

But I think it turned out great so we hope you like it.

Is everyone ready? One, two—

Happy birthday, Tsukasa-kun!

<Happy birthday!!>

I heard you went to the place we suggested for lunch..…

Did you have fun?

You could move around, and eat fresh food.… It was the perfect spot for someone like you, Tenma-san.

Oh, speaking of which—Tsukasa-kun texted me just now.

He said he had an amazing time.

He even sent a photo with it.

Whoa, it’s a photo from the barbecue!

Tsukasa-san looks so happy!

I’m so glad he made such a wonderful memory.

Thank you for the lovely photo, Tsukasa-kun.

Let’s all have a barbecue together someday.

Big bro! Happy birthday!

I’m so glad you liked the surprise~!

Not gonna lie, he came home faster than I expected.

He said he ran home full-speed just for Saki.

That’s very typical of him of him, isn't it?

That's right.

All the different types of games we played during the party was really fun...... I hope it made some good memories for Tsukasa-san.

Yep yep!

Happy birthday again, big bro!

You’re working so hard toward your dream, and I’ll keep rooting for you with all I’ve got!

I'm glad he enjoyed the surprise tour.

Yeah!

We got to see so many of Tsukasa-kun’s big happy smiles!

When I see Tsukasa-kun enjoying himself like that, I can't help but smile too.

The fact that he always make everyone around him smile..... that's just what you'd expect from a future star.

Sure, he can be a handful sometimes..… but the way he makes everyone smile so easily is amazing, honestly.

Yep!

I totally believe Tsukasa-kun can make everyone in the world smile someday!

Tsukasa-kun, let’s keep making the world smile together!

So let's all do our best together ☆

Everyone, thank you so much for today! I’ve received all your warm wishes loud and clear!

Every time I receive such kindness, I’m reminded that having people who celebrate me like this...… it’s not something I can take for granted.

That’s why I’ll treasure these feelings, and return them all with even more joy and smiles!

So keep your eyes on this Pegasus Dreamer Tsukasa Tenma!

I'll see you on the stage again soon!