Chapter 3 - 3

incredible figure. In a sense, her assignment to Class D in the first place was quite the mystery. However, I knew about the darkness within her. Not too long after starting school, I caught her angrily ranting to herself on a secluded rooftop. And, although I didn't yet know why, it was a fact that Kushida hated Horikita. But both Horikita and Kushida were vital to Class D's improvement. Therefore, the only way to resolve the issue was to have them confront one another. 71 72 Chapter 5: There's a Reason for Their Relationship WHILE EACH OF THE CLASSES were spying, Class D was making some small moves of its own. What were people good at? Were they athletic? That kind of information was everywhere. Most people had already begun to realize this, but all the spying was kind of pointless. Regardless of how much you discovered about others' strengths or weaknesses, the key to victory lay in the composition of the group-event teams. If we managed to acquire our opponents' participation tables, our odds of winning would improve dramatically. Of course, the other classes wouldn't just share that information. It would've been a death sentence to do so, so everyone was protecting it as best they could. There was one exception, and it was the bomb waiting to go off inside Class D. Two weeks before the sports festival, I made my move immediately after school ended for the day. I called to Horikita, who was gathering her things next to me. "Hang out with me today." "And if I say I don't want to?" "You can say whatever you like, but then it won't be my fault if Class D gets in trouble." I cut straight to the heart of the matter, knowing it sounded like a threat. Horikita was momentarily at a loss for words. "Okay, I can't possibly ignore that. Fine, then. What do you want?" "You'll understand better if you come with me." Saying that, I walked away from Horikita and called out to yet another target. "Kushida, do you have a minute?" Kushida was happily chatting with some other girls from our class. "Hmm? What is it, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked. Kushida glanced at Horikita, who seemed slightly uncomfortable. 73 "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" I asked. Saturday would be a day off for Kushida. "I don't really have any right now. I was just thinking of cleaning my room," Kushida said. "If it's okay with you, would you mind giving me some time in the morning?" I cut right to the chase. If Kushida looked as though she disliked the idea, I wouldn't press her. "Okay," said Kushida. She smiled, as if to dispel my anxieties. "You know, it's really unusual for you to invite me out, Ayanokouji-kun." "Yeah, I suppose it is. By the way, Horikita will be coming, too." "Wait a second," Horikita started. I motioned to her to stay quiet. "Okay. I don't mind, but...why in the morning?" asked Kushida. "I was just thinking that I wanted to spy on the enemy again, but with you along—you know, as someone who knows a lot about other classes. Horikita asked me to help her, but there are lots of things I don't know." I was being mostly honest, though the part about Horikita was completely made up. I knew Kushida wouldn't come unless I told her the truth about what I wanted. Also, I needed her to understand her role. Kushida nodded. "Yes, I suppose I might be the right person for the job. Okay. What time were you thinking? The earlier the better, right?" "Yeah. I was thinking sometime like ten o'clock. Would that be okay?" "Completely okay. We'll meet in the dorm lobby tomorrow morning, then?" "Sure. Thanks," I answered. As she left, Kushida waved at some girls waiting in the hallway, and they walked together toward the dorms. She must have promised her friends she'd go back with them. As I started to head back myself, Horikita grabbed me. "What are you planning? I knew nothing of this." "That's because I never talked about it. Doing a little reconnaissance isn't a bad thing, wouldn't you agree?" I replied. 74 "I don't understand the reason for inviting me. If all you're doing is spying, then you and Kushida should be enough." "Do you really think that?" "I wouldn't say something like that as a joke." Apparently, I couldn't afford to send Horikita back yet. "We stand out here. Let's talk while we walk." I took the lead, leaving Horikita behind, and eventually, she followed. "You remember what happened to your team on the cruise ship?" "Of course. Everyone discovered our VIP's identity. A humiliating outcome," said Horikita. "That's right. It shouldn't have happened. There is most definitely a reason why it did," I replied. "Yes, but I don't know why. No matter how hard I try, I just can't find the answer. I assume Ryuuen-kun was involved somehow," mused Horikita. It sounded as though she'd come to a dead end. Doubts and incomplete theories, unending and irritating, were probably flooding her mind. "Well, I don't have proof, but I have a theory." Horikita looked at me as though she were genuinely shocked. "Are you saying you've figured out Ryuuen-kun's strategy?" "Yeah. To be more accurate, it's not just Ryuuen. One other person was significantly involved in the outcome on the cruise ship," I told her. We reached the main entrance and retrieved our shoes from the rack. Walking outside, we continued our conversation. "If you think about it, there was no way the VIP's identity could have been discovered. You and Hirata never told anyone else that Kushida was the VIP. Correct?" "Of course." "But what about Kushida herself? What if she intentionally exposed her identity?" Horikita probably couldn't understand what I was trying to say. Well, that was only natural; it wasn't the kind of thing you'd think typically think 75 about. There wasn't an idiot out there who would have intentionally revealed themselves to be the VIP. "That's impossible, right? She'd have nothing to gain from that at all," answered Horikita. "You can't say that for certain. For example, what about making a deal under the table, in which she tells another party that she's the VIP in exchange for private points?" "Even if that's possible, it would hurt Class D. And it would be very risky," replied Horikita. "That risk depends on the timing, though. There are many ways to establish trust," I answered. "So, you're saying that Kushida would betray her allies to gain a few measly points?" "Maybe, maybe not. Only Kushida knows." That was why I'd invited Kushida. To learn the truth. "So, you want Kushida and me to come with you to...uncover the truth?" Horikita finally seemed to suspect that Kushida might have turned traitor. "You and Kushida seem to have some kind of connection. A shared fate, maybe. It wouldn't be strange for her to betray us over something worth more than private points, right?" Horikita awkwardly averted her eyes. "Kushida-san and I have no bond whatsoever," she replied. "In that case, can you say with 100 percent confidence that she wouldn't betray the class and you?" "That's..." "If you're uncertain, you should confirm it. If we don't make sure, it'll all be over, won't it? No matter what the exam, our class has no chance of winning if there's a traitor in our midst," I said. During the previous exam, the exam before that, and even in this sports festival, I understood just how easy it was for the entire class to collapse because of a single traitor. Before we knew it, we were at the dormitory. We 76 entered the first-floor elevator and hit the buttons for our floors. "You're free to choose whether or not you come tomorrow, but if you want to lead the class, think about it." I got off on the fourth floor, leaving Horikita with those parting words. 77 5.1 SATURDAY MORNING CAME, and I was in my room, having a fun time talking about stupid stuff with three other people. Of course, I mostly just listened to the conversation, only occasionally interjecting to show that I was following along. Because the basketball club couldn't use the gymnasium, Sudou was getting a little R&R today. Me aside, the three idiots were having a good time. They'd all brought along cups of noodles, and proceeded to pour hot water in the cups and wait for three minutes. "Hey, Ayanokouji. What flavor did you get?" Sudou asked. "Extra-spicy tom yum goong. I didn't really know what it was like, so I thought I'd try it." "Man, that sounds good. Trade with me, please? I'll give you my salty ramen." He extended his hand toward me, offering me his noodle cup. It had an illustration of a salted squid on it, but the drawing felt kind of out of place. "No thanks." Why did he buy such unappetizing ramen? "Hey, Ken. Do you plan on telling Horikita?" "Huh? The hell is this about?" "Nothin'. Just curious, dude. That's all. Right, Haruki?" "Y-yeah." Yamauchi gave a forced smile. He'd suffered an honorable defeat after confessing his love for Sakura over the summer. "That depends on how the festival goes. If I win, then maybe I can make a move." "Oh. You mean how you wanted to use her first name, right?" Sudou, determined to take first place across every grade level at any cost, flexed his biceps. "I mean, there ain't none of the first years better than me at sports," he said. "Your only real competition's Kouenji, and he probably won't take this seriously." For Sudou, Kouenji's apparent lack of motivation seemed to be both a 78 cause for joy and sorrow. "Well, if I can give it my all, then I don't got any complaints," he added. That reminds me... I decided to cut in and ask about something that had been on my mind. "Hey, there's some student in Class A named Sakayanagi, right? The disabled girl. Remember her?" "Oh, that beautiful girl? Yeah, dude, of course I remember her." Ike smiled as he rubbed his nose. "Have you heard rumors about her?" "Rumors? Like guys she's been with? Dunno. It's like...how do I say this? She doesn't really put it out there, you know? I don't think there's much going on that way," said Ike. Yamauchi agreed. "From what I've heard, people say that she's the class leader. She's really, like, mature, isn't she?" Since the two of them seemed to share the same opinion, it didn't look as though I would get any valuable information about Sakayanagi from them. My phone buzzed, indicating that I'd received a message. As I checked it, I could feel Ike and Yamauchi's eyes upon me. They seemed mistrustful. "You know, dude, you've been getting lots of messages lately. Haven't you?" asked Ike. "Huh? Nah, not really. I mean, isn't this normal?" I answered nonchalantly. The truth of the matter was that I actually had gotten more messages lately, so the suspicious glint in their eyes only became more pronounced. "You don't have a girlfriend, do you?" Yamauchi pressed harder. "Absolutely not, so relax. Besides, there's no way I could get a girlfriend before you guys. Right?" "I guess that's true," Yamauchi replied. By puffing up their egos, I was able to calm them down. "Look, nobody cares about Ayanokouji being unpopular. Let's talk about my future with Suzune," said Sudou. "That reminds me. You're partnering with Horikita in the mixed boy- and-girl three-legged race, right, Ken?" 79 "Yeah. And, when we win, we'll start getting closer. Intimately closer." Just as Sudou launched into a discussion I really couldn't have cared less about, my phone buzzed yet again. This time, it was an alarm. "Sorry, guys. I've got plans," I said. "Wait, what? We were just getting to the good stuff. Well, fine. I got Kanji and Haruki here to listen to every single detail," said Sudou. "Urk!" I'd been hinting for them to get out of my room...but oh well. Rather than press the issue, I decided to leave the three idiots where they were, and go on my way. 80 5.2 IT WAS JUST BEFORE ten in the morning, the time I'd promised to meet Kushida. She was already in the lobby. "Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun," said Kushida warmly. "G-good morning, Kushida." Summer was almost over, so I'd only be able to see Kushida in her summer clothes for a little while longer. My heart beat faster at the sight. "Sorry for making such a strange request yesterday." "Oh, no, it's okay. Really. I didn't have anything planned today. Besides, this feels kind of nostalgic," she answered. "Nostalgic?" "Well, remember how, during the first semester exams, you asked a senior student for the previous test questions? I just thought this felt kind of similar, is all," she answered. "Is that so?" "Yeah." I hadn't considered that memory anything special, but Kushida seemed pleased by the thought. Honestly, I felt as though this would've been easier if I'd brought Karuizawa or Sakura along, but if you want a job done right, find the right person to do it. Kushida was absolutely the best person for the job. More importantly, there was Horikita to deal with. It was almost ten o'clock, and there still wasn't any sign of her. Was she backing down from having to meet with Kushida? Just as I wondered that, though, Horikita showed up. "Sorry to have kept you waiting." "Good morning, Horikita-san." Kushida welcomed Horikita with an unwavering smile. However, Horikita was apparently in a bad mood. She seemed to be trying to hide that fact, but it was plain to see. Kushida had to have noticed, but she acted exactly the same way as she always did. It was kind of impressive. 81 The three of us left the dormitory and headed toward the athletic grounds. By ten, the grounds were already filled with students. "Wow, they're really going at it!" Out on the grounds, the thock sound of someone kicking a ball echoed through the air. The ball curved toward the goalpost. It moved in a beautiful arc, but was perhaps a bit easy to see coming. The goalie, showing sharp reflexes, repelled it with a punch. Hirata was among those playing. Since the teams consisted of a mixture of students from first year through third year, I didn't know everyone. "I feel kind of like a secret agent, spying on clubs to gain information about other classes. It's so exciting, my heart is pounding!" said Kushida. "It's not that big a deal. The information we can get here doesn't amount to much," I said. "But Horikita-san doesn't think that. Right?" "Information is invaluable. We don't know what might be the key to our victory," said Horikita. "That's true. But it was really kind of you to do this for Horikita-san's sake, Ayanokouji-kun," said Kushida. "Well, I didn't exactly have a choice. She would've given me grief if I hadn't," I replied. "I'm impressed that you have the nerve to say that when I'm standing right here," said Horikita. I ignored her terrifying comment and focused my attention on the sports grounds. It looked as though the players were setting up a corner kick. The soccer teams casually walked onto the field and got into position before resuming. We could feel that the game was about to start. Surely something big was coming. As Kushida grinned, I felt uncomfortable about the three of us hanging out together like this. Surprisingly enough, the highly agreeable Kushida decided to drop the pretense first. "Ayanokouji-kun, you were the one who decided to invite me out today, weren't you?" 82 "Why do you think that?" "Well, I can't imagine that Horikita-san would invite me," replied Kushida. Still smiling, she briefly looked over at Horikita, then returned her gaze to me. "Why can't you imagine that Horikita would invite you?" I asked. "Ha ha! You know, you're kind of an awful person, Ayanokouji-kun. You understand that things aren't good between Horikita-san and me, don't you?" Kushida spoke frankly, knowing I understood. Horikita listened quietly, not attempting to deny anything. "To be completely honest, it's not that I don't understand it. Rather, it's like I half believe it, and half don't." The player in the corner kicked the ball, sending it toward a teammate waiting near the goalpost. Hirata skillfully caught it. Seeing that he couldn't score a goal if he tried for a shot from right there, he passed the ball to a teammate, a Class B student we already knew. The ball sailed into the goal in a brilliant arc. "So, Shibata's in the soccer club." "Yeah. Hirata-kun often says that Shibata-kun is better than he is. It seems like they're close," answered Kushida. As expected, she was especially well-informed. As the game started back up, Shibata got the ball and quickly wove through the opposing team. "He's fast." He seemed about equal to Hirata—no, even faster. Hirata hadn't been lying. "Wow, they're really going at it! They're all fired up! This is the best!" A tall guy in a soccer uniform walked past the spectators, and by spectators, I mean us. I had assumed that he probably played some kind of sport, so this just confirmed it was soccer. "Good morning, Nagumo-senpai!" said Kushida. Apparently, she knew him. Horikita, meanwhile, had a small, nearly imperceptible reaction. Nagumo was a candidate to become the next student council president, his abilities on par with her older brother's. "Oh? Right, you're Kikyou-chan. I see you're on a date. Nice," said 83 Nagumo. "Ha ha! No, it's not like that. I was just curious, so I came here to watch," she replied. "Great. Enjoy. We don't really hold back here, so I think this is a good way to measure our players' strengths," said Nagumo. He winked at Kushida and headed down to meet up with the others. Apparently, he'd guessed what we were doing. The soccer club seemed excited when Nagumo joined them. "Is it okay for someone to be on the student council and in a club?" I asked. "It looks like he's not really in the club anymore," Kushida replied. "But even though he quit, he's still the best player. He shows up to practice from time to time, to help guide the rest of the team." "So, you all set, Nagumo?" asked one of the students. "Yeah, dude. I overslept, but after running some laps, I'm all warmed up," Nagumo replied. He swapped places with another student, and the game resumed. Both the ball and other players moved toward Nagumo immediately. He seemed like a reliable teammate and a dangerous opponent. He looked to be on the team opposing Hirata and Shibata. As the situation changed, Nagumo shined in play. Hirata challenged Nagumo and tried to steal the ball. His movements were as sharp as before, but Nagumo handled him with ease. Shibata charged at Nagumo, too, but Nagumo feinted several times before slipping past. I'd thought that both Hirata and Shibata were skilled, but Nagumo was in a different league. After running past yet another person, Nagumo took a powerful shot from midfield. The ball flew in a terrifying curve out of the goalie's reach, and Nagumo scored. "So, the title of student council president isn't just for show, huh?" "He's just really athletic, that's all." Horikita did not intend to acknowledge Nagumo's obvious skill. 84 As I spoke to Horikita, I snuck a glance at Kushida. She was all smiles; not even a hint of her dark side could be seen. "When you stare at me like that, it's embarrassing," said Kushida. Her eyes met mine, and she laughed, as though she guessed what I was thinking. "If I promise not to ask more questions, would you please tell me one thing?" I asked. Despite Horikita's presence, I decided to go for it. "Why don't you and Horikita like each other?" "Asking me to tell you something by saying you won't ask anything else is unfair," said Kushida. Maybe my request was psychological manipulation, but Kushida understood both my tactic and my question. "If I tell you, that's it, right?" "Yeah. I promise." "It's me," she replied, still watching the game. 85 86 I hadn't expected that. So, even though she was at fault for their bad relationship, she still hated Horikita? That was kind of a contradiction. When someone hated someone else, they'd normally claim the other person was wholly at fault. I was relatively good at observing people, but couldn't quite read Kushida. I was starting to think that I understood Horikita a little less, too. She had known that Kushida hated her from the very beginning, but she never talked to me about it. However, based on Kushida's answer, Horikita might know the cause of the girl's hatred. Of course, if I asked, Horikita probably wouldn't tell me. Why is that? I wondered. Was there something that they each didn't want the other to know? "I get the feeling that just thinking about this is a waste of time," I huffed. "Yeah. I suppose so. Our priority right now is to spy and gather information anyway, right?" asked Kushida. "I guess." I shrugged. "The player handling the ball right now is Sonoda-kun from Class C. He's quite fast, isn't he?" mused Kushida. All the students in the soccer club were nimble. The only ones from our class who could probably hold their own were Sudou and Hirata, but even they'd be hard-pressed to keep up. "But Horikita-san is thinking about our class as a whole. That makes me happy," said Kushida. "I aim to do whatever is necessary to reach Class C, so I've no other choice," replied Horikita. "I have to work harder, so that I can contribute towards everyone else, too." I couldn't sense even the slightest bit of modesty from that. After a while, the soccer players took a break. Nagumo called to Hirata. Then, perhaps because he realized we'd been watching, Hirata approached us. "Good morning. It's unusual to see you here," he said. 87 Shibata, who'd seen us all from a distance, came running over as well. That created a rather unusual little five-person group. "Good morning, Kikyou-chan. Oh, and...Ayanokouji and Horikita- chan, right? Ayanokouji, are you on a date with these two beautiful girls?" asked Shibata. "No, it's not like that." Shibata and I were acquainted, but I hadn't known that he remembered my name. That made me kind of happy, though I kept from grinning. "So, what's up? This is an odd gathering," Hirata said. He didn't seem to suspect anything. I boldly decided to tell him the truth. "We're spying. We've come to identify students from other classes whom we think we should watch out for." "Ah. So, that means you've noticed Shibata Man already, huh?" Shibata quickly stepped forward and showed off his footwork. He had a cheery demeanor and made no attempt to hide his athletic abilities. I wondered if that was because he was in Class B, under Ichinose's leadership, or just because that was his personality. "Shibata-kun really is fast, just like the rumors say," replied Kushida. "Ayanokouji-kun and I were shocked." At being complimented by a cute girl, Shibata bashfully rubbed his nose with his index finger. "We need to be especially wary of Shibata-kun. He's the fastest in Class B. Personally, I'd rather not compete against him," said Hirata. "Don't sell yourself short, Yousuke. I know you're really fast, too. How about you, Ayanokouji?" Shibata asked. "I'm a member of the go-home-and-do-nothing club," I replied. Shibata crossed his arms and laughed as if to say "Sure, okay." We left soon afterward, on the pretext of checking out other club activities; that was just a cover. There was something else I wanted to know, and I had set the stage for it. How it would play out...well, that was up to the two girls. 88 "You bore me, Kushida-san," said Horikita. "Wow, that's pretty harsh," Kushida replied. "But I have to ask you something," Horikita continued. "Between you and Ayanokouji-kun, I'm getting a lot of questions. Okay, what is it?" "During the cruise ship exam, did you tell Ryuuen-kun or Katsuragi- kun that you were the VIP?" I'd expected Horikita to ask in a straightforward way, but she really cut straight to the heart of the matter. Kushida looked shocked, but Horikita kept talking. "It's fine if you don't answer. It's meaningless to dig up the past. That's why there's only one question I find important. Can I trust you to be our class's ally from this point on?" asked Horikita. "Of course. I want to get to Class A, alongside everyone from Class D. That's what I've said from the very beginning," said Kushida. Kushida's feelings hadn't changed at all, then. "I don't know why you'd ask something like that, but I want you to trust me." Though Kushida smiled at Horikita, she looked very serious. "Well then, I'm heading back. I'll leave the rest of the reconnaissance to you two," I said. "Huh? What are you saying, Ayanokouji-kun?" "Horikita came up with this strategy in the first place. If you have Kushida's extensive network and connections at your disposal, you should be fine. Right?" I asked. With that, I left. 89 5.3 WITH EVERYONE working hard, the days passed quickly. Finally, only one week was left until the sports festival. We needed to decide who would participate in each competition and submit our participation table before the day finished. While Hirata stood at the podium, Kushida faced the blackboard with chalk in hand to record the preparations. "Without further ado, let's decide on the entries," said Hirata. To choose the order for our winning strategy, Hirata consulted his notes, which contained aggregate results of our entire class's daily records. We had written down the order, everyone's roles, and the competitions they'd enter. Not a single student objected to Hirata's results, which were based on hard data and clear testing of people's abilities. Everything proceeded without a hitch. "Okay. For the final event, the 1200-meter relay, Sudou will be our anchor." "That seems fair." I was impressed by how Hirata managed to respect everybody's individual wishes while also taking everyone's abilities into account. In the relay, the final event, the star players would be the fastest students, like Horikita. No one could have come up with a more ideal lineup. However, Horikita—who sat next to me—continued to stare at the blackboard with an unconvinced expression. Immediately after the discussion ended, she stood up. While I wondered where this was going, she went right to Sudou. Curious, I tried to eavesdrop. "What's up?" he asked. "I want to talk to you about something. Can you come with me?" Horikita replied. "S-sure." Sudou hurriedly stood straight up at Horikita's command. As she started to walk away, Horikita suddenly called out to Hirata as well. "Oh, Hirata-kun. Can I also have a moment of your time?" 90 Sudou, whose heart must have been pounding for a moment, immediately looked disappointed. "I want to discuss the participation table we decided on earlier. I'd like you to give me the anchor position in the 1200-meter relay at the end of the festival," said Horikita. Sudou looked confused. "But, well...the anchor position is normally for the fastest person, right? Do ya feel uneasy having me as the anchor?" There is a fundamental difference in physical ability between boys and girls. Horikita was the fastest of the girls, but if she were pitted against the boys, then she couldn't beat Hirata. It was only natural that Sudou, who was equal to or faster than Hirata, should be the anchor. He probably wouldn't accept anything less. "No, that's not it. I know your abilities from seeing you practice," said Horikita. "Okay. So, I can handle it, right? I mean, if the anchor is the fifth runner, then—" "I have my reasons. You're good with the starting dash, right, Sudou- kun? I think that having you breeze past our opponents as the first runner is a viable strategy. Then you'll be able to carry the advantage. If it were a solo competition, you could protect your lane with a starting handicap, but that doesn't seem possible here. Starting with the second runner, we'll allow everyone to take the lane they like on a first-come-first-served basis. In the event that we're overtaken, the rules state that, from the second runner onward, we're allowed to use the outer lanes to overtake other runners," Horikita explained. In other words, Horikita wanted to have Sudou as the first runner so he could get a lead on the competition. "But..." Sudou didn't appear convinced. It was certainly true that, if Sudou did well at the starting dash, the rest of our relay team from the second runner onward would have an easier time. However, if we used up Sudou's turn right at the start of the relay, our later runners would be under pressure if the competition closed the gap. On the other hand, Sudou could provide a burst of power in the relay's final leg as the anchor. If there were targets for him to chase, he'd be all the more spurred 91 on to win. "It's just, y'know, the anchor position goes to the fastest team member." "This school is a meritocracy. Let's not make choices based on assumptions or preconceived notions. The other classes will be coming up with various strategies as well," Horikita reasoned. I understood her logic, but I felt as though she was pushing a bit too hard. It didn't make much difference who the anchor was; both she and Sudou were sure to perform well. Worst-case, a clumsy starting dash wouldn't set us too far back. That meant there was another reason Horikita wanted to be the anchor. If it were Ike or Yamauchi, it would probably simply be that they would want to stand out, but I couldn't imagine Horikita would be like that. That left only one alternative. "I'll definitely produce better results than I've gotten in practice," Horikita asserted. Her claim was based in a gut feeling—a "where there's a will, there's a way" mentality. There was nothing to back it up. In fact, her proposal was such a mystery that Sudou immediately shot it down. "I ain't convinced. This ain't like you, Horikita," said Sudou. "Excuse me. Is it okay for me to chime in?" Kushida hesitantly entered the conversation, probably out of curiosity. "Uh, I'm sorry. I just think maybe there's some other reason Horikita-san wants to be anchor." "That's—" "In that case, Horikita, would you mind telling us why? If you have a request, Sudou and I will take that very seriously. But if we're changing the order that everyone decided as a class, I need more information," said Hirata. "I agree with Hirata. We need a reason," said Sudou. Horikita wore a complicated expression. Perhaps she thought speaking the truth was the only way she could get the anchor position. "It's because I think my brother...is an anchor," she said quietly. "Your brother? The student council president?" "Yes. That's my brother." 92 Everyone knew the student council president, but not everyone had made the connection that he and Horikita were related. Sure, some people may have a vague idea that this was the case, but their family name was by no means uncommon. They also didn't really look that much alike, and Horikita herself had never said anything about it. Everybody seemed surprised by Horikita's statement. "So, you want to be an anchor with your brother? Is that it?" Kushida didn't seem as though she fully understood. Apparently, Horikita wasn't going to elaborate further, so I decided to cut in and give her a little help. "Some stuff happened. I guess Horikita and her brother aren't really on speaking terms. She probably wants this opportunity to patch things up with him," I offered. It wasn't exactly the truth, but it wasn't a lie, either. It was just a perfectly digestible tidbit. Horikita glared at me for an instant, since I had eavesdropped on her conversation, but immediately looked back to Sudou and the others. "I was wondering what the matter was. So, that's it, huh? Well, to be honest, I do still want the anchor position. But if that's the way you feel, then I don't mind handin' it over to you," said Sudou. "I think it's fine, too. If Sudou-kun is satisfied, then everyone else will be too, right?" Kushida added. "Right. Sounds good. Well, I'll submit our list after I swap Horikita- san and Sudou-kun's places. Is that okay?" asked Hirata. "Thank you," said Horikita quietly. If not for an opportunity like this, Horikita probably wouldn't be able to get closer to her older brother. Even if she didn't have the courage to contact him herself, however, a competition like this would force them together. However, Horikita's decision wouldn't necessarily pan out well. I couldn't imagine that anything would happen even if she were to get closer to her stubborn brother. 93 94 Chapter 6: The Curtains Rise AT LAST, the day had come. The curtains were about to rise on the sports festival, and it looked to be a long day. The entire student body, all wearing their jerseys, marched together as one. Well, we called it a march, but most people just strolled along, taking the movement just seriously enough not to disrupt the order. "All right, time to really show off for Kikyou-chan!" shouted Ike as he walked directly behind me. How did he plan to show off when he was bad at sports? The guy was all bark and no bite. Fujimaki, from the third-year Class A, gave a speech during the opening ceremony. Although there weren't many, a number of spectators watched from the school grounds' outskirts. They were probably adults who worked on campus. The school didn't seem to have put any strict restrictions in place regarding who could attend the festival. Occasionally, one of the spectators smiled or waved. Meanwhile, the teachers themselves watched us without the vaguest hint of smiles. Medical personnel could also be seen setting up some kind of cottage. It could fit around twenty people and was equipped with an air conditioner and water cooler. The school's preparations were as meticulous as they had been on the deserted island. They provided tents for the Red Team and White Team; the tents faced each other on opposite sides of the track. The school didn't want the teams mingling with each other, except during competitions. "Man, they sure are prepared. They even went so far as to install cameras to help them make the final decisions." The first event of the festival was the 100-meter dash, and I saw that a camera had been installed and pointed toward the finish line. "That way, they'll definitely avoid any incorrect judgments or vague results." 95 The line between victory and defeat could come down to a hair's breadth in competitions like these. I supposed that was why they hadn't included events like cheerleading, which were challenging to score. 96 6.1 "WHAT GROUP are you in for the 100-meter dash, again?" Horikita asked. "Seventh," I answered, looking over at the program table, which had the participation order and schedule. "Hopefully no one exceptionally good turns up. I'll be cheering you on for the class's sake." "I'll do my best not to come in last, then," I replied. With that unambitious goal, I headed to the track with the rest of the first-year boys. The festival ordered events such as the 100-meter dash by grade level, starting with the first-year boys and ending with the third-year girls. Then there'd be a break, after which the order would switch. We'd resume competitions in the opposite direction, starting with third-year girls and ending with first-year boys. The competition was about to start. All the pairings had been decided according to the printouts each class had received in advance. Now we'd finally learn who would run from which class, and in what order. The first- year boys formed ten groups in total; mine was seventh. Each group contained eight people, two from each class. Sudou was in the first group. All of Class D watched, holding their breath. This festival's outcome depended greatly upon Sudou. If we won this premiere event, we'd have Sudou run first for us so he could take the wind from our opponent's sails. Everyone on our team could use that momentum to get hyped. If Sudou did poorly, it would probably put a dent in our spirits. "From my point of view, nobody here's really that big a deal. I see lots of fatties and twigs. Sudou's got first place covered!" shouted Ike. I couldn't see any students of note from the other three classes in Sudou's group. Like Ike had said, Sudou's victory was probably assured. "Then again, depending on how you look at it, this could be a big loss for us." 97 Ideally, if we were using an incredible athlete like Sudou, then it would have been better to have him compete against fast opponents. "Well, there's nothing we can really do about that. It's just luck." There was definitely Something about seeing Sudou hunched and ready at the starting line inspired feelings of absolute confidence. Even if he did happen to take a spill in the middle of the race, he'd still be all right. He could do this. As soon as the signal sounded, Sudou shot forward like a bullet. He quickly outran all the other boys, leaving them in the dust. He reached the goal with such an overwhelming lead that no one else came anywhere close. He won by a landslide. While everyone watched, Sudou took first place, as anticipated. Meanwhile, the Professor—the second Class D student in the first group— managed to come in last. We'd anticipated that, too. The signal to start the next race came right away, without any time to bask in the afterglow. The signals came at about twenty-second intervals, which meant that it would take four minutes for all the first-year boys to finish running. This event would repeat for all the boys and girls in all three grade levels, which meant that the 100-meter dash should finish in about thirty minutes. "Just as we'd expect from Sudou-kun." Hirata, my partner, seemed genuinely impressed. "Yeah. Feels like the other classes were pretty dumbstruck, too." He didn't simply take first place; he'd also left a strong impact on everyone. Just like Sudou and the Professor, we in the seventh group also had our roles to play. Hirata, who belonged to the soccer club and was a fast runner, was sure to place high. I'd take a spot at least one place after him, so there was really nothing to be anxious about. It was just a question of how to stand out while remaining inconspicuous. There were several students from other classes to be wary of. I wondered which groups had athletic students like Kanzaki and Shibata, and which boasted students with a strong presence like Ryuuen or Katsuragi. The third group hurried to the starting line. 98 "Oh, Baldy's—I mean, Katsuragi's—in the first lane," said Ike, pointing at Katsuragi's head. Sunlight shone on Katsuragi's scalp, lending it a brilliant sheen. Next to him, I saw another guy I knew: Kanzaki from Class B. He looked pretty calm. So, Katsuragi and Kanzaki would be competing against each other, huh? The formidable Kouenji was also supposed to be in the third group, but there was no sign of him in Lane 5, which he'd been assigned. No one from the school bothered to search for him. They just marked it as an absence and immediately started the race. I thought that the third group would be a close match, but Kanzaki was fastest. Katsuragi was by no means slow, just outclassed. The race ended without much fuss. Kanzaki took first place and Katsuragi third. As the races continued, Hirata noticed something. "Ayanokouji-kun. There," he said, gesturing at the temporary cottage that had been erected. When I strained my eyes to look, I saw Kouenji inside, fussing with his hair. He certainly hadn't just come back from a run. Still, it was too soon for him to just withdraw. "Apparently, he's not participating." Kouenji had cooperated all the way up until the opening ceremonies, but in the end, it appeared that he planned to bow out of the competitions. Kouenji would probably make some kind of excuse to get out of it, saying his feet hurt or he wasn't feeling well. If he wasn't participating in any of the competitions at all, then that meant he wouldn't be able to get any points, not even last place. His absence weighed heavily on both our class and the Red Team. Class A had Sakayanagi, who also wouldn't participate in any events, but at least she had a valid reason. If Classes B and C had no absentees, the Red Team would need to make up for their two missing members. That was quite the handicap. The rest of the competition progressed smoothly, and soon it was time for the seventh group. I went and stood in Lane 4, with Hirata next to me in Lane 5. There was also Yahiko, from Class A, but the rest of the competitors were guys I wasn't familiar with. 99 This was the first sports festival of my life. I started off with a medium dash, neither fast nor slow. Hirata slowly but surely passed me and joined the top runners. I saw four people's backs in front of me, which meant that I was in fifth. Because there wasn't a huge difference in speed between us, we all kind of clustered together. As we continued to run, our order didn't change. In the end, I finished in fifth place. Hirata narrowly took the top spot. "Whew. Good job," he said, taking a deep breath. "Sorry. I dragged us down," I replied. "That's not true. Everyone was fast. It was a good race," said Hirata. Despite my disappointing results, he didn't blame me at all. Instead, he gave me a smile. We hurried off the track and headed over to the tent. The next group would be starting, and we were in the way. After the first-year boys finished running the 100-meter dash, they returned to their seats and focused on watching the girls with a predatory intensity. They cared about the race's outcome, of course, but they also just wanted to watch the girls run. "Where's Sudou?" I asked. He should have returned to his seat by now. "Who knows? Maybe the toilet? Dude, we've got more important things to look at. Check out those jiggling boobs, man, those boobs!" said the chipper Ike. I immediately had a bad feeling about Sudou's absence. He should have been cheering Horikita on, so his disappearance was strange. "No way." I looked over toward the cottage to see that my intuition was correct. Sudou was approaching Kouenji. "This isn't good. I need to stop them," I said. "Yeah," replied Hirata. Having both noticed the same thing, Hirata and I ran toward the cottage, where things were apparently already heating up. His hand balled tightly into a fist, Sudou confronted Kouenji. "Hey, you. What's the big idea, sitting this out?! Don't disregard the rest of us, jerk!" 100 When we opened the door, we could already hear Sudou's threatening voice. He seemed ready to throw a punch any second now, but Kouenji pretended not to notice. It was a bold move. He just kept admiring his own reflection in the window, which only made Sudou angrier. "Looks like you ain't gonna understand unless I beat you up, Kouenji," Sudou growled. "No. You can't do that, Sudou-kun. If the teachers find out—" Hirata tried to stop them, but Sudou wasn't the kind of guy to be deterred. "I don't care. This is a class problem, right? It don't even matter if I beat him up, long as this punk doesn't go crying to the teachers," said Sudou. "You're quite foul, aren't you? I came here to enjoy some me time. Alone. As you can see, I'm feeling quite ill today. I decided to withdraw so that I wouldn't be a burden," said Kouenji. "Don't give me that bull crap! If this was just practice, that'd be one thing, but you're skipping out on the actual event!" I understood why Sudou was shouting. Kouenji looked to be in perfect health. "No. Don't, Sudou-kun!" Hirata panicked. But before he could intervene, Sudou threw a punch. He probably intended to knock sense into Kouenji, but Kouenji stopped the blow, catching the other boy's fist in his palm. He was always doing the unexpected. A dull slap echoed through the cottage. "Stop. You cannot hope to beat me." Kouenji didn't even look at Sudou as he spoke. Sudou hadn't held back with that blow. Now that the other boy had blocked it easily, he had to realize Kouenji's real strength, but that only seemed to fire him up even more. "Bring it on. I'll smash in your nose," Sudou growled. "Goodness. Both you and that girl seem to consider me unreliable," replied Kouenji. "'That girl?' Who?" "That cold girl who's so inflamed your passion. She's been telling me 101 over and over that she wants me to seriously participate in the sports festival." "Horikita?" Apparently, Horikita had foreseen the possibility that Kouenji would be absent from the start. Considering the fact that he had retired right away back on the uninhabited island, it made sense. Even so, I didn't know that Horikita had been working on Kouenji without my knowledge. "In any case, leave now. I'm not feeling well," said Kouenji, waving us away. "You jerk!" To prevent a second punch from flying, Hirata stepped between Sudou and Kouenji. "Let's all just calm down a little. Kouenji-kun's attitude is a problem, but if he says he's not feeling well, then he has the right to rest. Besides, violence is bad, no matter the circumstances." "But he's definitely lying! He said the same thing back on the island," said Sudou. "That is a baseless accusation. My proud carriage serves to disguise how poor my health is," said Kouenji. "So, you're planning on skipping the rest of the competitions, too, huh?" "If I recover, I will of course participate. If I recover," replied Kouenji. Sudou couldn't contain his anger anymore, but we couldn't wait around on Kouenji forever. "The next competition is about to begin, Sudou-kun. You're our leader, so your absence impacts our morale," said Hirata, switching tactics. "Fine. I'll head on back," groused Sudou. "Thank you," said Hirata. He escorted Sudou from the cottage, and I followed a little way behind. We made it to the Red Team tent, where Sudou sat back down, clearly still irritated. "Damn! Next time, I'm seriously going to punch that jerk," he huffed. His anger, rather than dissipating, only continued to swell. In keeping with the adage that "a wise man keeps away from danger," people started 102 giving him a wide berth. Ike, however, was too engrossed in the girls' race to notice Sudou's frustration. Before I knew it, the girls' 100-meter dash was nearly over. The final group had just entered the track. "What are you doing, Ken? The girl you like is about to start, dude!" Ike cheerfully slapped Sudou on the back. Sudou grabbed his arm and forced Ike into a headlock. "Gah! Dude, the hell?!" "Stress relief," said Sudou. "Ouch, ouch, ouch! I give, I give!" shouted Ike. It was a pitiful sight, but taking his anger out on Ike seemed to help Sudou. He began to calm down a little. Meanwhile, Horikita got onto the track as the race for first-year girls began. "I suppose that I feel better watching Suzune, at least..." said Sudou. If that was all it took to heal him, then I'd let him heal. As I watched Sudou, Sakura appeared next to me, completely out of breath. "Ahh...ahh...! I-It hurts..." She must've used up all her energy when she ran. She was breathing very deeply, as though she was in a lot of pain. "W-were you watching me, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked. 103 104 She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling behind her glasses. Unfortunately, Sakura's race took place while I was chasing Sudou, so I hadn't seen a thing. Of course, if I told her that, she'd probably be really sad. "You did well," I said. My response was brief, but filled with emotion. One fact that I could be absolutely certain of was that Sakura definitely gave everything she had. "Th-thank you! This is the first time I didn't come in dead last." She beamed. Whenever we'd practiced, Sakura was always the slowest out of everyone by far. It seemed that she'd finally beaten someone else—because of her own hard work, too, not an opponent's mistake. "Just don't push yourself too hard. You might hurt yourself," I said. "O-okay!" she replied with a smile. Sakura stood beside me, still breathing heavily, and looked over at the next race. I focused on the other girls who would run against Horikita. In the third lane was Ibuki Mio, a Class C student. Horikita was in the same group as her most bitter rival. What a bizarre coincidence. Horikita didn't even look at Ibuki, but Ibuki wore a furious expression, as though fire shot from her eyes. She was determined never to lose to Horikita, no matter what. "Hey, I wonder if Ibuki-chan's good at sports?" the other boys speculated. "Hell if I know. All I know is Horikita's gonna win, no doubt." There was no way the other guys could have known, but Ibuki was highly athletic. Personally, I couldn't say for certain who would win. When the signal sounded, seven of the girls launched themselves forward. Between the two I focused on, Ibuki had the better start. Horikita's reaction was slightly delayed, so she lagged behind the rest of the group. However, she immediately picked up the pace and began to catch up to Ibuki, who seemed distracted. She glanced behind, perhaps curious about Horikita, and the distance between them closed. Ibuki remained stuck in the middle of the group, neither increasing nor decreasing her distance from Horikita. 105 As they neared the end of the race, Ibuki's expression stiffened. She and Horikita were neck and neck, running side-by-side. Horikita, looking quite pleased with herself, managed to nudge ahead of Ibuki by a narrow margin. "Uh oh, is she in trouble...?" muttered Sudou. His hunch turned out to be correct. Ibuki ran harder, fighting to close the distance between herself and Horikita, who was in the lead. Horikita tried to shake her off, Ibuki just chased her down even harder. Horikita managed to cross the finish line first. After an incredible race like that, everyone erupted into cheers. I wouldn't have been surprised if the judges would need to replay the video to be sure. Next to the out-of-breath Horikita, Ibuki kicked the ground in frustration. I got the feeling that if she hadn't been so concerned about Horikita, the race results would have been different. A slight gap in her awareness was the reason Horikita won. "Those two completely outran everyone else," said Sudou. He was still watching Horikita even after she had finished running. Even though Horikita and Ibuki were just about evenly matched, excluding Class D, the other four girls had been pretty slow. After the first-year students' 100-meter dash ended, we went to check the results. Athletic people like Sudou, Horikita, and Hirata had taken first place, as expected. However, the mid-tier students we'd hoped would do well hadn't performed so great after all. "Come on. Get it together, everyone. Especially you! Your speed's the only thing you're proud of, right?" said Sudou. "Y-yeah, but that Shibata dude's just too good, man." "Nothing we can do about it. Shibata-kun's even faster than me, after all," said Hirata. That was true. I'd seen it during club practice. Even though we'd gotten off to a good start overall, tracking our scores would get more complicated from here. No notebooks or phones were allowed, and though we could talk to one another about the results, we couldn't know what the other classes were planning. I approached Horikita, who'd just gotten back. 106 "That was close," I said. "Yes, I suppose. Ibuki was faster than I expected," said Horikita. Perhaps she had noticed Ibuki walking up to her, but Horikita breathed a sigh of relief. "So, you reached out to Kouenji," I said. "Who told you that? Well...it seems like it was meaningless anyway." Horikita looked over toward Kouenji's little hideaway cottage. "I was worried he'd skip out on the competitions, and that's exactly what happened." "It seems like he doesn't care about reaching Class A." He would continue to loaf around as long as he didn't get expelled. It was his decision, and nobody could convince him otherwise. However, Horikita wasn't entirely convinced. "Maybe if I were popular like Kushida, I could have gotten to him." "I don't know about that. I don't think he's the type to listen to Kushida, or even Hirata," I replied. Then again, those two wouldn't have tried to berate Kouenji in the first place. Even though Kouenji was clearly lying about his illness, they wouldn't have called him a liar to his face. "To think you'd wish you could be more like Kushida," I chided. "I never hated her or anything." Horikita realized that she'd slipped up, and immediately clamped her mouth shut. "You didn't hear that," she added. With that, she marched off to watch the third-year students' races, which would start soon. She was concerned for our class, but most likely also worried about her brother. Of course, it wasn't as though her brother, the student council president, cared about his little sister's feelings in the slightest. Horikita's older brother, as part of the second group to race, naturally took first place. "He's just as fast as I imagined," I said. "That's because my brother is perfect. No matter what he does, he's always number one," Horikita answered. She wasn't bragging. She said it as if it were a simple fact. 107 After each grade level finished the 100-meter dash, the final results were tallied. The first round of points for the Red and White teams were announced. Red Team: 2011 points. White Team: 1891 points. The competition had just begun, but the Red Team was slightly ahead. 108 6.2 THE HURDLE RACE came next. It was like the 100-meter dash in that it was based on speed. However, that wasn't all there was to it. You also needed to clear hurdles while running. If you knocked down or touched a hurdle, your time was penalized. If you knocked the hurdle down, the penalty was 0.5 seconds. If you only touched it, 0.3 seconds. There were ten hurdles in all, placed at ten-meter intervals. If you knocked them all down, you'd have five seconds added to your time. It'd be completely hopeless. Thus, you couldn't rush; you had to carefully clear every hurdle. Sudou was starting in this competition's final group. "If you guys place last, I'm gonna slap you," he said, arms crossed. The unathletic students trembled at the pressure. "Dude, what kinda tyrant are you?" "Hey, um, is Sotomura-kun here? If he's absent, he'll be disqualified," said the referee at the starting line. "R-regrettably, it would appear that my stomach is upset. Would it be permissible for me to take an absence?" asked the Professor. He'd just barely cleared the hurdles during practice, and looked as though he was chickening out. "Huh? Dude, it's fine if you knock all the hurdles down. Finish the race at any cost!" shouted Sudou. He stuck his face close to the Professor's and glared. "Egad! O-okay, I will!" shouted the Professor. There was a significant difference between coming in last and being disqualified. If you were disqualified, you wouldn't get even one point. Participation was vital. In the end, the Professor didn't clear any hurdles. He knocked them all over and finished in last place. "Ugh, he's useless. It's 'cause he just sits around on his butt that he's so fat," grumbled Sudou. "Still, that Shibata guy is pretty good." While he watched, he spoke as though he were telling us to be wary. 109 Shibata had come in first without much difficulty, and was shaping up to be Sudou's main rival. Furthermore, like Ichinose, his leadership qualities made others rally around him. "If we face each other head-on, though, I'll win," he declared. If Shibata kept this up, Sudou's goal of being first out of every student across every grade level would become a distant dream, especially since no one knew what the team competition results would be. It was concerning. "Next up is the fourth group. Please get ready," said the referee. I got into the same lane as before, and saw Kanzaki standing in the second lane. "We meet again," said Kanzaki. "Go easy on me," I told him. "Ichinose says you're pretty fast," he replied. I didn't know where Ichinose had gotten that idea. Then again, back during the incident with Sakura's stalker, she might have seen me running. I hadn't been sprinting at full speed or anything, but she must have seen enough to judge. Ichinose had also been observing me back when I amused myself by playing with her in the pool. I supposed I couldn't avoid her singling me out throughout the events and exams. "She's exaggerating. Didn't you see my ranking in the 100-meter dash earlier? I got fifth." "Sure, but it didn't seem to me that you were taking the race seriously," Kanzaki replied. "There's no advantage to gain from holding back, right? You just lose," I responded. "When you think of it as a strategy, it's not completely meaningless," he said flatly. Apparently, Ichinose and Class B really did their homework. They didn't just know my ranking; they also understood my thought process. "You know, you're really calm for a high schooler," Kanzaki added. "It's scary." 110 "Well, feel free to judge me however you want." A boy from Class C got between us, cutting our chat short. With the exception of Kanzaki, I didn't really know anyone in the fourth group, which meant that I didn't know how fast the other competitors were. If my ranking rose even a little bit, it could be bad. When the signal came, I started running about as fast as I had before. Kanzaki overtook me, but because only one other student got in front of me, I ultimately ended up winning a fairly respectable third place. There were a lot of variables to consider, but for better or worse, I'd been able to maintain my inconspicuous position. I walked back to camp. "Aah, jeez. I can't keep up," groaned Yukimura. He was grumbling to himself, seeming downtrodden. From the looks of things, he hadn't gotten good results during his second event. "That bad, huh?" I asked. "Ayanokouji? Agh, I've been cursed. Seventh and seventh," he grumbled. Twice a consolation prize winner, huh? That was pretty rough. "It all depends on your mindset, Yukimura. Even if you fail here, you can ace the written tests. Right?" I replied. "I won't fail, but my scores will plummet. Besides, I'll drag down my class and my team," said Yukimura. Since Yukimura wanted to make it into Class A more than anyone else, he also felt the burden of responsibility more intensely than anyone. And because he normally criticized students with low academic ability, like Sudou, he was probably reluctant to show any weakness here. I didn't want to say the wrong thing, so I decided to give Yukimura space, and focused on the girls' hurdle races instead. Two people I knew were running in the first race: Horikita and Sakura. Horikita, who expected to win, didn't seem to feel any pressure. On the other hand, as bad as it sounded, we had zero expectations for Sakura. She appeared to be trembling. "Hey, um, Horikita-san. This matchup isn't very good, don't you think?" said Hirata. "Really?" replied Horikita. 111 Hirata, who knew a lot about the other classes, voiced his concerns after seeing the groups. The competition was just about to begin. "Class C's fastest students are Yajima-san and Kinoshita-san from the track and field club. They're both in your group," said Hirata. "I see." In the debut event, the 100-meter dash, Horikita had been able to emerge victorious after a fierce battle against Ibuki, but it seemed like her trials hadn't ended yet. "Winning might be difficult." Hirata turned out to be right. Horikita threw everything she had into the race, but the two from Class C got ahead of her, and she ended in third place. After the race finished, Hirata looked over at me. I could tell that he felt uneasy about the way the composition of Horikita's group had turned out. 112 6.3 THE NEXT COMPETITION was capture the flag. Though simple, it was still a fierce and slightly dangerous event. "All right. We're definitely winning this one, guys. Since that moron Kouenji ain't here, we've gotta get that much more fired up!" shouted Sudou. He was trying to inspire the Class A and D guys assembled in front of him. They were facing off against the guys from Class B, led by Kanzaki and Shibata, and from Class C, led by Ryuuen. Some particularly formidable- looking Class C students were in that group, although we didn't know them. There were Sakazaki and Komiya, two students who had been involved in that fight with Sudou a while back. There was also a large, brawny half- Japanese and half-black student named Yamada. I'd seen him around school on occasion, and wondered just how strong he really was. Well, regardless of our numbers, there was nothing to do but fight with everything we had. According to the game rules, the group that made two captures would win. During their earlier discussion, Katsuragi and Hirata had decided that our classes would swap back and forth between offense and defense. Dividing us up into offense and defense would have been too risky. This way, it would be easier to understand and to cooperate. Class D would be on the offensive first, while Class A would protect the flag. If we successfully got a head start, we'd prioritize keeping that momentum and continue with our roles. "Well, don't worry. I'll beat our enemies to a pulp single-handed," said Sudou. "Uh, but aren't you supposed to go after the flag?" I was getting a little worried. "Can't make any promises. I'm all pissed off, thanks to Kouenji. Grr," Sudou growled. He flipped the other team off, not even trying to hide his hostility. "Better keep my distance," Ike muttered. He and the others backed away from Sudou, afraid of getting involved. I thought that was wise. 113 The offensive team (mainly Sudou, though) waited impatiently for the starting whistle, standing at the ready. On the other hand, the defensive team —consisting of Katsuragi and the others—checked the status of their formation several times over, making sure to establish a solid defense. Blatant violence, like punching and kicking, was naturally prohibited. However, the school would overlook a certain degree of roughhousing. Pushing, grabbing, and such were expected. "Ugh. I'm starting to feel a little scared. This is the first time I've played capture the flag." "Wait. Didn't you have it in a junior-high sports festival or something?" "No one ever told me that it was gonna be dangerous! Have you played this game before, Ayanokouji?" "Nope. This is a first for me, too," I replied. "The hell, dude? A first for you, too?" While we were still in the middle of our boring conversation, the signal went off. Sudou charged in headfirst, ahead of everyone else. Soon the more assertive players followed right after him. "Dude, this is bad! Let's go, Ayanokouji! I really don't want Sudou to kill me for trying to skip out!" Ike wailed. The less-aggressive students included Ike, Yukimura, and myself. We slowly brought up the rear. Like us, the B and C group had neatly divided their forces between offense and defense. Cooperation was more difficult for them than it was for us, after all. It looked as though Class B was defending the flag in the first round. They waited for us up ahead. It was forbidden for an attacking team to come into contact with the other side's attacking team. The rules stated that the offense had to focus as much as possible on capturing the flag. "Anyone who wants to die, bring it!" Sudou let out this outrageous roar as he dove right into the opponents' defensive line. Using his height, and a level of power unimaginable for a first-year high schooler, he tore through the students around the flag, one after another. "Stop him! Stop Sudou!" shouted someone from Class B. A number of 114 students on the defending team surrounded Sudou. "Hey, you guys. Come quick! Here, I'll clear the way!" yelled Sudou, not even looking back while he shouted instructions to his advancing allies. Of course, it wasn't that simple. As the situation grew increasingly chaotic, the players kicked up dust to cloud the air. The playing field was turning into a battleground. I decided to make myself as useless and inoffensive as possible, and relied on the Class B students to overcome the situation. "Shit. Just how many of you are gonna come after me?!" Three or four guys pushed up against Sudou, managing to overpower him. The advancing group got cut off just as they were on the brink of breaking through. Class D's problem was that, despite Sudou's offensive and penetrative powers, no one else could claim to be particularly strong. Students who were especially unaggressive, like the Professor and me, inevitably became a weak link in our offense. By contrast, many Class B students had above-average strength. "Dude. This is bad, Ken! Class A! That one half-Japanese guy, Yamada or whatever, he's going on a rampage!" "Huh?!" Sudou turned around to look. The Red Team's flag, which Class A had been protecting, looked slightly askew. Class C was full of violent people like Sudou. Actually, it was full of students who were almost martial artists, in a way. Our defenses must've looked easy for them to break through. It was pretty clear who held the advantage. If Ryuuen ordered them to attack us, we'd end fighting like our lives depended on it. We needed to do something. But four or five people blocked Sudou— our side's crucial player—so he was helpless. We were completely locked down. Sudou desperately tried to race for the flag, but unfortunately, the whistle blew. I couldn't help but admire his tenacity for trying to take them all on at once. In the end, the White Team managed to get the first point. "Ah, come on! What are you guys even doing?! C'mon, fight like your lives depend on it!" shouted Sudou. While he glared at the tragically toppled flag, he directed his anger at the rest of Class D, since we hadn't mounted a successful attack. 115 "Dude, you telling us that doesn't help. It's just, like, those guys are really strong, you know? Ouch! Uh, I got a scrape, man." "Come on, it's just a scratch! Grit your teeth and man up. I don't care what you do. Bite, kick 'em in the knees, but do something to fight back, man! You're useless!" shouted Sudou. I understood how he felt, but either of those actions could be considered foul play, and a way to get expelled in one go. "There's no use complaining. They won the first round. Next time, let's make sure to protect our flag properly," said Hirata, gently patting Sudou on the shoulder. "Tch. All right, this time we're definitely gonna protect our flag. Right, everyone?!" "Y-yeah, we got it. We'll do whatever we can." "No, don't just 'do whatever you can.' We're definitely protecting it, for sure. Even if it's for an hour—or two hours!" Class D also lacked things like unity and motivation. That included yours truly, of course, but most people were really lacking in ambition. Meanwhile, Class B was completely united. The students were highly motivated, so they made formidable foes. "Ayanokouji, don't let the flag go down, even if you die! Even if it's just a joke, you're still number two in the class!" said Sudou. Apparently, ranking right below Sudou in terms of strength meant that I needed to protect the flag alongside him. I couldn't slack off with him watching. "All right, no screwing around! We can't let 'em get another win! I'm gonna send that jerk Ryuuen flying!" During the first round, Ryuuen had been on the attacking team. However, he had really just stayed back and observed, probably because they were already dominating our side. Sudou likely hated that. "All right. Come on and attack, C. Come and attack us, C," Sudou muttered. He could mutter all he liked, but if Class C assembled and launched an 116 attack, we'd be in trouble. It would be better for us if Class B went on the offense. The second round was about to begin. Then, sure enough... "They're coming! They're coming, they're coming!" Apparently, things were progressing exactly as Sudou wished—though it came as a bit of a surprise to me. The powerful Class C students geared up to launch their attack, Ryuuen laughing fearlessly from the rear. As if he were a general commanding his troops in battle, he gave the order to charge immediately after the starting signal. A simple "knock it over" came from his lips, and his terrified soldiers stormed toward us. Students who looked as big and brawny as Sudou rushed us headfirst. The Class D students screamed. Our outer wall of defense was rapidly crumbling. "Stand! Grab their legs and pull them down!" Our opponents' angry roars drowned out Sudou's words of encouragement. The Class C students repeatedly used elbow strikes, which were nearly foul play. In practically no time at all, they broke through to the center. Katsuragi from Class A had also advanced to where he could nearly touch their flag, but I wondered if he'd make it in time. "Gah!" I heard an agonized cry from Sudou, who was supporting the already- tilted flag. The half-Japanese guy, Yamada, had gotten up close. His physical mass far surpassed Sudou's. The flag we were supposed to be protecting was already slightly slanted. "Who the hell punched me in the stomach?!" In the chaos, someone had attacked Sudou directly. Judging by how angry and pained he sounded, it probably hadn't been just once or twice, either. However, there was nothing Sudou could do about it. With our flag in his hands, all he could do was bear it and brace himself, like a turtle trying to hide in its shell. "Ow. Damn. That hurts, you jerks!" However, Class C showed no sign of stopping. Sudou fell to his knees in pain. I commended his fighting spirit as he continued to protect our flag. Then, someone stomped on his back with all their might. It was as if the 117