The afternoon sunlight bled through the classroom windows, scattering golden rays across the desks of Class D. The air buzzed with restless energy — half excitement, half anxiety. Today marked the beginning of their official preparations for the upcoming Sports Festival, an event that would not only test physical prowess but also strategy, unity, and nerve.
Sae Chabashira-sensei had barely finished her curt reminder about the festival regulations before the entire class erupted into noise. Desks scraped, voices overlapped, and papers shuffled.
Kiyotaka Ayanokōji sat silently near the back, watching the chaos unfold as if it were a movie he'd already seen. Across the room, Hirata tried to take the lead, waving his hands to calm everyone down.
Meanwhile, you — Miyamoto, the quiet yet authoritative "boss" of your self-proclaimed group, the Miyamoto Gang — leaned back in your chair, arms folded. Around you sat your core members: Yukimura, Hasebe, Miyake, Mei Yu Wang, Okitani, Ijuin, Airi Sakura, and Maezono. Each of them had their own mix of excitement and dread written on their faces.
"Alright, Class D," Hirata began, standing at the front with his usual calm smile. "We need to finalize how we'll approach the event lineup. Chabashira-sensei said our entries must be submitted by next week, so it's best we settle the basics today."
Before he could continue, Sudō slammed his palm on the desk. "That's obvious, Hirata! The strongest should take the lead! If we wanna win, we need to go all out with the best in every event. No dead weight!"
His brash voice carried across the room, causing some students to frown — especially those who weren't exactly athletic.
Karuizawa crossed her arms and let out an annoyed sigh. "Oh please, Sudō, not everyone here lives in the gym like you. What's the point of a class competition if half of us don't even get to try?"
Sudō snorted. "You just don't wanna lose and embarrass yourself, huh?"
Before Karuizawa could retort, Suzune Horikita's sharp tone cut through the noise. "Enough. This isn't about pride. It's about efficiency. The school's rules are clear — class points are at stake. The logical approach is to maximize our total points, not give everyone a participation trophy."
The room fell quiet for a brief moment. Suzune continued, flipping through her notes.
"There are two main systems we can use," she explained. "First, selection based on individual preference — everyone chooses what they want. Second, selection based on ability — the most skilled individuals handle the events where their talents are most effective."
"Ability-based, obviously," Sudō interjected without hesitation.
Yukimura adjusted his glasses. "That's not fair to the others who may not be athletic but still want to contribute."
Suzune glanced at him, unfazed. "Then they can contribute in support events or through coordination. We can't afford sentimentality."
I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand. "Suzune's right," I said evenly. "But maybe there's a middle ground. We could mix both — strong players in competitive events, but the rest pair up with them in the universal ones. Everyone participates, but we still keep our best chance to win."
She turned toward me, assessing my words carefully before nodding. "That's essentially the same idea I was about to propose. I'll take that as support."
Sudō grinned. "See? Even Miyamoto gets it. We can't baby the weak if we wanna climb up."
Karuizawa frowned. "You make it sound like we're expendable."
"You said it, not me," Sudō shot back.
Before the argument could flare up again, Kushida stood from her seat, smiling that warm, mediating smile she wore like armor. "Hey now, everyone. Let's not fight. Horikita-chan's plan makes sense logically, but it also sounds… kind of harsh, don't you think? We're supposed to work together as one class, right?"
Her soft voice worked like a charm, as usual. Some of the weaker students visibly relaxed. Karuizawa nodded in agreement, seizing the opportunity. "Exactly. We shouldn't just let a few decide everything. We should come up with something fair — something everyone agrees on."
All eyes turned back to Suzune. She looked unimpressed but didn't argue. "Then let's settle it democratically," she said coldly. "Majority vote. Whoever's plan wins, we follow it."
As hands went up, the tension in the room thickened. A few hesitant glances darted between groups — the athletic students sided with Suzune, while the less confident ones followed Kushida and Karuizawa.
When the final count came, Suzune's proposal — with the adjustment I'd suggested — narrowly won by a margin of three votes.
Suzune nodded firmly. "Good. We'll proceed with the ability-based plan."
Karuizawa muttered something under her breath, clearly annoyed. Kushida just smiled as if she hadn't lost at all.
I caught Kiyotaka's subtle gaze from across the room. He hadn't raised his hand during the vote — not unusual for him. But as always, his expression held that quiet calculation, like he'd already predicted the outcome.
The next hour was filled with debate, laughter, and a surprising amount of enthusiasm. A whiteboard stood at the front, listing all the available competitions — sprint races, relays, pole-toppling, tug of war, and more.
"Okay," Hirata said, marker in hand, "let's start filling the slots."
"I'm doing everything," Sudō declared proudly, already scribbling his name into multiple events.
Suzune sighed. "You can't physically participate in every competition. We need to balance our energy reserves."
"I'll be fine!" he insisted. "I'll even run the 1200-meter relay if I have to!"
"Let him," I said, chuckling. "He's got the stamina of a machine. Might as well use it."
The class laughed. Even Suzune's lips twitched slightly — a rare occurrence.
"I'll take the 100-meter sprint, 200-meter sprint, pole-toppling, and tug of war," I announced when it was my turn.My gang members quickly followed.
Yukimura picked the obstacle race.
Hasebe volunteered for the scavenger hunt.
Miyake joined the cavalry battle, confident in his shooting accuracy.
Mei Yu Wang and Maezono teamed for the girls' tug of war.
Airi, after much hesitation, chose the three-legged race — with me as her partner.
When she said it, her face turned bright pink. "I-It's not like I wanted to pair with you, but—"
I laughed. "Sure, sure. Don't worry, I won't let you fall."
"Geez, you two act like a couple," Hasebe teased, earning a pout from Airi.
The class slowly filled out the entire participation chart. By the time the sun began to dip, the atmosphere was lighter. Even Karuizawa seemed in better spirits — though she still shot occasional glares toward Suzune.
By the end of the day, the class dismissed. Students filed out in groups, chatting about the upcoming events and which team might win overall.
I stayed behind with my group for a few minutes to finalize some internal coordination before heading out. As we exited, I noticed Kiyotaka standing in the hallway, typing something on his phone.
He paused, his gaze briefly flicking to me before pressing send. Then, without a word, he walked toward the courtyard.
Curiosity nudged me, but I didn't ask. With Kiyotaka, things were always layered — never what they seemed.
Later, I caught sight of them talking — Karuizawa leaning casually against the railing, arms crossed, while Kiyotaka stood before her with his usual neutral expression.
"So… that message you sent earlier," Karuizawa began, her voice slightly defensive. "You told me to reject Horikita's plan at first, then suddenly tell everyone to ask Kushida for her opinion. What was that about?"
Kiyotaka didn't answer immediately. His eyes seemed distant, as if watching invisible strings move through the air. "I was just testing the flow of the class. Seeing how opinions sway when directed subtly. The real result wasn't in the vote — it was in how everyone chose to vote."
Karuizawa frowned. "You sound creepy when you talk like that."
He ignored the jab. "Besides," he continued, "Class D won't get anywhere if it can't function under pressure. We need someone to balance Suzune's rigidity with Kushida's charm. That's where you come in."
She tilted her head. "Me? What, you want me to play messenger again?"
"Think of it as… acting. You do it naturally anyway."
Karuizawa glared but didn't argue. After a pause, she sighed. "You're really not doing all this to reach Class A, are you?"
"I told you before," Kiyotaka replied calmly. "I have no interest in chasing something meaningless. But," his gaze darkened slightly, "it wouldn't hurt to make Class D capable of reaching it."
The wind rustled through the open hallway. Karuizawa looked at him curiously — she could sense there was more to his words than he let on, but didn't push further.
"Fine," she muttered. "But I still don't get you sometimes."
"That's probably for the best," he said quietly.
As she turned to leave, Kiyotaka's eyes lingered — thoughtful, analytical. Then he muttered to himself, so softly only the empty hall could hear:
"There'll be a traitor during the sports festival. I need to find out who."
Back in the dorms, I leaned against the balcony railing, watching the night lights of the campus shimmer. The chatter of other students echoed faintly through the open windows — laughter, footsteps, the sound of youth in motion.
My phone buzzed. A message from Airi:
"Thanks for being my partner today. I'll do my best for the festival!"
I smiled faintly, typing back:
"I'll make sure we win, so you better keep up."
Then another thought crossed my mind — Kiyotaka's quiet observation during class, the way he watched everyone vote without participating.
He was planning something. Not out of malice, but purpose. Whatever it was, it involved more than just the Sports Festival.
I sighed, pocketing my phone. "You're a hard one to read, Ayanokōji," I muttered.