[Paper Shuffle]

"(Yawn--)" Asakusa Toru yawned quite decisively.

Their attitude was quite perfunctory.

1200-meter relay race.

The requirement is to select three boys and three girls from each class to form a six-legged relay team.

Without a doubt, the three boys in Class 1-A can only be Asakusa Toru, Shibata Hayate, and Kanzaki Ryuji.

If one person has a physical fitness level of B+ and the other has a physical fitness level of B, they won't be far apart; in fact, the former can gain a certain degree of lead.

After all, even in the entire first year, those with an A in physical fitness are a minority.

The only ones who might influence the outcome of the competition are the three girls.

Ichinose Honami, Ibuki Mio, and Amikura Mako.

The physical abilities are ranked C, B, and C in that order.

For a girl, that's pretty good.

Although it's not high, it shouldn't be too much of a burden.

Therefore, the outcome of this match was already decided.

As expected.

"--You!" Miyabi Nagumo was furious at his attitude.

He had never been looked down upon so much.

"... Asakusa." Without looking at Nagumo, Horikita Manabu looked directly at Asakusa Toru.

In this seemingly 'long-awaited reunion' Matoba, at this moment when we meet again after many months apart.

He wanted to ask the question that had been puzzling him for a while.

When exactly is this "next time" you mentioned?

That's right, next time.

It was probably right after the Club Orientation, around the start of the semester.

She was filled with anticipation, believing he would come as promised, and chose to join the Student Council.

As a result, not only did it not come after a day, but it didn't come for the entire following semester.

He never even appeared before my eyes.

It certainly wasn't because he was afraid of running into them; Horikita Manabu certainly had that level of awareness.

Why would that be?

Horikita Manabu had countless possibilities in his mind, but in the end, this was the question he asked.

The Student Council has second- and third-year students. Soon, the third-year students will be graduating, and he will have to hand over the Student Council affairs to Nagumo.

But a semester has passed, and not a single first-year student has joined the Student Council.

... The initial decision to reject everyone, even if it meant "better to have none than to accept the wrong one," may have seemed too impulsive.

By now, no first-year student has any desire to join the Student Council.

This is a very serious problem.

If no new members join the Student Council by the time he graduates, the Student Council will face a leadership gap.

Although he will soon be handing over the position to Miyabi Nagumo, this problem should rightfully be a headache for Miyabi Nagumo.

However, if possible, Horikita Manabu still wanted to invite Asakusa Toru join the Student Council to check and balance Miyabi Nagumo.

Even if it's just for the sake of Horikita Suzune...

No, it's just that I don't want to see this school truly become what Nagumo's philosophy is—'meritocracy', as he himself claims.

Miyabi Nagumo had previously stated to him that after he graduated and she handed over the position of Student Council to him, she would do her best to make the school more merit-based.

There's no way to judge whether he's right or wrong.

He simply didn't really want to see that kind of scene.

Even though he will be graduating soon.

In my peripheral vision, I could see the figure of my younger sister, representing Class 1-D, participating in the relay, moving, running, and sweating.

How much, perhaps, Horikita Suzune...

There have been some changes.

He thought.

Chapter 277 [Paper Shuffle]

"Next time, um..."

When Horikita Manabu asked him this question, Asakusa Toru's thoughts were momentarily thrown into disarray.

But soon, he remembered.

... It seems, perhaps, probably.

I did mention at the beginning of the semester that I would go to the Student Council Office.

"Next time is next time, of course." He blinked and said casually, "Instead of that, Horikita, are you interested in placing a bet?"

Just call out their names!

The casual attitude in his words left the second and third graders around him somewhat speechless.

Isn't this attitude a bit too casual?

Horikita Manabu: "?"

"Twenty million, double that and you'll have forty million. If you win, you'll get forty million," Asakusa Toru said.

Aren't you tempted?

My heart is fluttering, of course my heart is fluttering.

Let alone forty million, he would want even a few million Private Points.

As mentioned before, the closer you get to graduation, the more important it is to have enough Private Points. What gives people a sense of security is the balance in their Personal Terminal account.

But.

"Not tempted."

He was the leader of Class 3-A.

We won't use the class's Private Points reserves for such a trivial matter.

"Oh, really?" Despite being rejected, Asakusa Toru didn't show much disappointment. "That's certainly a shame."

"Yellow Hair."

He turned his head and looked at Miyabi Nagumo.

Let's go.

As soon as the words were spoken, although Shibata Hayate had gained an early advantage, he was overtaken by Class 2-A in the later stages of the race, resulting in Class 2-A's fifth batter arriving first.

The baton has been passed on.

Suddenly grabbing the baton that was handed to her, Miyabi Nagumo smiled and started running without saying a word.

Sure enough, no matter how much I pretend, I'll still be the one who wins in the end.

A jump start? Unfair competition? Did they miss the opportunity to compete head-to-head with Horikita Manabu?

These are all unimportant, these are all irrelevant.

He will win twenty million.

Even though Asakusa Toru has that world-class genius behind him.

I'll win too!

Ultimately, this is a relay race. I didn't cheat at all; I'm the one who should win, and you're the only one who should lose.

The wind whistled past their ears, and even though they had already created some distance, the cheers from the surrounding audience suddenly rose again.

From that moment on, Miyabi Nagumo knew that the enemy behind her had also handed over the baton.

But so what?

With the advantage of starting first, he won't lose...

"--Too slow."

The moment the thought crossed my mind, an overwhelming aura that swept in from behind me made my heart pound.

Nagumo's heart skipped a beat for a moment, the smile on his face froze, and he turned to look to the side with an incredulous expression.

But his gaze hadn't turned away yet, and the voice was still lingering in his ears.

The sound, whether it was a hallucination or not, exploded in his heart.

Then.

Then, he was left with a significant distance.

"?!"

Miyabi Nagumo's pupils suddenly contracted, and she subconsciously paused in her steps.

Just before he realized he needed to accelerate suddenly.

Asakusa Toru had already crossed the finish line.

A roar of cheers echoed across the playground.

But none of these cheers were for themselves.

The Sports Festival has ended.

The final event, the final competition, the final relay.

Then, the bet was won.

Without even asking Miyabi Nagumo to settle the payment on the spot while the score was being calculated, Asakusa Toru walked straight towards the girl next to him.

He also wanted to give Hayasaka Ai a few more words of advice regarding the rules for raising Shiina Mashiro.

Otherwise, that child would be a real worry.

However, he left, but behind him, although he was still faster and ahead of the other students, Miyabi Nagumo, who was sprinting in second place with stiff steps, did not feel good after crossing the finish line.

He felt cold all over.

I was ignored.

Or rather, I was never taken seriously from beginning to end.

His initial goal was 20 million points, and the moment the result was decided, he no longer cared about me.

Suddenly, I felt as if my pride had been shattered.

It was not a defeat in a head-on, exhilarating battle.

Instead, it fell into disrepair as if it were just a roadside stall that hadn't been noticed at all.

It's like... how I used to face ordinary people who were much weaker.

"Hehe, hehe, hehehehe..."

Miyabi Nagumo suddenly smiled with relief.

So this is what overwhelming talent looks like.

It's surprising that a world-class genius would receive such attention from their homeroom teacher, while Asakusa Toru, who is undoubtedly a genius but whose status is uncertain, can so casually adopt such an attitude.

I...

"Senior Nagumo, let's get ready to fulfill our promise."