Mid-September.
The heat was gradually easing, and in the comfortable weather, the students were working hard on the field, practicing for the upcoming sports festival.
Just over two weeks remained until the event.
Every grade had begun drilling their events bit by bit, preparing diligently for victory.
"Is this really okay, Kamukura-san?"
Ishizaki-kun and Komiya-kun held the shorter end of the rope. Facing them, I gripped it alone.
We were in the middle of gender-separated tug-of-war practice.
I had gathered the students who struggled to exert their strength properly and was teaching them techniques to raise the group's overall power. The two of them were helping me demonstrate those techniques in real time.
"It's fine."
Once I gave my approval, they took the signal and yanked the rope with full force.
Yet even with both of them pulling, the rope didn't budge toward them at all.
I poured more strength into my hands, sank my hips, and used my whole body to pull back.
Their resistance was futile; they ended up planted on the ground. Cheers erupted at the sight.
"If you learn the correct way to pull like this, you can win even when it's two against one."
I scanned the group as I spoke, trying to spark their desire to improve.
Most of the cheers came from the girls. Their raw strength was naturally weaker than the boys', so it made sense that they would gather whenever someone offered practical tips.
Under normal circumstances, no one would take the sports festival events this seriously. But this school's system—and Ryuuen-kun's presence—changed that.
The most critical factor in this sports festival was pure athletic ability, with no room for tricks.
He had realized that early on and adopted this approach to raise Class C's overall physical level from the ground up.
At the same time, the policy served as a lifeline for those who were bad at sports.
That was why, beyond simple fear of his control, a respectable number of students had shown up—because the method was genuinely practical.
"The key points are your armpits, knees, hips, and form. When you pull, don't rely only on your arms—close your armpits, sink your knees, and use your hips.
For form, keep your body facing straight forward. Align both shoulders at the same height and position your feet evenly. Focus on channeling power from your entire body and shifting your weight onto the rope."
I demonstrated the proper force application with gestures, then split them into four groups and had two pairs practice at a time.
As the Ultimate Manager, I observed and corrected each player's weaknesses.
"Kaneda-kun, bend your knees more. Your stance for using your full body weight is good, but this adjustment will let the force flow even more efficiently."
I corrected Kaneda-kun's posture—bending his knees deeper and slightly lowering his hips.
When he pulled in the new position, he was visibly surprised by his own strength and thanked me.
Once that was done, I moved to the next person.
I gave individual attention where needed, but time was limited; plenty of others still required corrections.
"Yajima-san, it's better not to spread your hands too far apart. You don't have to overlap them, but keeping them closer is more effective."
"OK! So something like this—almost touching?"
"That's perfect."
Yajima-san confirmed after making the change.
People with naturally good reflexes often tried to brute-force the rope with raw strength alone. Even small adjustments—like grip—could make a big difference for some.
"Shiina-san, narrow the gap between your hands and close your armpits more. Right now, you're not getting your full strength."
"...Yes. I'm doing my best."
After giving the instruction, I lightly touched her shoulder to adjust her posture, aligning her body straight forward.
"Being eager is good. That's exactly why you need to keep facing directly ahead. Forcing power at an angle risks losing balance and falling."
"I-I understand."
Though breathing heavily, she threw herself into practicing exactly as instructed. The others followed my directions without falling back on their own habits.
The cruise ship special exam should have increased their resentment toward me, yet they understood my abilities well enough that no one resisted.
Once I had advised everyone, I called out to the remaining two groups.
"Decide on a pulling chant. Pulling in perfect unison generates far more force than pulling alone."
I made sure everyone heard, then efficiently wrapped up the tug-of-war mini-lesson and moved on without a break to the group practicing cavalry fight.
"...Hey, Kamukura-kun, could you come over here for a second?"
I headed toward the voice asking for help.
When I arrived, four girls locked in an argument came into view.
"Sorry for bothering you when you're busy... As you can see, we're totally lost on how to form the cavalry..."
"You can speak casually—it's fine."
"Oh, seriously? Sweet, that makes it easier."
The one who called me over was Takeko Nishino. I remembered her as the girl who often chatted with Ishizaki-kun.
The others were Shiho Manabe, Nanami Yabu, and Saki Yamashita.
The so-called Manabe clique. The image of Manabe-san with her two loyal followers was strong.
"Try forming the cavalry once."
To identify the problems, I had them assemble first.
Manabe-san was the rider; the horse formation had Nishino-san in front, with Yabu-san and Yamashita-san supporting on the left and right.
It wobbled unsteadily, lacking any real stability. They seemed to be prioritizing height, so balance needed serious work.
"Um... I thought putting the tallest person—me—as rider would let us take advantage of height..."
Perhaps unnerved by my silent analysis, Manabe-san spoke up hesitantly.
I wasn't trying to intimidate her. It was simply her personality—she couldn't act tough against someone stronger. That kind of human trait was predictable and, frankly, boring.
I had them disband once, then shared my conclusion.
"How about switching from a height-focused formation to one that prioritizes speed?"
"See? Told you so."
Nishino-san shot back with a smug grin.
Apparently, their earlier argument had already touched on possible changes—and Nishino-san had been the one pushing for this.
Her unwillingness to simply go along with the group showed a strong independent streak.
"Quiet. You said you wanted height too, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I did—but you were the one who said you didn't want to carry anyone, so I gave in."
The two kept bickering. Their personalities clashed, so it was inevitable.
The Manabe trio usually stuck together, while Nishino-san was a lone wolf like Ibuki-san.
Both had strong wills and showed no sign of backing down even in front of me.
"To prioritize stability, let's put Manabe-san at the front of the horse."
I designated Nishino-san as the rider.
Manabe-san was taller, but Nishino-san was still above average—the difference was only a few centimeters.
"All right, form up again. With the correct technique, it'll stabilize right away."
I quickly demonstrated the proper assembly.
The hands supporting the rider's feet interlocked fingers like lovers holding hands.
The rider sat, and the base crossed their arms behind to form an X, placing them on the front person's shoulders.
With stability as the focus, a solid cavalry formation took shape.
"If we're talking tactics, Manabe-san should give the orders from the horse."
"I'm the rider—wouldn't it be better if I called the shots?"
"You're strong-willed and a little too aggressive. There's a high chance you'd get carried away and charge too deep into enemy territory."
Nishino-san pulled a slightly sulky face, as if I'd hit a nerve.
Class C had plenty of students with big egos, but truly aggressive personalities were rarer.
Still, a few existed—Ryuuen-kun, Ibuki-san, and she definitely counted among them.
"Manabe-san, on the other hand, has no such issue. Attack when it's time to attack, retreat when it's time to retreat. You can handle that."
When I considered it that way, Manabe-san—despite her own forceful personality—was actually better suited to command.
Subordinating the weak while never challenging the strong wasn't a flaw.
In fact, Manabe-san's strict adherence to that hierarchy made her excellent at spotting opponents' weaknesses.
If she used that sharp observation in the cavalry fight and racked up points with a stable formation, the results would speak for themselves.
"Hah, told you—I'm clearly more fit to be the commander."
"Huh? Why are you looking so damn pleased? Don't get cocky."
My words had instantly improved Manabe-san's mood.
Her flashy appearance gave off an unapproachable vibe, but her reactions were surprisingly easy to read.
I glanced at her again.
She noticed immediately, stiffened, and braced herself—the exact same posture she took around Ryuuen-kun.
Both her hands were occupied holding the formation, so she couldn't gesture; she expressed her refusal with nothing more than a twitching, strained expression.
"You don't need to be that afraid. You're not hiding anything you'd feel guilty about in front of me, right?"
I asked out of simple goodwill, but her shoulders trembled. The unexpected reaction made me press further.
"Hmm. So there is something?"
"...N-no, nothing at all."
Her voice was faint.
I didn't even need superhuman analytical ability—it was obvious she was lying.
Still, it could be a personal matter.
If it were Ryuuen-kun, he would have barged right in, but I had no interest. There was no reason to dig deeper.
"Understood. I won't report this to Ryuuen-kun. But next time, try a little harder to hide it."
I let Manabe-san off the hook.
If overlooking this small secret altered the future, I would gladly overlook it with everything I had.
An unpredictable outcome would be far more entertaining.
"Then—keep practicing hard."
I left the girls and moved on to the next group asking for advice.
Class C's overall quality was rising bit by bit.
At this pace, I could tell there would be no issues when the real event arrived.
...
After physical education class ended, after-school hours arrived.
Lately, fewer Class C students were inviting others to hang out after school.
The reason was simple... exhaustion from PE classes. Students who weren't naturally athletic headed straight home to rest their bodies.
Even with the increase in PE, studying was still essential. They'd go home, rest, cook for themselves, study, then head to school early the next morning—there was hardly any margin for leisure.
Some might think, It's just PE; skip it if you feel like it.
But no such students existed.
One reason was purely for the sake of the class. In this environment where a single mistake dragged the whole class down, compromise wasn't tolerated.
Another factor was that even the most undisciplined students were putting in real effort toward the decision the class had made together.
And there was one more reason... Ryuuen-kun's presence.
In truth, a few students had tried to slack off. But once they received a "warning" from Ryuuen-kun—who was both supervisor and active participant—those students vanished.
No one wanted to suffer the same fate, so everyone kept pushing themselves diligently.
"Kamukura, you're not heading home?"
Ibuki-san, having finished packing her things, had been waiting for me.
She was a lone wolf, but perhaps because we'd occasionally walked home together early after enrollment, whenever our timing lined up she'd invite me along.
"Ryuuen-kun called for me today."
"Hm. Then I'll go on ahead."
She still despised Ryuuen-kun, as always.
True to her word, she left the classroom alone.
I stood up and walked over to Ryuuen-kun, who was gathering his belongings.
"You're here. I've arranged a negotiation today. You're coming with me."
He flashed his usual predatory grin.
But my analytical ability couldn't be deceived. He was trying to conceal it with something like BB cream, yet the dark circles under his eyes were unmistakable.
Accumulated fatigue.
Lately, he'd been serving as Class C's supervisor, scouting the other classes, carrying out frequent behind-the-scenes maneuvers, and even joining practice from time to time.
He'd claimed to hate putting in effort, yet he was going to extraordinarily elaborate lengths.
And today was the day of the negotiation—he couldn't afford to look weak.
"Who's the other side?"
"Class B. I had Ichinose come."
He stated it openly, without any attempt to hide it.
It might be a little tactless to show concern. Perhaps I could offer him the services of the Ultimate… no, not that—the Ultimate Acupressurist as a reward.
"It took a while, but I finally obtained it. I'll use this as my trump card in the negotiation."
He showed me his phone screen. Displayed there was a photograph of a participation sheet.
"…Another class's participation sheet."
It wasn't Class C's. The names listed were completely different.
This was—Class D's participation sheet.
There were advantages to photographing one's own sheet, but the risk of it being seen by rival classes overwhelmingly outweighed them.
Since it had been photographed and handed over, it was safe to consider this a bribe.
"The point tax paid off. In the end, money really does make the world go round."
He had apparently used the points they'd stockpiled.
He'd purchased information that held the key to victory. The amount transferred was almost certainly over 500,000 private points.
"So the negotiation partner is Kushida Kikyou?"
At the mention of her name, Ryuuen-kun clicked his tongue in annoyance.
The difficulty he'd had with her was obvious from that sound alone. Several likely reasons came to mind.
"Because you went and did something unnecessary, the negotiation was a huge pain. How exactly are you planning to make it up to me?"
"I cornered her because I wanted to see the unknown side of her."
"I didn't ask for your reason."
Ryuuen-kun let out a sigh.
His mind was probably jammed with conflicting words—whether to praise me for driving an enemy into a corner or to blame me for creating extra hassle.
"…Whatever. Anyway, starting tomorrow we'll decide pairings based on matchups. You give your input too."
The single most critical element of this sports festival was the "pairings."
If we could control who faced whom, our win rate would rise dramatically.
Of course, improving our own class's abilities and staying vigilant against key players from other classes were necessary.
Yet placing athletes in the events where they'd be most effective and engineering situations where victory was virtually guaranteed took higher priority.
"Has Class D already submitted their participation sheet?"
"Not yet. But relax. Even after submission, we can inspect it anytime as long as it's before the deadline. I'll have Kikyou send another photo right before the deadline ends. They won't get away with any last-minute changes."
"Then what if Kushida Kikyou fails—or betrays us? If we enter with pairings that don't match reality, Class C will be at a disadvantage instead."
If Kushida Kikyou failed, and Class D's pairings differed from our assumptions.
If Kushida Kikyou betrayed us, and Class D's pairings exceeded our predictions.
Either scenario would put Class C in a bad position.
Of course, changing the participation sheet at the last moment would inevitably cause massive confusion within the class.
The only class that could maintain cohesion after swapping participants so late would be Class B, with their exceptionally strong unity.
For Class D, the drawbacks were far greater, so unless there was an extraordinary reason, they likely wouldn't attempt it—but compared to outright betrayal, the situation would still be better.
"That's exactly why I'm having you train those morons. In this sports festival, rather than relying on outsmarting the opponent with schemes, the more we hone pure physical ability, the higher our chances of winning.
Though thanks to the pathetic upperclassmen who can only produce garbage results, the White Team has no hope of victory."
It seemed his scouting hadn't been limited to the first-years. As expected, he was thorough.
"Let's go. We don't have time to stand around talking."
Ryuuen-kun slung his bag over one shoulder.
The two of us left the classroom and headed toward the designated meeting place.
...
We arrived at Keyaki Mall after moving locations.
Ryuuen-kun was sprawled across a bench in the designated rest area, legs spread wide, claiming the public space like it belonged to him alone.
I stood beside the bench, eating something I'd bought on the way while we waited for Ichinose-san.
"Hey, I'm bored. Say something."
"If you didn't want to waste time waiting, you could have shown up at the last minute."
I replied while eating the banana crepe I'd purchased.
It cost 470 points. The cream wasn't overly sweet—quite a pleasant flavor.
"I like making people wait, but I hate waiting myself."
"Then why did you arrive so early?"
"You really don't get it. I'm the one who invited Ichinose, remember? What kind of man makes a good woman wait?"
"That doesn't suit you at all."
"I'll throw those exact words right back at you. Don't sit there eating something that sickly sweet. Just looking at it is giving me heartburn."
Ryuuen-kun did eat sweets occasionally, but he generally avoided anything too sugary.
Cake or crepes were out of the question, let alone parfaits.
"Want some? You seem exhausted—maybe you need the sugar."
"Are your ears broken or something?"
"It's out of kindness."
"That's malice. And who'd want to eat something another guy's mouth has been on?"
Ryuuen-kun's voice dripped with disgust as he waved me off.
Once that little exchange ended, I spotted two figures walking toward us.
"They're here."
"Looks like it. Kuhaha, that Kanzaki bastard came too, huh?"
A boy and girl in red uniforms—the central figures of Class B... Ichinose-san and Kanzaki-kun.
"Right on time, Ichinose."
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ryuuen-kun. We're here to discuss strategy for the sports festival, right?"
Ichinose-san asked with a hand on her hip.
Kanzaki-kun stood protectively at her side, ready to step in at any moment.
"You brought your bodyguard along, I see."
"Negotiating with you empty-handed would be dangerous. I've got that covered perfectly.
On that note, you brought Kamukura-kun instead of Albert-kun. Does that mean you're not planning a violent negotiation?"
Ichinose-san fired back with provocation of her own. Ryuuen-kun's shoulders shook with laughter.
"Kuku, yeah, that's the natural assumption."
He stood up and closed the distance to Ichinose-san. Sensing danger, Kanzaki-kun stepped forward.
"This guy's stronger than Albert."
"Just to confirm—is that in a fight?"
"In everything."
"…Huh. So you're that serious about this discussion."
Ichinose-san hid her surprise, eyed me warily, then replied to Ryuuen-kun without flinching.
"Kuku, no probing each other's intentions today. Follow me."
He beckoned with his index finger.
There was no hesitation in his stride as he set off at his own pace.
We followed a step behind.
"It's been since the special exam, hasn't it?"
"Since the uninhabited island special exam."
Ichinose-san spoke to me, so I answered promptly.
"What are your plans for this exam, Kamukura-kun? Will you do the same thing as last time?"
She asked with a serious expression. Kanzaki-kun watched from the side.
Last time, I had caused chaos indiscriminately—for the sake of an unpredictable future. They were clearly wary of a repeat.
"This time, I will devote my full effort to Class C. Which means, inevitably, I will become your ally."
"…I see. Then you'll be a reliable ally this time!"
The tense atmosphere vanished, returning to Ichinose-san's usual demeanor.
Yet she didn't show her typical warm, approachable smile.
It seemed the uninhabited island exam had lowered her opinion of me.
The reason was obvious... the threat against Chihiro Shiranami.
Ryuuen-kun had carried it out directly, but I was the one who suggested it. No doubt the information had spread from Kanzaki-kun's mouth.
Now, what to do about it.
I had intended to apologize for how I handled Shiranami, but things were progressing too smoothly again, and boredom was creeping in once more.
Everything was for hope. That was my sole criterion for action.
Yet Hajime Hinata had disapproved of pushing others toward despair for the sake of my own unknowns.
That had been a warning. If I did it again, I could probably make contact with him—but it would only pile on more trouble.
A version of myself I could face with pride. I knew both the words and the circumstances in which they'd been spoken.
A trigger for an interesting outcome—one piece of it.
If that was the case… then I, too,
"…I'd like to speak with you later. After the negotiation with Ryuuen-kun is over, please give me a little time."
"That's fine. By the way, about what?"
"About Chihiro Shiranami."
At the mention of that name, both Ichinose-san and Kanzaki-kun stopped walking.
"…All right. I'll hear you out."
Her voice was low, her tone heavy—uncharacteristically cold for the usually cheerful Ichinose-san. A tangle of emotions had crystallized into clear anger.
Once we'd settled that, we resumed walking.
With our attention focused solely on moving forward, our strides lengthened.
Only the crisp, rhythmic sound of our footsteps reached my ears clearly.
***
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