Ayanokoji Kiyotaka Decides to Step In. / I Know You're in a Hurry, but Hold Your Horses.
283
Chapter 283 Ayanokoji Kiyotaka decides to substitute.
On the tense field, when Hashiba Hikaru suddenly appeared beside Katsuragi Kohei, the usually composed Class B leader instantly realized that something was wrong.
What Ryuen just said was not an exaggeration. Including the Sports Festival, this is the third Special Exam. Under Katsuragi's leadership, Class B has not only failed to gain an advantage, but has also been continuously weakened, which has severely damaged his prestige.
Therefore, Katsuragi Kohei absolutely cannot admit defeat and must hold on until the very end.
"I will not surrender! Come at me all at once!"
Katsuragi opened his arms, his expression very solemn.
"Why bother? Wouldn't it be better to suffer less physical pain?"
Ryuen Kakeru smiled dismissively. He had already taken in the general situation on the field. The Red Team was currently in a very good position and would soon be able to win this men's Cavalry Battle competition.
"Let's go then!"
Hashiba Hikaru didn't waste any more words. Although two against one was unfair, it was in accordance with the rules of the game. In an eight-on-eight chaotic battle, any combination was acceptable.
"Don't hold me back, Hashiba."
Ryuen was one step ahead; his attack speed was extremely fast. Because he had been facing off against Katsuragi for some time, he was familiar with the opponent's defensive habits.
"Yeah?"
The boy responded expressionlessly and began directing the three classmates supporting him to charge forward. Snatching a headscarf requires strength and skill, and having mastered [Combat Techniques] long ago, he could naturally shine at this moment.
"Whoosh!"
Although Katsuragi was tall and strong, he couldn't fight against so many opponents. He could handle Ryuen alone, but with an extra person on the battlefield, the situation was completely reversed.
"Damn it... Katsuragi is under attack! We have to go rescue him!"
A boy from Class B witnessed this and wanted to rush over to help, but he was stopped the next second by Shibata and Kanzaki, who were in charge of sniping.
"Hey, hey, hey, we're still here, where do you think you're going?"
Shibata withdrew his gaze from the crucial duel and looked directly at the two Class B knights before him, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.
"If you want to provide support, then you'd better take care of us first."
Kanzaki Ryuji has just successfully removed the headband of a Class B member. Currently, the ratio of remaining members in the Red and White teams is 8 to 5. Once Hashiba Hikaru and Ryuen take care of Katsuragi, it will become 8 to 4, and then the problem will be much easier to solve.
"Damn it, get out of my way!!!"
The boys from classes A and B quickly clashed and engaged in a fierce battle of offense and defense.
Hirata Yosuke had already left the field, sat in his seat with a complicated expression. Ever since Sudo lost control and was suspended, Class C had suffered a series of defeats in the remaining matches. Now, with only five matches left, the chances of a comeback were extremely low.
He recalled the scene when Chabashira Sae explained the rules to the class, because the red and white groups not only had to compare the total scores, but also the four classes within each grade had to be ranked.
The losing group and the bottom-ranked class in the grade will have 100 points deducted from their class score, totaling 200 points. Although they successfully moved up from Class D to Class C, the gap is not wide, and they are very likely to be relegated again.
"Ayanokoji, what do you think we should do now?"
Hirata Yosuke decided to ask the usually taciturn boy a question. He had long noticed the boy's unusual nature; although he didn't talk much, every point he made was insightful.
"I think it will be very difficult for our class to win, and Class A is the biggest obstacle in our way."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, having lost as the horse's henchman after Hirata's departure, sat in his chair, watching the agile Hashiba Hikaru relentlessly attack Katsuragi, anticipating that the outcome would soon be decided.
"I know the situation is bad, but I'm not willing to accept this outcome."
Hirata smiled bitterly.
"There's no hope for the competition where everyone participates, but we can still try for the recommended competitions later."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka unscrewed the cap of his water bottle and said casually, "After all, recommending a winning match earns more points."
The overall first place score is 15 points, while the recommended first place score is an astonishing 50 points. This is the key to the difference.
"But... can we really win the recommendation tournament without Sudo?"
Hirata Yosuke still lacked confidence. Ken Sudō, a top student proficient in sports, had registered for all four recommended matches, but now he was unable to play.
"Being suspended should be considered as being unable to play due to an accident, right, Hirata?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka casually remarked, "There's a reason for this absence."
You mean...?
Hirata reacted instantly, and his brows furrowed with excitement.
If you want to change the players participating in the competition, you can't do it without a reasonable reason, but a suspension is an excuse that can be used. After all, it is a punishment that cannot be changed under objective conditions, and it is definitely not a problem to apply for a substitution.
"However, it requires a payment of 100,000 points, so four games would cost 400,000."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka remembered that after the VIP Exam on the Cruise Ship, Class C received a total of 7 million Private Points. These points were not centrally processed at the time and were still kept by the students who were responsible for sending text messages. He didn't know how many were left.
As the class representative, Hirata Yosuke naturally knew this information.
"Four hundred thousand... isn't too much. I can ask them to lend it to me first."
Hirata Yosuke wasn't worried about that aspect; instead, he looked at Ayanokoji Kiyotaka with a serious expression and asked, "If it's a substitute player, are you confident, Ayanokoji?"
"... You want me to play?"
"Yes, I think your Physical Ability are definitely very strong, because I saw it during the previous Bo-taoshi. You went head-to-head with Classmate Hashiba, and you didn't fall behind."
Hirata Yosuke smiled, his gaze fixed on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's expressionless face.
"Is it really okay to entrust such an important task to me? Four hundred thousand points is a lot of money."
"I believe you, Ayanokoji."
"... Alright then, I agree to play in place of Sudo."
Despite making such an important promise, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's tone remained completely unchanged. He was utterly indifferent to the outcome of the class's match; whether he played or not made no difference to him.
After testing Hashiba Hikaru, he realized that to get her to agree to cooperate, he needed to figure out what she truly desired.
If you want to get to know each other, participating in a smaller, recommended competition together might be an opportunity.
"I'll go ask Chabashira-sensei for a substitute player's license right away. Then we'll see how you perform, Ayanokoji."
Hirata Yosuke stood up, a relieved smile on his face.
"Can."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka recalled the four recommended matches in his mind, then looked up and refocused his attention on the competition field.
--
Katsuragi, who had been holding on for quite some time, was finally starting to tire. As an opportunist who sought out weaknesses, Hashiba Hikaru did not miss any opening. In another moment after Ryuen made his move, he finally ripped off the bald man's headscarf.
"Sizzle!"
The boy held the headscarf in his hand, a smile playing on his lips.
"You lost, Katsuragi."
"..."
Katsuragi first glanced at Ryuen Kakeru, who was standing to the side sneering, then said to the boy, "Classmate Hashiba is indeed a formidable opponent. If we were to fight one-on-one, the outcome would likely be the same."
"Just lucky."
After Katsuragi turned and left, Hashiba Hikaru looked at Ryuen Kakeru beside her.
"Then let's continue the game."
"That's right, we're full of fighting spirit right now!"
After seeing Katsuragi leave the field, the extremely combative Ryuen immediately rallied his classmates to continue their fiercest attack.
In the end, the Red Team won the match with a significant Lead. As the group disbanded, Ryuen Kakeru gave the boy a look, signaling him not to forget the bet.
Hashiba Hikaru returned an OK sign.
"Thanks for your hard work!!!"
Back at Class A's camp, the atmosphere in the tents became even more heated. Having won several games in a row, everyone seemed to already see the final victory, their faces beaming with joy.
"We have lived up to our mission! Our victory is all thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the students."
"Thank you for your hard work, Guang."
The pink-haired girl quickly approached Hashiba Hikaru, handed her boyfriend a sports drink, and then Ichinose picked up a towel to wipe his sweat, which naturally drew teasing remarks from everyone.
"Seriously, I suddenly feel so tired, I have no energy at all."
"Haha, Shibata- san, aren't you used to it yet? We girls are already used to Ichinose and Classmate Hashiba being so close. They're a couple deeply in love, so they don't have to hide these things from anyone."
"Indeed, it's truly remarkable."
Listening to everyone's teasing chatter, Ichinose Honami's ears turned a little red, but she didn't stop what she was doing and pretended not to hear as she continued to help Hashiba Hikaru wipe the sweat off her arms.
"Are you all free? Don't you have a match to play next?"
Hashiba Hikaru decided to use her authority to stop everyone, but the effect was much less than when Ryuen came before, since the students all knew he was joking.
"Alright, I've got it all set up. Laugh all you want now."
Ichinose Honami turned around, a towel in her hand. Although her face was flushed, a bright smile graced her lips.
"There's only one last team match left, so please keep up the good work!"
"After that, we'll be signing a bet with Class D. Are the students participating in the recommendation competition confident?"
Hashiba Hikaru looked at the familiar faces.
"Have!"
"Let's keep up the good work and get all the rewards together!"
284
Chapter 284 I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush.
After the second and third graders finished their Cavalry Battle competition, only one competition remained for the entire class that morning—the 200-meter race.
This race follows the same rules as the original 100-meter race, only with the distance increased.
After the 200-meter race, all the students will have a full 50-minute lunch break, and Hashiba Hikaru plans to use this time to go to Ryuen to sign the contract.
"Now, everyone, please concentrate and finish the morning's match in top form."
Hashiba Hikaru touched her wrist. The final match was still against the first-year boys' group. If she could maintain her advantage in this match, she could enter the afternoon's matches with the best possible ranking.
"Come on!!!"
The boys in Class A all showed incredibly positive expressions. From the morning until now, everyone had been holding their breath, knowing that only by finishing this competition could they get a chance to catch their breath.
"Boys, you should try your best too!"
"Yes, please continue to fight for the class."
Don't worry.
[The 200-meter race for First-Year Boys' Group is about to begin. All participants, please get ready. The first group's race will start in three minutes. Students in the first group, please proceed to the designated area.]
Go ahead.
The 200-meter race, as the final event of the morning, was quite intense. Everyone knew that they could only rest after this race, and everyone planned to give it their all.
Hashiba Hikaru was in the sixth group this time, Shibata Sou was in the third group, and Kanzaki Ryuji was in the eighth group. All three of them achieved good results, winning first place, first place, and third place in their respective groups.
When it was the girls' turn in Class A, apart from a few who were not athletically gifted, the other students all achieved good results.
Incidentally, Ichinose Honami's final ranking was fifth in her group, which is an acceptable result.
At this point, all the morning's matches had finally come to an end.
Hashiba Hikaru looked at the electronic screen erected on the playground. The score gap between the red and white teams was already very large. There were still four recommended matches in the afternoon. As long as there were no major defeats in succession, the Red Team would definitely win in the end.
[The morning's matches have all concluded. Lunch break is now available. Students are free to choose where to eat and rest. The afternoon matches will begin at 2 PM. Please do not be late.]
"Finally, I can rest."
"I'm starving! I need to eat!!"
"I can smell something delicious! Look over there!"