[6th October]
[Ayanokoji Pov]
"Did Class B just try to sabotage us?" Yukimura, who was next to me, asked.
"I don't know. But I believe it was just an accident. It's unfortunate, but Kurushima was still able to get the 3rd Place despite that."
"He's certainly impressive, isn't he?" Ryuji Kanzaki, approached us two.
Yukimura nodded. "I don't think there's anyone better than him to lead the class. We all respect him. He always has an ear to us, and listens to our troubles. I'm certainly relieved that Kurushima-kun isn't our opponent."
"I know. I've heard in the past quite a lot of him."
"You know each other?" Yukimura asked.
I attentively listened. Perhaps, I could get to know a bit more about Kurushima Kaoru. He was one of the students who were still a complete mystery to me.
In particular, I'm curious why he was allocated into Class D originally?
Was it because the school board wanted to make the classes more equal?
The original Class A had Sakayanagi, Class B had Ichinose, Class C Ryūen, and Class D has Kurushima. If he were placed at the beginning within Class A, could Horikita and the other's defeat him?
I'm not quite sure, actually.
But I must say, I'm very curious about him.
Although we're literal neighbors, we aren't talking quite often with each other. We're greeting each other, but that's it. Sometimes we do talk, but that's it, then.
In the past, it used to be different. But then again, human's change overtime. I might as well might not be his ideal version of a friend. But then again, he might also suspect me lately.
Unlike many other's, Horikita naturally wasn't able to persuade him into believing she was responsible for the Island Exam. So I must be someone quite suspicious, since he probably cannot explain why I'm holding back.
"It's one-sided. I heard a lot of him in the past from my father. He's someone to whom I was used to being compared a lot."
Kanzaki didn't seem to be quite comfortable about this topic.
"Kanzaki, is something wrong?"
"No, not at all. I had just remembered something. That aside, I wish you good luck, Ayanokoji. Let's have a fair race."
"Sure."
Yukimura headed back, since he still had time until he was supposed to run. He was in the seventh group, while I was in the fourth.
The last person from the side came, between me and Kanzaki, so our conversation naturally ended there. There wasn't anything to talk about, but I could tell that he was careful around me.
Immediately, the 'Pang' sound could be heard, and everyone began to sprint. I was running in the same pace before, at the 100-meter race, and was able to get in this group the 3rd Place.
In comparison to the prior race where I achieved the 5th place, this definitely is progress. But I do wonder...
If I were to run seriously, could I beat his time currently?
In this state?
In the past I wouldn't have even contemplated about that, since my immediate answer would be yes, but it's been more than one and a half year's now since I was the last time in the White Room.
When I was with Matsuo, the intensity of my training was by far lower than what I did in the White Room. Currently, I'm just trying on maintaining my physique, so I might just get slightly under his time.
But I don't care quite much about that.
I walked back to the class.
"Ah, bro, you were really unlucky. But you were able to defeat that bastard, Ryūen. I wish I was in the group. Then I'd have shown him my superiority."
Kurushima nodded. "I certainly was. But well, the 3rd Place is still acceptable for me, kind of."
After a bit of waiting, the girls were also participating now.
"Horikita is facing Yajima-san and Kinoshita-san from the track and field club."
"Seems like an odd placement." I responded.
Hirata nodded. "I feel... uneasy."
Apparently, Hirata noticed the odd placement. The two fastest girls from Class C were participating against Horikita, dominating against her.
To maximize the amount of Points a class would receive, it'd be better to place the two fastest girls in two different groups. Yet Ryūen didn't do that.
It's as if, he knew the list of our competitions in advance already.
But who could have betrayed us?
Once the contest ended, Horikita ended up placing the 3rd Place. Soon after, the last groups participated, and the next contest was soon to begin.
The next contest up is 'capture-the-flag' or 'Pole Toppling', however you might refer to it. It's a simple yet rough and slightly dangerous team competition.
"We're definitely winning, you guys. Since that idiot Kōenji isn't here, we've got to be that much more fired up!"
Sudo, our leader in the Sports Festival, announced. Although Kurushima was as good as Sudo, he had given him the possibility of being the leader for the upcoming Sports Festival.
He didn't seem to be very interested, either. He probably wants our class to become a bit more independent of him. After all, one person shouldn't bear everything alone in the class.
However, he lately does.
If someone doesn't understand anything about academic problems, it is usually Kurushima they ask. If a special exam is announced, everyone always wants to listen to his suggestion or idea, and in this upcoming Sports Festival, it was the same.
He had made Horikita however state her suggestion first, then let them discuss it amongst the class. He should have concluded immediately that weaker and better athletic students should be placed together, so that our class doesn't end up losing in the end.
It took a while, but everyone agreed in the end. He doesn't admit it, but he must be sometimes quite bothered with all this. Making people confront Hirata and Horikita rather than him all the time was his intention.
They're also the class representatives, after all.
In any case, it's good that they slowly become independent of him.
Anyway, I should focus on what happens, currently.
Our class was against the Class B and C. Both classes had very athletic and capable students. In comparison, we only had a couple of them in the class. Although, Ichinose's class had quite the athletic students, like Kanzaki, Shibata, and many other students.
So our victory wasn't that unlikely to happen.
The rules of the match dictate that the group that makes two captures wins. During the discussion earlier, Katsuragi and Hirata decided that their classes would alternate between offense and defense.
Kurushima has been sitting for a couple of minutes in a chair, looking at the sky. I saw him plenty of times already spacing out in different occasions, so it's not quite uncommon seeing him like that.
We were at this point accustomed to it already.
When he spaces out, it's hard to get to him. Besides, since he had often discussed with Hirata and the others' strategies for the individual competitions, they're also aware of it.
Officially, we still had a minute until the match began, so Kurushima was simply resting, I guess?
In any case, I should head over to him. Perhaps he has forgotten the time?
Just when I was on my way, he stood up. "Ayanokoji-kun, don't worry. I'm aware of the time."
It seems like he has read my thoughts.
I gave a slight nod, heading back.
"Oh, bro, you're finally also coming. We waited for you."
"Ah, sorry, I spaced out. That does happen kind of often, lately."
He seemed to be quite awkward if it's about him spacing out.
Does that often happen, actually, among high school students?
Not like I know of, but I'm not in the proper place to say that.
"Everyone ready? Let's beat the crap out of them."
Although it wasn't the proper way to say so, all of us understood what he meant. "Uuu---somehow I'm starting to get nervous. Capture-the-flag is a first for me.". "Haven't you played it before at your middle school's sports festival?"
"I wasn't told that it'd be a dangerous competition. Have you played it before, Ayanokoji?".
"No. This is a first for me too."
"What the hell? So it's a first for you too."
In the middle of this stale conversation, the signal that marks the match's start rang. And Sudo charged in ahead of everyone else. The more proactive members followed after him.
Kurushima however, didn't immediately rush.
As a plan of strategy, it was to distract them from our fastest runner, Kurushima, so he could go after the flag, while people like Sudo would distract them. He'd try to run in those spots, where a bit of room was ready.
Of course, if someone could, they were free to get the Pole down, but there were many people surrounding the Pole.
And a couple of them seem to have taken notice of him.
"This is bad, let's go, Ayanokoji! I'd rather not get killed by Sudo for lazing off after!".
At the same time, Ike, Yamauchi and I, the ones not suited for conflict, followed slowly behind the more proactive group. Much like us, the BC coalition has also divided its classes up cleanly between offense and defense.
"Kurushima-kun, you won't get away from us."
"Too slow."
He fooled them into believing he was running to the left, but chose the right. A simple forte, yet successful. He was able to run, but there were still a couple of people surrounding him.
I slowly approached them too, trying to create a situation for him. But it didn't seem to work. I thought I could at least distract a couple of them, for him to get an open space, where he could run.
Kurushima nodded in appreciation at me.
"Sudo, you know what to do!" he shouted.
"You really want to do that, bro? It's dangerous."
"Don't worry, I'm prepared."
"Okay, if you say so."
"Guys, hold them off for a couple of seconds. Kurushima and I will get that pole down, right now."
"Don't worry, trust us."
Akito Miyake said that as he and the others, including myself, Yamauchi, and Ike, held a couple of people from Class B, the defenders off, preventing them from getting to Hirata and Sudo.
"Ayanokoji, come with me. We need two people at least for it."
"For what, exactly?" I asked.
Sudo whispered something unbelievable in my ear.
"You two... are you really planning that?" I asked.
Even I was shocked by this reckless behavior that these two thought of.
"Yes. Just trust him. He knows what to do. He knows his body the best, after all. If he says he can do it, he can do it."
It's kind of admirable that Sudo believes that much in Kurushima.
But this plan, it could also very well go wrong.
He might even get seriously injured, if it goes wrong.
I guess, I'll have to help them make it possible, then, huh?
At the same time, Sudo and I ran as close as we could to the pole, while Kurushima was doing a forte, hinting at running backwards, but actually running forward.
He could find an open spot, so he could actually run, towards us now.
I sighed, hoping it would go fine.
But I knew one thing for sure, right now.
Kanzaki and the others had a really hard time defending the pole against the person, I think, who is called Albert, right?
It's quite evidently that it's only a matter of time until he gets the Pole down.
The defense of these two classes is quite difficult to break through, so this is the only remaining chance, huh?
It's so reckless, that no one ever thought of doing this.
Sudo was taking the squatting position, holding his hands together, just like I did. It really seems like we would be doing this—throwing a human in the midair, I mean. Kurushima came sprinting at them. "Sudo, Ayanokoji, here I come."
Both of us were as close as possible, only 3 meters away from the pole, so it all depends on us and how much strength we throw Kurushima in the midair.
Just as I felt how Kurushima's feet were in my hand, I adjusted myself at Sudo's pace, to throw him efficiently up in the air.
"Ayanokoji, now!" Sudo shouted.
If I were to fail this now, I would become the scapegoat for Sudo for not managing this task properly. As for Kurushima, he'd get slightly injured, which might prevent him on participating further.
I don't think he'd blame me, since it was a pretty reckless plan, which Sudo actually even approved of. As the leader of the Sports Festival, he should deny these kinds of reckless plans, but he chose to believe in Kurushima.
As for me, I doubt I'd have ever formed this kind of reckless plan, despite this situation. But that's where we two differ, it seems.
He's taking a calculated risk, of being injured, to increase morale against the Iron Defense of the opposite Team. Only five people were sent to attack, those of Ryūen's class, while everyone else is staying in Defense.
It's as hard as it sounds.
Reaching the pole is not possible for any of us; getting it down, seems like something impossible to happen.
Perhaps, that's why, he came up with this kind of strategy. It's reckless, but if it's done right, one student alone is able to get the Pole down.
As Sudo and I threw Kurushima up with all our strength, I, including the defender's, and everyone else looked in awe, seeing Kurushima flying in midair.
Completely focused on bringing the pole down, he made the necessary steps in the midair ready and clung to the pole, bringing his entire weight forwards, to bring the pole down.
It definitely seemed to succeed, as the pole was slowly falling down.
"Ken, at the opposite, they almost have it." Ike reported, who was at the half-line.
"Endure it for a couple of more seconds!" Sudo shouted at Class D.
Albert was a formidable force, and he alone was enough to bring the Pole down.
One student, who was bigger and larger than everyone else, emitted such a dangerous threat to the defense, Ichinose's Class, which is mostly composed of very athletically students.
They had to at least endure it a couple of seconds further.
Because Kurushima succeeded, and only one student, Katsuragi, tried to hold the Pole back off. Although, he was the one who was holding the Pole, so it wasn't like he anticipated this to happen.
But even Katsuragi, can't do this alone, so the Pole fell down in the end, with Kurushima clinging to it.
It was more of a surprise attack, so not everyone in the defense had time to properly react. Besides, they still had to focus on the defense against everyone else, so leaving their position might end up being their loss.
"Hahaha, that's right. Don't mess with Class A."
Sudo seemed to be extremely proud to have beaten Ryūen and Sakayanagi in this round. There was still another round, which we had to win, to beat them. So it was kind of an early celebration.
"Hahaha, you're really crazy, Kurushima. I didn't think you'd let yourself be thrown up to the air to bring the Pole down."
I could hear the voice of Ryūen, speaking to Kurushima.
It was something so unpredictable, that even Ryūen, who was known for his unpredictability, was complimenting Kurushima.
Even he didn't think of a strategy like this.
"Kurushima-kun, you really are amazing, right, Haruki?"
"I could do that, too," he muttered.
With a couple of more people from our class arriving, especially those from Class D, Kanzaki spoke up. "Kurushima-kun, do you mind playing in the offense for the next round, too? Now that you're the focus of their attention, we'll have it easier to bring the Pole down."
As agreed, one class played offense, the other defense. Seeing how Class D asked him to play in the offense, he would get, once again, pretty tired. One could say it was a strategic move, to exhaust Kurushima, but it wasn't like that.
Their defense was extremely strong, now even stronger, so it was logical of them to ask for help from Kurushima, while the rest stayed behind.
He wasn't just fast, but he could create for Class D various kinds of opportunities, as he was the focus of the enemy, currently.
Soon after, the next round started.
However, unfortunately, we ended up losing the next two rounds.
Ryūen used dirty tactics against the defense, and not everyone was willing to let themselves get injured by Class C, so in the end, that was the major reason for our loss.
With around 10 people, he was able to bring the Pole down.
These tactics should be actually regarded as 'foul-play', but it wasn't in the end, by the school.
To top it off, our class didn't have many people with great athletic ability either way. Sudo got deliberately provoked by Ryūen, while Kurushima was guarded from the majority of the Class B students.
Sometimes, he'd also end up being rammed from them, hardly. It should have injured him quite a bit.
It was definitely clear whom they were targeting.
The rest of our class was quite afraid of being hurt. We didn't put up quite much resistance, in the end. It was just a couple of students, only.
"Shit! That damn bastard Ryūen!"
With no time remaining, we had to move on towards the next competition, the tug of war. The girls in the meanwhile were playing a ball-toss game called 'Tamaire', but due to our strict time schedule, I didn't have the time to observe it.
However, we ended up losing in the 'Tamaire' competition.
Now that Sakayanagi had full leadership under her class and the Katsuragi Fraction was completely reduced, they didn't seem to sabotage each other anymore.
One of the reasons where one could observe this happening was the Island Exam. Unlike me, who deduced the leaders, Ryūen seemed to have been given the identity of a leader from their class. Otherwise, despite everything, they'd end up with 170 S-Points, rather than 120 S-Points.
The reason for her class to unite is most likely because of us.
The moment we've advanced up to Class A, her class was bound to be dissatisfied. Despite these two exams, their Class had no progress, which was at that time under the leadership of Katsuragi.
Well, in any case, the possibility of us winning the exam is quite low.
As for the tug of war, we won. With both our classes working together. In comparison, our opposite class was simply not quite united.
Sakayanagi and Ryūen working together? It didn't quite work, well.
But then again, I do believe no one of the leaders' could work with Ryūen together.
Perhaps Kurushima could?
But I don't know about that, though.
Once tug of war ended, it was now the obstacle course race.
I was in the fifth group. Sudo was in the second group, Hirata in the fourth Group, and Kurushima in the 3rd Group.
Sudo was going against Shibata, but won, taking first place. Hirata also took first place, and Kurushima was the same.
This time, no accidents happened. It'd be quite suspicious, after all.
Alongside Sudo, and Shibata, Kurushima was definitely up there, at the top of our year. But sadly, unlike these two, he was only twice in first place and once in third place.
It makes me wonder if he still has the chance of becoming the MVP at all.
--
The moment the next competition started, the obstacle course race for the girls, one of the girls from Class C collided with Horikita, making her unable to continue anymore. Although Kinoshita, the one against whom Horikita collided against, couldn't participate at all anymore.
Unfortunately, we couldn't stay any longer, as the next race started. For us, it was now time for the three-legged race. All of us were in different kinds of groups. Sudo was paired with Ike, Kurushima with Akito Miyake, and I was paired with Hirata Yosuke. The other boys were also evenly paired up.
All three of us were able to get to the first Place, but the other groups, sadly, did not. Since Koenji was not participating, one group could generally not participate in this competition. At the same time, many were at the bottom rather. They were between the 3rd and 4th place. Yukimura and his partner even finished it 30 seconds later than everyone else in their group.
It's definitely not something very good. Despite our training for the last two months, the other classes were simply superior to us.
Hopefully, the girls do better than us. As everyone from the boys was now finished, it was the girls turns now of doing the three-legged run.
Majorly, it looked rather okay, aside from that race of Kushida and Horikita. They ended up in 8th place because of her injury.
But there was one other sudden development in the three-legged race. Something, that led Kurushima to be very aggravated.
He looked immediately over to Sakayanagi. I could tell that he was furious. It's evident in his eyes. But it's quite a surprise.
After all, it's the first time I've seen him like this.
Nobody could tell that our kind leader was able to show this kind of emotion, too: anger. However, considering the situation, it makes kind of sense.
The two girls from Class B, who were participating in this three-legged race, bumped into the two girls of Class C.
One of them just happens to be his girlfriend. Whether this was simply an unlucky coincidence or something Sakayanagi did to provoke him, I could not tell.
But one thing is for sure: if she had the intention to provoke him, she successfully achieved her goal.
If it was a good decision in the end, we'd see.
"I'll be right back."
Without hesitation, he ran towards the field, where they were running the three-legged race of the girls.
After a bit of time, it seemed like these two could not participate anymore. I heard one of them twisted her ankle, a bit. Who it was, was unknown to me, though.
Not even a short time afterward, I could see him carrying her, with great probability, towards the nurse.
Kurushima Kaoru...
If the situation were ever to occur when you had to choose between your girlfriend and your class, which would you choose?
I'm very curious about your decision...
--
A/N: And this concludes the chapter.
Kurushima straight up chooses a reckless plan, but they ended up losing in the end, despite that.
Albert really carries that competition, lol.
He literally was just the only force, while the other people of Class C played dirty, hitting Sudo, Ayanokoji, and the others.
I have a slightly different ending regarding the Sports Festival in mind, and the classes are going to be really close, once it ends.
Just in case many have forgotten the Class Ranking, this is how it looks.
[Class 1-A: 1.027] - Kurushima
[Class 1-B: 924] - Sakayanagi
[Class 1-C: 872] - Ryūen
[Class 1-D: 645] - Ichinose
Ichinose's class is literally being bullied right now.
Also, Kurushima's actions towards that one class in particular will prove itself to have consequences. Anyway, I won't spoil too much.
Around Volume 7, the best Volume in cote so far, his revenge plans will happen. I'm really hyped to write the chapter when he confronts Chairman Sakayanagi.
One thing I can tell is it happens a couple of days before the rooftop fight, so he might do some unexpected things.
What do you expect him to do, when he gets to know the truth?
I'm quite curious.
Well anyhow, that'll be all.
Comments are always appreciated.
If you could, I'd also appreciate a review.
Goodbye. Have a great day.