2.2

After finishing lunch, I got up from my seat while looking at a message from a certain person on my phone.

 It was just before one in the afternoon. There was about an hour left until the first game of the day.

"Sorry, but let me step out for a bit. Is it okay if we meet up in the shared room?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll take the first-years and do some experiential learning or something."

 I thanked Hashimoto, who was taking on the hassle of being a senpai, and headed to the break room marked 'Rest Area.'

 Shortly after I arrived, I saw the person who had called me sitting alone on a two-seater sofa, looking bored out the window. There seemed to be another person, standing and glancing at the view outside the window. It didn't seem like a coincidence, considering the combination.

"Do you need something from me, Nagumo-senpai?"

"Need? Well, it's not much of a need, but I do have something to talk about."

Using his fingertips, he gestured me over.

I complied and sat down on the empty sofa in front of me.

The person standing by the window, Asahina, turned around.

"Hey there, Ayanokōji-kun."

Then, she left her spot, pushed Nagumo to the right end of the sofa, and forcibly sat down next to him.

"I was expecting some kind of special exam, but it turned out to be just an exchange meeting. I'm honestly upset."

His first words, facing me directly, were of disappointment in this training camp.

"I really have bad luck."

Nagumo lamented his misfortune and shook his head lightly with a small smile.

"You think so too, don't you?"

Nagumo, who was leaning on the armrest with his elbow and gently resting his cheek on it, asked with a look of disgust.

"Indeed, compared to last year's mixed training camp, it's undeniable that this one is a significant step down. That's probably why it's positioned as an exchange meeting rather than a special exam."

 Last year, there was a risk of expulsion, but this year, there wasn't even a penalty specified.

 I could understand Nagumo's great disappointment.

"But you knew this was coming, didn't you, Asahina? Considering the timing of the training camp."

"...Yeah, I guess."

Now that it was February, it was hard to imagine having a difficult special exam involving all grades. That was what Asahina expressed.

"It would've been virtually impossible for all the third-year students to participate, like last year."

When I muttered that, Nagumo responded.

"Many of us third-years are dealing with exams and job hunting at this time. Only those who have already decided their future and have spare time can participate in the training camp. No matter how many private points they can get in return, most of them would rather save every minute and second."

The third-year students had created a rule to collect and manage private points by Nagumo. If they saved up to 20 million points, someone could be pulled into Class A.

However, this time, the reward was non-transferable, could only be used within Keyaki Mall, and the amount was not significant.

Even if they sought to further their studies, I wasn't familiar with university circumstances, but private university entrance exams generally started from late January. For national and public universities, it would be late February.

Considering that it was early February, it seemed that many students were about to face their main exams.

In such a situation, spending three nights and four days taking care of their kōhais was too big a price to pay.

"Last year, the joint training camp was held a month earlier, but wasn't it quite tough for the third-year students even then?"

"I think so. There were quite a few third-year students who brought textbooks. I thought that might be why it was more relaxed this year."

Considering this, Horikita Manabu's generation might have struggled a lot behind the scenes.

Perhaps the school had prepared some relief measures, but we couldn't know that.

Even if it was a busy time and this trip was said to be more relaxed, the third-year students participating in this exchange meeting were likely limited to those who had a clear goal for further studies or employment.

"Can we assume that the third-year students who are participating in the exchange meeting did so voluntarily?"

In response to my question, Asahina nodded.

"They were recruiting five volunteers from each class. If they didn't reach 20, they planned to reduce the number of groups and adjust."

It seemed that the school was also considerate of the third-year students.

"I haven't asked until now, but what will you and Nagumo-senpai do after graduation?"

When I asked with the flow of conversation, Nagumo looked up, surprised by the question.

"Do you want to know?"

He seemed pleased to have sparked my interest.

I felt that if I answered vaguely here, he might get upset, so I nodded honestly.

"I'm going to university. I have no intention of using the Class A privilege."

In other words, he was confident that he could pass on his own merit.

"I'm also going to a university, like Miyabi. But it will be different from his. My self-scoring on the common test for the university entrance exams I took recently was just under the cut-off point, and it might be a bit impossible at my level. If I can graduate from Class A, I might be able to force my way in with the help of the school... but I probably won't."

The specific name of the university didn't come up, but the university Nagumo was going to seemed to be prestigious.

Asahina's decision not to aim too high was probably correct. Even if you forced your way into a higher-level university with ANHS's authority, there were various risks after admission. 

The Class A privilege was best used for job-related purposes, as Keisei mentioned before.

"I don't see any value in the Class A privilege itself. Do you know why?"

"Because you have the power to achieve your goals on your own."

"That's one of the reasons I dominated the third-year and became an overwhelming presence. Whether I'm in Class B or Class D at graduation, I believe I can get into the university I want and get a job at the company I desire with my own power."

Asahina looked at Nagumo beside her with a deliberately disgusted look, but it was probably true.

"So even if everyone unites and drops you to Class B, they know what would happen. That wouldn't raise motivation, and it would be hard to maintain. That's what led to the current results."

Nagumo nodded in agreement.

However, of course, it was better to have the Class A privilege.

The difference was whether you relied on those privileges or considered it as just insurance.

"By the way, Horikita-senpai is also at the university where Miyabi is going. That should show how much he admires him."

The deciding factor for the university wasn't where he wanted to go, but where Horikita Manabu was.

"Leave me alone. If you want, you can take the exam next year and come to the same university. I'll welcome you."

"If I go, I'll have to work really hard on the common test... right?"

"I'll refrain. I think it would be quite difficult even with my academic ability."

Unlike Asahina, who honestly accepted my words, it didn't seem to get through to Nagumo.

He laughed at my not-serious answer and shrugged his shoulders.

"Let's get to the point. Honestly, the only thing you gain from this exchange meeting is private points, and there's nothing to lose. So it's a place where there are fewer people who take it seriously. I'm not just lacking in excitement, but I decided to think positively that it's better than not having it at all."

A game is a game, a match is a match. This will undoubtedly be the last opportunity.

"I thought that was the case. You want to compete with me in this exchange meeting, right?"

"That's right."

For the third-year students, this was an exchange meeting with little return.

Nagumo had taken the time to make a match with me happen.

Upon hearing those words, Asahina moved her face closer to Nagumo.

"Is that what this is about? It's not fair to treat Ayanokōji-kun poorly, right?"

"So, you decided to join to protect Ayanokōji? You're quite kind."

"But Ayanokōji-kun hasn't done anything wrong. It's not fair that he's being targeted by you. Why are you so persistent in targeting him?"

With her shoulders, Asahina forcefully pushed against Nagumo.

But that seemed to have slightly irritated Nagumo, who retorted with a half-smile.

"Do you know why Horikita Suzune joined the student council, Nazuna?"

"Isn't it because she wanted to follow in her brother's footsteps?"

"No, that's not it. I don't know about now, but that wasn't the case when she first joined."

"Is that so? Then what was her motive?"

"This guy right here. Ayanokōji was using Suzune to keep an eye on me."

"Eh?" Asahina opened her mouth in confusion.

"I suppose he judged me to be a bad student council president, but in the end, that wasn't the case, was it?"

Of course, it wasn't that there were no instances where Nagumo's actions were excessive, but he didn't cause any problematic behavior that warranted strong caution from Horikita Manabu.

"That's true. I think what you did brought about good changes to the school."

"Maybe you were too influenced by Horikita-senpai, for better or worse?"

Before entering the school, I had no social interactions with others, so it was certain that I was greatly influenced by Horikita Manabu.

The school preferred stability, while Nagumo preferred reform. The two ideologies were never meant to converge.

"Horikita-senpai did pass the baton to me, after all."

"So you admit it."

"It's too late to deny it now."

"Wait, wait a minute. Eh, what? This is a bit different from what I thought."

Asahina, looking flustered, opened her mouth while looking back and forth between me and Nagumo.

"Despite his deadpan expression, he's pulling strings behind the scenes. Anyway—"

Nagumo paused for a moment before asking again.

"I can assume you're willing to accept a match with me, right?"

"Why do we need to add conditions beyond the rules and rewards prepared for the exchange meeting?"

"I've thought about leaving it be, but it's unacceptable. If I, who served as the student council president, were to trap you for personal reasons within the matches created by the school, it would cause problems."

As Nagumo said, if the two of us, who weren't even in the same year, were to impose risky bets with each other, the school wouldn't be pleased.

"Actually, calling it a match is an exaggeration. It's more like a small bet."

"A bet, you say?"

"Yes. If you win the bet, I'll give you a decent reward."

"So, even if I lose, I don't have to give up my private points?"

"Sounds easy, right?"

It was more like a game than a match or a bet.

However, it was a bit suspicious that only Nagumo was at a disadvantage.

"I see no reason to refuse, but with the current rules, there's not much either of us can do. You're the leader, so you can't participate in the game directly, can you?"

The one directing the students was Kiryūin, in other words, the third-year students.

And the ones playing were the first and second-year students.

The stage we were put on was different from the start.

"Or are you going to ignore the exchange meeting and have a match in some other way?"

This experiential facility was well-equipped with places and tools to make that happen.

"It wouldn't be bad to have a match outside the exchange meeting, but if we do that, there's no need to stick to this training camp."

"That's true. At school, we could have a more legitimate match."

"If the school says to hold an exchange meeting, I'll follow the formal rules."

Saying that, Nagumo continued.

"At first, I thought about letting you be the leader and having a match by directing the first and second-year students."

On the surface, third-year Kiryūin-senpai was the leader, but I would be the one who would actually give the appointments and instructions.

And it seemed that he had anticipated her not participating in the game.

"Not bad, right?"

"Well, yeah. But to make it work, we'd have to allow him to choose his group members, otherwise, it wouldn't be fair, right?"

Nagumo had chosen all the group members himself. On the other hand, if Kiryūin were to entrust the group members she had picked on her own, it certainly wouldn't be a fair starting line.

In fact, the first and second-years weren't told anything until we got on the bus.

"And when you open the lid, it's a round-robin. If you only have one direct confrontation after dragging it out for three days, it's going to lack excitement, right? That's why I thought I'd stop insisting on the same conditions here."

Saying that, Nagumo pointed his index finger at me.

"You participate in all the games. And when you lose three times, that's your defeat."

"I don't have to worry about the group's win or loss, right?"

"Yeah. Even if Kiryūin's group loses 19 times in a row, if you don't lose to anyone, it's a win."

All 19 games. So the condition is to win 17 of them individually.

"You're so kind to let me lose twice."

"If I make being undefeated a condition and you lose in the first battle, it would be a real turn-off, right? It's more fun to keep you around as long as possible."

Nagumo said he set the line of three losses just for his own enjoyment.

"Eh? Isn't that too disadvantageous for Ayanokōji-kun? Card games are all about luck."

"He has nothing to lose even if he doesn't win, right? The right to set the rules is naturally ours."

"Ah, well, yeah... Well, that might be true."

I was a little dissatisfied, but even if I was confronted with the most harsh content, it was true that there was no reason to refuse if the risk on my side was zero.

"All I want is your defeat. It's only natural for me to demand a high probability of victory. I'm also offering private points as compensation."

"Is it okay to mess around with a kōhai from a distance just before your graduation?"

"That's the way I like to treat you."

Either way, it wouldn't hurt to respond to Nagumo's wishes in some way.

He'd be graduating in March anyway.

"Understood. Then I'll accept your proposal without hesitation."

With my acceptance, Nagumo responded with a slight nod.

"Of course, I've told Kiryūin that you're participating in all the games."

It seemed that negotiations had been conducted behind the scenes on the assumption that I would accept.

"It's not my place to say as an outsider, but you can clearly refuse if you don't like it, you know? Even if you say you won't pay anything when you lose, the fact that you lost will remain."

That was exactly what Nagumo wanted, the matter of 'winning' and 'losing.'

"If Ayanokōji says he'll accept, you don't need to say anything unnecessary."

Asahina, who was treated rudely, puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction but backed down when she saw that I was fine with it.

"But you really didn't hold back in your selection, Senpai. The students assigned to the other groups were a bit taken aback."

When I pointed that out, he didn't show any discontent, but rather smiled as if it was natural.

"Even in a trivial exchange meeting, a game is a game. As a former student council president, I have to show my dignity."

It seemed that he intended to win even in the exchange meeting where he participated as a leader, apart from the battle with me.

That was Nagumo's freedom; it was none of my business.

"Even if you start winning several in a row, it's easier to stop you if I can command the group directly."

"Wow. You're really ruthless, Miyabi."

"No, I don't think so. I think Nagumo-senpai's way of thinking is correct."

It was a question of skill to be able to drag your opponent into your own ring after creating a favorable situation for yourself.

Given the structure of only facing each group once and the atmosphere of the exchange meeting, it was safe to say that it wouldn't be clear how many times a particular individual had participated in a game. But that was also in my favor.

It would be too conspicuous to take on a group as a second-year student, but if it was just an individual battle, it was possible to avoid attention.

While setting the stage for himself to take advantage of the situation, he had also taken care of me.

"Nazuna seems to misunderstand, but victory or defeat is not determined solely by whether one is excellent. If the person on top isn't more capable, using a skilled person will only lead to their loss."

What Nagumo was saying was correct.

No matter how many pieces you were given in shogi, if your skill was insufficient, you couldn't necessarily win.

"I'm sorry I'm late. Has the discussion been settled?"

Kiryūin showed up in the break room.

"Ah, everything's going smoothly. It's going to be a match between me and Ayanokōji as planned," Nagumo said before turning to me. "Kiryūin must have sniffed out that I was planning to challenge you and volunteered for this role."

"That's right," Kiryūin nodded. "If you want, I can even give you the authority as the leader. Of course, on the surface, I'll make it look like I chose the participants. That way, we can compete as a group, can't we?"

She proposed a win-win situation, but I wondered if Kiryūin simply wanted to watch my victory or defeat from the nearest seat without doing anything.

"I see. That was a part that had been bothering me a little. I now understand why those three from Class A ended up in the same group."

When Hashimoto and Morishita stopped by the convenience store, they ran into Yamamura, and Kiryūin happened to be there at the same time.

That might have been the deciding factor in choosing the same group.

If she handed over the authority to me, it was a consideration to save as much time as possible to deepen friendships.

"I don't know much about your current friendships. It was a chance encounter, and I just let you choose randomly. If you're uncomfortable in the group, it would be hard to show your true abilities, right?"

Thanks to Hashimoto and Hiyori, it seemed like the conversation could go smoothly.

"I appreciate your consideration, but I'll decline your offer. Unfortunately, I'm not good at socializing and I'm too busy trying to get along with my kōhais."

Kiryūin responded with disappointment, but she didn't seem too bothered.

"I didn't expect Kiryūin-senpai to get involved in this matter."

Nagumo and Kiryūin weren't exactly friends. Rather, they stood in opposing positions.

When I responded that way, Kiryūin smiled happily.

"Anyway, I'm glad the match seems to be happening, Nagumo. It's a shame that third-year students can't participate in the game directly."

Kiryūin expressed her feelings about the exchange meeting, whether they were true or not.

"If there was a rule that allowed participation, would you have given it your all?"

"It's a rare opportunity involving Ayanokōji. Of course I want to meet his expectations."

"Huh, you've really bought into Ayanokōji. If you want, I can challenge you individually and not just in this exchange meeting. If we're both third-years, there's no need to hold back. I'll even bet the ticket price for Class A."

"Sorry, but I'll decline. That ticket price is soaked with the blood and sweat of the entire year. It's too heavy for me, who hasn't been involved, to accept, isn't it?"

Kiryūin was also the confident type who didn't consider her own defeat. Her words were strong.

She firmly implied that she'd win if she competed.

"That's a shame."

Nagumo, however, was used to it and didn't seem deeply interested in Kiryūin after having known her for three years.

"Well then, I have some things to do as a leader, so I'll excuse myself first. Let's meet again later."

After briefly taking care of her business, Kiryūin left.

"Fūka-chan is always cool."

"She's just a woman, after all."

"Wow, that's a terrible thing to say, Miyabi. In this day and age, you can't complain even if you're killed."

"Don't get me wrong. I just want to be on top among the same sex, there's no discrimination or anything."

He couldn't get passionate because she's a different gender.

"Even so, your way of speaking can cause misunderstandings, you know."

That was also a valid point. He wouldn't be punished if he expressed himself a little more tactfully.

When I got up from the sofa, Nagumo and Asahina also stood up.

We all left the break room together.

"You should also practice or something and prepare for the match."

"I will."

"Ah, finally you're out. You're done talking, right?"

Just before we disbanded, Amasawa appeared from down the hallway, looking as if she had been waiting impatiently, and approached us.

Nagumo scratched the back of his head at Amasawa's appearance and her words.

"Didn't you hear my instructions? I told you to wait, didn't I?"

"It's okay. I'll work twice as hard during exams."

"I can't trust your words yet. If you do something on your own again, you better think you won't be given another chance."

"That's harsh. I understand, I'll follow the instructions properly."

"Nagumo, this girl is... um..."

"Amasawa. From first-year Class A."

"Oh, right. You're Amasawa-chan. You must be pretty good to be called into Miyabi's group, huh?"

"Well, not that much..."

It wasn't surprising, given that she had achieved the rare A in both academic and physical abilities on the OAA.

However, when considering overall ability and quick thinking, Amasawa wasn't necessarily the top candidate to be chosen.

"She wasn't my pick. Somehow, she heard rumors and knew about the next social gathering."

<Illustration >

"That's why I promoted myself. I promised to contribute to getting first place."

"Honestly, I was a little hesitant to recruit her."

Whether it was due to Amasawa's personality, or suspicion about her relationship with me, Nagumo didn't specify. He probably decided to recruit her because he deemed it a minor issue.

"You have to organize your own group too, Nazuna. You're a Class A student, so aim for the win. Can you always rely on us?"

"Eh, oh my gosh, it's already this late!? I have to go, but feel free to consult me if you have any problems!"

Asahina, who had checked the time on her phone, hurriedly ran off. She almost tripped on her way, but she turned the corner and disappeared.

"I wonder if Nazuna can lead a group with that attitude...?"

Amasawa smirked and leaned in towards Nagumo, who was sighing in disbelief.

"Could it be that you're dating Asahina-senpai?"

"Huh? No, I'm not."

"But you told me to wait because you had important things to discuss with Ayanokōji-senpai, but you kept Asahina-senpai by your side, right? That's special, isn't it?"

It might have been a leap to equate being special with being a lover, but who knows?

"That's none of your business."

"Eh~ it is. Look, if I'm aiming for Nagumo-senpai, she's my rival."

"You're aiming for a guy who's about to graduate?"

"I'm a patient woman, so I'm tolerant of long-distance relationships."

"Sorry, but I don't like women who pretend to be cute or flatter me."

Amasawa overreacted as if she was hurt by Nagumo's blunt rejection. He probably disliked that kind of behavior. He deliberately averted his gaze.

"I'm leaving now. Do your best, Ayanokōji."

After Nagumo left, only Amasawa and I were left in the hallway.

"Am I disliked?"

"Well, if you say things to make yourself disliked, that's what happens."

"But look, you're also disliked, Ayanokōji-senpai, so I wanted to be included in the same group."

What kind of group is that?

"I think it's true that they aren't dating, but their relationship does feel special, doesn't it?"

"Well, yeah. It seems like they've gone beyond just being friends."

I agreed with Amasawa on that point. It made sense.

"By the way, it seems you knew about the exchange meeting in advance."

"We were told in advance what kind of exchange meeting would be held."

"We" here included Yagami who that man prepared and had Tsukishiro manage.

It seemed they were told the schedule for the year upon entering this school.

If they were going to expel me, it would be better to give them information in advance.

"I don't understand why you chose to team up with Nagumo."

"Eh? Isn't it simply because the chances of winning seem high? After all, he was the student council president. I'm a girl of age, so I want private points."

Amasawa answered, but it was clear that she was lying.

However, she quickly corrected herself, as if she had no particular intention of hiding her true feelings.

"I thought you and Nagumo-senpai would be competing soon. I thought it might be nice to be on your side and support you, but that wouldn't be fun, would it?"

"That's the reason?"

"That's the reason indeed. I thought if I sided with Nagumo-senpai, we might have a good match..."

Amasawa sighed and held her cheek.

"I can see Nagumo-senpai's disappointment. The list the school provided is just full of games. It wouldn't be satisfying to win a game of rock-paper-scissors or cards against him. I didn't need to antagonize him."

"There's nothing we can do about that."

"I heard from Nagumo-senpai first, but the rules are that if you lose three times, it's your loss, right? I could feel his desire to see you lose in any way. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens."

"I hope it's something to look forward to, but there's a good chance that I could lose three times in a row without showing any surprises."

In reality, depending on the content, there's a high chance that I could lose without being able to do anything.

"But at least Nagumo-senpai and I don't think so."

"Do you understand Nagumo's feelings too?"

"I'm the one who made fun of it, so I wasn't allowed to come to the discussion."

"Did you come here to greet me even though you were refused?"

"Was it not good?"

It wasn't that it wasn't good, but there was no reason to force contact with Nagumo and risk his resentment.

In order to get more limelight within the group, it seemed that not only ability but also whether you were well-liked would become significant.

"Well then, I've been called to my group, so I'll head back. See you later."

With a quick turn, Amasawa cheerfully left.

It was a casual conversation with Amasawa, but there was one thing that bothered me.

Amasawa mentioned that she had been informed about this exchange meeting by Tsukishiro and others in advance, but if so, there was a slight contradiction in the conversation earlier.

"I wonder what she's up to."

It might be a good idea to do a little research.