Victory in the first battle

For the sports festival, Classes A and D from all three years formed the red team, while Classes B and C formed the white team.

Tap, tap. Lezheng knocked on Class D's door.

Since Class D was having a self-study period, Lezheng planned to find whoever was in charge and coordinate their lineups so their strongest competitors would not end up facing each other.

"Excuse me, who's in charge of your class's sports festival arrangements?"

"Oh, Lezheng. Come in," Kushida said, stepping forward with a smile to greet him.

"Sorry for the intrusion." Lezheng entered Class D.

"Please wait a moment. We're holding a vote."

At that, Lezheng went to stand in a corner.

"I firmly oppose abandoning the weaker students," Yukimura said resolutely.

"As I said, the students who make sacrifices for the class will receive appropriate compensation afterward," Horikita explained.

"First, tell us what the compensation is," Yamauchi asked.

"I'll give each student who makes a sacrifice 5,000 private points."

In the end, faced with the overwhelming power of 5,000 points, the opposition led by Yamauchi and Yukimura agreed to Horikita's plan.

Horikita glanced at Lezheng and gestured for him to come outside to talk.

"Kei, Lezheng is so handsome," Maya Sato said, watching him leave.

"No wonder he tops the boys' popularity rankings. He looks like such a gentle person, too," Shinohara agreed.

Listening to her friends heap praise on Lezheng, Karuizawa desperately wanted to tell them about her relationship with him, but she was afraid of losing his protection, so she could only nod along.

"Tch, what good are looks? I could wipe the floor with him when it comes to talent. Besides, I'm obviously better-looking than him," Yamauchi retorted indignantly.

"Yamauchi, I think he's way better-looking than you," Ike whispered.

"Ike, it's bad enough you didn't back me up just now, but now you're making snide remarks too?" Yamauchi snapped.

Lezheng followed Horikita to the rooftop.

"I want you to give Class A's roster only to me," Horikita said, looking at Lezheng seriously.

"Does your class have a mole?" Lezheng asked curiously.

"Be careful of Kikyo Kushida." After some thought, Horikita said it anyway.

"All right. I promise."

"And... I have a presumptuous favor to ask." Horikita suddenly grew awkward.

"Do you want to know how President Horikita is doing? He's fine. It looks like Tachibana is about to win him over."

"I'm not asking about my brother's private life. I want to know whether he'll be competing in the mixed relay, and which leg he'll run."

"...Then why ask me? Just ask him yourself. You're siblings. How could there really be a rift between you?" Lezheng was somewhat speechless, but then something occurred to him.

"Are you embarrassed?"

Horikita began to blush and finally nodded faintly.

So Lezheng called President Horikita right in front of her.

"President Horikita, will you be competing in the mixed relay at this sports festival?"

"..." There was a long silence on the other end before he replied, "Yes."

"While I'm at it, which leg are you running?"

"I'm not sure about that either. I'm not the one in charge of sports."

"All right, President Horikita. Goodbye." Lezheng hung up and looked at Horikita with the expression of someone enjoying the drama.

"Thank you. I'll bring you our class's lineup in person later." Horikita had her answer.

A month quietly slipped by.

After a burst of fireworks and ceremonial salutes, the sports festival officially began.

The first event was the 100-meter dash, divided into six heats. Lezheng was in the sixth heat, along with Miyabi Nagumo.

"Hey, Lezheng. I won't go easy on you just because you're my junior," Nagumo greeted him with a smile.

"Then thank you, Nagumo," Lezheng replied.

"On your marks, go!"

As the referee's starting pistol fired, six figures shot forward at once, but Nagumo in lane three and Lezheng in lane four pulled far ahead, leaving the other four students behind.

For the first fifty meters, Nagumo trailed Lezheng by only a body length, but after that, the gap between them gradually widened. Lezheng crossed the finish line half a second before Nagumo.

"Thanks for the race, Nagumo." Lezheng turned back and smiled.

"You..."

Nagumo's eyes widened. He was a year older than Lezheng, and he had even given up his nightlife for a month to prepare for this sports festival. He had never imagined he would still lose.

"I never knew you could run so fast, Lezheng." Nagumo was all smiles on the outside, but inwardly, he was already swearing.

"I've been fast since I was little. The older I got, the faster I ran." Lezheng spread his hands.

The six finalists in the boys' 100-meter dash were Sudo, Horikita Manabu, Class 3-A's sports representative, a student from Class 2-B, Albert Yamada, and Lezheng.

At the first-year judges' table, the four homeroom teachers sat discussing the event.

"I didn't expect our year to have the most competitors in the 100-meter final," Chasuke said, somewhat surprised.

"Sae, your Sudo is really impressive. Only our Class B... C didn't make it into the final," Hoshinomiya said, sounding a little dejected.

"Shibata Hayato was just unlucky to face the Student Council president. Otherwise, he's stronger than that second-year," Mashima said reassuringly.

"Looking at it this way, Lezheng isn't just clever. He's strong in sports too." Sakagami adjusted his glasses.

"Sakagami, you're already scouting Class A's competitors? You must have a lot of faith in that boy Ryuuen," Hoshinomiya quipped.

"Know yourself and your enemy, and you'll never lose a battle."

Back on the track.

Lezheng was assigned lane six, with Horikita Manabu to his left in lane five.

"Lezheng, we may both be on the red team, but let's consider this our first showdown," Horikita proposed.

"All right, President." Lezheng nodded.

"Hey! You can't leave me out of a race like this!" Sudo shouted.

"Man!" The Black student seemed to agree too.

"Let's stake the honor of being the fastest in our entire year on this." The second-year joined in as well.

"Horikita, it's been a long time since we competed." Sasaki patted Horikita on the shoulder.

"In that case, let's settle it at the finish line."

The six took their starting positions. The instant the gun sounded, they shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow.

On the main stage, the commentator stared wide-eyed at the six runners on the track, delivering his commentary at top speed.

"The gun fires, and all six start together! The second-year falls behind! Sudo and Yamada fall behind! Sasaki and Horikita can't keep up with Lezheng! My goodness, Lezheng is still accelerating! He's practically Superman!"

In lane six, Lezheng only had runners to his left, so he could only use Horikita Manabu as his reference. Whenever he could see Horikita Manabu out of the corner of his eye, he felt he still was not fast enough, so he simply kept accelerating until there was no one beside him.

"Lezheng... he's practically flying." Hashimoto was so shocked that he stammered.

"Lezheng really is strong," Katsuragi said with feeling.

How does this speed compare to yours, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji?

Sakayanagi tightened her grip on her cane.