Chapter 44: Is it Regrettable to be Unable to Duel a Genius? Hikigaya-kun!
With those thoughts in mind, Ayanokouji fixed his gaze on Koenji, observing him.
"Actually, I was waiting for you," Ayanokouji said.
Koenji raised an eyebrow.
He didn't ask "How did you know I would come out," nor did he ask "What are you waiting for me for." He simply stood there, looking at Ayanokouji. A hint of playfulness—and a trace of vigilance—lingered in his wine-red eyes.
"I spoke a few words with Wang Mei-yu just now," Ayanokouji's voice was flat. "The girls in our class are unwilling to team up with me, so I tried to invite her. She refused."
Koenji's expression didn't change at all, but his finger twitched slightly inside his pocket.
Watching his reaction, Ayanokouji reached a judgment in his heart. His concern for Wang Mei-yu was not an illusion. However, Koenji was not the type of person who could be easily manipulated.
According to Ayanokouji's deduction, Koenji would protect Wang Mei-yu, but he would not do something he was unwilling to do just for her sake. After all, those were two different things.
However...
"You've seen the current situation of our class," Ayanokouji continued. "The girls won't team up with me, and the boys won't let me participate in the recommended events. On my own, I can't do anything."
Koenji looked at him without speaking.
"But you can." Ayanokouji's gaze met Koenji's directly. "Your physical ability is equal to mine, and your speed is about the same, though your explosive power isn't quite as good as mine. In the Mixed Three-Legged Race, if you are willing to take the field, Class D still has a chance."
'Heh.'
The corner of Koenji's mouth curled up slightly.
Koenji naturally knew that Ayanokouji's physical ability was at its max; otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to check the leader information of other classes for him back on the deserted island.
But now...
"Ayanokouji-boy," you are truly making no effort to hide the fact that you claim to be stronger than him.
Koenji was also a competitive person, but he wouldn't fall for such an obvious provocation so easily.
"Tell me, if I were to participate in the Mixed Three-Legged Race," Koenji's voice was slow, as if savoring something interesting, "wouldn't that steal your spotlight? Don't you want to prove yourself in this Sports Festival?"
Ayanokouji's brow twitched slightly. Koenji knew his plan. Not all of it, but he at least knew Ayanokouji wanted to do something during this festival. This man was more perceptive than he had imagined.
"The situation has changed," Ayanokouji said. "I can no longer team up with other girls for the three-legged race. No one wants to be my partner. Therefore, I cannot turn the tide for the class—but you still can."
Koenji looked at him and remained silent for two seconds. Then, he let out a laugh—a laugh full of nonchalance.
"I don't have any girls to team up with in class either," Koenji said with a straight face. "Who do you want me to go to? Didn't the girls you just invited all refuse you? Do you think they would accept me?"
Ayanokouji stared at him. "What about Wang Mei-yu?"
Koenji's smile didn't change, but his eyes did.
In those wine-red eyes, the playfulness vanished, replaced by a calm, cold chill that carried a warning.
"Ayanokouji-boy." Koenji lowered his voice. "You are testing me."
"It's not a test," Ayanokouji's voice remained unchanged. "It's a confirmation."
Koenji looked at him for several seconds. Then, he withdrew his gaze and looked toward the distant field. The sunlight was good, and the wind was pleasant.
But...
"I will not take action." Koenji's voice returned to its usual lazy tone. "Not for the reasons you mentioned. It's because I simply don't want to. I don't care about the Sports Festival, the class, or the points. You've approached the wrong person."
Ayanokouji's brow furrowed slightly. He had expected Koenji to refuse, but he hadn't expected him to refuse so thoroughly.
"I will not act because of Wang Mei-yu," Koenji added. "So your little scheme is useless."
"..." Ayanokouji remained silent.
"However—" Koenji's tone shifted, and those wine-red eyes fell on Ayanokouji again, carrying a sliver of coldness. "If you intend to attack Wang Mei-yu, I will not stand by and watch."
Ayanokouji's pupils contracted slightly.
"The words Karuizawa-san said in the tent just now..." Koenji's tone seemed to carry a bit of amusement, "...an in-class vote for expulsion. I learned from a senpai that this mechanism does indeed exist in this school. Furthermore, every year level has to go through the option of personally discarding a classmate. So, since you've done something you shouldn't have, I imagine there will be many people willing to cast a vote for you.
I think it would be best for you to prepare in advance to salvage your image and reputation, oh?"
Ayanokouji looked at him and remained silent for a long time.
This was a threat. Koenji Rokusuke, the man who didn't care about anything, was threatening him. It wasn't for the class, nor for the points; it was for one person. Wang Mei-yu. As long as he didn't touch Wang Mei-yu, Koenji wouldn't care what he did. But if he did, Koenji would act. Not to help him, but to destroy him.
Instead of recruiting Koenji, he had gained an opponent. As long as he attacked Wang Mei-yu, Koenji would attack him.
Ayanokouji: "..."
"I understand," Ayanokouji said.
Koenji withdrew his gaze and didn't look at him again. He turned around and walked toward the field. His blond hair shimmered in the sun, his pace unhurried.
Ayanokouji stood in place, watching Koenji's back disappear into the crowd.
He was thinking.
He had hit a wall with Koenji.
So, for the recommended events, what else could he participate in? Even if he secured four slots for the Mixed Three-Legged Race, he couldn't run a single one. No one was willing to team up with him—even Wang Mei-yu had refused.
So, that path was blocked.
As for the Scavenger Hunt...
Each class also had four slots. Under Hirata's coordination, he could only participate twice. Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki would not give up their spots, and Hirata had no way to force them. Even if he took first place both times, Class D's score wouldn't catch up. Both paths were dead ends.
Only one event remained—the All-School 1200m Relay. The final leg. If he could outrun everyone, if he could pull Class D's ranking from last place to the front, he still had a chance.
However, by that time, Class D would basically be beyond saving; even getting first place wouldn't matter. But then, it would no longer be an opportunity to save his reputation, but rather an opportunity to prove his strength.
In other words, his initial setup to manipulate the class had failed, and his desire to show off while saving Class D had also failed. Only the "self-display" plan remained.
He was confident. He believed that in the final leg, he could run faster than President Horikita, Nagumo-senpai, Class A's Shibata, Class B's Kito, or Class C's Albert.
But...
Despite setting such a massive stage at the beginning, this was all he could achieve in the end.
Ayanokouji looked down at his hands.
This Sports Festival was not as interesting as he had imagined.
At every step, someone was blocking him; at every turn, someone had calculated his moves in advance. It wasn't a coincidence; someone was targeting him. From the leaked participation list being exposed, to Hirata's setup, to Sudo's withdrawal, to the girls refusing to team up with him, and finally to Koenji's warning—every event was like a rope tied around him, binding him tighter and tighter. He couldn't break free. Not because the rope was too thick, but because the person tying it knew him too well.
Hikigaya Hachiman.
The person truly standing behind the scenes.
The person he had not yet officially met.
Ayanokouji put his hands in his pockets and turned to walk back to the tent. The sunlight shone from behind him, casting a very, very long shadow on the ground.
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In the Class A tent, Hachiman was leaning back in a folding chair with his eyes closed.
The afternoon matches were set to begin at 1:30 PM; there was less than half an hour left. He wanted to rest for a bit and clear his mind. But as soon as he closed his eyes, a commotion broke out nearby.
"Hikigaya-kun, Sakayanagi-san is here." Amikura Mako's voice came from the tent entrance, tinged with surprise.
Hachiman opened his eyes.
Sakayanagi Arisu was walking slowly into the Class A tent, leaning on her cane. Her silver hair was draped over her shoulders, and she was wearing a red tracksuit. Although she had been required to withdraw from all events, she still had a white headband tied around her head.
Mhm.
Although the headband was used to distinguish the Red and White teams, a cute person looks cute with any decoration. Hachiman felt he wasn't a lolicon, but he had to admit that Sakayanagi Arisu was indeed the "No. 1 cutest" character from the original work.
Sakayanagi didn't know Hachiman was categorizing her at the "loli table." Her pace was unhurried, and the rhythmic sound of her cane hitting the ground was exceptionally clear in the quiet tent.
Several Class A students looked up at her. Then, they seemed to confirm one thing: Sakayanagi wasn't there to provoke them—she had come alone, without Kamuro, without Katsuragi, or even any Class B students. She simply walked over alone and entered the Class A tent as naturally as if she were entering her own home.
However...
Sakayanagi might look frail and sickly, but everyone knew she used to be the leader of Class B. One could not be deceived by appearances.
"Sakayanagi-san." Ichinose stood up from her folding chair, her tone carrying a hint of vigilance. "Is something the matter?"
Sakayanagi glanced at her, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. "I'm not here to declare war. I'm just here to congratulate you."
Ichinose froze for a moment.
Hachiman stood up from his chair, walked to the edge of the tent, and stopped in front of Sakayanagi.
"Congratulate us for what?" Hachiman asked.
"This Sports Festival." Sakayanagi's voice remained in its usual sweet tone. "Barring any accidents, it should be your Class A's victory."
'Oh.'
Hachiman looked at her and remained silent for a second. "So, you're here to admit defeat?"
Sakayanagi chuckled softly. "Admit defeat? Not exactly. Just stating facts. I've already seen the results from this morning. Class A is leading us by thirty points. In the afternoon's recommended events, if Class D continues its infighting and Class C continues its violations, Class B won't be able to overtake you. So—"
"So you came to see me just to say this?" Hachiman interrupted her.
Sakayanagi looked at him and was silent for two seconds. Then, she sighed softly.
"I've already heard about the situation in Class D," Sakayanagi's tone was lower than before. "You set a trap for Hirata-kun, letting him test Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji took the bait, and now his reputation in Class D is completely ruined."
Hachiman leaned against the tent pole, arms crossed over his chest. "That was his own choice. No one forced him."
"I know," Sakayanagi said. "But what I want to know is—did you know from the start that he would do that?"
Hachiman didn't speak.
Sakayanagi looked up into his eyes. "It's basically impossible for Ayanokouji-kun to save Class D by himself now. He has no partner for the Mixed Three-Legged Race, and he can only participate twice in the Scavenger Hunt. All that's left is the All-School 1200m Relay. But if the earlier legs for Class D don't run well, he won't be able to catch up alone. So—his plan has already been dismantled by you."
Hachiman looked at her. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Sakayanagi's fingers tightened slightly on the grip of her cane.
"At noon today, I made a suggestion to Katsuragi-kun," Sakayanagi's voice dropped lower. "I suggested that in the recommended events Ayanokouji-kun might participate in, our Class B should arrange for elite players to take the field. Not to avoid him, but to meet him head-on. However, I judged that because of your maneuvers, he wouldn't be able to participate normally anyway. So, this was an opportunity for our Class B to gain points."
Hachiman listened without interrupting.
"But Katsuragi-kun did not adopt my suggestion." Sakayanagi's tone carried a hint of helplessness and an indescribable regret. "He felt it was too risky. He said Class B's current goal is to secure second place, not to gamble on whether Ayanokouji can stage a comeback. Being steady is more important than anything else."
Hachiman looked at her. "So you came to see me because you're in a bad mood? Because your suggestion wasn't taken?"
Sakayanagi was taken aback. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and then she looked down at the tip of her cane.
"Perhaps so," she said softly.
Hachiman watched her for a few seconds.
"Is there a question you want to ask me?" Hachiman added.
Eh?
At that moment, Sakayanagi looked up.
"If—I mean if," Sakayanagi's voice was even lighter than before, "if you were placed in Class D right now, what would you do? Does Class D still have a chance to return from the dead?"
As she spoke, her eyes looked straight at him.
Clearly, this question wasn't just idle chatter; Sakayanagi truly wanted to know the answer. Not because she wanted to help Class D, but because she wanted to confirm something through that answer.
In the absence of being able to command Class B, she wanted to challenge something higher.
Hachiman: "..."
Hachiman was silent for a moment, then prepared to speak.
Because Class D did indeed still have a chance to come back to life.
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