Chapter 2: Sport Hall
[16th August, after Chabashira left the room:]
[Third Person Pov]
After Horikita, Hirata and Kurushima asked a couple of questions regarding the Sport Festival, Chabashira left.
As the lesson still had 20 minutes of time, they could use this to talk about the Sport Festival.
After those twenty minutes, they will meet up at the Gymnastic Hall.
Within a short amount of time, the class reached a conclusion. The proposal Horikita said, of letting the people compete who are better in athletics.
Although there were a couple of person's who didn't agree, but then when even Kurushima spoke up, saying it was the better option, everyone relentlessly agreed. It didn't take too long. A bit of reasoning, and it was fine.
Regarding the Recommended Only Sport competitions, Sūdo and Kurushima agreed to do that role for all four contests.
Besides that, Kurushima was quieter than usual.
Of course, it was mostly because he wanted the class to get independent of him. He had not the intention of attending the school for too long, so them becoming too dependent on him would not be good.
After the discussion ended, they went to Sport Hall, as per instructed by their teacher.
Hirata, who walked next to Kurushima spoke. "You've been a bit quiet in the classroom. Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, don't worry, Hirata. I was just thinking of something else. It happens sometimes. If I'm once completely immersed in something else, it gets hard to get out of it. It happens quite often."
"I know that too good. It happens to me also... very often."
They continued with their small talk, until arriving at the Gym Hall. After changing themselves in their sport uniform, they could finally begin with the several tests.
Once having arrived in the Sports Hall, Horikita looked restless around.
"I don't see Nii-san? Where could he be?"
Moments later, a person from the third year spoke up.
"I am Fujimaki from Class A of the 3rd years. It has been decided that I will be taking charge of the Red Team for this event".
Apparently it didn't seem like Horikita Manabu is taking charge here. Given his position as the Student Council President, the thought of him taking the charge would be logical.
But that didn't seem to be the case.
"First of all, I'll be giving the 1st years an advice. This may be unnecessary to a portion of you, but I'd like you to keep in mind how critically important this sports festival is. The experience you will gain from the sports festival will definitely be made use of on a different occasion as well. In future exams as well, there will be times when parts of it feel like games to you. However, each and every last one of them are battles on which you bet your survival in this school".
From the senior students such ambiguous yet appreciated words of advice came.
"Since you don't have a feel for it yet maybe you might not be motivated right now. But since we're doing it anyways we'll be aiming to win, hold strongly onto that feeling. That alone is something everyone should keep in mind".
Having said those weighted words, Fujimaki looked around at the Red Team once before continuing.
"The only event in which all the school years will be participating in is the 1200 meter relay at the end. Other than that, all the other events will have the school years divided up. After this, please assemble according to your school years and discuss your strategy going forward".
Following Fujimaki's words, Class D led by Ichinose began to assemble in droves. Contrary to that, the new Class A seems to be wavering slightly. They were feeling nervous towards the gathering of those elites.
It wasn't that long since they advanced up to Class A, so it was kind of logical for them to get nervous. If Sakayanagi's class were to win the Sports Festival, it would be bad for them. As long as Sakayanagi's class didn't get the first place all would be good. However, if they get either the third or even the fourth place while Sakayanagi has the 1st place, they'll be in quite the trouble.
If it's the 3rd place, they'll have 3 Class Points more, but if it's the fourth place, they'll become Class B again. The Sport Festival was that important, which is why everyone relentlessly agreed, when Kurushima proposed the class that the athletic students should partake.
"It seems like we'll be in the same team, Kurushima-kun. By the way congratulations to advancing up to Class A. It was quite the surprise. Seeing that your class had also gained 150 Class Points in the Zodiac Exam means that you must have figured out the pattern. But it didn't seem like the other's knew it."
Alongside Ichinose, Kanzaki approached Kurushima. Behind Kurushima were Horikita, Ayanokoji, Hirata, Kushida and Karuizawa. They seemed to be curious of their conversation.
Kurushima nodded. "I wasn't quite sure whether it was that pattern at that time. There were a few more that could have been the case. But after a while, I was able to deduce it was that one. Nothing great. I just happened to be lucky. Anyways, I hope we get along. Sakayanagi and Ryuen-kun are quite the dangerous duo."
"Isn't Katsuragi-kun the leader?" Ichinose asked.
"Given his recent failures and the fact that Class A is now in Class B, I tend that the majority of their class wants Sakayanagi to take charge in the Sports Festival. Especially, when it comes with dealing with Ryuen."
Ichinose nodded in approval, alongside Kanzaki.
She offered him a handshake.
"I hope we get along. Let's do our best for both of our classes sake."
He returned her handshake. "Likewise."
After that, Ichinose and Kanzaki returned back to their class.
"Kanzaki-kun, is everything alright? Did you happen to figure out how Kurushima was able to deduce the VIP's?"
One of the reasons of their approach was to get that information out of him. It was the reason why Kanzaki tagged along. However not he would ask that question, but Ichinose. It was easier telling such information to her than him, if he were to ask Kurushima.
Ichinose just happened to be a person with whom everyone could speak well, and naturally, people tend to tell her more than other's.
"Yes, I think so. During one of the meetings, Kurushima-kun suggested to play a game of poker. I guess he observed Ryūen's reaction, to affirm whether he was right with the VIP identification pattern. If he later questioned Ryūen and made him confess that it was that pattern, he should have figured it out. That's what I believe."
"Did Ryūen-kun say anything suspicious?"
"I didn't notice anything suspicious. But perhaps he might have said something. Unfortunately, I didn't pay quite much attention to it."
Kanzaki was currently lying to Ichinose. Ryūen had said something regarding him in the exam, which should have made Kurushima ultimately confront Ryūen.
Both Ryūen and Kanzaki knew that.
But neither Ichinose, nor the others knew that.
For others, it was a simple provocation towards him.
And since neither Kurushima wanted to admit that he deduced the VIP based on observing, after thinking of various patterns, he introduced the Poker Game to make it seem like he knew it from there.
In the end, only a couple of people knew it.
"I see."
In the meantime, Ryūen could be seen with Katsuragi. But then, he walked towards Sakayanagi. "Let's cooperate, Sakayanagi."
"Fufu, in the first place it was you who helped Kurushima push us off from our position. So why should we work together?"
"It's up to you. I'm just proposing it."
Ryūen then walked away, leaving the Sport Hall.
Meanwhile, everyone else from Class C left, following Ryūen.
Kurushima saw Hiyori and waved to her.
She returned it, and waved to him back.
For a brief moment he saw a couple of Class C students looking at Karuizawa, who suddenly began to shiver. It was hard to notice, however.
Thinking of it, he remembered what Hirata told him about her, so he was thinking whether a few people bullied her.
'Well, it seems like a couple of interesting things have happened.'
--
[A couple of hours later]
--
[Third Person Pov]
After the lesson ended, a couple of things about the Sport Festival have been further discussed during their break.
Now, it was time to go to the PE Classes, which happened to be declared as free periods for the preparation of the Sports Festival. Students were given permission to practice anything they like.
Hirata came with a grip measurement device, after having submitted an application to the school for permission.
"I've borrowed it from the school," Hirata said.
For several categories, it was important to know the grip strength. In fact, these couple of competitions require pure strength.
"Let's do it in order. Let's measure the grip strength of our dominant arms shall we? If you tell me the results then I'll record them. I've borrowed two so we can measure more efficiently and save time".
Saying that, he distributed one each to Hondou and Yukimura who were beside him. It's probably him deciding to measure in both a clockwise and anticlockwise direction. But Sudou, who did not feel like it, instead forcibly grabbed the instrument and stole it away.
"Sudo. That's not appropriate behavior."
"Kurushima, I have to show em my strength. We two will set a high standard. I want to see whether you can beat my score."
"Ah... sure..."
Kurushima knew in this state, you couldn't talk with Sudo properly. He was far too excited to care about what anyone says.
"Umm.....then let's have the other one start with Sotomura-kun besides Sudou-kun".
"Sorry Hirata, I hope he isn't doing too much trouble."
"Don't worry. It's nothing much."
"Good to know."
Having had the order be forcibly changed, the starting point had to once again be adjusted.
"Keep looking, Ayanokouji. This is the strength of the man who will be carrying this class".
Sudou confidently laughs and shows off his ability as the one who forcibly became the first one up.
"Uraaa!".
Filled with fighting spirit, Sudou's shoulder shook as he gripped the instrument in his right hand. The digital numerical values rapidly rise. In an instant it rose above 50 and hit 60 and continued to climb up to 70. Then, the value digitally displayed in the end was 82.4 kg. The surroundings briefly went into an uproar.
"You're way too freakishly strong!".
"Heh. It's because I've always been training. This is natural. Hey, you do it too, Kouenji".
Almost as though it were a provocation, he showed off the value to Kouenji while handing over the instrument.
"I am not interested. You may ignore me".
Polishing his fingernails, Kouenji then blew on his fingertips.
"Are you scared of losing to me? Well, after seeing a value like this it's understandable".
He made such a cheap provocation, but it appears Kouenji has no intention of responding to him as he did not turn to look at him. "Tch...hey, Ayanokouji. You do it".
Being for a moment in thought, Ayanokoji asked Sudo something.
"Hey, Sudou. About how much would be the average for a high school student?".
"Huh? I don't know. Shouldn't it be around 60?".
"60, huh....?".
Slowly adding force to the lever, Ayanokoji gripped it. After a while, he stopped it, when it reached the score of 60.6.
".....I can't, I can't move it any further".
Saying that, he released his grip on the measuring instrument and handed it over to Ike beside him. Then, he headed over to report to Hirata. "I got 60.6".
"Heh...you're pretty strong, Ayanokouji-kun".
As though impressed, Hirata turned towards him and gave him a smile. "Ehh? No, that's about average right? Was it such a remarkable value?". "I think the average is lower than that though? I'd say about 45 or around 50?".
´Average? The more I know about Ayanokoji, the more I think he was shut from the society. Was he perhaps homeschooled?´
"Hirata---. I got 42.6. Give me a little bonus and make it 50".
Ike comes over to report. It was a request for a not-so-little bonus. Even as he smiles bitterly, Hirata writes down 42.6 on the notebook.
"I see... 60 was high..." he muttered quietly.
After almost everyone participated, it was now time for the last person; Kurushima.
Right now, Ayanokoji was the second place with 60.6, Hirata the third place with 57.7, and Miyamoto the fifth place with 48.
The lowest score achieved Yamauchi with 39 and then Sotomura with 41.
"Now it's you, bro. Don't disappoint me. It has to be at least above Ayanokoji's."
"Ahaha... I'll try."
As the girls were also finished, now suddenly both girls and boys were surrounding him. It was certainly a bit awkward, but well, he couldn't do anything about that now.
´Hold back? I guess... a certain amount at the very least. It should be below Sudo.´
With his left hand he began to grip the grip measure device. He added force to the leveler and the number increased rapidly until he stopped it at a certain amount.
"Are you for real?!" Ike shouted.
'It was indeed a very high score. One that I did not intent to achieve. I had miscalculated myself and added instead three more kilo. The result was 79,4, a very high result indeed, for a 1st year high school student.
I had chosen 76 for any obituary reason, but had gripped slightly harder than I had to. It's my very first time after all trying to conceal my strength.'
Suddenly Sudo enveloped with his left arm Kurushima around his neck. "I knew I could rely on you, bro."
Kurushima nodded.
"Hirata, I got 79,4."
"Kurushima-kun, you're really strong. Have you trained before?"
He nodded. "Yeah. During middle school, essentially."
"Bro, aside from us, our class is really trash. Perhaps Ayanokoji too, but that's it."
"..."
Kurushima was left speechless. He didn't know what to say in this particular situation.
"Don't say something like that Sudo. Everyone is giving their all."
More than that, there wasn't anything he said.
After a couple of other tests, it was now about Stamina.
In Stamina, he seemed to surpass everyone else.
He ran for two hours straight, without catching one break. He stopped, since the class decided for today it'd be all.
While going back to the changing room, his phone ringed. He checked his phone and saw a message appearing.
[Tachibana Akane:]
[Tachibana Akane: The President wants you to appear in the Student Council Office. He has something to discuss with you.]
[Kurushima Kaoru: I'll be in around thirty minutes there.]
[Tachibana Akane: Noted.]
"I guess I'll be using the Shower in the changing room."
He quickly checked his phone and his Private Points.
[Private Points: 9.138.784 + 300.000]
[Private Points: 9.438.784]
Due to his group achieving Outcome 1 in the Zodiac Exam, he and every other member got 500.000 Private Points. However, they decided to split it apart. They themselves got 300.000 and the other amount would be allocated towards the Class Bank Account.
At the same time, Karuizawa did the same, as she got 500.000 Private Points due to someone guessing Ayanokoji as the VIP, who wasn't it, so she instead gained 500.000 Private Points.
Besides that case, three other people of their class allocated a bit more, since they were thinking they didn't do anything at all. Instead of 200.000 they allocated 300.000 Private Points.
As for Koenji, he did not do such a thing. He kept his points. However in case of something happening, he knew what'd happen.
[Class Bank:]
[Class Bank: 2.400.000 + 2.600.000]
[Class Bank: 5.000.000]
--
Calculation:
[Two VIP's Protected: Each 250k = 500k]
[Three VIP's guessed: Each 300k = 900k]
[Horikita, Hirata, Kurushima: Each 200k = 600k]
[1 VIP Shared (Kushida): Got 1M, gave 600k]
[Overall Earned Points In Zodiac Exam: 5.500.000 Million Points]
--
A/N: Don't know if anyone reads this, but I decided to continue writing this fanfic.
I also intend to rewrite a couple of chapters... after I read what I wrote in the beginning. As for my writing style, it might have gotten worse. I didn't write since a long time for both of my fanfics.
I got the motivation because of the anime again. Just a small scene with Hiyori was enough to give me motivation lol.
The animation looks really good tbh.
This chapter was a bit more copied from the novel, but the following ones aren't. I have a couple of drafts, but I still have to look over them a bit.
I'll publish until Chapter 41, for now.
Well anyway, that'll be all.