Let's Go Together / A Lie Just for You

As delinquent youths experienced in street fights, they mostly rely on their fighting spirit and ruthlessness. However, the two on stage clearly have a methodical approach, and it's obvious that they're not just putting on a show. Their elbow strikes and kicks are fast and accurate. If any of them were to take a punch or two, they would probably be rolling on the ground in pain.

To ensure the students' safety, the person in charge of this project was a tall and strong physical education teacher from the school. But even he felt a chill run down his spine looking at the force and density of the punches thrown by the two students in front of him.

I originally thought that Sudo and Kito from the Basketball Club were the most physically fit First Year, but I didn't expect there to be two such talented individuals hidden away. I wonder if they've joined any sports clubs; I don't think I've seen them before.

Just as the teacher in charge was planning how to recruit the two into the school's sports clubs to sweep first place in the competition, the situation on the field took a dramatic turn amidst the gasps of the audience.

As the two entered the fourth minute of their duel, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka finally felt an inevitable fatigue. Although he didn't know where Kitagawa Ryo had gotten all his information from, he could only keep making various impromptu changes in the battle in order to minimize his disadvantage.

But this is equivalent to suppressing one's strongest trait, forcing a right-handed person to write with their left hand.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka still remembers how, when he was just over eight years old, he easily knocked down more than ten trained adult men with a baton, using his size advantage to shatter all of their foot bones.

If the instructor from the White Room hadn't arrived in time, he would have already smashed open one of their skulls by then.

But several years later, facing peers of the same age, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka felt unprecedented pressure and revealed his vulnerability.

Kitagawa Ryo, of course, wouldn't let this opportunity slip by. He grabbed Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's arm and twisted it without hesitation. At the same time, he thrust his knee up, pinning Ayanokoji Kiyotaka against the edge of the ring and slowly pressing his body toward the ground.

Then, Kitagawa Ryo finally pinned Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to the ground, using his full weight to suppress him.

"Once."

He spoke softly, and after receiving confirmation from the teacher in charge, he voluntarily released his grip on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Because it's a solo team event, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka still enjoys the advantages that come with team events, needing to be knocked down four times in a row to be officially eliminated.

In fact, during his time in the White Room, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka often failed on his first assignment, but then used his learning ability to quickly close the gap with the first place, until he surpassed him.

During the brief halftime break, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka drank water to regain his strength while recalling his past successes to calm his mind.

For example, he remembered that he initially lost to Shiro, a classmate in Judo, and in swimming...

The time for reminiscing was short, because the second round immediately began with the teacher's whistle.

Having successfully defended his title Kitagawa Ryo faces Ayanokoji Kiyotaka has a second life.

It was still a powerful and rapid jab, but this time it carried a special greeting from Kitagawa Ryo the wind:

"When you contact those people behind you later, could you please pass on a message for me, just say—"

"On behalf of Yuki, I extend my greetings to Ayanokoji Atsuomi and the White Room."

Chapter 202: Let's Go Together

Snow.

I haven't heard that name in a long time; I only remember that the person was the third to last eliminated from the Fourth Generation.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka narrowed his eyes, unconcealed about the Malice towards the White Room revealed in Kitagawa Ryo's words, and calmly tried to analyze it to obtain some useful information.

If he knows Xue, it means the two crossed paths after Xue left the White Room. In that case, it makes sense that he knows about the White Room and even some information about him.

After all, the other party was also a test subject in the fourth phase, and had lived for quite a while, and had also fought against him before.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka didn't have much time to think, because just like in the first round, Kitagawa Ryo's offensive quickly came down like a storm, leaving Ayanokoji Kiyotaka no time to concentrate.

Dodging Kitagawa Ryo's powerful kick, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka suddenly realized that the range and force of the opponent's attack were somewhat smaller than in the first round.

However, this is not a sign of exhaustion. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had competed against Kitagawa Ryo in the Open Water Swimming, knew very well that Kitagawa's stamina was even slightly better than his own. Since even he showed no signs of exhaustion, Kitagawa was even less likely to be.

He wanted to prolong each round to further deplete his stamina reserves.

The idea flashed into Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's mind instantly, and he was almost certain that this was Kitagawa Ryo's scheme.

Unlike Kitagawa Ryo's group, which consists of four people, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka operates alone, faces significant disadvantages if he becomes physically exhausted, whether moving through the mountains or participating in research projects.

His physical strength is indeed extraordinary, but it is ultimately limited. If he gets entangled with Kitagawa Ryo for too long, it will indeed be a loss.

At this point, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had essentially accepted his defeat to Kitagawa Ryo in the [Freestyle Fighting (team)] category. He hadn't expected Kitagawa Ryo to be so familiar with his tactics and fighting style.

With their physical abilities nearly equal, and him even slightly lagging behind, this small difference was almost fatal. If he could train with Kitagawa Ryo for a few days, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was confident that he could adapt to the other's style and tactics, but reality only gave him four chances.

After a lightning-fast thought, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka jumped off the ring and raised his hand to the teacher in charge, declaring:

"I concede defeat, including the next two matches."

Facing the defeated Ayanokoji Kiyotaka Kitagawa Ryo, knowing that verbal attacks would be ineffective against him, didn't bother to mock him. He simply withdrew his fist quietly and gestured with his chin towards Class C, who had advanced to the second round.

"Should we also finish this quickly?"

"Ahem... we concede defeat too."

After witnessing Kitagawa Ryo and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's one-and-a-half-match duel, the three boys in Class C exchanged glances, waved their hands in defeat, and then began to boast wildly, one after another:

"No wonder he's a friend even the boss of Ryuen acknowledges; even looking at the entire First Year, you probably couldn't find a match for Kitagawa."

"First Year? The whole school! Even second and third year students would have to kowtow and pay homage on the spot."

"Such fast punches, such fast kicks, and such an enviable waist!"

Feeling that the other party had said something inappropriate, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but shake his head and smile. He then turned around and nimbly flipped off the stage, returning to his group members.

Are you injured anywhere?

"How does the coolness feel?"

Although they never doubted that Kitagawa Ryo would win, it was the first time that Ichinose Honami and the other two had seen Ayanokoji Kiyotaka at full strength. Horikita Suzune, in particular, who had a background in Judo, could clearly sense the intensity and density of the fight between the two, and her pretty face turned slightly pale.

"It's nothing, I'm perfectly fine."

"The most important thing is that I got the upgrade opportunity for a regular card. I hope it will be randomly given to me."

Kitagawa Ryo casually tugged at his collar and hem, letting the girls see his shoulders and abdomen to indicate that he was alright, before finally turning on the wristwatch on his wrist.

The first-place prize from the [Freestyle Fighting (Team)] category has been awarded. Besides the 2,500 already deposited into their accounts, several people are more concerned about who will get this upgrade opportunity.

Because the project changed from individual participation to team participation, the original upgrade opportunities and rewards were now randomly allocated.

Kitagawa Ryo knew with his eyes closed that this was yet another way the school was restricting him.

Sure enough, after the four of them checked their watches one by one, they discovered that the upgrade opportunity had been given to Ichinose Honami's [Supply] card.

Because she received a level-up reward in the [Draw and Guess] project before, Ichinose Honami's Supply card has now been upgraded to level three.

[Supply: Cardholders receive a daily food and drinking water Supply equivalent to one meal for four people (lv3)]

"It's Double! At level two it was a meal for two, I thought level three would be a meal for three."

Ichinose Honami spoke with some surprise, but then immediately added regretfully:

"If only I could get Discount Card for Liang, then I'd be at level twelve and could enjoy... um, a 20% Discount?"

"Today is only the eighth day, there's still a chance."

Horikita Suzune offered a word of comfort.

"But that's on the condition that the school doesn't tamper with things."

Sakayanagi Arisu clearly shared the same view as Kitagawa Ryo; she also didn't believe the school would actually sit idly by and let Kitagawa Ryo max out his Discount Card, as that would directly undermine the underlying design of the entire exam.

Unlike the other three who shifted the topic back to the Discount Card, Kitagawa Ryo suddenly became somewhat interested in Honami's Supply card.

If level three is for four people, then level four is for eight people?

But they don't lack food right now, so compared to the Discount Card, the Supply card still feels a bit useless.

While the four were discussing, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka on the stage easily defeated Class B's group in the loser's bracket. As the group that finished last in this project, they could only choose one member to be eliminated.

The projects in this round ended around the same time, and soon after, I started receiving notifications from the school about students who had been eliminated.

While everyone's watches were clanging and vibrating incessantly, Kitagawa Ryo felt a stronger vibration on his wrist. He raised his right hand and saw that someone had called him.

It's by Ishizaki Daichi.

Kitagawa Ryo remembered that he had asked him to look after Shiina Hiyori and Ibuki Mio's group who were participating in the [Newspaper Folding Rock-Paper-Scissors] project.

"Hello, this is Kitagawa, what's wrong?"

"It's me, Ishizaki. I've completed the task you gave me, Kitagawa. It's a shame you didn't get to see the faces of those guys from Class A."

Ishizaki Daichi's familiar voice came from the other end of the communicator, mixed with undisguised laughter:

"I thought they were just a bunch of well-behaved students who only knew how to study, but wow, one likes this, and another dislikes this, but they all have to put on a show. Now they're all doomed."

"After all, they're all sixteen or seventeen-year-old high school students."

Kitagawa Ryo chuckled in response. He now roughly understood Kushida Kikyo's usefulness. This time, with just some relatively minor information, the morale of the three groups in Class A was thrown into chaos. If she were to expose those deeper secrets, the entire class would probably fall into disarray in an instant.

"Alright, alright, you didn't call just to talk about this, did you? Every call is worth a hundred points."

"Oh yes, yes, there is something."

Ishizaki Daichi slapped his thigh, seemingly moving closer on purpose, and said in a low voice:

"Shiina asked me to tell Kitagawa that the first-place prize their group won in the [Newspaper Folding Rock-Paper-Scissors] game—the upgrade opportunity inside—is in her hands, and she said she wants to transfer it to you."

After the darkest hour comes the dawn.

Unexpectedly, while they failed to obtain the common card upgrade opportunity from the first-place reward, Shiina Hiyori, who possessed the special card [Double-Edged Blade], managed to snatch one.

Where are you now? I'm coming right away.

Kitagawa Ryo glanced at the time in the upper right corner of his watch. Considering the time allotted for the group's large-scale project assignments, there probably wouldn't be another round of assignments today.

After obtaining the specific location from Ishizaki Daichi, Kitagawa Ryo also waved his watch at the other three members of the group:

"Ishizaki called, saying there's been a good deal in Hiyori's area. I'll go over and receive it, so I can get a 20% Discount Card tonight..."

Kitagawa Ryo hadn't finished speaking.

As if anticipating his next move, the three of them simultaneously reached out and grabbed his arms, saying in unison with remarkable tacit understanding:

Let's go together.

Chapter 203: A Lie That Was Personalized

"Speaking of which, Shiina, how far have things progressed between you and Kitagawa? Are you officially dating? Who Confessions first?"

"Hey, you've been asking me this incessantly the whole way. A grown man buzzing around like a fly, it's getting really annoying."

Ibuki Mio clicked her tongue heavily, her expression turning unfriendly as she looked at Shiina Hiyori, who was standing beside her, Ishizaki Daichi with questions.

Having finished their [Newspaper Folding Rock-Paper-Scissors] project, the three were heading towards the meeting place with Kitagawa Ryo. Perhaps because simply traveling was too boring, the naturally talkative Ishizaki Daichi simply couldn't stop talking.

"Tch, what do you know, Ibuki?"

Ishizaki Daichi raised his head and snorted dismissively, shaking his finger in a smug, "You have no idea" manner.

"On a small scale, I'm working for the well-being of the boys in our class; on a larger scale, I'm thinking about the interests of our Class C."

"... What nonsense are you spouting?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Faced with Ibuki Mio's questioning, Ishizaki Daichi solemnly counted on his fingers as he explained to her:

"Look, because Kitagawa Ryo keeps coming to our class, even though he mostly looks for Shiina, his attitude towards the girls in our class is impeccable. He even gives them little gifts now and then, so he's incredibly popular among the girls."

"It's not just Class C, it's the same in other classes. The value of being the most handsome guy in the grade is undeniable. So, as long as there's no news of Kitagawa explicitly dating anyone, the girls will still have some unrealistic fantasies."

Ishizaki Daichi was clearly deeply distressed by this phenomenon:

"Our male compatriots suffer greatly from this."

"That's why I said if Kitagawa and Shiina were to date, it would be a blessing for the boys in our class, wouldn't it?"

"As for speaking on a larger scale--"

Ishizaki Daichi drawled out his words, letting out a slightly sly, mischievous laugh:

"This gives us a chance to bring Kitagawa directly into our Class C."

As if to bolster his persuasiveness, Ishizaki Daichi puffed out his chest again:

"The boss of Ryuen also mentioned this matter."

"What do you think, Shiina?"

Faced with Ishizaki Daichi once again throwing the question at her, Shiina Hiyori remained quite calm. While carefully navigating the path, mindful of the roadside branches and weeds, she simply replied:

Whether Liang comes to Class C or not depends on his own wishes.

Ever since she confessed her feelings to Kitagawa Ryo on that the Tempest night, and reached a consensus with her equally close friend Karuizawa Kei, Shiina Hiyori has set her sights on the rest of her life beyond school, after graduation and into adulthood.