He Really Did That-I'm in Tears / Girls Who Smile Can Lie Too

"Tch, it's not that I'm worried about what you'll do, it's just that I've bet so much on you, don't waste my points, that's for sure."

After saying that, Ryuen Kakeru didn't care whether Ken Sudō and Yamada Albert had listened or not, and immediately went back to directing the students in his class. After all, the Class D that attacked them was there, and he himself had not been able to completely regain command of the class. To be honest, the pressure was not small at all.

With the referee's whistle, the Bo-taoshi officially began. Although the number of students in Class 1-B was small, their momentum was quite strong. In particular, the strange shouts of the two muscular men, Ken Sudō and Yamada Albert, which led the way, had a perfect effect of seizing the initiative.

"Tie them down as much as possible to buy time for Class D!"

Faced with this situation, Shibata Sō shouted back without backing down. The boys of Class A quickly circled the pole in the center of the circle three times, looking ready for battle.

The boys in Class A were of good overall quality and strength, and they also had the advantage in numbers. More importantly, they were quite united. As soon as Ken Sudō and Yamada went up, they were each surrounded by three or four boys. The remaining boys huddled together, firmly supporting their poles so as not to be pushed over, and they managed to withstand the first wave of attack from Class B.

However, with the addition of Kitagawa Ryo, the already stretched Class B defense line was quickly breached. At this rate, the already shaky pole would be completely toppled in less than a minute.

"Something's wrong. Class C's defense is having a really tough time."

Just as Class 1-B was making promising progress, Miyake Akito, who had been keeping a close eye on Class C, suddenly reported this to Kitagawa Ryo, and then quickly explained to him that Kitagawa Ryo had just pushed aside two more boys from Class A:

"Several boys in Class C are slacking off; they seem like moles."

"There was no mole, it was just betting on the Red Team to win the Bo-taoshi... This event actually has a pretty high level of attention."

While struggling to break free from the three boys' strong hold, Ken Sudō suddenly shouted, as if to encourage himself:

"But it's okay!"

With an unprecedentedly powerful momentum, Ken Sudō, like a bull, charged forward with three boys hanging on him. Just when Class C was about to give up, he broke through the gap that Kitagawa Ryo had created for him, knocked down Class A's defensive pole first, and led the White Team to score the first point.

"I bet on myself to win!"

Ken Sudō, who had fallen to the ground, straightened up, revealing a hearty smile that said, "The odds are right, I'll crush anyone who comes near."

Chapter 301: He really is... I'm crying my eyes out (4k5)

"... He just told me to be careful, but I've ended up like this. If things really come to this, we should just tactically give up the next round and wait for the third round to decide the winner."

After finishing the first round of the Bo-taoshi and reuniting with the Class C Student Council who were responsible for defense in this Kitagawa Ryo, Ryuen Kakeru glanced helplessly at Ryuen Sho, who was covered in dust and looked rather disheveled, and took the initiative to make this suggestion.

"I'm mostly fine, but it was quite a close call. If you guys had been any slower, we would have lost."

Although he said that, Ryuen Kakeru's hand unconsciously touched his back, where there was a large footprint clearly visible. The battle between Class C and Class D was too chaotic. With dust flying everywhere and a mole in his own class taking advantage of the situation, he himself was kicked hard by someone while guarding the pole.

"Tsk."

Thinking of this, Ryuen Kakeru smacked his lips again, turned around and glared fiercely at the boys in Class C. If it weren't for the fact that the Sports Festival was still in progress, he probably would have lost his temper on the spot.

However, this was a result that Ryuen Kakeru had anticipated. He could indeed use his violent methods to forcefully stop some students in his class and second- and third-year students from collaborating to sabotage other participants before the start of the Sports Festival, but he simply couldn't stop these people from placing bets and their subsequent actions of either throwing the game or betraying the team during the Sports Festival.

But precisely because of this, Ryuen Kakeru never placed his hopes on the students in his own class. Instead, he chose to cooperate with Miyabi Nagumo first, using his class's competition registration form as a pledge and a stepping stone to make a deal with him. After exploiting the other party's psychology to expand the total prize pool, he then staked all five million Private Points on Kitagawa Ryo.

"Let's do as Kitagawa says. If our Class C is on the offensive this round, we really can't win. It's best to conserve our energy."

And so, Ryuen Kakeru readily agreed to Kitagawa Ryo's suggestion, and then directly abandoned both offense and defense with Class 1-B, allowing the Red Team to win the second round and keeping the suspense of the outcome until the final round.

The students of Class 1-B, now back on the offensive, were eager to fight. However, Class 1-A, who had already noticed the major problems within Class C, the defending team, were equally confident. After all, their students were unlikely to bet on the opposing team's victory, and even if they did, they couldn't do it openly in the current atmosphere. Therefore, their defensive formation was even tighter than in the first round, just waiting for Class D to break through Class C and win.

Needless to say, Class 1-D was already just one step away from victory in the first round. Class C was clearly in even worse shape than before, so now was the perfect opportunity to kick them while they were down.

So, with the referee's whistle, Class 1-B and Class D, as the two attacking teams, once again charged towards the opponent's defensive formation.

As one of the few team events in the Sports Festival, the Bo-taoshi naturally has a lot of points. Ryuen Kakeru, the ultimate gambler who bet five million Private Points Kitagawa Ryo would become the all-grade scorer, was now going all out. He forcefully dragged his foot on the sand in front of him, kicking up a cloud of dust to slightly hinder the Class D boys rushing towards him, while turning around and loudly threatening the boys from his own class:

"I don't care how much any of you have bet on this project, but the total prize pool is only a few hundred thousand or a million. Even if you win, you won't get that much in the end. But if you lose today, and it's found out later, you can forget about staying in Class C!"

It has to be said that, thanks to Ryuen Kakeru's past image in Class C, his hysterical roar really scared away several students who had bet on the Red Team to win. Under Ishizaki Daichi's leadership, they hurriedly surrounded the pole and began to defend in a seemingly proper manner.

However, this barely organized resistance still appeared quite pale and weak in the face of the overwhelming Class 1-D. The boys of Class D, formerly Class A, were really not bad in terms of overall strength. Led by Hirata Yosuke and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, they quickly gathered a group of burly male students belonging to sports clubs such as soccer and basketball and barged straight in.

Katsuragi Kohei stood at the rear, loudly giving instructions. The surging students, unhurriedly forming a human wall, broke through Class C's defenses and quickly approached the pole. The number of students defending the outer perimeter gradually decreased, and the exaggerated screams of many Class C boys could be heard, which annoyed Ryuen Kakeru, but he still tried his best to give instructions:

"Get up, all of you! Grab their feet and drag them down!"

But at this point, no matter how much Ryuen Kakeru shouted, or even repeatedly made elbowing motions that bordered on fouls in an attempt to stop Class D' s advance, the students of Class D still managed to reach the pole in no time. Although they could see that Kitagawa and the others from Class B had also advanced to a position where they were almost touching the pole, it seemed that they would not be able to catch up.

With things having come to this, Ryuen Kakeru had no choice but to retreat back to the pole and grab it with both hands and feet to prevent it from falling over. However, the students from Class D rushed over and were hit hard. Ryuen Kakeru groaned, and the pole he was supposed to protect tilted significantly. It was only with great difficulty that it was stabilized.

Seeing that this tactic was effective, Ishizaki Daichi was nearby, followed suit and clung to the pole with all his might, just like Ryuen Kakeru. The students from Class D nearby couldn't separate the two of them for a while, and they crowded around, causing chaos in the scene.

"Who hit my stomach?!"

A moment later, Ishizaki Daichi shouted angrily, but no one responded. Ryuen Kakeru on the other side suffered almost the same treatment. However, the two of them had to hold the pole with their hands and feet, and were completely unable to make an effective counterattack. They could only lock their heads and bend their bodies like turtles to protect their vitals, desperately enduring the good news from Kitagawa Ryo.

As Class A's defense faltered, the Class D students, who had been unable to break through, resorted to increasingly aggressive tactics.

Ultimately, this is also due to the consistently poor reputation of Class 1-C in the grade. If the most popular Class A were standing here desperately defending, the students in Class D probably wouldn't be able to bring themselves to be too ruthless.

As if settling a personal score, taking advantage of the human wall blocking the view of the outside world, a man suddenly stepped on Ryuen Kakeru's back, who was stubbornly holding his ground, and kicked him with all his might.

It's Hashimoto Masayoshi from Class D.

"You bastard—"

No sooner had Ryuen Kakeru roared than Hashimoto Masayoshi added another kick. After all, the two had already formed a grudge on the Uninhabited Island because of that frame-up incident, and they certainly couldn't let go of such a good opportunity that had come to them.

Just as Class 1-D was about to succeed, the merciless whistle suddenly blew, and Class 1-A, the defending team of the Red Team, finally failed to withstand the fierce attack of Class B and was defeated before Class C.

"Damn it, it was so close!"

Totsuka Yahiko spat out a mouthful of spittle, somewhat resentfully, and complained to Ryuen Kakeru, who was lying flat on the ground not far away, finally relaxing after hearing the whistle:

"Just how much did Ryuen invest in this project? They're going all out; I feel like their future projects will be affected."

"Stop talking, Totsuka. Try to conserve your energy; we need to get to the tug-of-war Matoba."

After losing the match, Katsuragi Kohei's expression was not good either. Of course, he also noticed Hashimoto Masayoshi's act of taking revenge, but after all, the Sports Festival was in progress, and it was a student from Class C who was being taught a lesson. He could not point out this behavior in front of the referee on the spot, so he could only pretend not to see it for the time being.

"Okay, okay, to be honest, the school's schedule is too tight, I'm already exhausted."

Totsuka Yahiko muttered a complaint under his breath. The other students also looked tired to varying degrees. While the boys were having their Bo-taoshi, the girls finished their race and rushed to the tug-of-war Matoba without taking a break.

This is also what makes Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School's Sports Festival different from other high schools. The physically demanding team and individual competitions are held one after another, which is undoubtedly a huge test of the students' physical reserves and energy management.

"Can you still get up? Do you need to change your clothes?"

Since the next tug-of-war will still be between the Red Team and the White Team, Kitagawa Ryo walked into Class C's camp without any hesitation and asked Ryuen Kakeru, who had been a punching bag for a while in the previous Pole Toppling, with concern.

"I won't die. Sooner or later, I'll pay Hashimoto back Hashimoto."

Ryuen Kakeru gritted his teeth and waved his hand. Perhaps it was because his resilience was at its peak, or perhaps it was because the joy of the White Team's final victory overwhelmed the physical pain at this moment, but the proud Dragon Boy still waved his hand with great momentum and led the students of Class C out first.

"I was a little unsure before who placed the five million bets on Liang, but now it seems quite obvious."

Because she didn't participate in the hurdles race, Sakayanagi Arisu had come to watch early, somehow found herself standing next to Kitagawa Ryo again, and remarked this with a sigh as she watched Ryuen Kakeru's departing figure.

"The four million he claimed to have invested in Nagumo, which he revealed on the forum, is indeed a bit exaggerated; otherwise, it would have been quite easy to confirm."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded in agreement, but immediately added:

"But even without his five million, I'm still aiming for the all-time leading scorer in my grade this time."

To be honest, it was precisely because he had never revealed his feelings to others that Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami were so hesitant in their respective choices.

The bet between Kitagawa Ryo and Kiryuin Fuka was made before the guessing game was introduced, and it was known only to the two of them from beginning to end.

In this situation, even Kitagawa Ryo himself was a little surprised that Ryuen Kakeru would so simply and crudely bet all five million Private Points on him. The results of the Uninhabited Island Special Exam had already shown that he was not the type of person who excessively pursued first place and winning alone. Therefore, Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami did not know his specific plans for this Sports Festival, nor did they know whether he would go all out or try to trick someone and give up on his personal victory. As a result, they did not bet all their points on him.

After all, unlike Ryuen Kakeru, whose five million yen belonged only to him, Karuizawa Kei's five million yen was the sum of the entire class's savings, Ichinose Honami had even borrowed it directly from Katsuragi Kohei of Class D. Both of them had to be extremely cautious.

"I knew it. But all the betting channels are closed now, otherwise I would have immediately used all my Private Points after hearing Liang say that himself."

Sakayanagi Arisu leisurely tone, making it impossible to fathom her true thoughts.

"Now that I've told you the truth, Arisu should tell me your stance on this Sports Festival, right?"

Faced with Kitagawa Ryo's question, Sakayanagi Arisu lowered her head and thought for a moment, before finally raising the corners of her mouth to reveal a smile that Kitagawa Ryo knew all too well:

"My stance is simply to add weight to this duel between the two of us. I might not even care if Ryo really transfers to Class A. Rather, what I might be hoping for is this opportunity to face Ryo again?"

"You're still so competitive, Arisu."

"After all, if you can't vent your frustrations in certain areas, you have no choice but to switch to a different track to pursue victory."

Sakayanagi Arisu said this subtly, without a hint of regret. Since they had already reached the tug-of-war Matoba, she didn't say anything more, but her lips twitched involuntarily as she looked at the very familiar Matoba before her.

In any case, the Four-Way Tug-of-War on the Uninhabited Island was a humiliating experience for her in every way, otherwise she wouldn't have been so determined to exercise afterward.

Watching Sakayanagi Arisu walk towards the front of the girls' group with a look of grim determination, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but chuckle. However, he quickly regained his composure and, together with Ryuen Kakeru, arranged the boys from Class B and Class C in order of height. The last part of the rope was led by the tall and strong Yamada Albert, who looked much more reliable than the Red Team on the other side.

As expected, even with the addition of Class A, Class D, which had repeatedly lost to Class B boys in training matches, was no match for the combined BC team. The White Team easily won two rounds against them.

Meanwhile, in the girls' group, the White Team also reversed the score of the Red Team by 2 to 1. After the two team events, the White Team, which was not favored before the competition, took the advantage, which also caused students such as Hirata Yosuke, Shibata Sō and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka in the Red Team to fall behind in the total score.

"Did you see that, Ryo? We won!"

The girl who excitedly ran up to Kitagawa Ryo was Shiina Hiyori from Class C. Perhaps it was her first time participating in a team sport like tug-of-war, as her face was flushed with a mixture of excitement and fatigue, and her palms were red from rubbing together. Kitagawa Ryo unconsciously grabbed her and looked at her several times, a little worried that this literary girl, despite her boastful tone, whose physical fitness was definitely below average, might be injured.

"It's okay, I applied some anti-friction powder beforehand."

Although she said that, Shiina Hiyori showed no intention of pulling her hands back. Instead, she leaned forward and enveloped Kitagawa Ryo's ears and cheeks on either side, speaking in a light, airy tone:

"Is it still a little warm? I felt like it was going to catch fire when I pulled it out."

As one of the very few people who didn't participate in the predictions at all during this Sports Festival, Shiina Hiyori clearly came with the mindset of enjoying the game. With her stroking his cheek, Kitagawa Ryo felt much more relaxed.

"Yes, I hope Hiyori has fun."

"Winning will make me even happier. My next event is the girls' Cavalry Battle. Liang, if there aren't any events then, remember to come watch!"

"Good."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded in agreement, but his gaze sharpened for a moment.

The First Year girls' Cavalry Battle was another event where the total prize pool changed significantly in the last hour before the contest ended yesterday.

Chapter 302: Even Smiling Girls Can Lie (5k)

After making this promise with Shiina Hiyori, Kitagawa Ryo immediately returned to his class's camp. The next event for the boys' group was the 400-meter obstacle course. The track had already been set up by the school staff, and it was clear that many obstacles such as balance beams, railings, and low rope nets that required crawling were placed on the track. Although the race was only 400 meters long, it was by no means easy.

Kitagawa Ryo also signed up for the project; in fact, he filled out almost every single event that boys could participate in, something that even fellow athlete Ken Sudō didn't do.

While theoretically the school doesn't prevent students from signing up for all events, and this could even help them compete for the top scorer in their grade or the whole school, it's still quite difficult to fill the one-day Sports Festival with all the events non-stop except for lunch breaks. Trying to do too many events might even lead to exhaustion in the later events where they should be stronger, which seems unnecessary.

However, none of these were problems for Kitagawa Ryo. With his relentless training day after day and the support of his many talents, even Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, a product of the White Room, could not compare to him in terms of stamina and physical fitness. This intensity of the Sports Festival was just a piece of cake for him.

In the 400-meter steeplechase, the only slightly competitive opponent in Kitagawa Ryo's group was Shibata Sō from Class 1-A. This was because Shibata had excellent short-distance explosive power and his physique was not as burly as Ken Sudō's, but rather agile and well-proportioned, so his support rate was also quite high.

Although Kitagawa Ryo felt that many of those betting on Shibata Sō were students from Class A, since the latter was very popular and well-regarded among the boys and girls in their class, they always had a slight advantage from the start.

However, a few minutes later, Kitagawa Ryo's perfect performance ruthlessly crushed the high expectations of Class A students for Shibata Sō. Even though the opponent tried his best to catch up in the second half of the race and his movements over obstacles were quick and fast, he still couldn't catch up with Kitagawa Ryo before the finish line and ended up losing in second place.

"I lost to Kitagawa again, the third time now."

Shibata Sō himself seemed quite helpless about the result, shaking his head and complaining at the finish line. The first two races he mentioned were the "Beach Flag Capture" challenge that the two of them had participated in together on the Uninhabited Island and the men's 100-meter race that had just ended an hour earlier.

"When we were crawling just now, I felt that your core strength had improved since we were on the Uninhabited Island. I heard you've been going to the gym every day lately. Could you recommend a good personal trainer or course?"

It has to be said that most of the students in Class 1-A do have a natural talent for making friends. Before Kitagawa Ryo could react, Shibata Sō had already put his arm around his shoulder and even unconsciously squeezed his muscle.

"Actually, there's no secret. I'll tell you next time we meet at the gym. I have to go prepare for my next workout. Bye!"

Seeing that the girls' Cavalry Battle had already started, Kitagawa Ryo didn't have time to chat with Shibata Sō, who had taken the initiative to talk to him. He swayed slightly and shook off the other's arm, running away in a few steps.

When Kitagawa Ryo rushed to the girls' Cavalry Battle competition, the designated circular area was already a chaotic mess. Dozens of girls from four classes, with a dozen horses, were physically fighting each other. Since points were awarded for removing headscarves from the opponent's head, it looked more like a hair-pulling battle than Cavalry Battle from a distance.

There were only sixteen girls in Class 1-B, which was just enough for four groups. The four girls who served as riders were Ichinose Honami, Sakura Airi, Horikita Suzune, and Sakayanagi Arisu.

In theory, the list of these four riders also reveals the current ecosystem within the girls' circle of Class 1-B. After all, the "Cavalry Battle" project is essentially about having others ride on your back. If you don't have the connections and reputation, even if you want to be a rider, you won't be able to find three girls willing to be your horse.

Needless to say, Ichinose Honami and Sakura Airi are among the most popular in their class and even the entire grade. They are the type who can easily form a trio. Sakayanagi Arisu Matsushita Chiaki's small group, and her relatively light weight makes her easy to carry, which is also an advantage.

As for Suzune... well, after the first three groups were established, the remaining four girls stared at each other for a while, and it seemed that the most suitable one was Horikita Suzune, the current Student Council member.

As for Amasawa Ichika?

No one knows what agreement she reached with Sakayanagi Arisu, but she had already joined Sakayanagi's group early on. As soon as Kitagawa Ryo's gaze shifted, he saw her as the middle horse carrying Arisu, fiercely attacking Kushida Kikyo's group in Class D. He could vaguely see some of the style that Kitagawa Ryo Sakayanagi Arisu the battlefield on the Uninhabited Island.

In fact, they were the most active group in Class B on the field. Although Ichinose Honami and Sakura Airi, they couldn't get rid of the cumbersome weight they carried at this time. Their speed and frequency of movement and attack were really not as good as Sakayanagi Arisu and the others.

Although the rules for the team event, Cavalry Battle, were the same as the previous tug-of-war and Bo-taoshi — the Red Team of the AD alliance versus the White Team of the BC alliance— Kitagawa Ryo glanced around and noticed that the situation on the field was more like Class B fighting two against one, with most of the girls from Class C standing by and watching.

As for why I said "most", it's because Kitagawa Ryo spotted the armchair detective riding on Ibuki Mio, Nishino Takeshi, and another girl from Class C, charging fiercely towards Karuizawa Kei's group from Class A.

Speaking of which, does a movable armchair count as a wheelchair?

After glancing at Shiina Hiyori, who was having a great time, Kitagawa Ryo's attention was immediately drawn to Horikita Suzune, who had taken the lead in capturing the flag and the girl rider's headband from Class D. He subconsciously shouted "Go for it!" in Suzune's direction, but this caused Horikita Suzune suddenly turned around, to lose her balance and almost fall off the backs of the other girls. She gave him a slightly smug glare.

Faced with Horikita Suzune's adorable reaction, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. Suddenly, someone patted his right shoulder. When he turned around, he saw it was Kiryuin, a second-year student.

"Why are you here with the girls? Which girlfriend are you looking for?"