The classes began preparing for the sports festival a month away. The school announced that they could freely use their weekly two-hour homeroom period, with each class deciding its own arrangements.
After Mashima finished speaking, he stepped aside and handed the podium over to Katsuragi.
Perhaps because Sakayanagi could not compete, command of the sports festival still fell to Katsuragi.
Sakayanagi sat in her seat, her expression calm, showing no sign of dissatisfaction. Yet her gaze held a hint of interest as it rested on Katsuragi at the front of the classroom.
Takahashi Ren knew perfectly well that if Sakayanagi really wanted command, she could take it with ease. She simply had not fought for it.
"I have a few ideas about the sports festival." Katsuragi opened his notebook. "First, we need to settle two things: the order of participation in the mandatory events, and the participants for the nominated events."
The classroom fell silent.
"There isn't much to say about the team events. For the individual races among the mandatory events, I suggest assigning places by ability, then taking personal preferences into account."
He drew a simple table on the blackboard. "Take the hundred-meter dash, for example. Each class sends two people into each heat. If we put two fast runners in the same heat, the opposing side will have an easier time taking the other heat. But if we pair a strong runner with a weak one, we could score points in both."
Takahashi Ren agreed with this approach. This arrangement offered the best chance of winning.
Of course, for the less capable students, it meant being placed in different heats from the stronger runners, leaving them with even fewer chances to win rewards.
Still, Class A's students probably would not care that much about those few personal points or written exam points.
Sure enough, no one objected.
"The three-legged race is a little different. Speed is only part of it. Coordination is the key. So I'd like people who work well together to pair up whenever possible-friends, or people who usually spend time together."
Katsuragi continued, "The principle for the nominated events is similar. But for events that depend entirely on luck, like the scavenger hunt, I suggest drawing lots and letting luck decide who takes part."
He closed his notebook and looked up. "Any objections?"
"Katsuragi's plan covers every aspect. It's very reasonable." Totsuka Yahiko was the first to voice his support.
Several students from the Katsuragi Faction nodded along. But that was all-just those few. The scattered responses were like a stone thrown into deep water, making a single sound before everything went still again.
No one from the Sakayanagi Faction spoke.
Masayoshi Hashimoto leaned back in his chair, his expression giving no indication of what he was thinking. Masumi Kamuro looked down, twirling her pen. Hayato Kito sat in a corner like a statue, not even lifting his eyelids.
No one looked at Katsuragi. At least, no one was waiting for his next move. Everyone's attention was drifting, however subtly, in one direction-toward Sakayanagi's seat.
The classroom remained silent for several seconds. It was a peculiar silence. They were not waiting for Katsuragi to continue, but for someone else to speak.
Katsuragi stood at the podium, still clutching his notebook. Of course, he had noticed it too.
After a moment of silence, he turned toward Sakayanagi.
"Sakayanagi, do you have any objections?"
"No," she said casually. "Katsuragi's plan is very reasonable."
As her words fell, the students of the Sakayanagi Faction seemed to receive some sort of signal. The tension they had been holding suddenly dissipated.
"Then it's settled," Katsuragi said. "Next, anyone who wants to take part in the nominated events, come sign up with me."
The classroom stirred. Students rose in twos and threes and walked over to Katsuragi.
Takahashi Ren sat in his seat, thinking about the three-legged race.
According to Katsuragi, it was best to pair up with someone he worked well with. Naturally, the first people who came to mind were Ishida and Toba Shigeru.
But there were three of them. The three-legged race was a two-person event, so someone would have to run an extra race.
He opened the materials and glanced over the rules again-the three-legged race allowed repeat participation.
In other words, there was nothing stopping Ishida from running once with Toba Shigeru, then again with him.
I'll go talk to them. Takahashi Ren prepared to stand.
"Takahashi."
A low voice came from beside him.
Takahashi Ren looked up. At some point, Hayato Kito had come to stand beside his seat, his rugged face showing little expression.
"Want to pair up with me for the three-legged race?"
Takahashi Ren paused in surprise.
Hayato Kito was the quietest person in Class A. He almost never initiated a conversation, much less approached someone to form a team.
Some people in the classroom had already noticed them, and several gazes drifted their way.
Two thoughts ran through Takahashi Ren's mind.
One was: Was this Sakayanagi's idea?
The other was: Or could he really not find anyone?
With that face, Kito really was not someone people readily approached. Perhaps he had come to him because he truly had no one to pair up with.
Takahashi Ren did not dwell on it.
"Sure." He agreed.
He had originally planned to ask Ishida or Toba Shigeru, but Kito had spoken first. Switching partners did not matter. It was only a three-legged race; being tied to one person was no different from being tied to another.
Once Kito heard his agreement, he said nothing more and turned to leave.
During the break, Ishida and Toba Shigeru came over.
"You said yes to Kito?" Ishida asked in surprise.
"Yeah."
"Why would he ask you? You two don't even talk normally, do you?"
"No idea," Takahashi Ren said. "He asked me, so I said yes."
"Aren't you scared of him?" Toba Shigeru asked. "The way he looks really is pretty frightening."
"You shouldn't judge people by their looks," Takahashi Ren said.
"Knowing that is one thing. Actually doing it is another," Toba Shigeru said. "If it were me, I'd definitely turn him down and keep my distance."
"That's why you're Toba Shigeru," Takahashi Ren said.
Toba Shigeru froze for a moment, then laughed. "That's right."
"Still, this sports festival should come down to athletic ability, right?" Ishida brought the conversation back on track. "The athletic people will have the advantage, and everyone else can only watch."
"There's luck too," Toba Shigeru said. "Getting matched against a lousy opponent helps more than anything. Heh heh."
"Pretty much," Takahashi Ren said. "As long as the participation roster doesn't get leaked."
"The participation roster?" Ishida looked at him. "You mean the order each class arranges its participants in?"
"Yeah. The participation roster determines who competes and when."
Takahashi Ren nodded. "If we could get the order of participation for everyone in another class, then compare it with each person's athletic ability, we could work out in advance which events we could score in and which ones we should concede."
"That couldn't happen, could it?" Ishida shook his head. "The class leader keeps the participation roster the whole time, and once it's submitted, it can't be changed. Besides, there's nothing to gain from leaking it."
"Exactly. Who would do that?" Toba Shigeru muttered.
"You're right. I was overthinking it," Takahashi Ren said.
Sakayanagi had already won. She had no need to go out of her way to leak the participation roster just to frame Katsuragi.
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