Ibuki Mio was also acting alone, standing by herself in the forest like a wild Pokémon that had suddenly appeared on the path.
Kaoru remained where he was and watched the petite girl run straight toward him. Something inside her luggage clattered loudly with every step, making him wonder what on earth she had packed.
"Where are you going?"
The moment she reached him, Mio demanded an answer with such aggression that it seemed she would challenge him to another fight if he refused.
"Why does it matter? Wherever I go won't affect you. We aren't even following the same route."
Kaoru had never particularly liked Mio's personality.
To describe it kindly, she was blunt and straightforward, wearing nearly every emotion openly on her face.
To describe it less kindly, she had a talent for irritating people. She constantly looked as though everyone around her owed her several million points.
Kaoru seriously doubted she had many friends.
Shiho had once mentioned that several students in their class did not get along with anyone, and Mio had been one of them.
"I know that!"
Mio lifted her chin.
"I'm asking whether you're heading toward a task."
The nearest task was the ball-juggling challenge in F5. Since Kaoru was walking in that direction, guessing his destination was hardly difficult.
"I am. So what?"
Kaoru deliberately looked her over.
She had probably rushed to reach him. Sweat covered her forehead, and her breathing had become slightly uneven. Several strands of dark hair clung to her flushed cheeks.
No matter how skilled she was at fighting, she was still an ordinary girl after running through a humid forest with a heavy pack.
"There it is again. That disgusting look."
Mio frowned.
"Are you looking down on me?"
She pointed at him.
"Since we happened to meet, I'll tell you now. I'm not losing to you in this exam!"
"Fine. How are you planning to challenge me this time?"
Kaoru looked down at her from his greater height.
"If you lose, you're not allowed to bite."
"Why is your expression always so disgusting?"
Mio stepped back before realizing she had instinctively retreated from him. Humiliation and anger flashed through her eyes.
"I'm not going to lose. This time, we'll settle things fairly!"
She had carefully avoided mentioning an actual fight.
Apparently, her previous defeat—and the humiliating punishment afterward—had taught her at least one lesson.
"I'm not interested in a small fry like you. Stop wasting my time."
Kaoru shook his head.
His main target in this exam was Miyabi. Everyone else was secondary.
To Mio, however, his words sounded unbearably arrogant.
"Don't underestimate me! I may not be able to beat you now, but that doesn't mean I never will!"
Her mouth remained as sharp as ever. She even raised her middle finger at him.
"Everything you've done to me, I'll return twice over someday!"
Kaoru felt as though he had heard that empty threat countless times already.
He ignored her and continued toward F5.
"Hey!"
Seeing him leave so casually made Mio even angrier. She followed him with her luggage clattering behind her.
"Did you even hear what I said?"
"I couldn't understand it."
Kaoru checked his tablet and confirmed the direction.
Mio desperately wanted to leap into the air and send him flying with a perfect kick, launching him so far away that he would crash into the ground and never get back up.
Imagining the scene improved her mood slightly.
Then she asked, "Hey. How many points do you have right now?"
"Before asking someone else, you should state your own score. Otherwise, it's rude."
Mio snorted.
Why should she show manners to a pervert? Could manners be exchanged for food?
"Seventeen."
Kaoru could not help turning around and examining her from head to toe.
His stare made Mio uncomfortable.
"What are you looking at? Hurry up and tell me your score. Stop wasting time!"
She sounded impatient, but Kaoru's strange expression made her wonder whether he was impressed.
She had placed second in two designated-area races and had nearly taken first place that morning.
He must have been shocked by her score.
A satisfying sense of pride rose inside Mio.
"I'm not telling you."
Kaoru faced forward again.
Only an idiot like her would openly reveal her score to a competitor.
Mio looked at him with three parts pity and seven parts smugness.
"Oh? So your score is lower than mine, and now you're embarrassed."
She nodded magnanimously.
"That's fine. You don't have to say it."
Kaoru could not be bothered to argue.
Talking to this idiot would only encourage her until he was the one suffering from high blood pressure.
His silence only convinced Mio further that she had guessed correctly.
She suddenly accelerated and darted ahead of him.
"Heh. You're planning to catch up through this task, aren't you?"
Mio pointed confidently at him.
"Don't even dream about it, Mitoma! I'm going to win this exam. You've already lost. You and Horikita can struggle behind me together!"
Kaoru stared at her in confusion.
After making that declaration, she turned and sprinted away as though terrified he might catch up.
Despite carrying so much luggage, she was remarkably fast.
Girls' physical abilities truly differed.
Had Miki attempted to run like that, she would have collapsed after two steps.
By the time Kaoru reached F5, students from several groups had gathered around the task site.
He did not recognize anyone, although quite a few students recognized him and greeted the Student Council president.
Kaoru registered with the supervising teacher.
The juggling task accepted only eight participants. The first three rewards were the same as those of the previous task, with no special prizes offered.
"You're too slow."
Mio glared at him unhappily.
"If you keep strolling around like that, you won't even reach registration in time next time."
Kaoru looked at her.
The hair over her forehead had become messy, and several sweat-dampened strands clung to her skin. Her cheeks were flushed, and tiny droplets covered the bridge of her nose.
Did this girl possess unlimited energy?
"If you're covered in sweat, don't stand so close."
Kaoru took out the tissues he always carried.
"Do you want one?"
The school distributed them for free, so he had taken plenty.
Mio froze for a moment before her expression turned embarrassed and furious.
"Mind your own business! I have my own tissues!"
She spun around and hurried to the opposite side.
Kaoru put his tissues away.
If she did not want them, he could save them for later.
After they waited for a while, the supervisor confirmed that all participants had arrived and announced the beginning of the task.
"The participant who performs the most consecutive juggles within five minutes will take first place."
The teacher distributed footballs as he explained the rules.
"If your ball touches the ground at any point, you will immediately be eliminated."
Kaoru accepted one of the balls. From the corner of his eye, he noticed several students standing nearby to watch.
The instant the supervisor blew the whistle, everyone began juggling.
For a beginner, keeping a football in the air was fairly difficult. Anyone who had never practiced would often fail almost immediately.
Two or three students clearly had no experience. Their balls hit the ground only seconds after the whistle.
However, several participants were skilled.
The task information had been visible on everyone's tablet, so students confident in their football ability had naturally come here.
Kaoru had excellent balance and maintained a steady rhythm without rushing.
Mio, however, quickly became impatient when she noticed other students passing her count.
She tried to increase her pace.
A short while later, her ball hit the ground.
She had been eliminated.
"Guh..."
Kaoru could not see her expression while focusing on his own ball, but he could feel her staring at him.
Even without turning around, he could picture her biting her lip.
Kaoru deliberately made it look as though he had lost control.
Mio's breathing suddenly stopped as she watched intently.
The ball nearly fell—
—but Kaoru caught it neatly with his foot.
"Ugh!"
Hearing the frustrated noise behind him, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Kaoru's mouth.
A little later, he pretended to make another mistake.
Mio watched without daring to breathe, only to become even more frustrated when the ball landed safely on his foot again.
After he repeated the trick several times, Mio finally lost patience.
"Mitoma!"
She was genuinely angry now.
Kaoru stopped teasing her and focused properly on the task.
Before long, the supervisor announced the results.
A student from Class 3-C took first place.
Kaoru finished second.
Mio placed fifth.
There was no reward for fifth place, so she glared at Kaoru as though she could steal his points through sheer resentment.
After the task ended, several students gathered around Kaoru and began flattering the Student Council president.
One person even volunteered information, claiming to know Miyabi's location and offering to guide Kaoru there whenever he wanted to challenge him.
Kaoru merely smiled and politely dealt with these opportunists without promising anything.
They probably made the same offers to Miyabi whenever he was nearby.
"Hey, have you practiced this before?"
Mio cared far more about Kaoru's performance than anything involving Miyabi.
The difference between second and fifth annoyed her.
"I simply didn't panic the moment someone got ahead of me."
Kaoru had observed that although Mio was short, her legs were powerful and well-trained. She had the balance and strength necessary to perform well if she remained calm.
"Hmph. You only came second, and you're already acting proud. What a pathetic show-off."
Mio knew she had become impatient earlier, but she would never admit Kaoru had a point.
Kaoru ignored the idiot and continued down the trail with his pack.
When Mio saw that he was leaving, she hurriedly grabbed her luggage and followed him.
"Why are you following me?"
Kaoru soon noticed the clattering shadow behind him.
"Let's compete again. I'll definitely beat you next time!"
Mio sounded completely confident.
Kaoru developed a headache.
If Ichika saw them together, she would undoubtedly tease him for picking up yet another pretty girl.
"We aren't on the same route. If you follow me now, how are you going to reach your next designated zone?"
"The next one might be random anyway. I wasn't expecting to place in the top three."
Mio explained that if the next zone appeared too far away, she intended to abandon that movement instruction and use the time to complete nearby tasks instead.
Therefore, she was not following Kaoru because she wanted his company.
She had already planned to concentrate on tasks.
Following him merely gave her another opportunity to defeat him along the way.
Kaoru realized driving her away would be difficult.
Her head was filled with thoughts of beating him. Now that she had found an opportunity to compete repeatedly, there was no reason for her to abandon it.
Unfortunately, Kaoru still had something else to do.
He could not allow Mio to remain beside him.
They walked for some time before Mio sensed something was wrong. She checked her tablet.
There were no task sites ahead.
"Mitoma, are you lost?"
Still unaware of anything suspicious, Mio openly mocked him.
"There aren't any tasks in front of us. The nearest one is northwest of here, you idiot!"
Kaoru stopped with a blank expression and turned toward the laughing girl.
"Sorry, but this is my destination."
Mio checked her tablet again.
Kaoru did not appear to be joking.
"Rather than competing fairly, it would be much easier to remove an opponent through physical means."
Kaoru pointed toward her watch.
"The school gave everyone an emergency watch, but I only need to destroy yours before you can use it."
Mio immediately stepped back and assumed a defensive stance.
"I didn't expect you to abuse violence too. Don't think I'm afraid of you! If you attack me, I'll kick you away!"
Kaoru smiled.
"I believe in your flying kick, Ibuki-san. But then it becomes a mutual fight, and we'll both be removed from the exam."
"Guh... W-who's afraid?"
Mio raised her voice.
"That's even better! I'll drag you out of school with me!"
"No. I won't be expelled."
Kaoru looked at her with almost pitying eyes.
"Don't forget, Ibuki-san. Class A has more than enough private points. Do you think I'd struggle to pay six million?"
Mio clenched her teeth.
That infuriating rich bastard.
"I'm not an especially powerful person."
Kaoru continued slowly.
"You already know I'll eventually fight Nagumo. If Ibuki-san remains nearby, watches me, and attacks at the right moment, I might actually lose."
Mio was not accustomed to hearing this man indirectly acknowledge her as a threat.
"Heh. So you're afraid of me?"
"Yes. I'm concerned about Ibuki-san."
Kaoru spoke with remarkable sincerity.
"Could we coexist peacefully for now? Once I defeat Nagumo, we can compete again."
Mio gradually relaxed.
His combination of threats and praise had evidently persuaded her.
"Hmph. You just don't want me following you. How stingy."
She muttered quietly.
"I don't care what you're planning anyway."
"Then shall we separate here?"
Kaoru asked.
Mio turned away without answering and walked toward another path.
Kaoru released a relieved breath.
He had finally coaxed her into leaving.
He held up his tablet and projected the Marauder's Map across its screen.
A single figure was rapidly approaching him from behind.
Before Kaoru could react, a soft impact struck his back as the girl leaped against him. Her small hand immediately reached for the tablet in his grip.
"W-wait! What are you doing?"
Kaoru instinctively tried to hide the map.
He had never expected Mio to suddenly return.
"Let me see your score! Just one look!"
Mio had apparently decided that seeing his points was the minimum result she needed to make the detour worthwhile.
"Wait, stop grabbing! I'll show you. Just stop!"
"If you're going to show me, then stop blocking it, idiot!"
"Get off me first, and I'll hand you the tablet! If you keep reaching around like that, something's going to go wrong!"
Clinging to Kaoru's back, Mio blindly reached around his waist in search of the tablet.
Her hand suddenly closed around something beneath his jacket that was definitely not the device she wanted.
Both of them froze.
Kaoru stopped struggling entirely.
Mio's hand remained perfectly still.
The forest fell silent around them.