"The students' surnames were the key to figuring out the VIPs' identities. They were assigned in the order of the animals of the zodiac."
We sat at a table all the way in the back of the crowded café, Pallet.
Summer vacation had just ended, and I was seated with a bizarre crew that included Hirata, Karuizawa, and Horikita. We were trying to review the special exam that'd been held on the cruise ship during our vacation, comparing notes on the test that divided us up into groups based on the twelve zodiac signs.
"The rabbit is fourth in the zodiac. If you put the names of the students in the rabbit group in alphabetical order, it would be Ayanokouji-kun, Ichinose-san, Ibuki-san, and then Karuizawa-san," said Horikita.
"I see. In that case, yeah, I'd be fourth. That's why I was chosen as VIP," said Karuizawa.
She seemed impressed. At first glance, you'd have thought that the two girls sitting with me were completely incompatible, but Hirata's presence made the discomfort between them mysteriously disappear.
"But isn't that really, really simple? I mean, practically anyone could figure it out. Like, the fifth person in the dragon group was Kushida-san, so she was the VIP, right?" asked Karuizawa. She put a straw in her milk carton and sipped.
"It was that simple. However, figuring that out in the middle of an exam wasn't so easy. With only three VIPs in your own class, you wouldn't have had enough solid data to determine the system behind the selection," explained Horikita.
If we'd known the names of the three VIPs in another class, we might have seen the pattern. However, even if we'd had a theory about how the VIPs were chosen, it would have been risky. If we were off, we could have taken considerable damage.
Of course, on the other hand, if we'd bet the farm and won, we might've turned everything around in a single stroke.
"I'm worried about Class C, though. I think Ryuuen-kun figured it all out in the middle of the test," said Hirata. He was probably right.
"If that's true, then why did he mess up?" asked Karuizawa.
"I wondered about that, too. If he understood the rules, he should have discovered all the VIPs," said Hirata.
Horikita offered a different perspective on the matter. "Though it appears that Ryuuen-kun rules Class C alone, perhaps that isn't actually true. More than a handful of people are probably deeply dissatisfied with his dictatorship."
"Yes. A rebellious student must've tossed out the wrong answer in direct defiance of Ryuuen-kun."
Horikita and Hirata were onto something, but we still couldn't be sure. If there was a traitor, Ryuuen would've searched for them relentlessly. Even if that person had deleted the email, Ryuuen would probably have gone so far as to check people's private points.
"What do you think, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Horikita.
Hirata and Karuizawa looked to me at the same time. I broke out coughing, discomfited by the force of their combined attention.
"Dunno. I honestly don't have a clue," I lied. Horikita and Hirata looked away, losing interest all at once. Only Karuizawa still stared at me. I met her gaze, and she diverted her eyes.
"In any case, our first priority is to cement this relationship. I'm glad we're discussing this, Horikita-san and Ayanokouji-kun," said Hirata.
Horikita had never cooperated with Hirata before. However, her attitude had finally begun to change after the two special exams. Being driven into a corner made her start to realize the truth: that she couldn't do
this alone.
"Well, we don't really have a choice. The zodiac exam was a special case. If we assume that future exams may have similar elements, though, then a certain degree of cooperation will be necessary," replied Horikita. "That said, you evaded Ryuuen-kun's clutches quite well."
The last part was aimed at Karuizawa, who'd been my group's VIP, and managed to get through the exam without being discovered. Class D had been well rewarded for that victory.
"Well, I guess. I do have a surprisingly good poker face. Right, Yousuke-kun?" asked Karuizawa. She hugged Hirata's arm and looked at him with upturned eyes. You'd never have thought that their relationship had been strained, though whether that was genuine or an act didn't interest me.
Wait a minute—Yousuke? When had Karuizawa suddenly started calling Hirata by his first name? I kind of wanted to call him by his first
name, too, but it was impossible. Hirata and Karuizawa had forged a new relationship out of their complicated situation, which most likely made them closer friends. Hirata returned Karuizawa's smile, then turned to Horikita.
"I actually have a proposal. Want to hear it?" Hirata asked. Horikita gave no response—her way of telling him to speak.
"First, to bring our class together, I'd like to rope in Kushida-san as an ally. I think she'll complement our group well and add qualities that the four of us lack. She could potentially unite a lot of the boys, starting with Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun."
"Unnecessary," replied Horikita. "I won't deny the fact that she has certain skills, but we can do anything she can on our own. That's why I selected you and Karuizawa-san. With your combined talents, we can solve any problem that faces us…unless you plan to be uncooperative, like a certain someone."
She side-eyed me. How rude.
"It's certainly true that Ayanokouji might not follow our lead," added Karuizawa. She and Horikita nodded, though Hirata did not.
"Look, you're mistaken if you think I'm the uncooperative one. I'm the guy most likely to quietly go along with a group. I'm exactly the sort of person you can control. I have no presence," I said.
"Those who claim that they have no presence usually cast long shadows," replied Horikita.
"Okay. So, are you someone with no presence?" I asked.
"Me? There's no way I could have no presence. How dare you? Do you take me for a fool?" she demanded.
"Uh…sorry."
The whole conversation was devolving into some half-baked comedy sketch, although Horikita didn't appear to be joking around. You could never quite tell when she was playing, but I thought she was definitely serious.
2.1
Our afternoon class became a two-hour homeroom period. When Class D's teacher, Chabashira-sensei, arrived, she began to instruct us in a detached, matter-of-fact manner.
"Starting today, classes begin again. However, from September to the beginning of October, we will be holding more physical education classes to prepare for the school sports festival. We'll distribute new weekly schedules, so please review them carefully. In addition to the new schedules, we'll also distribute materials related to the festival. Students seated at the front, please pass handouts to those behind you, and so on."
The moment Chabashira-sensei uttered the words "sports festival," the class erupted in an uproar. Some students were undoubtedly excited by the prospect, but just as many loathed the idea of anything focused on physical exertion.
"The details on the printed handouts can be found on the school homepage as well. Please refer to them if necessary."
"Sensei, is this festival another of the special exams?" Hirata asked, raising his hand.
We expected Chabashira-sensei to say, "Naturally," but her response was vague.
"You're free to interpret this however you wish. In any case, this event will massively impact each and every class."
The students who loathed exercise continued grumbling. At an ordinary school, you could find a way to sit out or skip a sports festival. If this festival affected the entire class's fate, however, then even the least athletic of us had to participate.
On the other hand, some students were really fired up about this.
Particularly those who, like Sudou, were confident in their athletic abilities. This was probably the first exam that would let them contribute to the class meaningfully.
"Ayanokouji-kun, here!" While everyone else agonized over what was happening, Horikita—who'd been reading through the handout—pointed something out to me.
I flipped the page over and checked what Horikita was referring to. It was, rather unexpectedly, a description of the sports festival's testing method.
For an instant, I felt as though Chabashira-sensei was looking at me. "Some people have noticed this already, but for this year's festival,
we're going to divide all the students across all grade levels into two groups and have them compete against each other. You in Class D are assigned to the Red Team. Class A is also assigned to the Red Team, so they will compete alongside you," explained Chabashira-sensei.
Classes B and C were assigned to the White Team. It would be Red versus White.
"Whoa! Seriously?! We're really doing that?" shouted Ike. He'd probably assumed that this exam would pit all four classes against one another, same as always. This sports festival required a different strategy than we'd had during the special exam on the cruise ship. It demanded cooperation between students from different years.
Horikita appeared calm on the outside, but I was sure she was panicking internally. Her older brother, Horikita Manabu, was a third-year student from Class A. Depending on the circumstances, we might have to work with him.
"At least you have an opportunity to get in touch now, huh?" I asked
her.
"Don't talk about that here," Horikita muttered.
She glared at me. Her pencil tip shook like a cornered rattlesnake's tail,
and I wanted her to stop.
"First, let's review the sports festival's potential outcomes. I don't want to have to explain them to you repeatedly, so please listen carefully," said Chabashira-sensei.
She went over the text on the printout, tapping the paper forcefully to indicate where to look. Still listening, I lowered my eyes to the handout.
Sports Festival Rules and Team Division
The sports festival divides all students, across all grade levels, into two teams: Red and White. The breakdown goes as follows: Classes A and D are on the Red Team, Classes B and C are on the White Team.
Point Allocation for All Competitors (Individual Competitions) Points will be allocated as follows: first place will be awarded fifteen points, second place will be awarded twelve points, third place will be awarded ten
points, and fourth place will be awarded eight points.
One point will be deducted for coming in fifth place, and one additional point
will be subtracted for each place below that. (During a team competition, the winning team will be awarded 500 points.)
Point Allocation for Recommended Competitors
Points will be allocated as follows: first place will be awarded fifty points, second place will be awarded thirty points, third place will be awarded fifteen points, and fourth place will be awarded ten points.
Two points will be deducted for coming in fifth place, and two additional points will be subtracted for each place below that. (The final competition, the relay race, will offer three times the point values.)
Red Team vs. White Team Outcome
After reviewing the combined overall scores for each class, 100 class points will be deducted from the first-, second-, and third-year batches of the two classes on the losing team.
The Effect of Ranking by Grade Level
Fifty class points will be awarded to the class that scores highest in each of the three grade levels. Classes that achieve second place in their grade level will not see any changes to their class point totals. Classes that achieve third place in their grade level will have fifty class points deducted, and classes that achieve fourth place will have 100 class points deducted.
"Um, sensei, how many points does the winning team get? That doesn't appear to be written anywhere," said Hirata.
Chabashira-sensei's response to that naïve question was cruel and brief. "None. Their reward will be not having any points deducted."
Cries of agony sprang up all over the classroom. It was complete pandemonium. Of course, that was hardly surprising. Up until then, whenever there was an enormous risk, there had been an enormous reward to spur us on. However, that hardly seemed the case in this sports festival.
"Please keep in mind that points are awarded and subtracted, not just by team, but on a class-by-class basis. So, even if the Red Team wins, you'll still be hit by the 100-point penalty if Class D holds the lowest combined overall score," added Chabashira-sensei.
So, we didn't just need to worry about our team winning. Supposing we scored highest among the first-year classes, and received fifty points? If we lost to the White Team, we'd still get a 100-point penalty. If we ended up taking fourth place among the first-year classes on top of being on the losing
team, we'd be penalized 200 points in total.
Individual Competition Rewards (may be applied to the next midterm exam)
Students who achieve first place in an individual competition will be awarded either 5000 private points, or the score equivalent of three points on a written test. (In the event that a student accepts the test points, they will not be allowed to give those test points to another student.)
Students who achieve second place in an individual competition will be awarded either 3000 private points, or the score equivalent of two points on a written test. (In the event that a student accepts the test points, they will not be allowed to give those test points to another student.)
Students who achieve third place in an individual competition will be awarded either 1000 private points, or the score equivalent of one point on a written test. (In the event that a student accepts the test points, they will not be allowed to give those test points to another student.)
Students who score lowest in an individual competition will have 1000 private points deducted from their total. (In the event that a student has less than 1000 points, they will instead receive a one-point penalty on a written exam.)
Regarding Rule Violations/Foul Play
Read and comply with every competition's rules. Those who violate the rules will be disqualified. Anyone engaging in foul play may be forced to withdraw from the festival. In such cases, the school may render all previously awarded points invalid.
MVP Reward
The student who receives the highest total score across all competitions will be awarded 100,000 private points.
MVP Rewards for Each Individual Grade Level
The three students from each grade level who receive their grade's highest total score across all competitions will be awarded 10,000 private points.
At first glance, this sports festival appeared worse than previous tests we'd taken, but there was a wide range of potential benefits. We needed to pay close attention to the risks and rewards of the individual competitions. Information that hadn't been previously disclosed could trip us up.
"S-sensei, sensei! What are the perks you get for first or second place
or whatever? What does it mean that we can receive points for written tests?" shouted Ike.
Perhaps because the situation was strange to start with, Chabashira- sensei let out a slight laugh—an unusual sight.
"It's exactly what you think it is, Ike. In the sports festival, you can earn test points as a prize, which you can then apply to a written exam. You struggle with English and mathematics, right? Extra points would prove incredibly useful for you in the next test."
The most athletic students among us looked especially excited about that. If they went all out in the sports festival, they could supplement their scores in the event of a failing grade. That wouldn't do an excellent student like Hirata much good, but even in that case, private points were incentive enough. The three idiots aside, more than a few students were anxious about their academic abilities. Expulsion was always a possibility.
However, as we soon found out, there was no such thing as a free
lunch.
After all competitions end, the school will calculate each student's
point total and assign penalties to the ten lowest-scoring students in each year. The exact nature of the penalties will vary depending on grade level, so please consult the homeroom instructor in charge.
That was a major red flag.
"Sensei, what kind of penalty would we get?"
"For you first-year students, the penalty would be a point deduction on your next written exam. The ten students with the lowest overall scores will each receive a deduction of ten points," Chabashira-sensei explained.
"Whaaa…?! Seriously?!"
Now that we'd heard the rules, it was time to look at the different kinds of events in this sports festival. They were divided into two categories, "all participants" and "recommended participants." "All participants" was exactly what it sounded like: an event that literally all the students in a class participated in. Individual events like the 100-meter dash fell into that category, as did group events like the tug-of-war.
Meanwhile, only certain select students would participate in "recommended participant" events. The word "recommended" implied that a person was nominated, but a student could put themselves forward if the rest of their class agreed. A single person could also participate in a competition meant for multiple people. Events in the "recommended participants"
category included the scavenger hunt, the mixed-gender three-legged race, and the 1200-meter relay race.
Point gains and losses were determined purely by the event results, but the combination of team competitions and individual competitions made the festival tricky. We had to be wary of our enemies, Classes B and C, but also mindful of our allies, Class A. Class D and Class A would be helping each other, but to get first place in the combined scores across every grade level, our own class needed to take the top spots in multiple competitions.
"Details of the events are noted in your handouts. There will be no changes whatsoever," said Chabashira-sensei.
"Ugh, this is crazy hard, though! This is on a completely different level than junior high!"
Events for All Participants
100-Meter Dash Hurdle Race
Capture the Flag (boys only) Ball Toss (girls only)
Tug-of-War (separate events for boys and girls) Obstacle Course Race
Three-Legged Race Cavalry Battle 200-Meter Dash
Events for Recommended Participants
Scavenger Hunt Four-Way Tug-of-War
Three-Legged Race (mixed boys and girls)
1200-Meter Relay Race (mixed grade level, all three years)
Thirteen competitions in total—a grand lineup. The numbers indicated the order the competitions would be held in. There was some dissatisfaction over the large number of events for all participants.
"There would normally be, like, three or four events for a single person! Besides, is it even possible to do all these in one day?"
"I appreciate your concern, but the school already considered that," answered Chabashira-sensei. "No events require specific skills, such as cheerleading, dancing, or coordinated group gymnastics. The sports festival
will be a thorough test of your general physical ability and stamina."
The unathletic students' resistance was in vain. Chabashira-sensei had anticipated their every complaint.
"Another important thing to note is the participation table. Fill it out with the order you'll participate in, and I will submit it to the school on your behalf. I don't imagine any junior high has adopted a system like this, so do be extra careful not to make any mistakes."
"Wait. So, we can decide the order in which we'll participate? Exactly how much freedom do we have?" asked Hirata.
It was an obvious question, and Chabashira-sensei answered quickly. "Your class must come to a consensus on everything to do with the sports festival, such as which students will participate in which events. No changes will be allowed once the deadline passes, no matter the reason. The submission window opens one week prior to the festival and ends at 5:00 pm on the day before it begins. If by some chance you miss the submission window, you will be assigned randomly. So, be careful."
"Excuse me, but I have a question. Is that all right, Chabashira-sensei?" Horikita, who'd sat quiet until then, politely raised her hand.
"Feel free," replied Chabashira-sensei. She smiled thinly at the girl.
Both Hirata and Horikita understood how this school worked. The more questions they asked now, the better they'd understand later. Better safe than sorry.
"I realize that no further changes will be accepted once the submission window closes. However, in the event of someone's absence, what do we do? In the case of an individual competition, I assume that would be treated as an absence, but for group competitions? Especially in games like the cavalry battle and the three-legged race, we might not be able to compete at all if one important person is missing."
"Should you fall short of the minimum required number of people for competitions for all participants, you will be deemed unable to continue and disqualified," replied Chabashira-sensei. "For recommended-participant events, however, you are permitted to arrange a substitute—for a price. To establish a substitute, you must offer points as compensation."
We'd have to pay to prove we weren't cheating, huh?
"While we're on the subject…if an athlete's health suffers, or they're severely injured, will it be possible for that person to continue participating if they wish? Or will they have to stop and see a doctor?" asked Horikita.
"We leave that to the students to decide for themselves. Knowing your own limits will be an indispensable skill in the working world. For instance, you can't simply take a day off just because you have a fever on the date of an extremely important conference," replied Chabashira-sensei.
So, personal responsibility might trump personal health if the stakes were high enough.
"However, if someone's health gets truly poor, then they'll have to drop out," Chabashira-sensei added.
"I understand. Well, how many points are needed to assign a substitute?" asked Horikita.
"A substitute requires 100,000 private points per competition. That's expensive or cheap, depending on your resources," replied Chabashira-sensei.
"I see. Thank you very much."
We could afford that, but it wasn't exactly cheap. Depending on the circumstances, though, a substitute could be necessary in the future.
"If there are no more questions, we'll wrap up," said Chabashira- sensei.
She looked around the classroom. Students glanced at one another doubtfully and whispered, but made no effort to speak up. This was likely our last chance.
"Next period's location will move to Gymnasium 1, where you'll meet with students from other classes and grade levels. That is all," Chabashira- sensei said flatly. She checked the time. "You have twenty minutes of homeroom remaining. You're free to use that time however you wish."
With the teacher's permission, the silent classroom exploded into chaos. Groups formed, all chattering about the sports festival on their own. Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi gathered around Horikita.
"Let's figure this out, Horikita," said Sudou earnestly. "Yeah, yeah, let's think of a way to win!" Ike added.
Horikita sighed deeply, looking at the boys as if they were someone else's problem. "Why do only guys like these come to me?"
"It's a sad fact of reality," I told her.
Though Horikita muttered a comeback, she seemed to take the matter seriously. She flipped open her notebook. "Fine. I'll hear you out for now," she stated.
"Yes! Yes!" Ike immediately raised his hand. Horikita pointed her pen at him, urging him to speak.
"I'd like to have fun and win!" he shouted.
"That's not a valid opinion." Horikita smacked him down at once. "Class D can win this," Sudou said confidently.
"I'm not really expecting you to dazzle with your logic, but I'll listen to what you have to say."
"I'm not sure about the 'all participant' stuff, but you know I'll enter the recommended-participant competitions. If I do that, we'll win," he answered.
"There is some merit to that suggestion. Within our class, you stand out as someone with superior athletic skill. It certainly wouldn't be a bad idea for you to participate in all the recommended-participant competitions," Horikita said.
I agreed, but Ike and Yamauchi seemed dissatisfied.
"We want to have a chance, too! Come on. If we place in the top three, we can get some points."
"So, you'd advance your personal agendas, even if that lessened Class D's likelihood of winning?"
"Well, that's a good point, but…it's just, like, we want a chance to win something!"
"When it comes to the recommended-participant competitions, you want people who are good at sports. You're not, Kanji," said Sudou.
"Hey, you don't know that for sure!" Ike shouted. "I mean, miracles happen all the time, right? 'Sides, this should be fair!"
"I suppose bringing the entire class into this discussion will complicate matters even further," said Horikita.
She might be able to argue Ike down, but other students probably wanted what he did. The potential rewards of winning were very attractive to poorly performing students. Those who were constantly at risk of expulsion probably wanted this chance so badly they could taste it.
"Sudou, I sympathize with your desire to participate in all the events," Horikita said. "However, that doesn't mean I can support throwing caution to the wind by entering you in every competition."
"Whaddya mean?" Sudou balked.
"Stamina isn't an unlimited resource. If you participate in one event after another, you will naturally become exhausted."
"But it's better to leave it to me than put forward someone unathletic, right? Even if I get tired out, I can still move better than those guys," Sudou
huffed.
He glanced over at the guys—me included—and gave a snort. Ike and Yamauchi appeared frustrated, but said nothing.
"We're not coming to any decisions right now. Let's talk more in our next homeroom period," said Horikita, quickly bringing our discussion to an end.
2.2
A crowd of over four hundred people, including instructors and students, gathered together in the gymnasium during our second homeroom period. Horikita scanned her surroundings restlessly. She was probably looking for her older brother, Horikita Manabu, who served as the student council president. However, with this many people around, she wouldn't be able to spot him easily.
If she loved her older brother that much, perhaps she should have taken the initiative to seek him out. But being vulnerable was harder than anything else for Horikita. Now that I thought about it, she'd never gone to meet with her brother before. He'd always been the one to initiate contact.
When we sat down on the floor, several students came forward.
Everyone focused their attention on them.
"I'm Fujimaki, from the third-year Class A. It's been decided that I will assume command of Red Team."
Apparently, Horikita's older brother wasn't going to take charge. I would've thought that he'd take the lead, being student council president. This just made me wonder when he would make a move.
"I'd like to give the first-year students one piece of advice. The sports festival is extremely important. Your experiences here will most certainly be applicable to real life. In fact, many of your future exams may look like games at first glance. However, each and every one of them is a crucial battle in which you stake your survival at this school," said Fujimaki.
His words were somewhat vague, yet still helpful.
"You may not feel motivated right now, but we're going to try and win this thing. I want you to hold on to that feeling," Fujimaki continued. He looked around the assembled Red Team members once again before speaking. "The only competition which all classes from all grade levels will participate in together is the final event—the 1200-meter relay race. Aside from that, all the other events are divided up by grade level. So, please, feel free to gather and discuss your strategies, starting now."
In response to Fujimaki's words, the first-year students from Class A, led by Katsuragi, began to assemble in droves. The first-year Class D students, on the other hand, appeared to flounder. They felt nervous in the company of such elites. In the first semester, Class A's grades had been
overwhelmingly better than Class D's. None of us had even come close. "Well, the circumstances may be rather bizarre, but I'm looking
forward to working with you. I hope we can join forces without any problems," said Katsuragi.
"I feel the same way, Katsuragi-kun. I look forward to working with you," replied Hirata.
From Class A's perspective, there was no benefit in teaming up with the lowest-ranked class of all. However, if our classes didn't work together, we'd drag each other down. We weren't agreeing to trust one another like siblings, but we were making a pact not to get in each other's way.
"Hey, check out that girl," whispered Ike, standing beside me.
I understood why he was whispering. I felt the same way. He was pointing at a Class A student, a girl, whom I'd never seen before. She stuck out like a sore thumb, but no one said anything. It didn't feel like we could say anything right now.
"Every individual class has its own strategies, but—" Katsuragi just continued talking, blithely ignoring Class D's concerned looks and furtive whispers.
"So, you don't intend to hold a discussion?"
A girl's rising voice echoed through the gymnasium, interrupting Katsuragi. Everyone's attention switched to what was happening. The speaker was a first-year Class B student named Ichinose Honami. In front of her, almost an entire class was in the process of leaving the gymnasium.
Among those students, Ryuuen Kakeru, Class C's leader, turned around with his hands in his pockets.
"You understand that I'm leaving out of goodwill, right? Even if I offered to cooperate with you, I can't imagine that you'd believe me. In the end, you'd just probe me for information to see whether I can be trusted, right? It's a waste of time," he said.
"I see. So, you're just saving us the hassle, then," replied Ichinose. "Yep, that's it. You should be grateful."
"Hey, Ryuuen-kun. You really think you can win without cooperating?" asked Ichinose.
"Heh. Hmm, I wonder."
Ryuuen sneered and walked out of the gym, leading the Class C students away. The spectacle merely confirmed Class C's status as a dictatorship.
As Class D watched, Karuizawa's expression soured for just an instant.
During the special exam on the cruise ship, she'd gotten in a scrap with Manabe and some other girls from Class C, which led me to discover her history as a victim of bullying. For just a moment, Manabe looked back at Karuizawa. Then she immediately averted her eyes, as if nothing had happened, and followed Ryuuen out.
"Class B seems to have it really rough, getting paired with Class C and all." The spectacle we'd witnessed was a reminder that Ryuuen really did hold all the power in his class.
Katsuragi offered Horikita some advice. "Since we'll be allies from here on out, I should warn you. Don't underestimate Ryuuen. He'll laugh while he attacks you in the same instant. Don't let your guard down."
"I appreciate the warning, but I wonder if you're speaking from personal experience," replied Horikita.
"I've warned you." Katsuragi left it at that and returned to the topic of the festival.
"I wonder if he's going to make a move right away," someone whispered, looking in the direction Class C had gone. It was the girl I'd been curious about a little earlier. She was petite, and sat all by herself, her eyes downcast. She held a thin cane. It was clear that she had trouble walking.
"That's Sakayanagi Arisu. She's disabled. Please be sensitive about that," said Katsuragi.
So, this girl was Class A's other rumored leader, who had supposedly split the students into two distinct factions between herself and Katsuragi.
Although everyone around her was staring, the girl paid no attention to them. She had short, silver hair, a particularly eye-catching feature. I wasn't sure whether or not she dyed it. Her skin was pale, and her name—Arisu— reminded me of a certain mysterious girl who fell down a rabbit hole to Wonderland.
"Dude, she's super cute!"
I supposed it was no surprise that the Class D boys would be smitten by Sakayanagi. She was as cute as Kushida and Sakura, and had a dreamlike quality that made people instinctively want to protect her. Yet none of the boys made a move to hit on her or crack jokes like they normally would have. Though she appeared weak, you could sense her great strength of will.
Sakayanagi smiled at us, aware of the stir she'd created. "Unfortunately, I won't be very useful in this competition. I'm afraid I'll be consistently absent," she said. "Please accept my humblest apologies."
"You have nothing to apologize for. No one's going to give you a hard time over that," said Hirata.
"The school sure is harsh. They should've come up with some accommodation for you."
"Yeah, that's right. You don't need to worry!" "Your kindness overwhelms me," she replied.
Contrary to what we'd expected, Sakayanagi seemed extremely polite, mature, and gentle. She gave no hint of aggression. However, Katsuragi watched her quietly. I could see from the way the Class A students arranged themselves that there was a clear line between Katsuragi's and Sakayanagi's followers. The class definitely had two factions. I'd considered Katsuragi's faction superior at first, but I wasn't so sure anymore. There were some boys and girls with Katsuragi, including Yahiko, but nearly all the students sat with Sakayanagi. Perhaps she was deliberately demonstrating her own power.
Sakayanagi had not participated in the island or cruise ship tests.
Though the school hadn't made a statement about it, it was certainly possible that she'd incurred a penalty for not participating on the ship, yet she'd managed to gain this many allies. She had most likely earned her classmates' trust by steadily racking up various other accomplishments. Meanwhile, Katsuragi's own failures had probably affected his popularity.
After apologizing for her shortcomings, Sakayanagi showed no sign of
wanting to speak further. Instead, she quietly observed Katsuragi, Hirata, and the others. Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe she stayed quiet because she knew she wouldn't be of any use in the sports festival.
Katsuragi, ignoring Sakayanagi, continued to talk with Hirata. "I was thinking that it'd be best if we just keep out of each other's way. You don't mind, do you?"
"So, you won't share any details about the competitions you're participating in?" Hirata asked.
"Right. Letting that information slip might lead to unnecessary conflict down the road. Besides, constantly comparing ourselves to each other will only increase the divide between us," said Katsuragi.
"Yes, I suppose you're right. It's pretty hard to trust other people in this school, Katsuragi-kun. Also, even though we're allies in a way, I suppose there's no changing the fact that we're still competing with one another," replied Hirata.
He looked to the rest of our classmates for the final decision. No one voiced objections. Even Horikita didn't say anything, so she must've been convinced, too.
"At any rate, we'll need to meet sometime soon to discuss the group competitions. Is that all right with you?" Hirata asked.
"Yes, that should be fine. I'll consult with everyone else." "Thanks. I'm counting on you."
They certainly didn't waste time. It seemed as though everything was going smoothly.
"What do you think the trick is here, Ayanokouji-kun? What are they playing at?" Horikita, on the other hand, seemed to have some ideas of her own.
"It's a sports festival. The school's probably trying to find out which students are athletic and which aren't."
"You're fundamentally correct, of course. But what's another factor, other than athleticism, that might influence the results?" asked Horikita. "Mere luck?"
"Luck, huh?" That suggestion was out of character for her.
"Unlike our other written and special tests, opponents on this test will be chosen at random. We don't know who'll take on whom. Luck is a huge factor."
True, much would be decided by the matchups. Even Horikita, who
would normally win against 80 percent of the people in the gymnasium, could lose if she happened to go up against someone from the remaining 20 percent. On the other hand, somebody very unathletic, who could only best a measly 10 percent of their opponents, might actually win if they were lucky enough to be matched up with someone even less athletic.
"I'm not talking about random chance, though," Horikita said. "I'm talking about something definite. I mean, a method that doesn't just rely on luck—one that still relies on athletic skill. On the island and cruise ship, there were secret clues and pathways we could have detected. This feels the same. This time, surely…" Maybe because of her shame over her mistakes on the island, Horikita was now even more obsessed with victory.
"What do you think makes this different from the previous special tests?" I asked.
"Different? I think it's the same kind of special exam."
"I won't deny that they're similar, but I doubt that the school considers them the same."
"I don't understand. You think it's different because we're cooperating with Class A this time? But we had to work with students from other classes on the ship, too."
"No, that's not it. The basic premise is different." I could tell that Horikita was growing frustrated with my coyness, so I explained. "The school has never once called the festival a 'special exam.' Only the first-year students have been calling it that. The teachers, including Chabashira-sensei, all referred to it as a sports festival. That third-year student, Fujimaki, called it that, too. The words 'special exam' weren't anywhere in the handout," I told Horikita.
She didn't seem convinced. "Well, why does that even matter? The structure that dictates how the sports festival plays out, and the large potential increase or decrease in points, make it function pretty much exactly the same as a special exam."
"That's true. But putting aside the fact that you can buy and sell test points, the regular written exams are meant to test our abilities. I think the sports festival is supposed to do the same with our physical abilities. It's not about employing cheap tricks, or coming up with a strategy or tactics—no, I think that the class that genuinely challenges themselves in this festival will demonstrate their true worth," I replied.
Of course, that didn't necessarily mean there'd be no cheap tricks.
Once the sports festival began, however, things would be locked in place. It would be much like how, even though you could do things before or after a written exam to help your results, you were rather limited during the exam itself.
said.
"We need to make sure that we're prepared. That's all there is to it," I
"I already said that I want us to prepare. I definitely want Class D to
win," Horikita retorted.
"Wrong. You're not talking about preparation. You're looking for loopholes."
"I don't understand the difference in our strategies," she replied. "When I say 'preparation,' I mean figuring out who'll participate and
in what order, knowing which students in other classes are athletic or unathletic, and so on. Finding out what order they'll participate in. And also, making sure that they don't discover those things about us. On the other hand, 'looking for loopholes' means trying to force someone to bow out of a competition or withdraw. Look, you want to win, right?" I asked.
"So, you're saying that we need to fight clean and fight hard to win?"
I didn't confirm or deny her interpretation of my words. If I had said that Katsuragi and Ichinose were heads, and Ryuuen and I were tails, which side of the coin would Horikita choose? I understood why she currently wanted to resort to "tails," considering that the people who'd won thus far were sneaks.
However, I was warning her precisely because going with "tails" in the sports festival would be extremely difficult.
"What you do is entirely up to you. What advantage do you think Class D has right now, Horikita?"
"Well, a dispute between Classes B and C will probably help us."
I had to address the real problem. Horikita Suzune lived her life in such solitude that she had tunnel vision. "You're not thinking big enough," I said.
"Do you think we should dismiss the fact that Ryuuen-kun refused to cooperate with Class B? I think that's a positive thing for us."
"Do you really think that?"
"Well, they might still reconcile and work together. It's not as though Ichinose-san particularly likes Ryuuen-kun, but for the sake of victory, she might put aside her own feelings. Can't we acknowledge that it's a good thing for now, though?"
"That's exactly what I mean by 'not thinking big enough.'" "That's rude. Fine, do enlighten me."
"What do you know about Ryuuen? He's always looking to win. No matter how he behaves, or how polite he is, he's always coming up with strategies. So, why did he suddenly refuse to cooperate with Class B? Do you think he never considered it?"
"Wait. Are you saying that Classes B and C are working together behind the scenes?"
"Our relationship with Class B is different than Ryuuen's. There's a good chance that he has a plan in place. If he didn't, he'd have no reason to leave. Even if that was a bluff, on the surface, he would gain more by talking with Class B, right?"
"I don't think that's right. It seems unlikely," replied Horikita. "So, because earthquakes and fires are unlikely, there's no need to
have emergency measures in place, just in case?" "That's—"
"I think that Ryuuen has, at the very least, one or more tactics in mind."
"But if that's true, it's crazy. We only just learned about the festival.
To have a whole plan in place so soon…"
"That's why we need to understand his kind of crazy. What would a frontal attack from Ryuuen look like? What loopholes could he find? Can we come up with something similar? Are there precautions we can take? We have to think like that to rise to Class A's level," I said.
I'd been studying Ryuuen's strategies and thought processes ever since the fight that nearly got Sudou expelled. Could Horikita still not see that?
I was looking forward to finding out just how far ahead she could
think.
2.3
After class finished for the day, I remained in the classroom alone. Outside the window, I could hear students engaged in their club activities. With the sports festival drawing near, each and every one of them was in high spirits. No one slacked at all in their daily training regimen.
I plugged in my earphones and opened the file I'd received earlier on my phone. "I see…"
I basically had a good understanding of the situation now. I'd thought that I might have to lay a few traps, but it seemed that wouldn't be necessary. Pleased with this turn of events, I decided to return to my dorm.
As I passed through the main gate, I ran into Chabashira-sensei. She was spraying water around with a hose.
"You stayed behind longer than usual, Ayanokouji."
"I suppose you're right. Are you on duty today?" I asked. "Something like that," she replied. She kept spraying water in a
manner that suggested she was used to the task. "Working adults tend to multitask, unlike children. That's especially true now that the sports festival is imminent. Anyway, what were you doing today? This is the first I've seen you roaming around after class alone."
it?"
"Don't you think that's an exaggeration?" "Are you prepared for the sports festival?"
"I think the last homeroom explained everything, more or less. Didn't
"In your case, I would have thought that you'd already have some
eccentric idea or strategy in place," she said. "No, nothing like that," I told her. "Nothing? But—"
When her eyes met mine, she stopped talking. Discussing these things publicly wouldn't help anyone.
"I haven't forgotten what you told me, sensei. However, I'm free to decide my own path."
"Yes, you're certainly right. I shouldn't interfere with you unnecessarily. But if you don't show me some results soon, I'll stop covering for you. It goes beyond the scope of an ordinary teacher's duties, after all," she replied.
I didn't know what she expected from me. I shouldn't have gotten myself tangled in such an aggravating situation. No…really, this confrontation had just been a matter of time. It would come to a head sooner or later.
"Excuse me." "Sure. Take care."
Nice of her to urge me to "take care" on my arduous return trip of a couple hundred meters.
I went back to the dorm.