Classroom of the Elite: Houtarou Oreki

"We'll go watch your events after we finish our individual ones."

"But why are you forfeiting every event?" Classmate Sato asked.

Yeah.

The two of them had average physical ability, so after finishing their individual events, they were only there to make up the numbers for Horikita and Kikyou Kushida in the team matches. That left only one Volleyball team match. Naturally, they had time to watch Oreki's matches.

It was just that Oreki...

He had forfeited.

He hadn't participated.

I see.

They had wanted to stake him out, but failed to catch him.

"I took Nagumo-senpai's money this time," Oreki said. "So I don't need to compete seriously."

"Eh... That's no fun!" Karuizawa, who was sitting opposite them, said. "We were looking forward to seeing Houtarou dominate everyone."

Was that so?

So that was what they expected of him.

"On one hand, I took the money," Oreki said. "On the other, someone needs that first-place slot."

"You know Ayanokouji, right?" Oreki said. "This time, he's no longer hiding it and is showing his true ability. He needs the first-place slot to transfer classes even more."

"Ayanokouji?"

"The class chat said he suddenly went beast mode today. Even Sudou was stunned."

"Sudou's confidence was probably crushed. He forfeited two individual events in a row."

That was really pitiful.

Sudou had never aimed for first or second place in the first place. His goal had been the top three.

And now that he had forfeited two individual events in a row, he probably had no chance at third place either.

"And then," Oreki said to Classmate Sato, "you confessed to me before because I ran fast, right?"

"Yeah." Sato nodded. "I like the type who's athletic and runs fast. I think it was after seeing Oreki's competition back then that I