I Was Possessed By An Unknown Manga-Chapter 243: Suggestions

The finals were set to begin in about 30 minutes, at 3 PM.

This was necessary because the preliminary round, which began after lunch, had run for over an hour, requiring rest for both participants and the audience.

Moreover, participants needed time to choose their swimsuits for the second round of judging, so they rushed to the racks filled with swimsuits as soon as the finalists were announced.

Watching this from the judges’ table, I asked the Vice President beside me.

“So, what made you decide to include a swimsuit judging in this weather?”

Even though the auditorium was warm due to the heater being turned on, it was mid-November.

Holding a swimsuit judging so close to winter was an almost ludicrous idea, akin to just not wearing a modified hanbok.

It wouldn’t be surprising if there were complaints from students or parents.

However, the Vice President, hearing my criticism, responded with an unrepentant face.

“As I mentioned before, a swimsuit judging is not an option but a necessity in a global beauty contest. Since the Student Council is officially sponsoring it, we have no reason to take it lightly.”

“Ah, yes.”

I lost my words at the Vice President’s serious explanation, which was devoid of any selfish motives.

This person genuinely believed in what he was saying.

In any case, after a delightful break, the finals began.

“But what awaited us was anything but an ordinary contest…”

“Hey, don’t suddenly insert weird narration like that, Vice President.”

If he said that, it might seem like a mysterious murder was about to happen in the auditorium.

The Ichijo Academy Beauty Contest, the long-awaited finals!

After overcoming a fierce competition of 2:1, the nine beautiful girls who passed the preliminary round all changed into swimsuits during the break for the swimsuit judging.

Unlike the preliminary round, where they were introduced one by one, all nine finalists took the stage at once due to time constraints.

“Wooaahh!!”

This ignited an uproar in the audience.

Not one was left out, as all were S-class beauties from the area, standing before them in swimsuits that exposed their skin.

The reactions of the participants on stage were also diverse.

While Rika, Sasha, and Nao confidently displayed their figures, Karen and Senior Fuma appeared shy, hunching their shoulders.

Showing off in front of a large crowd was not something that could be done easily without considerable courage.

“This year, the level of the contest is very high indeed.”

“Hehe, to see the scene I’ve only dreamed of right in front of me. I could die happily today.”

Sitting in the front row of the audience, I could hear the voices of the members of the Beauty Research Club too clearly.

I tried my best to pretend not to hear them and focused my gaze on the contestants in front of me.

The first person I noticed was Karen.

While she stood out as the shortest contestant, there was a noticeable difference between the Karen I saw in summer and the one now.

When I first saw her, she had a very boyish short cut, but now her hair had grown long enough to touch her back.

And perhaps because she was in a growth spurt, her once stout figure had developed curves, making her appear much more feminine than before.

Unlike before, when she wore a frilly swimsuit like a child, this time, she boldly wore a bikini. Upon making eye contact with me, she turned her face away, blushing.

She seemed embarrassed.

Meanwhile, her father, witnessing his daughter’s daring exposure, looked perplexed, unsure whether to feel proud or not.

Next, I looked at Rika.

She appeared as if she were about to work at a beach house, straddling the line between swimsuit and casual wear, as her colorful fabric and denim shorts highlighted her freshness.

She must have been a former reader model, as her outfit radiated a unique sense of style.

Unlike Karen, when our eyes met, Rika gave a slight wave.

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Next was Sasha.

Unlike the functional swimsuit she wore before, Sasha now donned a form-fitting rash guard.

Generally, rash guards were perceived as less revealing than swimsuits and not particularly sexy, but on Sasha, it felt entirely different.

Isn’t there a saying?

Sometimes, being partially covered is even more alluring than being completely bare.

And Sasha’s explosive figure was not concealed by her outfit.

If anything, it only accentuated her figure.

As I admired the swimwear of my female friends one by one, the stage MC, Satoru, stepped forward and shouted.

“Alright! Thank you for waiting! Now, let’s start the long-awaited finals! The swimsuit judging!”

“Wooooaaahh!”

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted.

The auditorium was already hot with the enthusiasm of male students who had come to watch the swimsuit judging.

The auditorium was bustling with even more people than 30 minutes ago, likely having come after hearing the rumors.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to resist either.

This was not something one could easily pass up.

“The second round of judging, the swimsuit judging, will be conducted primarily through interviews, unlike the preliminary round! The final results will be determined by combining the judges’ scores (30%) with the audience’s scores (70%). Please give stickers to your favorite contestants!”

Below the stage, the staff helping with this event were busily distributing stickers.

It seemed that each person would only receive one sticker, making it impossible to vote multiple times.

As I grasped the general rules, an excited Satoru quickly handed the microphone to none other than Nao.

That guy was clearly fulfilling his own selfish desires.

“Now, let’s ask the spotlight of this competition, Nao! What made you participate in this contest?!”

In her swimsuit, Nao initially looked troubled but soon responded with determination.

“I have someone I personally want to beat.”

“Ahh! A rival declaration!”

The audience stirred with excitement.

After all, Nao, an active actress and idol, had directly declared that she had her eyes on someone at school.

However, in terms of the competition, it could be seen as proper showmanship, so Satoru nervously swallowed and asked.

“Can you tell us who that person is?”

“It’s not hard to say.”

Responding like that, Nao raised her right hand to point at someone.

At the end of her finger was none other than Sasha.

“Unbelievable! Nao has directly pointed out her rival, the Russian girl Sasha!”

While Satoru exclaimed as he called out Sasha, the latter merely shrugged her shoulders, showing calmness without saying a word.

But then, a twist occurred.

Nao’s finger, which was pointing at Sasha, moved sideways.

Thus, the person Nao now pointed to was Rika.

“While Senior Sasha is intimidating, the person I actually find most frightening here is Senior Rika.”

“Ahh! I never saw that coming!”

Hey, can you stop being so dramatic?

I understand he’s the main MC and needs to liven things up, but Satoru’s fussiness was making my ears ring.

Then, Sasha, who had just shrugged in a nonchalant manner, narrowed her eyes at Nao.

It felt like she wouldn’t hesitate to resort to violence if Nao didn’t come up with a reasonable response.

However, it seemed that Nao was not one to be intimidated either, as she responded with a calm smile.

“Senior Rika has a sparkle that I don’t see in anyone else.”

“…Sparkle?”

I wondered what kind of nonsense this was, but Nao said it calmly while looking at Rika.

“Senior Rika, have you ever seriously thought about entering the entertainment industry? If you have, I could help you.”

“…What?”

Rika was equally shocked by the sudden proposal.

As she blinked in confusion, Nao continued.

“Honestly, I was moved listening to your song on stage earlier. With your talent and looks, you’d surely rise to fame quickly.”

“No, no, wait! This is all too sudden! I honestly don’t know what to say right now!”

As Rika stammered, forgetting that this was during the competition, Nao simply shrugged at her.

“Well, I didn’t expect an immediate answer here. But if you ever consider it, please let me know. I’m serious about it.”

“Ah, I get it.”

After Nao’s abrupt offer soured the atmosphere, she smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.

“I hope I didn’t waste your time. Please continue with the interview, Senior Momochi.”

“Ah, okay.”

Satoru snapped back to reality, realizing Nao had called his name. He shivered momentarily before gripping the microphone tightly and saying.

“Yes! That was Nao’s interview! Now, let’s move on to the next interviewee!”

To recover from the unexpected tension, Satoru’s eyes caught sight of someone who could change the mood.

Despite it being a swimsuit judging, the last contestant, number 18, was completely bundled up.

She was truly the perfect candidate to turn around the tense atmosphere.

“Contestant number 18! Ryuko!”