#84 Forming the pairs

After everyone tried out the grip strength measuring device and submitted their results to Hirata, it was time for the 100-meter dash.

As for the results of the previous event:

1. Sudo-kun - 80.7 kg

2. Ayanokoji-kun - 60.2 kg

3. Hirata-kun - 57.5 kg

4. Miyake-kun - 53.1 kg

5. Walker-kun - 50.3 kg

.

.

After me, the results kept decreasing at a pretty fast pace until it hit average scores around 40-45 kg

"Ugh, these results are just mediocre at best...how are we supposed to win the tug-of-war against other classes with such pathetic results?"

"Our best chance to win that contest is to simply gather the strongest members into 1 group..." Horikita said with a thoughtful expression.

"Wait, that's the same as abandoning everyone else...Do you think that's okay?" Shinohara immediately complained about her strategy with a dissatisfied expression.

"Do you have any better strategy to win? If yes, I will definitely hear you out but if not then this is the best way we can take." Horikita retorted to Shinohara's complaint in a cold tone.

"I agree with Horikita's strategy, we won't be able to win anything by forming balanced teams!" Sudo immediately voiced out his opinion to support Horikita.

He is really obsessed with her...

"..." Although that strategy might be ruthless to some unathletic students, it still is the best way to win at least one match of tug-of-war, therefore, Shinohara was no longer able to say anything else.

"Alright, I guess we already know how to form the groups for the tug-of-war but what about the other contests? Not every contest is based on athletic abilities, for example, Scavenger hunt." Although even Hirata didn't look very pleased by Horikita's strategy, he realized that it was for the best so he swallowed any unnecessary words because he didn't want to cause any meaningless conflict.

"..." There was only silence, even Sudo or Horikita had no opinion about this.

"...Success in the Scavenger hunt relies a lot on luck so how about we decide it simply by the luck?" Hirata told his opinion on this when no one came forward to tell their own opinion.

"How do you want to decide it by the 'luck'? Sudo asked with a confused expression.

Luck...ugh. I don't even want to participate in that contest, to be honest.

"Hmm...How about rock paper scissors?" Hirata suggested with a smile.

"Alright, let's do it quickly, 1 point and the loser is eliminated and the winner goes against another winner until only 3 people will remain." Sudo quickly decided the rules, it was evident that he wasn't interested in this because it wasn't something where he could show off his athletic prowess.

So we started to form groups of 2 people and started the 'game'

I won my first match.

Come on, I don't have that good luck, please. I thought while playing against another winner and opposite to my expectations...I won once again.

Then 3rd win, 4th win...it went like this for a while until only 3 people remained.

And of course, I was among them.

F*CK THIS CURSE. I might have had good luck during the selection but I can bet my life that I will draw the worst task I can get during the actual contest.

Even though I will still have a chance to change the participants, I couldn't help but curse my 'luck' inwardly.

"Alright, those who will participate in the Scavenger hunt is Walker-kun, Ayanokoji-kun and lastly me. Does anyone have any complaints about this?" Hirata asked with a smile, however, no one came forward to say anything, instead, most of them just sighed in relief.

Ayanokoji looked at me with a helpless expression and I couldn't help but return the same look.

"Alright, that should do for the Scavenger Hunt and tug-of-war contests. Looking at the time, we still have some time before the class ends so let's at least start with a 100-meter dash and three-legged race." Hirata said with a smile while checking the time on his watches.

Everyone agreed with him and we started with the 100-meter dash. We were done pretty quickly because it wasn't anything complicated. Hirata has once again written the results of each student down to his notebook. I once again ended up in a better place, however, it wasn't enough to take any of the first 3 positions. The most noticeable change was that this time, Ayanokoji ended up at much worse position than me.

Have some common sense, will you? I thought while looking at Ayanokoji with a slightly annoyed expression.

In the first competition, you show such good results and in the second competition you end up having average results...

"*You aren't taking it seriously...Why? Don't tell me you are uninterested in sports festival as Koenji*" Horikita approached me when no one was around me and whispered to me with a displeased expression.

What! The! Actual! F*ck?! You are complaining about me not doing my best yet Ayanokoji who was able to take 2nd place in the previous event is fine with having average results right now?

"*Anyone can come here and look at our practice. Why should I try my best? So everyone can see it even before the sports festival?*" I retorted back because I actually had reasons for doing this.

"*...That's...but even then, where are we supposed to place you when we don't even have your genuine results?*" She hesitated a bit because even she knew that a lot of students will definitely take a look at us, however, she still tried to convince me while having displeased expression while looking right into my eyes.

"*Look, you can place me wherever you want but remember-*" I tried to give her advice but I was interrupted.

"What are you guys talking about? Does Horikita-san perhaps want to be paired with Walker-kun?" Hirata asked with a puzzled expression.

"No! I don't need anyone slowing me down!" She tossed her hair and left with an irritated expression on her face.

"?! Walker-kun, your time wasn't bad so why does she think that you will slow her down?" Hirata approached me and asked me while looking at Horikita's back with a confused expression.

She thinks that if I took it seriously than she would be able to keep up with me but because she doesn't know how fast I am, she doesn't want to be paired with me...I guess? How am I supposed to know what she is thinking inside her head...

"I don't know...how did the class decide to form the pairs?" I asked him because while I was talking with Horikita, he and the rest of the students were discussing something so I guessed that was the thing.

"Well, since the three-legged race is not entirely about athletics we decided that anyone can go with whom he/she wants but if no one has a specific preference then we will simply write down numbers and 2 people with the same number will become the pair for the duration of this practice. Of course, further adjustments and changes of the pairs can be left to the time after our PE class ends." He answered with a slightly helpless smile.

Indeed, this was probably the best way because forming pairs of one gender could be done much easier but pairing males and females together in this class? That's just a disaster, most of the girls don't even trust us, boys.

"So, what will you take? Do you have someone you want to be paired with or will you take a random partner?" He asked me with a curious expression while giving a quick glance at Kei and Horikita.

Saying to someone who is even a girl at that...'Would you like to be paired with me?'

That's simply a good way how to spread the rumors.

"Nope, I won the rock paper scissors game so I believe in my luck that I will get a good partner." I said with a confident smile.

And as I thought, most of the guys simply chose to take the same way as me. Except for Ike who immediately ran up to Kushida before anyone else could do it before him, to be honest, if he could have been this fast during the 100-meter dash then he might have had a chance to become a champion. There was also Sudo who stick around Horikita who seemed slightly irritated by this fact and then there was Yamauchi who was begging Sakura who simply had no strength in her voice to either agree or disagree.

"Alright, papers are ready, everyone! Please come and take one paper and when I call out the number, both people having the same number will step out." Hirata said with a welcoming smile and hat in his hand.

I came forward, buried my hand into the hat without looking and took a small strip of paper with the number 6 written on it then I returned to my post and waited for Hirata to call out my number.

"Number 1!" Hirata called out and the ones who stepped out were Ayanokoji and Sakura. Ayanokoji acted nonchalant seeing this development however Sakura was already nervously blushing while looking downwards.

"Alright, ...Ayanokoji-kun...and...Sakura-san. You can go to the track and start to practice first." Hirata mumbled and started writing their names down into his notebook.

Ayanokoji simply nodded at his words and went towards the track with Sakura following him like a tail

...

"Number 6!" Hirata called out.

Finally...I was already slightly bored with only standing still in one place.

I stepped forward and I also immediately noticed my partner who stepped out together at the same time with me.

Mei-Yu Wang...huh? I thought while having an indifferent expression on my face.

...

"You don't seem very excited or happy..." I said while walking towards the track with Wang next to me.

"Ah?! I am sorry...I was just thinking about something, it's not like I don't want to be paired together with Walker-kun, please don't get me wrong." She immediately replied in a panic but she denied her disappointment she was feeling right now.

Hehe, what a sweet girl, although it is evident that she wanted to be paired with someone else perhaps it was Hirata, she still said otherwise to not hurt me.

Even though, I wouldn't be hurt by the words of a teenage girl, her actions still impressed me a bit.

"Is it Hirata-kun?" I decided to tease her a bit.

"Wh-what?!" Hearing his name, she immediately panicked.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone" I replied with a teasing smile.

"H- how?" She asked me with a confused and helpless expression while intensively looking at me as if my face was shrouded in mystery.

"You ask how? Your disappointment was already visible when you stepped out of the crowd and Hirata kept standing still. You were looking at him with regret." I snapped my head to the side to look her right into eyes and answered her question with a nonchalant smile.

"I see..." She muttered with an absent-minded expression.

"I am sorry..." She apologized while looking downwards, embarrassed by what she has done.

Why is she apologizing?

"No need to apologize...isn't it natural reaction when you don't end up paired with someone you like?" I asked her with a confused expression, there was absolutely no resentment in my eyes or voice.

Hearing my words, she abruptly raise her head to look at me with a surprised expression.

"I-I guess so...We should hurry up!" When our eyes met she immediately said with slightly red cheeks before running to the track.

?! Why has she acted as if my words were something embarrassing? Was she embarrassed by how I have said that she likes Hirata? I thought while looking at her back with furrowed brows.

I really have to work on the better reading of the people's emotions...