Chapter 212: Two-Legged Race, who will pair with Hikigaya?
The entry roster. Changes are forbidden. I see...
Hikigaya instantly grasped the key point of it all. Seriously, the most critical rule was actually left until the very end! Hikigaya's mouth twitched; he really felt like cursing.
'As expected, this kid noticed...' Chabashira Sae's eyes shifted slightly, and she cast a look of helplessness toward him.
"Hmm?" Hikigaya understood again in a split second. If this wasn't Chabashira-sensei's own twisted sense of humor, it must be a direct order from the school.
Teachers were likely prohibited from revealing the key details of the sports festival.
'Dammit, this dog of a school! A hundred schemes, all used to mess with the students!!!'
"The entry roster must be handed to me at the latest one week before the sports festival. If you exceed the deadline, participants for all events will be assigned randomly. Of course, if you have the confidence to complete all events regardless of the roster, you don't have to hand it in."
That last sentence was pure nonsense. Everyone has events they are good at and ones they aren't. For instance, some people have explosive power and are suited for sprints, while others have high endurance and should run long distances.
Put this way, once the entry form is leaked, it's equivalent to a war where your battle deployments are obtained by the enemy—they will surely take targeted measures! For Class D, where everyone is practically a pauper, it would be very easy for someone to be enticed by external points, turn traitor, and eventually sell out Class D's entry form!
Horikita Suzune clearly noticed this as well. She immediately took the entry form from Chabashira-sensei to keep it herself. Hikigaya gave her a look of mild admiration. He thought that this girl had finally grown up a bit.
"Chabashira-sensei, you just said that once the entry list is submitted, it cannot be changed. But what if someone feels unwell on the day of the sports festival?"
Sickness, female physiological cycles—these were all factors beyond one's control.
"Physical management is also part of the exam's scope. As for other 'force majeure' events, you'll just have to accept your bad luck," Chabashira-sensei explained.
"What about team events then?" Horikita Suzune asked about the critical details.
"Events like the two-legged race or the cavalry battle—if someone is absent, the competition can't proceed."
"If it's the two-legged race, since the required number of people cannot be met, it will be a direct loss. For the cavalry battle, you can continue even with one less group. If the team's
strength is great enough, perhaps you can still win even while outnumbered. These are things you need to consider before finalizing the entry list."
That last sentence served as Chabashira-sensei's subtle warning. Whether they could understand it depended on Class D themselves.
Horikita Suzune nodded thoughtfully: "I understand."
"Does anyone else have questions?" Chabashira-sensei looked at the others. The students of Class D looked at each other with eyes reflecting a "pure kind of stupidity." Most of them hadn't fully comprehended the rules yet; how could they have the mind to worry about minor details?
"Then today's class meeting is adjourned." Chabashira-sensei sighed inwardly. There were too many loafers in this class; it was hard to imagine how to lift them up.
After Chabashira-sensei left, the Class D classroom immediately became noisy. Everyone was talking at once, discussing which sports festival events to participate in.
"Hey~ Hachiman, what events do you plan to join?"
Hasabe Haruka proactively approached him. She pressed her skirt down with both hands, stood on her tiptoes, and sat her bottom right on his desk.
"I don't want to participate in any events." Hikigaya's dead-fish eyes showed zero interest.
"That won't do. According to the sports festival rules, everyone must participate in at least nine events," Hasabe Haruka added as a clarification.
He knew that, of course; he just wanted to escape reality for a moment.
"Haruka, I recall your athletic skills aren't great either, right?" Hikigaya turned the question back on her.
"Yeah~ I'm actually quite worried about it." Hasabe Haruka sighed helplessly, then her eyes darted around as she continued: "However, there is one event where I might be able to get a high score."
"What?" Hikigaya was curious.
"The two-legged race."
"!!!" "!!!" As soon as Hasabe Haruka said this, it immediately drew the attention of several girls in the class.
"That race mostly depends on the coordination between two people, right?" Hikigaya frowned.
"Exactly. Hachiman, can you be my partner?" A glint of light flashed in Hasabe Haruka's eyes.
"Wait a minute!
On what basis do you get to be Hachiman-kun's partner?" Karuizawa Kei immediately voiced her opposition.
"Hasabe-san, with your speed, you definitely won't be able to keep up with Hikigaya-kun's pace, right?" Matsushita Chiaki also raised a doubt.
"Don't worry. For the sake of the competition, I will train with Hachiman every day for the next half month~~" Hasabe Haruka gave a small smile.
'What 'for the sake of the competition'?! You're clearly just aiming for this!'
"I can also train with Hachiman-kun! I'll accompany him every day and every night!!" Karuizawa Kei was clearly unwilling to let this opportunity slip away.
"Karuizawa-san, shouldn't we follow the rule of 'first come, first served'?" Hasabe Haruka frowned.
"Urusai (Shut up)!
In matters like this, there's no such thing as 'first' or 'last'!" Karuizawa Kei took a hard stance.
The two refused to back down, and their sharp gazes sparked intense friction in the air!
'Wait? Has anyone considered my opinion?'
Hikigaya was powerless to complain.
"That's enough, you two!
This is an important exam, not something for you to play around with!" Horikita Suzune intervened righteously.
"Huh? We are serious; it's not playing around!" Both Hasabe Haruka and Karuizawa Kei expressed their dissatisfaction.
"Those are nice words. Then according to Horikita-san's opinion, who should be Hikigaya's partner?" Kushida Kikyo narrowed her eyes, smiling but not really smiling.
"Me, of course." Horikita Suzune spoke with total conviction.
"Pfft!" The girls on the scene almost lost it: "You're clearly abusing your power for personal gain!!"
"No, I am making a decision based on rational judgment."
Horikita Suzune analyzed the situation solemnly: "To aim for a high rank in a single event, we must have a 'strong-strong' combination! In terms of athletic ability, among the girls, who else besides me is fit to be Hachiman's partner?"
Her words were well-reasoned, leaving people unable to find a counter-argument for a moment. But Kushida Kikyo countered from another angle: "Horikita-san's words are a bit too selfish. Rather than aiming for a high rank, I believe protecting the weaker students is more
important. A 'strong-weak' combination can prevent a bottom-tier ranking. This is more beneficial for the class's overall score. Or are you saying, Horikita-san, that you believe personal interests are above class interests?"
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