The Armchair Detective

"Arisu was probably referring to the last-minute substitution before the match."

Faced with Sakayanagi Arisu's question, Kitagawa Ryo nodded slightly and gave the answer easily.

This can be considered a time lag by the school. Since the prediction activity only appeared a few days after the Sports Festival rules were announced, many students who were attracted to it were more interested in discussing the rules of this activity than the rules of the Sports Festival, and easily overlooked the additional clause that this Sports Festival allowed substitutions before the game.

"If an athlete is unable to participate in the competition before it begins, the class can spend 100,000 Private Points to choose a substitute player to temporarily take the field; otherwise, the event will be declared a loss on the spot."

Kitagawa Ryo recited this rule, one of the many rules of the Sports Festival, fluently.

"The meaning is simple: if the class contributes enough Private Points, the entry form you ultimately submit to the school can instantly become a complete fabrication."

"But the truth is that most students probably put all their Private Points into betting a week before the Sports Festival, only to find themselves short of money when they need them on the day of the Sports Festival."

Sakayanagi Arisu nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

"Yes, this is the time difference that the school deliberately designed. If the class Leader realizes this in advance and prepares Private Points for 'changing substitutes' in advance, then other students in the class will inevitably need to help, and then it will become a question of whether to trust oneself or the group."

To reiterate, most students have become accustomed to treating their Private Points as money, as their private property to spend. In this situation, even if the other party says something like it's for the sake of the class's reputation, they will still feel a bit of moral blackmail. Even if they hand over some points, they will still have some resentment in their hearts.

There were quite a few secret opponents of Miyabi Nagumo in the second year, mainly because he was too ruthless in exploiting the students in classes B, C, and D. He would take 75% of their Private Points every month and make these students monitor and report each other for any extra points they had obtained from other channels. Even Kitagawa Ryo was a little astonished when he first saw this.

The credibility of class Leader is actually limited. Although Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu do not doubt that if they ask the other students in Class B to hand over all their Private Points now, no one will object much, they also know that this will definitely sow the seeds of future problems.

The infighting in Class C is similar, essentially stemming from Ryuen Kakeru's use up, or even overdrawn, all of his credit during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam. This included, but was not limited to, his forceful instruction before the exam that all students who obtained "Free Ride" cards should bind them to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, followed by the complete loss of all Free Ride cards after the exam without any explanation; his complete loss of contact midway through the Uninhabited Island, causing chaos in Class C; and the recent uproar surrounding the five million yen.

Whether it was Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's doing or not, Kitagawa Ryo has heard the rumor more than once in the past two days that "Ryuen Kakeru gained a lot of Private Points by betraying the class's interests during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, which is why he so readily gave up his leadership of the class." Everyone's stories are quite detailed, after all, the Uninhabited Island is only so big, and quite a few students saw Ryuen Kakeru bringing food, drinks and points to Katsuragi Group a few days ago.

With the added fuel of these rumors, the previously wavering opinion in Class C shifted completely to the side of punishing Ryuen. Even students like Ishizaki Daichi, who were originally close to Ryuen Kakeru, were also caught in the crossfire and punished. As a result, those who had previously put on a show of practicing for the Sports Festival simply gave up. It could even be said that the entire class was filled with a vibrant and competitive atmosphere.

As it turns out, Shiina Hiyori really didn't care much about this aspect.

However, on the other hand, it was precisely because of this temporary class Leader's calm demeanor—eating and drinking as usual, occasionally going out on dates—that the atmosphere in Class C didn't completely collapse. On the contrary, some students believed that this was a scheme orchestrated in advance by Shiina Hiyori, just like the situation during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam.

See, wasn't it the same situation on the Uninhabited Island last time— Ryuen Kakeru went missing and the class was in a state of panic, as if everything was doomed?

Guess what happened in the end?

Hey, the Class Points increased by fifty!

"Regarding Class C... even if Ryuen Kakeru wanted to use the substitution tactic on the day of the Sports Festival, I doubt many students in the class would listen to him and obediently go on the field. Besides, he probably wouldn't do it himself, since that would be tantamount to revealing that he actually has a huge amount of points that he's keeping from the whole class."

"Yes, so the main things to pay attention to are Class A and Class D. Firstly, Class A has always been a top-ranked class, so the students there must have accumulated a lot of Private Points. Secondly, there's the issue we just mentioned."

At this point, Sakayanagi Arisu's expression also showed a hint of helplessness:

"If there really were a real-time, quantifiable value like trust level, Class A would undoubtedly be the highest among the four First Year classes. I have no doubt that they would happily give up all their Private Points, judging from the situation on the Uninhabited Island."

"As for Class D, they probably don't have many Private Points left. After all, they got nothing on the Uninhabited Island, and they spent quite a bit on the cruise ship as well. Moreover, the level of trust among classmates is questionable. Ayanokoji gave all the Private Points she got from the third year to Ryuen. It feels like she might actually end up borrowing points from Nagumo to play around."

"Yes, Katsuragi wants to join the Student Council. After all, if he can Student Council in October, it will greatly boost the class's morale."

After explaining these data points to Kitagawa Ryo, Sakayanagi Arisu herself pursed her lips and retorted:

"The more you study it, the more you realize that there are just too many variables in this Sports Festival. All the calculations and planning might end up being a battle of wits with thin air. Sometimes I just want to ignore everything and treat it like any other Sports Festival."

"There's no other way, we have to prepare in advance. The entry form needs to be finalized in the next couple of days. I'll trouble Arisu good care of the arrangements. There can't be any obvious loopholes on the surface. At the very least, we need to convince Class D that we have indeed seen their entry form."

"I see."

"However, I actually agree with Arisu just said. Maybe there are also Sports Festival strategies that don't involve participating in the prediction game at all, but just focus on participating in each game."

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryo shook his head:

"Not losing is winning, not winning is losing, seeing others win is more painful than losing myself... But everyone's thoughts and desires are different, and it is the intertwining of so many emotions that has made this Sports Festival what it is today."

"What about your own wish, Ryou? About this Sports Festival?"

Sakayanagi Arisu stopped and turned back with interest to ask:

"Well--"

Kitagawa Ryo deliberately drew out his words before smiling and giving his answer:

"I want to see Arisu run the entire race smoothly on the track. First place would be better, but last place is fine too. After all, there are two more Sports Festival to come. Take it slow."

"... Um."

Probably not expecting Kitagawa Ryo to say such a thing, Sakayanagi Arisu was first stunned, then she lowered her head and looked at her toes, giving a barely perceptible reply.

"Ryo should be picking me up at the finish line, right?"

"I wouldn't mind Arisu ran right into my arms."

"You said it."

"I said it."

Inside Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's room.

"Class A's entry forms are almost full."

In front of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Hashimoto Masayoshi also put aside his usual frivolous demeanor and seriously pushed a handwritten chart in front of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

"This is part of what I've compiled so far; there shouldn't be any errors or omissions."

Katsuragi Kohei, who was also called over, took the form with some surprise and carefully examined the items that were mostly filled in and the corresponding names. It did not seem like a forgery.

"Hashimoto, no, where did you get this from?"

"I got this from some idiot in Class A. Don't ask me for details; I don't want to recall it and feel disgusted."

Hashimoto Masayoshi rested his chin on his hand, looking quite tired as he spoke.

He was, after all, a handsome guy who was ranked among the top in his class and even his grade. His academic and athletic abilities were also among the best of his peers. However, because of a single instruction from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, he was forced to go against the aesthetic Hashimoto Masayoshi he had been raised with since childhood and start dating a random girl from Class A. This made even Hashimoto Masayoshi, who was usually good at pretending, almost unable to keep up.

But there was nothing he could do. He hadn't followed Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's instructions when he framed Ayanokoji Kiyotaka Ryuen Kakeru during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam. So he had to try to make up for it in other ways. Hashimoto Masayoshi still hoped to get on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's good side, or rather, the coattails of his backers, while protecting himself. After all, he couldn't stay in Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School forever.

"So it's a honey trap, or rather, a handsome guy trap... Anyway, thank you for your hard Hashimoto, Hashimoto."

Compared to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who remained unmoved and calm, Katsuragi Kohei felt that this act of deceiving a girl's feelings was a bit excessive. However, the class had already reached this point after being stranded on the Uninhabited Island, and Hashimoto Masayoshi's actions were also for the sake of the class. Therefore, he finally bowed his head sincerely and thanked her.

"But is this entry form really okay? There's still quite a while before the submission deadline."

Of course, Katsuragi Kohei was always composed, still wanted to confirm the authenticity of the entry form, and after thinking for a moment, he asked the same question again.

"While we can submit the entry forms until the day before the Sports Festival, we definitely can't postpone it until then to finalize the results. After all, we can't let the students find out which events they're going to participate in and in what order the day before the Sports Festival, can we?"

Faced with Katsuragi Kohei's second confirmation, Hashimoto Masayoshi clicked his tongue:

"As for its authenticity, there's even less to worry about. After all, you know the atmosphere in Class A, Katsuragi. Although that girl is just a nobody in the class, she still knows the information she needs."

"Okay, if this Class A competition form is genuine, and considering the information we've already gleaned about Class B through joint training and deduction, then we can say that only Class C remains unknown for the entire First Year."

Katsuragi Kohei nodded, his tone becoming more enthusiastic.

"As for Class C."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka throughout the discussion, finally reacted, nodding to Katsuragi Kohei:

"Leave it to me."

Chapter 285: The Armchair Detective

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood at the entrance of the school library. Since entering the school, he had come here quite often, and the number of books he had borrowed was among the highest of all students. In this respect, he could probably be considered to have grown compared to when he first entered the school.

Humans are creatures that grow and develop, and they are also creatures that enjoy learning.

This is an instinct etched into our genes and blood since ancient times.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's offer to take charge of Class C from Katsuragi Kohei was essentially for the sake of learning.

It's like learning to ride a bicycle, learn to swim, learn to use chopsticks, or learn to use a straw.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wants to learn a lesson called love through Kitagawa Ryo.

Of course, this doesn't mean that he personally developed any special feelings for Kitagawa Ryo; it's just that he would find it much easier to achieve results with this person.

Love is something that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka has never learned in his life, nor has the White Room ever taught him. In fact, after all the Fourth Generation members except him were eliminated, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had not had any contact with the opposite sex for a long time.

However, it is undeniable that after witnessing the relationship and interactions between Amasawa Ichika and Kitagawa Ryo on the Uninhabited Island, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was indeed stimulated by his curiosity, and an unprecedented thirst for knowledge was aroused.

The fact that the object of the affections is Kitagawa Ryo also carries other important significance.

First, after observing for a semester, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka concluded that romance, or rather, relationships with girls, had become an extremely important and indispensable part of Kitagawa Ryo's life, and that their relationship, or rather their Fate, would inevitably be intertwined for the next two years.

If he wants to defeat Kitagawa Ryo in the future, he will definitely need to understand and make use of this information.

Next, we see Kitagawa Ryo's distinct personality in matters of love, completely different from that of other individuals.

Over the course of this semester, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka has encountered many promiscuous dating experts. Whether it's Miyabi Nagumo, who keeps changing girlfriends in her second year, or Hashimoto Masayoshi, a playboy who uses relationships as a means and a tool, they have all given him some food for thought.

But they are completely different types from Kitagawa Ryo.

After all, if you use "Kitagawa Ryo's girlfriend" as the subject in a class discussion now, people will immediately ask you which of his girlfriends you're referring to.

Without a doubt, the course "How to date one woman" is no match for Professor Kitagawa's personal demonstration of "How to date multiple women at the same time," much like the difference between a linear equation and calculus.

As for the last point, it's because the other person's romantic partners also included the test subjects of the White Room.

As the Masterpiece of his life, which has been spent in White Room since birth, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka knows everything about it better than anyone. Even disregarding the ever-present high-pressure learning requirements, the experimental subjects only have a few tens of minutes each day to talk to each other freely during meals and evenings to discuss the day's learning outcomes.

Simply put, it's a place where even the expression of laughter seems unique, let alone the development and budding of romantic feelings, which are a thousand times more difficult than actually laughing.

While he had never met Amasawa Ichika, who belonged to the Fifth Generation, and was unfamiliar with her training regimen, he did have an impression of Yuki, another girl Kitagawa Ryo had mentioned to him several times before. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka did remember her.

He didn't think Kitagawa Ryo would lie to him about this matter. After all, the other party had confidently stated that Yuki would enroll as First Year student next year. If it were a fabricated lie, there would be no need to say such a thing.

All these factors combined were enough for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to solemnly regard Kitagawa Ryo as that encyclopedia of love.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka quietly entered the library and, as he had hoped, caught a glimpse of Kitagawa Ryo and Shiina Hiyori in the reading area.

People can find joy in learning, whether it's reading, exercising, or playing games.

You will feel joy if you personally experience progress.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was well aware that he knew absolutely nothing about romance, let alone love, and was unfamiliar with relationships between men and women, as well as the feelings of shame or pleasure that come with them.

Therefore, he wanted to seek the answers to the questions one by one.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka gently ran his fingertips along the spines of the various books neatly arranged on the bookshelf, occasionally picking one up and flipping through its description.

Just like our current actions, this is simply a learning process.

After acquiring knowledge, one grows and moves forward.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka silently glanced through the gap between the bookshelves, as if he were looking at a textbook called Kitagawa Ryo.

Books will eventually be read to the end, and for a book, once it has been read, its purpose is probably over.

However, at this moment, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had a subtle feeling that he could never turn to the last page and finish reading the book.

This was clearly an irrational judgment, yet it was so clear in that instant.

So, he temporarily set aside this perplexing question, took a step forward towards Kitagawa Ryo and Shiina Hiyori, and then spoke softly, breaking the quiet and peaceful atmosphere:

"I heard you're transferring to Class A, Kitagawa. Congratulations!"

After saying that, without waiting for the two to react, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka turned around and left the library in one swift motion, squinting at the sun high in the sky.

In that case, Class C was naturally dragged into this mess as well.

However, this was just a side job to fulfill a promise made to Katsuragi Kohei.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka put his hands in his pockets and glanced inside the library. There was another person there who was observing the two of them in his place.

This is the most crucial data.

How would Shiina Hiyori react to this, and what attitude would she display?

What will Kitagawa Ryo feel, and what actions will he take in response?

For Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, this was a perfect opportunity to read these books.

Watching Ayanokouji Kiyotaka appear before him like a self-destructing bomb, utter those words, and then disappear in a flash, Kitagawa Ryo Ayanokoji Kiyotaka the corners of his mouth, feeling rather speechless, as if to say, "How come this guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes is starting to use this trick too?"

"Was that Ayanokoji from Class D just now? He just said... Ryo is transferring to Class A?"

At the other end of the desk, Shiina Hiyori a puzzled expression, then subconsciously frowned her handsome eyebrows, seemingly mindful of the 'Keep Quiet' sign posted on the nearby wall. She pursed her lips and quickly stuffed the mystery novel she was holding into her bag.

"Liang, let's go outside and talk."

"... good."

Following the other person's actions, Kitagawa Ryo also tidied his own bag. Then, Shiina Hiyori, who seemed a bit impatient, grabbed his Shiina Hiyori and half-dragged him out of the library. The series of actions made the librarian at the counter in front of him shake his head with a slight smile, thinking to himself, "This is probably what youth is like."