The long summer vacation was finally over, and Arisu and I were walking to school on the same path for the first time in a month.
"Summer vacation's over, huh? We really got to play a lot this year."
"I think last year was the unusual one. You had a competition almost every week, didn't you? Please consider how I felt, having to adjust my schedule every time."
If she had a problem with it, she could've just not come, but I'm grateful to Arisu and her parents for showing up to almost every one of my weekly competitions. I smiled to myself, remembering Arisu gracefully holding a parasol while cheering me on from the front row. I then checked the updated school website. In large letters, it read:
"A sports festival, huh? I guess you'll have a lot of free time again, won't you?"
No matter how smart she is, being completely unable to play sports is a significant handicap. The fact that she can still lead Class A without it just confirms what a true genius she is.
"Yes. For me, it's a chance to see your heroic performance for the first time in a year."
"...Don't get your hopes up. I've been slacking on my training."
I haven't really done any serious physical activity in about half a year... And also...
"So Class A and Class D are the Red Team, and Class C and Class B are the White Team, fighting against each other."
"It seems so. But I'm glad. When you win, I won't have to worry about the people around me as I cheer you on."
Arisu smiled at me with an innocent look on her face. It was the first day of a new semester, and she seemed to be in a very good mood.
"...Well, if you're going to expect that much, I guess I'll have to give it my all."
If I lose miserably and she says, 'The Tsugumi of old is gone,' I think I would just die right then and there.
"I'm going to start jogging in the mornings, so I might not be able to make your bento until the sports festival is over."
"That's unacceptable. Wake up early."
"Seriously?..."
Guess I'll have to get up at 6 a.m. then.
---------
After the morning classes were over, the remaining two periods were dedicated to a full homeroom session. I had a feeling this would happen—this time was set aside for a discussion about the sports festival.
"Classes have started again today, but for one month, from September to early October, physical education classes will increase in preparation for the sports festival. A new schedule will be distributed, so make sure to keep it safe. Along with the schedule, we will also hand out materials related to the sports festival. The students in the front row, please pass the papers to the back."
The explanation from Mr. Chabashira at the podium was exactly what we had discussed this morning. The distributed printouts contained the following information:
Rules and Team Divisions for the Sports Festival
This sports festival will be a competition between two teams, Red and White, consisting of all grades. The Red Team will be made up of Class A and Class D, while the White Team will be made up of Class B and Class C.
Point Allocation for All-Student Events (Individual Competitions)
Points will be awarded to the team based on the results: 1st place gets 15 points, 2nd place gets 12 points, 3rd place gets 10 points, and 4th place gets 8 points. Places below 5th decrease by 1 point each. For team events, the winning team receives 500 points.
Point Allocation for Recommended Participation Events
Points will be awarded based on the results: 1st place gets 50 points, 2nd place gets 30 points, 3rd place gets 15 points, and 4th place gets 10 points. Places below 5th decrease by 2 points each (the final relay event awards triple the points).
Consequences of the Red Team vs. White Team Outcome
The losing team, based on the total points across all grades, will have their class points reduced by 100, equally for all classes on that team.
Consequences of Grade-Specific Rankings
The class that takes 1st place in the total points for their grade will receive 50 class points. The class that takes 2nd place will see no change in their class points. The class that takes 3rd place will have their class points reduced by 50. The class that takes 4th place will have their class points reduced by 100.
"So even if we win, we just avoid a class point reduction?"
"That's right. Individual class points will also be carefully calculated, so be careful. Even if Class A performs exceptionally well and your Red Team wins, if Class D's total points are the lowest, you'll receive a 100-point penalty."
This seems like a harsh test, but when you consider the adjustments from the uninhabited island exam, it makes sense. The other exam had no chance of negative points. I suppose the school has a specific range for class points and adjusts things so they don't fall outside of it. Even so, Mr. Chabashira's words were hard to accept, and a critical mood spread through the class.
However, what caught my attention was the content on the next page of the printout.
Individual Competition Rewards (Can be used in the next mid-term exam)
A student who takes 1st place in any individual competition will be given a choice of 5,000 private points OR points equivalent to 3 points on a written exam (if points are chosen, they cannot be given to another person).
A student who takes 2nd place in any individual competition will be given a choice of 3,000 private points OR points equivalent to 2 points on a written exam (if points are chosen, they cannot be given to another person).
A student who takes 3rd place in any individual competition will be given a choice of 1,000 private points OR points equivalent to 1 point on a written exam (if points are chosen, they cannot be given to another person).
A student who takes last place in any individual competition will have 1,000 private points deducted (if their points drop below 1,000, they will receive a penalty of 1 point on a written exam).
Most Outstanding Student Reward
The student who earns the most points across all events will be given 100,000 private points.
Most Outstanding Student Reward by Grade
The three students in each grade who earn the most points across all events will each be given 10,000 private points.
"...Kiyotaka, let's sweep everything and make some money."
Just the all-student events—100m dash, hurdles, pole-pulling, tug-of-war, obstacle course, three-legged race, cavalry battle, and 200m dash—total 8 events. Adding the recommended events—the scavenger hunt, tug-of-war for four, three-legged race for men and women, and the 1200m relay—makes it 12 events in total.
If we get 1st place in all of them, that's 60,000 points. Kiyotaka and I would definitely be the most outstanding students, too, so it seems like an easy way to make money.
"Hey, now..."
"It's fine if they find out we're good at sports. We can buy a video game console, you know? And you'll definitely get popular. Absolutely."
I desperately tried to convince a dumbfounded Kiyotaka. I mean, even in Class D, he's considered a hidden handsome guy. If he gets a good enough score at the sports festival to be a topic of discussion, he'll definitely be popular.
"...Not a bad deal."
The fact that he latched onto the 'get popular' part shows that Kiyotaka is also on his way to becoming a healthy high school boy.
"Alright, it's settled. Besides, the other classes are only watching out for me, so it'll be a breeze. How about we make a bet on who can get more girls' contact info? If you win, I'll give you all the points I get from the sports festival."
"...I'll take that bet, but only if I don't have to give you anything if I lose."
"Sounds good. I'm totally fine with that."
I'm finally going to see the real Kiyotaka... This is going to be fun!
---------
The second homeroom period was scheduled for all grades to meet. That being said, aside from the final relay, all the events would be by grade. So, the exchange between grades ended with just a greeting from the representative of 3rd-year Class A, a senior.
"We have come to a strange cooperation, but I look forward to working with you. I hope we can all work together and not have any conflicts among ourselves."
"I feel the same way, Katsuragi-kun. I look forward to working with you as well."
A little further away, Katsuragi-kun, who was representing Class A in place of Arisu this time, was talking with Hirata-kun.
"Is this okay? You not going up there?"
"It won't make much of a difference. It's not like the uninhabited island exam."
Kiyotaka, who was watching from next to me, whispered in my ear. I should have gone, but after my grand machinations in the last exam, we agreed that I should just lie low until things cooled down.
"----So you're saying you have no intention of talking things over?"
At that moment, a voice echoed from a short distance away. A brief silence fell over the bustling gymnasium. The voice belonged to Ichinose-san from Class B. From the moment I saw the team divisions, I had a feeling this would happen, but it seemed she was having a disagreement with Ryuen-kun, who was on the same White Team.
"I'm trying to leave out of goodwill, you know? I don't think you guys would believe me even if I offered to cooperate. It would just turn into a game of trying to read each other from the start, wouldn't it? If so, it's just a waste of time."
"I see. You're trying to save us the trouble by thinking about us. I see."
"That's right. You should be grateful."
Ichinose-san clearly didn't seem convinced, but Ryuen-kun laughed her off and started to walk away with all of the students from Class C following him.
"Whoa. He has amazing leadership."
"I don't think this is a situation to be impressed by."
Kiyotaka nudged me. But seriously, wasn't that amazing? Everyone just followed him without a word. Just as the gymnasium returned to its usual noise level, Ike-kun, who was nearby, suddenly mumbled.
"Hey, that girl..."
He was pointing at... I see. The person he was pointing at was Arisu. She was sitting quietly in a chair, holding her cane.
"Her name is Sakayanagi Arisu. She has a physical disability and uses a chair, so please be understanding... And also----"
Katsuragi-kun was introducing her to us again. He really is a thoughtful guy. In a school full of twisted people, he and Ichinose-san are probably the top candidates for being the most normal students. I'm very curious about what kind of interaction she and Kiyotaka had to become friends over the summer vacation.
"Sakayanagi... huh? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."
Ike-kun mumbled this to himself. Have I not been talking about her enough? Just as I was thinking that, Arisu, noticing the attention on her, smiled gently and spoke.
"Unfortunately, I will not be able to be a fighting force. I will have to forfeit every event... I will cause trouble for both my own class and Class D. I would like to apologize for that first."
I wonder what she's feeling as she apologizes, despite the fact that she's definitely not feeling pained by this. As I was thinking such rude thoughts, I suddenly made eye contact with Arisu... Oh no.
"Seriously... There are so many cute girls in this school!"
"Right! This just makes me want a girlfriend even more... Wait, where are you going, Saitou?"
As Yamauchi-kun and Ike-kun were talking, I started walking away. Ike-kun called out to me in confusion.
"I was called, so I'll be gone for a bit. Don't worry about me."
As I said that, I walked toward Class A... or rather, to where Arisu was sitting. The otherworldly, beautiful girl I had seen just moments ago was gone, replaced by my cute childhood friend, who was looking up at me with a glare.
If there were a ranking for students with the biggest gap between their first impression and reality, she would be high on the list. She says she doesn't hang out with her classmates more than necessary, but I know for a fact that she goes to trendy cafes with them.
"What's up, Arisu-chan?"
"Oh, nothing. You just looked like you had something to say."
Oh no, she caught on. How scary.
"You should really fix your habit of letting everything show on your face. ...Or perhaps you're doing it on purpose?"
"No, I'm not doing it on purpose, and I wasn't even thinking anything like that. Anyway, Arisu-chan, what should we have for dinner to... Ouch!"
I felt a dull pain on the back of my head. I turned around to see Kamuro-san with her arms crossed, looking at me with a look of exasperation. She leaned in close to my ear and whispered so no one else could hear.
"...Why are you talking to her so casually? Can't you see we're in public?"
"Huh? Is there a problem?"
I asked Arisu.
"No. Class A and Class D are working together this time. There shouldn't be any problem."
"...You two are a couple of idiots. Even though he tricked you so badly the other day, you're just----"
"Did you say something?"
Arisu, still sitting down, poked Kamuro-san's shin with her cane. She had apparently gotten a new, more durable cane recently. I hope it wasn't customized for hitting people.
"Hey, you're hitting me too!"
"And you, Tsugumi. Without my knowledge, you two have gotten quite close, haven't you?"
Arisu crossed her legs and asked me with a grumpy look. I wonder if she's aware that she's ruining her smart-girl image.
"Damn it! That girl he was talking about was her?! And the girl next to her is super cute too!"
"I really hate that guy."
I heard Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun saying something from a distance, but I decided to ignore them. After greeting Arisu's friends, I waited for Hirata-kun and the others to finish talking, and I was then dragged away by Suzune-chan.
"You're too careless! No matter if they're in Class A, they're still our opponents!"
In the empty classroom, Suzune-chan scolded me, looking furious. The shouting from the sports clubs outside the open window lingered in my ears.
"Okay..."
"Are you the type of guy who gets pushed around, Tsugumi?"
Shut up. You can't be tough with Suzune-chan, either!
"But is this really okay, Kiyotaka?"
"?"
I showed Kiyotaka the friend list on my chat app and declared:
"I got contact info from four of Arisu-chan's friends in that time."
"...I was just about to tell you, but Sakayanagi was furious. The hand holding her cane was shaking."
"Huh? Seriously?"
Looks like dinner tonight is going to be awkward.
"Of course it is..."
In the dimly lit classroom after school, Suzune-chan's exasperated sigh echoed.
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