Chapter 31 Ryuen: The Winner of This Exam is Me!
7:30 AM.
The athletic field of Advanced Nurturing High School was gilded with a layer of gold by the morning sun. The red track was exceptionally bright under the sunlight, and dewdrops clung to the green lawn, shimmering with delicate light.
However, the stands around the field were already occupied by quite a few people—faculty members and employees from the shopping district. The school hadn't placed any special restrictions on this part of the audience; anyone who wanted to come could come. Some held cameras, some waved small flags, and others just sat quietly, watching the students with smiles on their faces.
Hachiman's gaze swept across the stands. He recognized several familiar faces—the uncle from the cafeteria, the older sister from the convenience store, and the librarian.
Unlike the relaxed spectators, several rows of medical personnel in white coats stood at the edge of the field. Their expressions were stoic, their eyes scanning the students as if checking for potential injuries. Several white tents were pitched nearby, housing stretchers and first-aid equipment.
On the other side of the field, the tents for the Red and White teams were lined up facing each other across the track. The Red Team tents were on the east side, and the White Team tents were on the west. Each tent was labeled with a class tag: Class 1-A, Class 1-C, Class 2-A, Class 2-C... The Red Team classes were all concentrated on the east side, and the White Team on the west.
Inside the tents were folding chairs and water dispensers, with several crates of mineral water stacked in the corners.
When Hachiman walked into the Red Team tent, the students of Class A were already all present. Some were stretching, some were checking their shoelaces, and others were drinking water. The atmosphere wasn't exactly tense, but it wasn't relaxed either. After all, this was a school-wide competition; nobody wanted to lose.
Hachiman stood at the edge of the tent, looking out over the field. The entire field was split in half by the track, with the Red and White teams facing each other from a distance. Students were only allowed to cross that line during competitions; otherwise, they had to stay in their respective tents. Of course, it wasn't an absolute prohibition. You could move freely during lunch to find whoever you wanted. If you forfeited your own event, you could also take the opportunity to slip over to the other side. But such behavior was considered disgraceful, and coming in last place carried a penalty of -10 points on all subjects for the next written exam, so generally, no one did that.
As Hachiman was thinking, he caught sight of a figure approaching from the corner of his eye.
Ryuen Kakeru .
He had his hands in his tracksuit pockets, walking at a leisurely pace with that arrogant expression on his face. Albert followed behind him like a wall, and Ibuki Mio walked on his other side, her gaze sweeping through the Class A tent before landing on Hachiman.
Hachiman stepped out from the edge of the tent and stopped in front of Ryuen.
"Ryuen," Hachiman said.
"Hikigaya," Ryuen looked at him, "What are the odds for your Class A in this exam?"
Hachiman leaned against the tent pole, arms crossed over his chest. "Our Class A will give it our all."
Ryuen stared at him for two seconds and let out a sneer. "Cut the crap. I asked about your odds, not your attitude."
Hachiman looked at him and didn't answer immediately. After two seconds, he asked back, "Then do you think your Class C can win?"
Ryuen's smile widened. He pulled one hand out of his pocket and clenched his fist in front of him, as if confirming something.
"Of course," Ryuen said. "The winner of this exam is me."
Hachiman looked at him and remained silent for a second.
"Cameras are placed at all important locations of the school's various competitions," Hachiman's tone was flat. "Certain 'small tricks' would be inappropriate."
Ryuen's hand paused. He looked at Hachiman, a flicker of light dancing in his eyes. Then he laughed.
"What are you worried about?" Ryuen shoved his hand back into his pocket.
"I wouldn't do something like that. I'm going to win fair and square."
Hachiman looked at him without speaking.
Ryuen met his gaze, his smile unchanging.
"Believe it or not." Ryuen turned around and started walking toward the Class C tent. After a few steps, he stopped and looked back at Hachiman.
"Hikigaya, don't forget, we're on the same team. If the Red Team wins, it benefits your Class A too."
The subtext was: if he, as part of the Red Team, messed up or was heavily penalized, the score of Hachiman's Class A would also be affected.
So, Ryuen was tacitly stating that he intended to use underhanded tactics, but he wouldn't do it on camera—however, he needed Hachiman not to report him.
As for Ryuen's intent to harass Ayanokouji from Class D, Hachiman naturally wouldn't stop him.
So Hachiman nodded. "I know."
"Hmph!" Ryuen snorted and continued walking.
Albert followed behind him, and Ibuki was the last. After a few steps, Ibuki glanced back at Hachiman with a hint of confusion in her eyes, but she quickly turned back.
Hachiman stood his ground, watching Ryuen's back disappear into the Class C tent.
"Hikigaya-kun."
Ichinose's voice came from behind him. Hachiman turned around to see her standing at the edge of the tent.
Because she was participating in the competitions, she had tied her long strawberry-blonde hair into a ponytail, revealing her fair neck. Naturally, she was also wearing a tracksuit today—a red one, matching the Red Team's theme color. She looked even more spirited than usual.
"You heard all that?" Hachiman asked.
"Yes." Ichinose nodded and walked to his side. "Will Ryuen-kun... really behave himself?"
Hachiman didn't answer immediately. He glanced at the red tents on the field, then at the white tents across from them.
"No," Hachiman said.
Ichinose's eyes flickered.
"Although there are many cameras," Hachiman continued, "a characteristic of this school is that not everything is monitored that strictly. Some small tricks, as long as nobody reports them, are treated as if they weren't seen."
Ichinose's brow furrowed slightly. "Are you saying... the school condones this behavior?"
"It's not condoning it," Hachiman leaned against the tent pole. "It's not proactively investigating. If no one reports it, the school won't pursue it. Because if every loophole were plugged in every exam, lower-ranked classes would have no chance of climbing up." He looked at Ichinose. "Do you think this rule is fair to the lower classes?"
Ichinose was silent for a few seconds. "...It's not fair."
Upper classes and lower classes aren't just different in name; their overall strength—with academic and athletic failures clustered together—makes it truly difficult to climb up.
"So the school leaves some leeway," Hachiman said. "You can find loopholes, use methods, and play in the grey areas. As long as you aren't caught with solid proof.
And this is likely the school's way of having students simulate society in advance. Even if you are excellent, there will still be many people around you using dirty tricks or underhanded means. If you can handle them successfully, then you are an elite," Hachiman added.
"..." Ichinose pursed her lips at his words.
Then.
"So that's why Ryuen-kun is so confident. Because he knows the school's bottom line is flexible," Ichinose said. "So he came over specifically because he wanted you to give up the idea of reporting him."
"Yeah." Hachiman nodded. "At the same time, the participation list for Class D has already reached his hands. From that list, he can deduce some of Class B's layouts and arrangements. Furthermore, our Class A will cooperate with Class C in the compulsory events. By not arranging for our Class A's strong students to be in the same groups as Class C's strong students, both sides can get high scores."
Ichinose thought about it. "So, Class C's score today shouldn't be too low."
"It won't be low," Hachiman said. "But winning? Impossible."
Ichinose looked up at him.
Hachiman retracted his gaze and looked toward the white tents across the field.
"Katsuragi won't let Class C off the hook," Hachiman said. "Once the games begin, it will be discovered that Class D's participation list has been leaked. Katsuragi is the representative for Class B; candidates for compulsory events cannot be changed or substituted once the games start, so Class B's scores will be restricted and they'll be at a disadvantage. Therefore, he will definitely take action.
And they've done this before," Hachiman said.
"You mean... reporting them?" Ichinose followed up.
"Exactly." Hachiman nodded. "Once Class B discovers that Class D's list was leaked, they will pay special attention to Class C's actions. At the slightest sign of a violation from Class C—they will be reported. Class C's scores will be voided."
"Mhm." Ichinose pursed her lips.
That was indeed very much in Katsuragi-kun's style, reminiscent of the code of conduct assessment when they first entered the school.
Directly reporting you for cheating or violations to void your results.
But she lowered her head and ran through everything Hachiman had just said in her mind. From Class D turning the creation of the participation list into a collaboration with Class B, to the list "accidentally" leaking, to Class C getting Class D's list and arranging people to target
Class D's weaknesses, and finally to Class B watching Class C's every move, ready to report them.
It could be said that every link was perfectly connected, and everyone's behavior was anticipated.
This wasn't just a Sports Festival. It was a meticulously designed game of chess.
And Hikigaya-kun was the one playing the game.
"Hikigaya-kun." Ichinose's voice was a bit dry. "You... planned this from the very beginning?"
Hachiman was silent for a second.
"I just deduced the most likely scenario."
"Don't you think," Ichinose chose her words carefully, "that this is a bit... unfair to Ryuen-kun?"
Hachiman glanced at her. "He didn't have to accept."
Ichinose fell silent.
Yes. Ryuen could have refused.
He could have chosen not to take Class D's list from Ayanokouji, not to target Class D's people, and not to play in the grey areas. But he took it. Because it was his only chance. For Class C to climb up, they had to get points. To get points, they had to win. To win, they needed intelligence. So he took it. It wasn't being tricked; it was jumping into a pit even while knowing it was a pit.
This was just like the previous code of conduct exam.
Using violence to rule the class would lead to being reported for violations, but without violent rule, Class C wouldn't be able to consolidate quickly.
In other words, Hachiman had once again placed an irresistible "Open Scheme" before Ryuen, and Ryuen still couldn't refuse.
"Katsuragi will defend against this," Hachiman continued. "He will watch Class C and look for a chance to report them. But I think the one who will ultimately report Class C won't be Katsuragi."
Ichinose's brow furrowed. "Then who?"
Hachiman looked at her and slowly spoke the name. "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."
Ichinose's pupils constricted slightly.
"Isn't he supposed to be attacking Horikita-san?" Ichinose's voice tightened slightly. "Why is he attacking Class C now?"
Hachiman straightened up from the tent pole, hands in his pockets.
"He attacks Horikita to rise in power within Class D," Hachiman said. "But Class D itself doesn't have the strength to rise to a higher class. Even if he gets rid of Horikita, Class D is still Class D. A bunch of academic failures, athletic idiots, and people with no cohesion. Leading a class like that to Class A? Impossible. At least, not in front of us, the hopeful Katsuragi, Sakayanagi, and the ambitious Ryuen."
Ichinose listened quietly. She knew Hachiman was speaking the truth. Class D's unity had long since shattered; Hirata couldn't manage them, Ayanokouji's reputation was poor, and Horikita kept to herself. Even if Ayanokouji really took over, he could only motivate a few people. Others would still slack off or pull the group down.
And if such a group can't be unified, it is indeed difficult to constantly score points in special exams that operate on a class basis.
"So he needs another class," Hachiman said. "A class where he can fully utilize his abilities."
A few names flashed through Ichinose's mind. "Class B?"
"Class B has two class representatives, Katsuragi and Sakayanagi. Even though Sakayanagi has stepped back, she still manages things. Katsuragi is also very capable. Even if Ayanokouji went to Class B, he wouldn't be able to take over immediately." Hachiman shook his head. "Besides, Class B's heart is quite united; even if he tamed the traitor Hashimoto, it's still not a place he can easily insert himself into."
Ichinose thought about it. "Then only Class C is left."
"Correct." Hachiman nodded. "Class C's unity has already been gathered by Ryuen. Those punks, delinquents, and gyarus were broken by Ryuen's violence and tied down by interests. They are already used to listening to one person's command." He looked at Ichinose. "If Ryuen is gone, who is best suited to take over?
While I think Hiyori has some leadership qualities, she can't completely suppress all of Class C," Hachiman said. "But there is one person who can fight just as well as Ryuen and has already used force to suppress Ryuen during last semester's ship exam."
Ichinose's breath hitched slightly.
"Ayanokouji," she said.
Hachiman didn't deny it.
"And he has the possibility to operate this way," Hachiman said. "For example, reporting that Ryuen used illegal means during the Sports Festival. Once confirmed, Class C gets penalized and Ryuen is held responsible. If it's serious, expulsion is possible. Subsequently, Class C will completely lose its chance to continue climbing."
Ichinose's expression became serious.
Hachiman continued.
"Then Ayanokouji can appear exactly when Class C needs him most. Sending charcoal in the snow, turning the tide. Without spending any effort, he can take over a class that has already been broken in by Ryuen." Hachiman's tone was calm. "That is his plan."
Ichinose was silent for a long time.
She stood at the edge of the tent, watching the students warming up on the field. Some were stretching, some were jogging, and others were gathered in groups talking. The sun was good, the wind was good; everything looked exactly like a normal Sports Festival. But she knew that beneath this calm surface, undercurrents were surging.
"So," Ichinose's voice was very soft, "you arranged for Horikita-san to facilitate Class B getting Class D's list to create an opportunity for Ayanokouji."
"Yes."
"He uses the list to attack Horikita, and also uses it to counter-attack Ryuen. One deal, two purposes." Ichinose looked up at Hachiman. "And you, from the very beginning, guessed he would do this."
Hachiman didn't deny it.
Looking at him, Ichinose suddenly felt a bit dazed. Or rather, she finally understood now.
She had always thought Hachiman had set a trap for Ayanokouji—letting him attack Horikita in Class D and report Ryuen in Class C, with every step calculated to a dead end. But now she realized Hachiman wasn't just setting a trap for Ayanokouji.
He was setting a trap for everyone.
Ryuen, Katsuragi, Horikita, Ayanokouji—everyone was on his chessboard. Everyone thought they were fighting for themselves, but in fact, they were all paving the way for Class A.
Hikigaya-kun was indeed a terrifying person.
But since this was for Class A, it was beyond reproach. Ichinose found that she had already accepted this. After all, if they weren't so useless, Hikigaya-kun wouldn't have to consider all this.
Therefore, they still needed to work harder.
Thinking this, Ichinose lightly clenched her left fist. In this exam, the most she could do was try not to hold the class back too much.
Seeing Ichinose's expression tighten, Hachiman said with feigned lightness, "The opening ceremony is about to start."
"Ah... right, okay!" Ichinose nodded and followed after Hachiman.
.
.
.
Five minutes later.
On the field, the broadcast announced the assembly. Students walked out of their tents and lined up by class. The Red Team was on the east side and the White Team on the west, facing each other across the track. The sun shone from the east, casting the shadows of the Red Team students onto the track—a long, quiet row.
Hachiman stood at the very front of Class 1-A. Ichinose stood half a step behind him. Kanzaki Ryuji stood on his other side, his expression steady, his gaze sweeping across the field.
On the rostrum, Nagumo Miyabi stepped up.
He was wearing a tracksuit, his short blonde hair gleaming in the sun, a confident smile on his face. He walked to the microphone and cleared his throat.
"Good morning, everyone."
His voice spread across the entire field through the speakers.
"The Sports Festival begins now."
A round of applause and cheers erupted on the field. Nagumo waited for the noise to subside slightly before continuing.
"For the freshmen, this is your first cross-grade battle. But I believe this Sports Festival will certainly be a cross-generational performance."
After finishing, he nodded slightly and stepped aside. Another round of applause broke out, more enthusiastic than before.
Following the instructions from the broadcast, the students dispersed and returned to their respective tents. When Hachiman walked back to the Red Team tent, Ichinose had already opened her notebook to the page recording the competition events.
"The first event is the Men's 100m," Ichinose said. "Freshmen boys, ten groups. First place 15 points, second place 12 points, third place 10 points, fourth place 8 points. Points decrease by 1 from fifth place onwards."
Hachiman nodded.
"According to the previous arrangement, our class's seed player is Shibata-kun," Ichinose's gaze fell on the notebook. "He's assigned to the first group."
"Yeah," Hachiman said. "Let him get us off to a good start."
Ichinose nodded and closed her notebook.
On the field, the first group for the Men's 100m was already in place. Sou Shibata stood in the third lane, stretching his ankles with that relaxed and confident smile. Next to him stood several contestants from other classes; some were taking deep breaths, some were stretching their legs, and others were nervously rubbing their hands.
"Ready—"
The referee raised the starter pistol.
Eight people crouched down simultaneously, hands propped in front of the starting line. Shibata's body leaned forward slightly, center of gravity on his hands, eyes fixed on the finish line ahead.
"Bang!"
The sound of the starter pistol exploded over the field.
Eight people sprinted out at once. Shibata shot out from the starting line like an arrow, his step frequency incredibly fast, every step hitting the rhythm. His arms swung powerfully, his body leaned forward, and his whole being looked smooth and natural. The second-place runner was left nearly two meters behind him, and the third-place runner even further.
The finish line was right ahead. Shibata crossed first without any suspense.
"Beautiful!" Cheers erupted in the Class A tent. Amikura Mako jumped up, her hands red from clapping. Shibata walked back from the track with a satisfied smile, giving an "OK" gesture toward the tent.
Hachiman leaned against the tent pole, watching Shibata return, his lips twitching slightly.
The Sports Festival had only just begun.
.
.
.
Because the pace of the competition was very tight, the sequence went from freshman boys to junior girls finishing a specific event. After a mid-game break, it would switch to the reverse mode, starting from freshman girls to junior boys.
So Hachiman didn't have much spare time; he was a contestant in the fourth group and had to head to the staging area.
The contestants for the second group were already in place at the starting line.
Hachiman's gaze swept across the line and paused. He saw a familiar figure—wearing a white tracksuit, standing in the innermost lane, head down tying shoelaces. The blonde hair was exceptionally dazzling in the sun, and the white tracksuit made him look like he had walked
out of a movie set. His movements were slow; he tied the left shoe, then the right, then stood up and stomped his feet as if confirming the tightness.
Koenji Rokusuke.
While the other contestants were already crouching at the starting line preparing, he was still there stomping his feet. The referee glanced at him but didn't rush him. Probably knowing it would be useless to try.
"Second group, on your marks—"
Koenji finally stopped, bent down, and assumed a starting position. The form was perfect, so standard it looked like something from a textbook.
And here in the fourth group, Hachiman met Katsuragi Kohei from Class B.
Katsuragi was staring heavily at Koenji.
Hachiman noticed his expression.
"What are you worried about?" Hachiman asked.
Katsuragi didn't answer immediately. His gaze was still fixed on Koenji.
"As you know, I participated in the creation of Class D's participation list this time, and I took Koenji's existence into account," Katsuragi's voice was very low. "I didn't arrange any of my class's seed players in the second group."
Hachiman looked at him.
"Considering his strength could definitely secure first place," Katsuragi said, "I deliberately avoided him."
"Avoided him?"
"So the first place in the second group should be Rokusuke Koenji, but..." Katsuragi retracted his gaze and glanced at Hachiman, a hint of self-satisfaction on his face as if clearing away dark clouds to see the sun. "I was worried before about whether Class D's list might really be leaked, but now it seems it wasn't. Because you arranged your class's athletic aces, Kanzaki and Watanabe, in the second group. That was a miscalculation. The first place points are the most valuable."
Hachiman understood his meaning and said, "You think my arranging Kanzaki and Watanabe in the second group was a mistake?"
Katsuragi was silent for a second. "Yes."
"And what if Koenji doesn't run?" Hachiman said.
Katsuragi's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Hachiman didn't answer. His gaze landed on the starting line.
"Bang—!"
The starter pistol went off.
Seven people shot out. Koenji remained standing at the starting line.
He straightened his body, watched those seven people run off, then raised his hand to tidy his wind-tossed hair. His movements were slow, as if performing a delicate task.
"This kind of competition is too boring."
Hearing this, the staff member nearby was stunned, and the referee was also stunned. Koenji, however, smiled at the referee and said, "I forfeit."
Subsequently, he turned around and walked away from the track. His pace was neither fast nor slow, his blonde hair shimmering in the sun.
A commotion broke out on the field. Some people gasped, some inhaled sharply, and some couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Those who were shocked were from other classes, while those who laughed were Class D students—because if Koenji suddenly forfeited and continued to do so, wouldn't that mean he would hog one of the last-place positions? As long as he took one up, the others were one step safer. Naturally, they had to laugh.
Wait, what the hell?
The super monster Koenji Rokusuke actually... forfeited!? He had intended for his class's athletic aces to avoid Koenji's brilliance, but now... Koenji had no brilliance at all! He just slacked off and forfeited!
Hachiman looked at Katsuragi.
"On your participation list, Koenji is in the second group," Hachiman's voice was calm. "But did you ever consider that he might not run?"
Katsuragi turned his head and looked at him. The light in those eyes flickered slightly.
Hachiman straightened up.
"A person like Koenji isn't someone you can account for with a participation list," Hachiman said. "He isn't Class D's top horse, nor their middle horse. He's a wild horse—he runs if he wants to, and he doesn't if he doesn't. You can avoid him, but you can't stop him from forfeiting."
Katsuragi fell silent.
His mind raced. Koenji had forfeited, so the first place in the second group fell into someone else's hands. He hadn't arranged his own class's seeds in the second group, and had taken the weaklings of Class D into account, so he had basically placed "sacrificial pawns" in the groups related to Koenji.
On one hand, it was to avoid Koenji's strength; on the other, it was to look after Class D's athletic failures. Therefore, as long as it was a group related to Koenji, the roster basically consisted of BD sacrificial pawns who wouldn't get much points. And Katsuragi thought Koenji would get first, which would at least maintain a certain score for Class D.
But now... the situation was reversed!
Even Koenji had become a sacrificial pawn—or rather, Koenji had made himself one!
Thus, those related groups were all handing points to the Red Team! In other words, he had inadvertently aided the enemy.
At the thought of this, Katsuragi felt a headache.
Katsuragi looked at the contestants sprinting on the second group track.
Kanzaki Ryuji was in lane four. His step frequency was fast and his movements smooth, closely followed by his classmate Watanabe. Watanabe was slower than him but still ahead of the third-place runner. Soon, the finish line was ahead; Kanzaki leaned forward slightly and crossed first.
"Ryuji Kanzaki, first place. Watanabe, second place," the referee announced the results.
Cheers broke out over at the Class A tent. Mako Amikura jumped up and clapped. Ichinose stood at the edge of the tent, also applauding with a smile on her face.
Katsuragi looked at that first and second place in silence.
"You knew all along that Koenji would forfeit," Katsuragi's voice was a bit dry. "That's why you arranged Kanzaki and Watanabe in the second group."
Hachiman didn't deny it.
"That's the idea. Your participation list was formulated based on the premise that 'Koenji would run seriously'," Hachiman said. "But did you ever think he might not?"
Katsuragi didn't answer.
"You didn't think of it," Hachiman said it for him. "Because you think the Sports Festival is an exam, and exams must be taken seriously. Not everyone is like you."
Katsuragi's face tightened instantly.
"Hikigaya," Katsuragi's voice was low as he repeated, "did you know from the very beginning that Koenji would forfeit in this group? You already got Class D's participation list, which is why you could precisely arrange students from your own class—who aren't top-tier but can suppress other ordinary students—to take first and second place here."
Hachiman looked at him.
It seemed Katsuragi had indeed thought of the worst-case scenario: that right at the start of the competition, a thunderous piece of news arrived—Class D's participation list was indeed leaked. And Class A and C would use this point to farm scores.
"While it is regrettable news, that is indeed the case," Hachiman said. "In the compulsory events, since you were the one to draft the list, you would definitely avoid the physical max Koenji, and Ryuen would naturally do the same after getting the list—after all, nobody likes fighting a monster. So, this advantage falls to my class."
It's over! It's over!
Hearing this, Katsuragi's face turned pale. Not only was Class A's score increasing, but more importantly, Class D's list had truly been leaked.
This war had only just begun, and he was already at a disadvantage.
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