𝚈/𝚗'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"You can pump it as many times as you want, but you have to pump it at least once. And whoever reaches the limit loses! Wanna play that game?" Chika-san suggested.

"A game where you can pump it as many times as you want, but you have to pump it at least once and whoever reaches the limit loses?" Kaguya-san, Iino-chan, and I repeated.

Kaguya-san seemed confused, Iino-chan was covering her face in embarrassment while I was curious. It sounds like an intriguing game.

"What is that?" Kaguya-san questioned.

"Let's do it! Let's do it! Let's do it!" I exclaimed, wanting to try the game out.

"L/n, please calm down." Ishigami-kun sweatdropped.

"I don't understand the mechanics of this game. But why don't we give it a shot?" the President suggested.

"Shall we? But I'm only allowing L/n to do mine." Ishigami-kun said.

"Hooray for daring boys! I'll get it set up!" Chika-san cheered, getting the balloon and balloon pump.

"Oh, this is what she was talking about?!" Ishigami-kun and the President gasped.

A game in which you can pump it as many times as you want, but you have to pump it at least once, and whoever reaches the limit loses.

"Here are the rules! You take turns, with each person pumping as many times as they want, but you have to pump it at least once. You keep going until the balloon reaches its limit and bursts!" Chika-san explained.

"I see. I thought you had some dirty game in mind at first..." Iino-chan mumbled. Dirty game?

"Why aren't you two into it anymore?" Chika-san inquired, staring at the depressed boys.

"You were thinking of such things?" my cheeks heated up as I stared at the two of them, finally realizing what Iino-chan meant.

Ishigami-kun even said that I'm the only one allowed to do his. That's really embarrassing!

"Where did you get this?" Kaguya-san questioned.

"At the end of the sports festival, we released balloons." I reminded, recalling Team Red's victory.

"Exactly! I thought throwing them all away would be a waste, so I kept a big one." Chika-san elaborated.

"That's very ecologically-minded of you!" Iino-chan praised.

"Kaguya, Miko, Y/n-chan, you three will play too, won't you?" Chika-san asked.

"Oh sure, after all that build-up." Iino-chan responded.

"It seems quite intriguing, so I might as well try it out." I replied.

"Well, if everyone else is going to do it..." Kaguya-san sighed.

"Then, the order will be President, Kaguya, Ishigami, Y/n-chan, me, and Miko!" Chika-san announced.

Let the game begin.

𝟹𝚛𝚍 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝙿𝙾𝚅

Shirogane and Shinomiya pumped it 2 times. It's a pretty normal amount and it reduces the risk of it exploding since the balloon is still small.

Ishigami pumps it 3 times. Y/n struggled to pump one, but she ended up pumping it 5 times before chickening out.

"Yay!" Fujiwara exclaimed, she pumps it 19 times, very close to 20. The student council members' eyes widen when they notice the balloon's size.

Shirogane and Shinomiya attempt to maintain their composure and resort to underhanded tactics.

Shinomiya has never played this game in which you burst a balloon on purpose. So, naturally, she's nervous.

Shinomiya is a teenager after all. And like any teenager, she has a fear of the unknown. However...

"Jeez. What is it about this that you all find so frightening?" Shinomiya confidently said, doing her calming ritual.

"Kaguya...you have to inflate the balloon with both hands!" Fujiwara reminded. The calming ritual!

Shinomiya falls down on her knees, terrified of the thought of the balloon popping. She begged Hayasaka to save her from this.

"Okay, Ishigami, you're next!" Shinomiya screamed, pumping the balloon once.

"After that impressive declaration, you only pump it once?" Ishigami deadpanned.

"You should talk, scaredy-cat Ishigami!" Shinomiya provoked.

"A scaredy-cat? I sure was. Well...watch this." Ishigami placed his hand on his hip.

Ishigami Yu has moved beyond fear. He has recently overcome numerous hardships and has taken a step forward in his life.

Ishigami's character growth in the sports festival arc proves to be worthless before the fear and anticipation of the giant balloon popping frightened Ishigami.

"Okay, L/n's next!" Ishigami pumped it once before running back.

"You only pumped it once yourself, Ishigami. What kind of man are you?" Fujiwara scoffed.

Y/n walked up to the balloon inflator and placed both of her hands on the handle. The size of the balloon terrified her, but there is no turning back.

"Die!" Y/n screamed, pumping it another 5 times before running back.

"Die?" Ishigami mumbled, wondering about what Y/n said to the balloon.

(A/N: Get the reference? :DD)

Iino is easily manipulated into pumping the balloon to near bursting point.

At that moment, they all thought Fujiwara was scum. Yet, they all joined in.

"Show me that you've got what it takes to be the next student council president!"

"The greater the fear, the more valuable the courage you can muster!"

"You can do it, Iino-chan!"

"That's true strength, Iino!"

"Is this enough? I don't think it can stand any more." Iino cried.

Shirogane fails to live up to his father's hopes that he would become the kind of man who would protect those he cares about and chickens out of bursting the balloon to spare Shinomiya.

"Well, good luck, Shinomiya!" Shirogane encouraged. Shinomiya nervously walked up to the balloon inflator.

Shinomiya pumped it once and it was now Ishigami's turn to pump the balloon.

"I'm terrified." Y/n confessed, gripping on Ishigami's black blazer with an anxious expression on her face.

All the reasons not to do this come flooding in, as if her body chemistry just sent them a blanket invitation.

Y/n feels the soft panic that can grow or fade depending on what she does next.

It will fade if she backs away, but then she has to do this all over again when her turn comes.

It will grow if she lets these thoughts swirl into a vortex of stupidity, eating their own tail.

Or she can breathe real slow, let the thoughts leak into the ether and be the real boss of herself.

"Don't worry." Ishigami smiled down at her, patting her head as a way to comfort her nervousness.

"In the name of L/n!" Ishigami shrieks as he pumped the balloon 9 times, shocking everyone.

When Y/n's turn came, she stood in front of the huge balloon while shaking, fearing the idea of the balloon popping in her face.

She can't help it.

Yeah, you could keep telling yourself that 'it's not scary at all' or that 'it's just a balloon, hurry up and get this over with already', but once you're in front of it, you'll soon understand.

"I'm having those tangerines now!" Fujiwara announced, peeling of the skin of the tangerine.

The rind of citrus fruits contains limonene which can dissolve rubber. If one drop of tangerine juice hits the balloon, it'll explode.

To reiterate, the rind of citrus fruits contains limonene which can dissolve rubber, so if one drop...

"May God forgive you, but I won't." Y/n cursed as the balloon popped in front of her.

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