I'm back.
I spent my summer at a place in the mountains.
I beat up some cutesy couples at the tennis court,
Fought some grade schoolers over who
would get their radio exercises card stamped first,
caught more stag beetles than I really should have...
Well, I guess I had good time, but...
I really would have liked it if you were there,
Souta-kyun!
Kyun! Kyun!
Shut up!
Oh, Hatate-kun, it's been a while.
I was sad, not being able to see you for a month.
Hello there.
Hi there.
Who is this?!
If Her Flag Breaks
Flag 10
Hold This for Me. The Winner of the Beauty Contest is Written Here.
Okay.
New friend
We have a new friend for you all today.
Clap, clap.
I'm from the Principality of Bladefield,
Hakua B. Bladefield
the second crown princess, Hakua Berserker Bladefield,
I am.
She's more of a princess than Knight-san.
I feel like I want to protect her more than Knight-san.
She smells better than Knight-san.
She's a real princess.
I'm a real princess, too!
Okay.
We'll be starting the new term today.
The school fair's coming up, so make sure you all behave,
along with your new friend here.
Okay!
We just got off of summer break
and now everyone's excited about the school fair.
You can't blame them.
It's the largest festival around here. It lasts for a week
and everyone from the elementary school division to the university here participate.
My class wants to make their haunted yakisoba café a success,
so they're all excited.
What kind of chemical reaction created that idea?
I'm not sure about that one.
Hakua-chan has gotten really used to school.
That's good.
I can't always watch after her, anyway.
Souta-kun...
Souta-san,
please sign this, please.
Sign?
This isn't marriage paperwork.
I... I would be happy
just to be your lover, I would.
Lover
That'd be an annoying way to live.
Well, I wouldn't mind signing it.
Yay!
Huh? What?
Souta-kun, look at this...
It's an entry sheet for the Hatagaya Academy beauty contest?
Hatagaya beauty contest?
What's that?
You don't know?
It's one of the main attractions for the first day of the festival.
Sorry, Hatate-kun.
This is for the festival.
Everyone said that if you put their name in,
they wouldn't mind entering.
Everyone?
Entry Sheet
Name
Mahougasawa Akane
Miss Hatagaya Academy Beauty Contest
Mahougasawa Akane.
Entry Sheet
Name
Shoukanji Kikuno
Shoukanji Kikuno...
Entry Sheet
Name
Nanami K. Bladefield
Nanami Knight Bladefield.
Ruri and Mei, Hakua and Rin-kun...
The president and Megumu are here, too?!
What?! Why me?
You sure are nice, little Souta.
I've never heard of someone putting in a word
for nine girls at the same time.
How unscrupulous.
Aren't you happy that
he wanted you to enter, though?
Wh-What are you saying?
I'm not going to get happy over something like that.
You get so embarrassed. It's cute.
No, I don't!
So, since you nominated them all,
you're going to need to treat them all equally.
My class is supposed to help me out.
Well, it is the school fair.
You're still young.
You should have fun with everyone.
Have fun with everyone, huh?
Why am I a maid?
I wonder why Japan likes maids so much, I do.
Uh...
You two look good.
I'll be a perfectly manly maid!
Welcome back, Master.
I'll lower my head for you, even if I am
the second crown princess, Souta-san.
Social status
Dealing with social status is annoying...
You don't have to worry about getting ready for the beauty contest, Nanami?
I wasn't interested in the first place.
Why did you let me enter you?
If I hadn't allowed myself to be entered,
everyone would think I wasn't being friendly with them.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
Huh?
Hey.
This is the poster for the beauty contest, so smile.
R-Right.
You okay?
You're always smiling, and now you...
I-It's not like I'm some sort of smiling expert.
I look gloomy all the time, just like you!
You shouldn't be comparing yourself to me.
How about you try taking the picture?
Come on.
Okay, I'll take your picture, Akane.
O-Okay!
It's been a while since I've been in a room without anyone else around.
I guess it's not surprising.
Everyone's trying their best for this fair business.
I can't enjoy myself, Granny-sama.
I can't get that fairy tale out of my head.
To Hatate Souta
I found some stuff I thought were clues.
I thought everything would work.
But nothing did.
No matter how much fun I have,
in the end...
Just like that boy that was the flag...
Oh, you're awake.
N-Nanami.
Your door was open.
O-Oh.
Did something happen?
Huh?
No, nothing.
Are you worrying about something on your own again?
Wh-What?
Never mind.
It's already so late.
Of course you'd be hungry.
Guess I'll get a late night snack or something.
I want to go, too.
Me, too.
Then we should get some people together to go.
Count me in first!
Count me in second!
What about you guys? Okiku-nee, Hakua.
As you can see, Hakua's here, so I can't go.
But it's just a special thing!
A sister is only supposed to let her brother sleep on her lap like this!
A sister doesn't need any little sisters other than her younger brother's!
You know, she is my little sister, not his, right?
What about you, Ruri?
I'm charging, so I cannot go.
I-I see.
Oh, well.
I'll go with you guys, then.
Maid
Okay, let's go.
Yeah!
It's kind of strange.
Yeah, school at night is kind of exciting.
It's almost like we're fairies that have wandered into another land.
That was a nice poem, Nanami-chan.
Don't say poem!
What is it?
It went "kyuu."
Your cute stomach went "kyuu."
No. It wasn't me.
S-Sorry.
That's the sound that plays when I get a text from my sister.
Why do you have that?!
Souta-kun, it said "kyuu, kyuu!"
"Kyuu, kyuu!"
Hey.
"Kyuu, kyuu, kyuu!"
"Kyuu... Kyuu..."
Not you, too, Megumu.
"Kyuu!"
"Kyuu... Kyuu... Kyuu..."
You, too, Nanami?!
H-Hey!
Why is everyone so excited the night before the fair?
Souta-kun, why was that so funny?
You only thought of that now?
I don't really get it, but I guess Megu thought that was funny.
Why?
I guess I won't worry about it.
I'll do what I can right now.
I want everyone to be happy while they can be.
So it's time to
start the Hatagaya Academy school fair!
And we're off!
We get a week long school fair!
And the opening event that everyone must see...
Miss Hatagaya Academy Beauty Contest
It's the Miss Hatagaya Academy beauty contest!
I'll be your host, the ace of the broadcast team,
Kondawara Fuu,
and... Me, Nonomiya Yoshiko!
Time to introduce our judges.
Ryuukishibara Tsumugi
We have a legendary guest with us.
She once won 10 contests in a row!
Ryuukishibara Tsumugi!
If only I were 50 years younger...
And...
We have our representative from the middle school division:
Daishikyougawa Kurumiko
Daishikyougawa Kurumiko.
Huh?
Ice cream!
Get your ice cream here!
And last we have the person who sponsored all of our entrants.
Hatate Souta
Hatate Souta-kun.
Why are you making me judge this?!
You had all them do this and you're saying that?
You suck.
And all of our participants are from Quest Dorm.
I see!
If he knows them all personally,
he can keep any problems between them from getting out of hand!
So much for doing what you're supposed to do.
Okay, let's get started.
Miss Hatagaya Academy Contest
Our first entry,
Entry #1
Mahougasawa Akane-san.
M-Mahougasawa Akane-san here.
I like Souta-kun.
Thank you.
I'm Eiyuuzaki Rin.
I-I also like Souta...
Wait... What are you making me say?!
Shoukanji Kikuno here!
I love my little brother and the guy close to my heart,
and they're both Sou-kun!
S-Souta-kyu— I mean Hatate-kun...
Is going to make me happy...
Peek, peek.
Huh?
Don't stare at me so much, Hatate-kun.
Huh?!
My name is Ninjabayashi Ruri.
Everything I am belongs to Souta-san.
That's supposed to be for the judges.
I-I don't really like
Hatate Souta at all.
Hmph.
I'm happy just having met Souta-san.
I could happily die right now, I could.
Why so serious...
I'm going to do the best I can...
I swear on the bonds we have together,
that surpass normal manly friendship.
Uh, I'm not really sure why I'm here. Guess it's a bit late for that.
I don't get it, but I'm sure it's Souta's fault!
Huh?
Okay, that's all nine!
So we'll have our audience
vote in real time.
First is our swimsuit competition!
Swimsuit Competition
Huh? This is supposed to be a swimsuit competition, right?
Nonomiya-san?
Yes.
Why is everyone
hiding their swimsuit with a shirt?
So what happens when we have Hatate Souta
stand over there with a water gun.
Huh?
I know now!
We're having a wet t-shirt plus swimsuit competition.
That's right!
That's pretty perverse!
But that's what we like!
Now go at it, Hatate-kun.
I can't do that!
Don't get so bothered, Sou-kun.
It's fine.
Come on, spray it all over me.
F-Fine.
Here I go.
Sou-kun, don't get so much on me.
I want lots on me, too!
Spray it all over me, too!
No...
I want more, Hatate-kun!
I want some, too, Souta-kun!
I want to show you my upgraded waterproof features.
Yes or no?
I'll do anything for you Souta-san, I will!
Ooh!
So cold!
Hey, Souta,
aren't you getting a little too much on me?
Hey, Souta!
Why are you getting it on me?!
Jump!
What have I done to...
Okay, that brings our swimsuit competition to an end!
We have a lot more to go!
Cooking competition!
Karaoke!
Quiz competition!
So everyone has the same amount of votes from the audience.
And if we add in the votes from our judges...
We got the same amount votes again...
Hey, get it right, judge!
I can't rate them...
In that case...
We'll have to add another competition to settle this.
Our final competition is an
Ardently Confess Your Love to the Judges
"ardently confess your love to the judges" competition!
Wh—
What the heck?!
You think the audience is going to like
that in a beauty competition?
They've all seen just how much
these girls are trying to impress Hatate-kun.
Hatagaya Academy is all about wishing the best for these girls,
even if you don't get them yourself!
Okay, Knight-san, you go first.
Why me?!
Poem fight!!
Fight, Nanami-chan!
Tell him how you feel!
Hmph!
I guess I'm a little less nervous now.
In that case...
To be honest, I don't like you that much.
It started when we first met.
You were a wimp, hated yourself, and were always so gloomy.
You looked like you were carrying the
misfortune of the entire world on your back.
And well, I guess a lot happened.
I thought I had seen you crack a smile or two,
but now you're back to your old self.
I thought I should just
headbutt you again,
but it seems that won't be necessary.
I don't know what happened,
but I'm sure you're thinking about it in your own way.
So, well...
Thanks for hanging in there.
It wasn't like something changed because of that.
My fate and the death flag were still...
But someone noticed.
I never thought
that'd make me so happy.
H-Hey, why are you crying?!
Oh, sorry.
I was just a little tired.
Was my confession of love that boring?!
What's wrong with you guys?!
You care about him so much...
It just touched me.
There's nothing left for us to say.
You won, Princess Nanami.
No, I don't need to win.
You made use of your differing attitudes for that speech.
I detected a "tsundere level" of 530,000.
Today Nanami's Sou-kun's older sister.
Points for Knight-san!
She broke through the limit!
She might as well have won already.
No complaints here!
Winner
So that makes Nanami Knight Bladefield-san the winner!
What?!
Okay, Nanami-chan, congratulations.
Huh?
What is this even?!
Due to Knight-san's victory she wins the
right to a date with Souta-kun for the school fair
and a free pass to the refreshment stand.
Hatate Souta
You've been eating quite a bit.
Hmph. I'm going to have the most fun I can.
I mean, you made me say all that stuff.
Hey!
Please...
Please hide me!
Huh?
Roar! Gawo!
It's time for me to come into the story!
Huh? What was that?
I said it was finally time for me to be here!
Sorry, could you say that a bit louder?
My turn to be here!
Sorry, I can't hear you. One more time.
Blah! Why aren't you going to introduce me?
Sorry, but there's no flag to spoil what's going to happen next episode.
Flag 11
We Don't all Have to Dance. I can Dance by Myself
Roar! Gawo!
If Her Flag Breaks
See you next time!
Illustration: Okazaki Takeshi