『』『』『』『』『』
The next competition was capture the flag. Though simple, it was still a fierce and slightly dangerous event.
"All right. We're definitely winning this one, guys. Since that asshole Kouenji and that moron Kumagawa aren't here, we've gotta get that much more fired up!" shouted Sudou.
He was trying to inspire the Class A and D boys gathered in front of him.
They were facing off against the boys from Class B, led by Ryuen, and from Class C, led by Katsuragi. Even though Katsuragi had practically lost his authority in Class C after his failure in the previous special exam, their current de facto leader, Sakayanagi, could not participate due to her condition. So the role naturally returned to Katsuragi temporarily.
Among the Class B group were several students who looked especially strong, though none of them were familiar faces. One of them stood out in particular, a large and well-built half-Japanese, half-black student named Yamada.
Still, regardless of their numbers or appearance, there was nothing to do but fight with everything they had. According to the rules, the group that captured the flag twice would win. During their earlier discussion, Ichinose, Kanzaki, and Hirata had agreed that their classes would switch between offense and defense in turns.
Dividing everyone strictly into offense and defense would have been too risky. This way, it was easier to follow and adjust to the situation.
"Well, don't worry. I'll beat our enemies to a pulp by myself," said Sudou.
"Uh, but aren't you supposed to go after the flag?" Ayanokouji asked, a little concerned.
"Can't make any promises. I'm still pissed off because of Kouenji and Kumagawa. Grrr."
He flipped the other team off, not even trying to hide his hostility.
"Sudou-kun is really fired up, it seems, but maybe you could tone it down a little? It would be bad for us if you were disqualified right at the start," said Kanzaki.
Blatant violence like punching or kicking was, of course, prohibited. However, the school would overlook a certain degree of roughness. Pushing, grabbing, and similar contact were expected.
"Ugh... I'm starting to feel a little scared. This is the first time I've played capture the flag," Ayanokouji muttered.
"Hm? Didn't you have it at a junior high sports festival or something, Ayanokouji-kun?" It seemed Kanzaki overheard him and gave him a questioning look.
"No, this is my first time..."
"What the hell, Ayanokouji? Then do you even know how to play this properly? Don't be a burden to the class," Yamauchi complained.
"..."
Ayanokouji felt a slight irritation at his words. Yamauchi's athletic scores were among the lowest in Class D, and even Ayanokouji could say with confidence that he was superior to him in that area.
From what he understood, the game was simple. The goal was to invade the opponent's territory, take their flag, and bring it back safely to your own base. The rules and structure were straightforward, but the match itself was physically demanding. You had to hold your opponents back and break through their defense.
While they were still in the middle of that dull conversation, the signal rang out. Sudou charged forward immediately, taking the lead without hesitation. Soon, the more aggressive players followed after him.
"Dude, this is bad! Let's go, Ayanokouji! I really don't want Sudou to kill me for slacking off!" Ike cried.
The less aggressive group, Ike, Yukimura, Yamauchi, and Ayanokouji, moved in more slowly from rear.
Just like them, the combined Class B and C team had split their members between offense and defense. Coordination would be more difficult for them than for a single class. It seemed that Class C was taking on defense in this first round. They were already waiting ahead.
According to the rules, the attacking teams from each side were not allowed to interfere with one another. The offense had to focus solely on capturing the flag.
"Anyone who wants to die, bring it!" Sudou roared as he dove straight into the opponent's defensive line. Using his height and strength, far beyond what you would expect from a first year, he tore through the students guarding the flag one after another.
"Stop him! Stop Sudou!" someone from Class C shouted.
Immediately, several defenders surrounded him. It seems they had already marked Sudou as a dangerous opponent right from the beginning and assigned multiple people just to keep him from going on a rampage.
"Shit. Just how many of you are coming at me?!"
Three or four students pushed against him at once and managed to overpower him. The advance stopped right before it could break through.
Class D's problem was that, despite Sudou's offensive and penetrative powers, no one else could match him. Students who lacked aggression, like the Professor and Ayanokouji, became weak points in the offense. Even if most of the defender were average in temr of strenght, the other side was using their numbers efficiently.
"Dude, this is bad, Ken! Class A! That half-Japanese guy, Yamada or whatever, he's going wild on them!"
"Huh?!"
Sudou turned to look. The Red Team's flag, which Class A had been protecting, was already tilted to one side. Class B had several students as rough as Sudou. Some of them moved like trained fighters. It wasn't hard to imagine how easily they broke through Class A's defense. The difference in strength was obvious. If Ryuen gave the order, they would fight like it was life or death.
"Ah, come on! What are you guys even doing?! C'mon, fight like your lives depend on it!" Sudou shouted.
He glared at the flag that had nearly fallen and turned his anger toward the rest of Class D, who still hadn't managed a proper attack.
"Dude, yelling at us doesn't help. It's just... those guys are really strong, you know? Ouch. Uh, I got a scrape, man."
"Come on, it's just a scratch! Grit your teeth and man up. I don't care what you do. Bite them, kick their knees, just fight back! You're useless!" Sudou shouted.
Even if he said that, either of those would count as a foul and could get them disqualified immediately. Instead of trying to fix the situation, Sudou was consumed by his emotions. With his violent personality, he couldn't see the bigger picture.
"Tch. All right, this time we're definitely gonna protect our flag. Right, everyone?!"
"Y-yeah, we got it. We'll do whatever we can."
"No, don't just 'do whatever you can.' We're definitely protecting it, for sure. Even if it's for an hour—or two hours!"
Class D also lacked unity and motivation. Most of them simply didn't have much ambition. Even with good incentives, the difference between those who cared and those who didn't was clear. In the end, it depended on each individual.
Meanwhile, Class B was completely united. Through sheer tyranny, their students stayed motivated, making them formidable opponents.
"Ayanokouji, don't let the flag go down, even if you die! Even if it's just a joke, you're still number two in the class!" Sudou shouted.
Apparently, being ranked just below Sudou in physical strength meant Ayanokouji had to guard the flag with him. With Sudou watching, he couldn't slack off, even if he wanted to.
Suddenly, Kumagawa's face came to mind.
How nice...
If he could just get lightly injured by accident, he could sit this out. He didn't have much motivation to begin with. But if that happened, Horikita and Sudou would surely scrutinized him, which something that he wanted to avoid.
"All right, no screwing around! We can't let them get another win! I'm gonna send that jerk Ryuen flying!"
During the first round, Ryuen had been on the attacking side. Even so, he mostly stayed back and observed, likely because they already had the advantage. That alone was enough to annoy Sudou.
"All right. Come on and attack, B. Come and attack us, B," Sudou muttered.
He could mutter all he liked, but if Class B regrouped and launched an attack, we would be in trouble. It would be better for us if Class A went on the offense instead. The second round was about to begin. Then, just as expected...
"They're coming! They're coming, they're coming!"
Things were unfolding exactly as Sudou wanted, though it still surprised Ayanokouji a little. The powerful Class B students prepared to charge, with Ryuen Kakeru laughing fearlessly from the rear. Like a general commanding his troops, he gave the order the moment the signal was given. A simple "knock it over" left his lips, and his soldiers rushed toward us.
The power of a tyrant really was something to fear.
Students as large and well-built as Sudou charged straight at us. The Class D students screamed as our outer line of defense began to collapse.
"Gah!"
Even Sudou let out a pained shout.
"Who the hell punched me in the stomach?!"
The Class B students repeatedly used elbow strikes, which were close to being fouls. In almost no time at all, they broke through to the center. In the chaos, someone attacked Sudou directly. From the sound of his voice, it hadn't been just once or twice. Still, there was nothing he could do. With the flag in his hands, all he could do was endure it, like a turtle hiding in its shell.
Kanzaki from Class A had also pushed forward and was close to reaching their flag, but whether he could make it in time before Sudou fell was uncertain.
"Ow. Damn. That hurts, you jer—Gahh?!"
Sudou dropped to his knees in pain due to physical violence. Even then, Class B showed no sign of stopping. Then someone stomped on his back with all their strength, as if declaring their dominance.
It was a fiendishly low blow, even in the midst of a particularly messy and chaotic match. Of course, the perpetrator was none other than Ryuen.
"Y-you bastard! Ugh!"
Ryuen pressed down again without mercy, with enough force to make it seem like Sudou's back might break. When Sudou collapsed, the flag lost its support and fell, kicking up a cloud of dust. In an instant, it was over.
"H-hey, you jerk. That was foul play!"
"Hmm? Oh, I didn't notice you," Ryuen replied.
He picked up the flag without hesitation. Sudou tried to chase him, but the pain kept him from standing. The Class D and A alliance suffered a heavy loss.
"Hey, is your back okay?" Ayanokouji asked.
Even with his short temper, Sudou had endured everything to protect the flag until the very end.
"Ugh. I think I'm all right, somehow. Damn! Goddamn it!That smug ass! The next time I run into him, I'm gonna lay him out flat!" Sudou's anger at having been the victim of such foul play seemed greater than his pain.
"You'll cause a problem. Do you want to get disqualified for using violence?"
"So it's okay when he does it, but not when I do it?! Look at my back!" Sudou shouted.
"I get it, but they'll just say it happened in the heat of the moment," Ayanokouji replied.
Ryuen and Sudou were trying to do the same thing, but there was a clear difference in how they did it. This time, it happened in the middle of a chaotic struggle where even the staff couldn't see clearly.
At any rate, it had been a clever tactic.
If Kumagawa had been here, things might have turned out a little differently. As far as Ayanokouji knew, both Ryuen and Kumagawa were cut from the same cloth, a rotten cloth, to be exact. But Kumagawa came from the most rotten part of it.
If there was anyone who could outdo Ryuen in wickedness, it would probably be Kumagawa. And if he had involved himself more, the outcome might have changed.
But the match was over. All they could do was accept the result.
For now, both sides disbanded and returned to their own tents.
『』『』『』『』『』
With little time to rest, the first year boys got ready for the tug of war. After the staff finished a short check on the students who might be injured and unable to continue after the intense capture the flag event, the preparations quickly moved forward. Meanwhile, the first year girls were already nearing the end of their ball toss event.
"How much of a gap do you think there is between the teams now?" Sudou asked.
"Not sure. It's only just started. No point worrying about it yet," Ayanokouji answered.
"Yeah, I guess that's true. Still, a loss is a loss. They're one step ahead of us now, right?" Sudou said. He looked uneasy, his legs shaking as he watched the girls' match, still unable to accept the earlier defeat. "It'd be nice if the girls win this one, at least," he muttered.
They were too far away to clearly see how the ball toss would end. All they could tell was that it looked close. Fortunately, the match ended soon after, and the teacher in charge counted the points while the balls were cleared away.
"With fifty-four points total, the Red Team wins."
The girls had made up for the boys' loss in capture the flag. It was good news, especially after how thoroughly they had been outplayed by Ryuen's strategy. Soon after, the referee called them over to begin the tug of war.
"All right, let's do this!" Sudou shouted.
"Hey, is your back okay, Ken?" Ike asked.
"It's fine. I'm tougher than I look. I'm good. Even if it hurts, I just deal with it," Sudou replied.
Even though many people were worried after the brutal beating he received, Sudou remained strong.
"If we make a comeback in tug of war, we can turn things around. Besides, there's no physical contact here. It all comes down to pure strength. It won't turn into a mess like before," said Hirata.
The rules for tug of war were simple. Just like capture the flag, the first side to win two rounds would take the match. It was a straightforward test of strength, their power against the opponent's. There was no way to commit a foul openly.
With that in mind, their motivation rose.
But it didn't last long.
In fact, it disappeared as if it never happened.
Because of the appearance of one person.
『Heeh~ you all look pretty fired up. Did something good happen, by any chance? 』
From the side, Kumagawa Misogi appeared. With a makeshift bandage wrapped around his head and hand from the injuries he had received previously, he stood there like a complete bystander as he looked over Class D and A.
What is this...?
Ayanokouji knew that what Kumagawa had just said was often called sarcasm— Rather, there was no other way to describe it. But calling the situation "something good," right after Ryuen's violence earlier, went a little too far. At that point, it felt less like sarcasm and more like harassment.
As a normal, upstanding student, Ayanokouji briefly thought about reporting that kind of harassment. But since it involved people he knew, he quickly dismissed the thought. Besides, it probably wouldn't lead to any punishment anyway.
"Kumagawa, you bastard!"
Even a meathead such as Sudou realized what kind of sarca— harraseemnt Kumagawa just uttered earlier.
"Of all the times to get injured! We lost the last game because you weren't there. If you'd just been out there on the field, we would've had it!"
Or maybe not.
Apparently, he was just angry that Kumagawa hadn't participated in the events. His reasoning was so absurd that Kumagawa looked at him with what seemed like genuine confusion.
『Eh? Why would my absence be the reason you lost? If anything, it should be the opposite. If I had participated, you people would definitely lose. Honestly, I'm doing you a favor by staying out of it.』
"What the hell are you talking about...?"
His completely nonsensical reasoning aside, Kumagawa was undaunted by Sudou's intimidating demeanor. With his size and appearance, Sudou was not someone most people would casually confront, but Kumagawa showed no sign of fear.
『Now, now, calm down. I'm not trying to look down on you or anything, but isn't it unreasonable to blame me for your incompetence? Leaving my absence aside, weren't you the one who got beaten to the ground because of Ryuen's strategy? I don't see how my participation would have changed anything. If someone as physically gifted as you still got knocked down, then someone as weak as me wouldn't make any difference.』
"...."
Silenced, Sudou ground his teeth. He didn't even try to hide his anger, which suggested thatKumagawa was right on the mark. Even if Kumagawa's absence had been somewhat inconvenient, blaming their loss entirely on him made no sense, even more that Kumagawa previous nonsensical reasoning.
"Damn you!" Sudou snapped. "Say whatever you want, but you better win the scavenger hunt later!"
Sudou then headed toward the field.
His tone left no room for argument. It didn't sound like he was talking to an ally, but to an enemy, and it was less a request and more a threat.
『Hmm? What's wrong, Ayanokouji-kun? Is something wrong with your head? Do you have a headache? 』
"Where did that come from all of a sudden?" Ayanokouji asked, caught off guard. "Besides, shouldn't I be asking the same thing about your head? Why is the first thing you say always so offensive?"
『Huh? No way. I wouldn't intentionally say something that horrible. But hmm... if it sounded misleading, it's probably because I don't know much about literature. I'm not exactly a language expert. You know, like those novel writers I read about the other day. 』
From his tone, it felt like Kumagawa was making up excuses on the spot, though it was hard to tell if that was really the case.
『But if I had to guess, maybe it's because I'm someone who was born to be hated. It's not the first time, but for some reason, people always end up treating me like their enemy.』
"..."
『But it's not like I'm actually someone who was born to be hated. I'm not hated. 』
That was somewhat unexpected.
Putting aside his denial, it should be easy to understand why it was so unexpected—after all, Kumagawa Misogi was Kumagawa Misogi, someone who's existence is nothing but unexpected. But there seemed to be a hint of truth in what he said.
Well, who knows.
Ayanokouji had only asked out of curiosity in the first place. He hadn't expected a genuine answer anyway. Deciding it wasn't worth pursuing, he chose not to press the matter further.
For now, he focused his attention on the upcoming tug of war.
『』『』『』『』『』
While the other boys were getting ready on the field for the tug of war event, Kumagawa watched from the side like a complete bystander. He stood there quietly with an ambiguous expression on his face. After a moment, someone approached him.
"Hello, Kumagawa-kun!"
『Oh Ichinose-chan, finish your event? 』He said while looking at her.
"Yeah. Thankfully, we managed to get a close win for our team earlier," she said while stretching her body. "Kushida-san and Horikita-san were amazing during the ball toss. Their aim was really spot on, and their visual acuity seemed just as impressive."
Her stretching, or perhaps her cooldown, slowly turned into something like a yoga pose by the time Kumagawa looked away from her.
"That said, Kumagawa-kun, you really caused quite a ruckus, didn't you?"
『What are you talking about, Ichinose-chan? I didn't do anything wrong. 』
"Eh? I didn't say you did anything wrong though. I mean, I don't know whether you actually did something or not since I don't know the details. But a lot of the second years and Nagumo-senpai seemed really on edge whenever your name came up."
Since she had entered the student council with Nagumo's recommendation, it would have been strange if she didn't know anything about the conflict between Kumagawa and the second years. However, it seemed the matter had been kept quiet, because even Ichinose, who was part of the student council, didn't know the details.
To repeat herself, she didn't know whether Kumagawa had done anything wrong. But she did know that he had caused quite a commotion.
『Okay, but why bring that up now? You're not going to suggest we go find the second years and apologize, are you? If we tried that, it would probably turn violent before we even finished apologizing. 』
"Why would apologizing turn violent? Are you planning to apologize in a violent way?" Ichinose tilted her head in confusion.
『If you do something wrong, you say sorry. That's basic manners, right? So if you didn't do anything wrong, you shouldn't say sorry. Because it wouldn't be your fault. 』
"Um..."
Strictly speaking, the definition of apologizing was to express regret for something wrong or hurtful that you had done. By that logic, you apologized when you were at fault, and you didn't when you weren't.
『But not everyone apologizes for their mistakes. There are cases where, instead of apologizing, people refuse to admit they were wrong. In those cases, even if it's clearly their fault, they won't apologize at all. 』
"So... Are you saying that it's actually your fault?"
『Aaah, sorry. Judging by your expression, I guess that crossed the line for good hearted and naive little Ichinose-chan. I'm sorry if my actions disgusted you.』
"A-ah, it's not that I'm disgusted. It's just that..."
For Ichinose, while it wasn't that unusual for people to refuse to apologize even when they were wrong, it was something that didn't sit well with her. There was also the fact that this kind of topic was rather sensitive for her.
『There's no need to be modest. Besides, I doubt Ichinose-chan would ever do something truly wrong and refuse to apologize. You seem like the kind of person who would feel guilty even over a small mistake. Just like that time with... who was it again? That girl who was in love with you? 』
"...Chihiro-chan."
『That's right. Chihiro-chan. 』
Most of the students were focused on the tug of war event that was about to begin, so no one paid attention to her. But if someone had looked closely, they might have noticed that Ichinose's expression was slightly uncomfortable.
『Ah, by the way, even though I said all that, it's not like I'm saying it's actually my fault. No matter how you look at it, I'm clearly the victim. 』
"But earlier you talked about people not apologizing even when it's their fault. To me, it sounded like you were implying that you did the same thing..."
『I told you, it was just an example. A case that weren't case-by-case. 』
"Case by case...?" Ichinose tilted her head.
『To put it simply, what I've been trying to say is this. The relationship between a victim and a perpetrator is often asymmetric. Even if I never intended to be the victim, the others insist on treating themselves as the victims, while casting me as the perpetrator. 』
"Ah..."
Ichinose was finally beginning to follow his reasoning. Still, it was a rather roundabout way of saying that it wasn't his fault.
There's an expression that goes, "There's no such thing as a victimless crime, and there's even less such thing as a perpetrator-less crime," but even outside of that—even if a victim is partially responsible for a situation, they aren't expected to apologize; if anything, they are the ones liable to some forms of compensation.
However, this time the pattern seemed completely mixed up, especially when it came to the definition of victim and perpetrator. On top of that, since she didn't have the full picture, judging who was truly right or wrong was rather confusing.
In terms of knowledge, what she knew could only be considered theories. At best, they were nothing more than secondhand rumors.
"...Speaking of which, do you think the boys can win on this event Kumagawa-kun?"
Ichinose suddenly changed the subject and asked Kumagwa if he had any opinion about the current situation, especially since the boys were againts Ryuen.
『Are you worried about them? Don't you usually believe in the strength of your classmates or something like that?』 Kumagawa tilted his head.
"Hmm... It's less about their abilities and more like I'm worried about who they're up against, I guess"
『Who? Ryuen-chan? 』
Ichinose nodded in response.
In Ichinose's eyes, Ryuen Kakeru was a dangerous and dishonorable individual. His way of thinking, his methods, and perhaps even the way he lived his life were probably the complete opposite of hers.
With that kind of personality, someone who always did things in a distateful and twisted way, Ichinose couldn't help but worry about their team. She also wondered what kind of underhanded tactic Ryuen might try to use in this event, just like what he had done earlier with Sudou during the capture the flag event.
Strictly speaking, there shouldn't be any clear way to cheat in a tug of war. It was an event that relied more on pure strength than tactics. But for some reason, she still couldn't help but feel uneasy about her team, especially her classmates. That feeling only grew stronger since this was a unique four way tug of war.
That was why Ichinose turned to Kumagawa for his opinion.
"What are you guys talking about, Ichinose-san, Kumagawa-kun?"
Suddenly, Kushida along with Matshushita approach them from the opposite direction.
"Oh, Kushida-san, Matsushita-san," Ichinose greeted them. "We were just talking about the tug-of-war."
""The tug of war?"" Kushida and Matsushita looked at each other, then turned their gaze toward the field where the boys were gathering.
Kushida then asked, "Um, are you worried that Ryuen-kun might try something underhanded?"
"Yeah..." Ichinose lightly touched her cheek. "Is my expression really that obvious?"
"Ahaha, after what happened to Sudou-kun earlier, it's only natural to think that way."
She answered Ichinose's question without really answering it.
"But since it's Ryuen-kun, he probably has some kind of plan, right?" Kushida added.
"That's what I'm somewhat worried about," Ichinose said. "If we lose, then we lose. That can't really be helped. But it would be best if it were just a normal loss. I mean, not everyone has the same physical ability as Sudou-kun. If something similar happened to someone else, it could become a huge disadvantage for us in the later events."
"But is it really possible for Ryuen-kun to cheat in tug-of-war?" This time it was Matsushita who spoke. "It's true that with his personality he might try something underhanded, but the rules for this event are so plain and simple that there isn't really much he can do, right?"
Even though the tug-of-war itself was rather unique since it involved four sides at once, the basic rules and regulations were still the same as any other tug of war. Things like using illegal equipment, tampering with the ground, or making obvious illegal moves were strictly prohibited, to the point that committing a foul openly or secretly would be quite difficult.
Then all three of them turned their attention to the silent Kumagawa.
『Hmm? Why are you all looking at me like that? 』
"Umm..."
"Yeah..."
"Ahaha..."
As the one individual in the entire school who never seemed to have anything positive said about him, the moment Matsushita mentioned doing something "underhanded," the three of them instinctively turned their eyes toward Kumagawa.
As far as they were concerned, there was no one more dubious or untrustworthy than him.
For Kushida, who acted as his partner, it was only natural for her to think that way considering their relationship. For Matsushita, since she had somehow been involved in his plan during the cruise ship exam, she more or less understood that side of him. And as for Ichinose, after knowing him for a while and occasionally being influenced by his words, she had come to realize what kind of dubious person Kumagawa was. In several ways, perhaps even more so than Ryuen.
"If we're talking about something 'underhanded,' I mean, there's no one who understands how to use underhanded methods better than you, right, Kumagawa-kun?"
It was Matsushita who said that rather bluntly.
Ichinose and Kushida, who were standing beside her, couldn't help but nod along.
For something that was supposed to be a subtle factual insult, it wasn't very subtle.
『Don't make it sound like I'm someone who can use underhanded methods as easily as breathing. Something like that would be impossible for me. 』
"...?"
The three of them couldn't help but look confused.
Had Matsushita used the wrong words somewhere in her sentence?
『Besides, you people seem to have the wrong impression of what kind of person Ryuen-chan is. 』
"A wrong impression...?"
Kumagawa seemed oddly conclusive in his words.
『It's not that Ryuen-chan might do something underhanded because of his personality. It's precisely because of his personality that he might do something underhanded. 』
Kumagawa's gaze turned to the center of the field, where the Tug-of-war event is currently in progress.
"And pull! And pull!"
The voices of the students, along with strained shouts and pained cries, filled the entire field.
From the looks of it, the match was fairly even, especially in terms of strength. However, in terms of willpower and motivation, Class B seemed slightly superior, which made the students from the Class D/A coalition feel uneasy. Of course, the reason for Class B's higher motivation was due to a certain tyrannical student, but that was beside the point.
Little by little, the D/A coalition was dragged forward, until they eventually lost.
"Ah, we lost," Ichinose said.
Although her tone carried a bit of disappointment, she also seemed relieved that no one on her team had been injured.
"It looks like Ryuen really couldn't use any underhanded tactics in this event. But the people from Class C were definitely crazy strong..." Matsushita said.
"Well, out of all four classes, Class B is probably the most physically capable. From what I've heard, they have quite a few students who train in martial arts or similar things," Kushida replied.
"Class C also has some heavy hitters like Katsuragi-kun, which makes them pretty strong too."
Matsushita and Kushida nodded in agreement with what Ichinose had just said.
Strictly speaking, even though the Class D/A coalition was evenly matched with the Class B/C coalition, the B/C side held a slight advantage due to several highly capable individuals from each class. Class B in particular had a noticeably high number of students who were physically active compared to the other classes.
Just as they were talking, the signal went off, and the students immediately pulled on the rope again.
The D/A coalition worked together with great vigor, shouting the usual tug of war battle cry. At first, the two sides looked evenly matched, but after a few seconds, the momentum began to shift in favor of the D/A side.
"Go, go, go! Come on, easy!"
Because of the way the Class D/A students had been arranged, despite the B/C coalition having slightly superior strength, they were slowly dragged forward.
Before long, the signal sounded again, announcing the end of the round. The D and A team had scored their first point.
"Hell yeah! You see that?! Serves 'em right!" Sudou's howl echoed across the entire area.
Back on the side, Ichinose and the others who were watching the match also had bright expressions on their faces.
"If they can keep up this rhythm, they might be able to take the last round."
The four way tug of war had three rounds. Now that the score was 1–1, the next round would be the last and would decide the winner.
"But will Ryuen-kun really not try anything underhanded?" Kushida said worriedly. "Didn't Kumagawa-kun say earlier that because of Ryuen-kun's personality, he would inevitably do something underhanded?"
Once again, the three of them turned their attention toward Kumagawa.
『Ah, no, no. Even though I said that because of his personality Ryuen-chan might do something underhanded, it doesn't mean he'll do it here. Cheating directly in a tug of war without any preparation is practically impossible. That's why, no matter how closely you watch, Ryuen-chan won't do anything underhanded here. There's already a system... no, a set of rules and punishments that prevent him from doing something like that. 』
".....?'
『It's just his nature is rather twisted for a normal person, and because of that, he can't help but use underhanded method. 』
The three of them felt a sense of déjà vu.
"Can you stop saying things in such a roundabout way, Kumagawa-kun? What exactly are we misunderstanding about him?" Kushida asked.
『It's pleasure. 』
""Pleasure...?""
That was certainly an odd way to put it.
It wasn't anything that saccharine, either.
『You see, Ryuen-chan is a creature of pure, unfiltered "pleasure." Or maybe it's more accurate to say he's someone who's lost his way while chasing his own satisfaction. It's not that he's "evil," exactly. It's just that his sense of enjoyment points in the opposite direction, which makes him rather twisted.』
Kumagawa spoke as if he were stating something simple and obvious, and the look on his face made it seem even more so.
"So... what you're saying is that Ryuen-kun enjoys that feeling of pleasure through other people's misfortune?" Ichinose asked.
『I know, right? To think there's someone who finds pleasure in other people's misfortune. Even for me, that's pretty absurd. It's the kind of rottenness that's as thin as a coat of paint.』
That statement was met with silence.
Rather than being silent because they were confused, they were probably silent because of how absurd that statement was.
It was like the pot calling the kettle black. All three of them knew that there was no one more rotten, in terms of personality and nature, than Kumagawa himself, who was standing right in front of them. Even though they had only known him for a short time, except for Kushida who interacted with him almost every day, the fact that even Ichinose, who always tried to see the good in people, could recognize how rotten Kumagawa was spoke volumes about his nature.
But putting that aside, the way Kumagawa worded things carried a slightly different nuance.
"But doesn't that mean Ryuen-kun is an even worse person? To find pleasure through underhanded tactics and inflict suffering on others... isn't he just evil?" Matsushita said.
Strictly speaking, judging by common standards, what Matushita said was reasonable. Even if the idea of "pleasure" could be vague and easily twisted, her interpretation wasn't wrong.
However, the answer she received overturned that assumption.
『Eh? That's not quite right, is it? 』
"Huh?"
『Why would you consider him "evil" for that? 』
"Eh? It's just common sense isn't it....?"
『No, no, Human beings are naturally drawn to the sensation called "pleasure," whether they admit it or not. Doing exactly what you like, isn't that the true meaning of pleasure? Pleasure leads to joy, and joy leads to happiness. Why must Ryuen-chan, who is only seeking his own happiness, be labeled as "evil"? 』
That statement was met with silence.
Ichinose and Matsushita fell quiet because his words were so scattered that their thoughts seemed to come to a halt, in a way.
In Ichinose's case, even though she was smart and perceptive enough to argue against most ideas, this topic was different as she understood concepts like pleasure and morality well enough. yet in front of someone like Kumagawa, she found herself at a loss for words.
One could say it caused a slight cognitive dissonance.
Kushida, on the other hand, remained silent for an entirely different reason.
Unlike before, she now understood the concept of "morality" that Kumagawa was talking about. It wasn't that she didn't know what morality was in the first place, but now it could be said that she was more "intimate" with the concept compared to most people. She was aware of the meaning behind his words.
But to think that he would see someone chasing after pleasure through dishonest means as not only not evil, but something that could even be praised...
Well, for someone like Kumagawa, she supposed the line between good and evil was thin enough that it didn't really matter to him.
『Isn't that right, Kushida-chan? Someone who seeks "pleasure" isn't an evil person, right? 』
"E-eh?"
When he used the word "pleasure," it carried a slightly different nuance, like there's some kind of assertion hidden behind it. It felt as if she had been put in check in a way she couldn't quite understand herself.
It was really unexpected that he would suddenly shifted to ask for her opinion. But it was just expected, since Kumagawa wasn't a guy who act according to expectation, so it was somehwat unexcpedtedly expeted that he would act this way.
But what should she answer to that?
After being asked so suddenly, the truth was that she had nothing to say.
Thinking about it, this was an extremely rare occurrence for her. As someone who prided herself on being seen as "good" by most people, and not nearly as "evil" as others, (her word), the number of times she had been cornered like this without a clear stance to take was very few.
But if she were to answer, it would likely sound unpleasant to both Matsushita and Ichinose, and she didn't want to be seen as strange by them. If that happened, the image she had carefully built might start to crumble.
Even she had slowly realized it herself.
She'd been poisoned by Kumagawa Misogi.
But that was an expression she didn't want to use.
Besides, even if she described it as being "poisoned," it didn't mean her personality would start to deteriorate, right? After all, people didn't simply become "corrupted" like in movies or stories. And her personality was already far from pure to begin with, so she couldn't even tell what it would mean for her to be corrupted, even if Kumagawa had influenced her in a way.
"I guess... in the end, it depends on the person, right? What's good for someone might be bad for someone else, and the opposite is true too. So I don't really know if I can judge someone as right or wrong... I think."
In the end, she answered without really answering anything.
But for something that was supposed to sound like an insightful opinion, it wasn't very insightful.
If there was to be a moral to this story, it would be that prefacing judgments with "if it leads to happiness" usually tends to miss the mark—when you justify something like that, then for the most part, you'll end up just spinning your wheels and won't actually get anywhere.
In fact, it almost sounded like Kumagawa was dragging the idea of pleasure and goodness through the mud.
『Eeeh, what a boring answer. 』 he said. 『I thought someone like you would have something clearer in mind, considering your personality. But to answer like that... what a disappointment.』
Shut your mouth and stop bringing up something completely unnecessary... was what Kushida wanted to say, but she somehow held it back. Even for someone like her, who had been constantly provoked by Kumagawa, that took a fair amount of restraint.
『What about you, Ichinose-chan? What do you think? We shouldn't call Ryuuen-chan an evil person, right?』
This time, he turned toward Ichinose.
"Umm... no matter how I look at it, I still can't help but see Ryuen-kun as a bad person," Ichinose said. "Even if he's acting in the pursuit of happiness, the process still matters, right? Gaining happiness or pleasure through bad methods is still wrong. I don't think I can see Ryuen-kun as a good person."
For Ichinose, being "bad" meant being morally wrong. In terms of good and evil, it would still lean toward "evil," no matter how good the intention might seem. And in this case, she was probably right.
But putting aside intentions, Ryuen's actions were no different from what you would expect from a villain. It wasn't a good intention carried out the wrong way. It was a bad intention carried out through bad methods. No matter how you looked at it, even if it was all for the sake of pursuing pleasure, Ryuen was clearly the bad one here, especially in this situation.
『Hmm... You're probably right. 』
"E-eh?"
『No matter how I think about it, trying to see Ryuen-chan as anything but evil is a bit extreme. There's no way someone with that kind of personality could be seen as anything else. 』
Hearing that, all three girls were left speechless.
If he already thought that, then why did he bring up this conversation in the first place?
"Then why did you even bring up the idea that Ryuen-kun isn't evil, Kumagawa-kun...?" Kushida asked.
『It's just a figure of speech. If we can't call Ryuen-chan a good person, then calling him bad works just fine too. Now that I say it out loud, it does sound pretty convincing. 』
"..."
At that moment, they realized they had misunderstood something.
For Kumagawa, logic and reasoning came second. As long as something sounded convincing, that was enough for him.
『Ah, look at that. The red team won. 』
As if he had lost interest in the conversation, Kumagawa suddenly turned his attention to the tug-of-war, which had already ended in favor of the D/A coalition.
In the end, they had managed to snatch a win from the B/C coalition.
But even if it could be called a win, the expressions of the participants didn't look like it. Instead of relief or joy, the students from the D/A side wore looks of anger and confusion.
At the end of the match, everyone on the red team's side had been thrown backward. The students, including Sudou and most of the D/A coalition, had fallen hard. Even some from Class C had stumbled forward.
"Eh, what happened?" Matsushita asked.
While they had been absorbed in their conversation with Kumagawa, they hadn't paid attention to the tug-of-war. Because of that, they had no idea what had just happened, or why.
All they knew was that the red team had won, and that they had all been thrown backward in the process.
『It's Ryuen-chan. 』
Before the three girls could ask him to explain further, the answer revealed itself as a loud commotion broke out on the field, led by the hot-headed Sudou.
"Hey, what the hell?! Do you think this is some kind of joke?!" Sudou shouted.
"Hah, I just decided to take a break. I figured we couldn't win anyway," Ryuen said, facing the opposing team with a sneer. "Good for you. You managed to get a meaningless win. It's pretty funny seeing you all crawling on the ground."
For some reason, instead of pulling with all their strength, Ryuen's team had suddenly let go of the rope mid-match. As a result, the opposing team's momentum and gravity pulled them violently backward, causing a chain reaction as bodies tumbled into the dirt and handing the match to the D/A side.
Even though he had deliberately thrown the match, Ryuen was smiling, clearly enjoying himself.
"You bastard!"
Just from their attitudes alone, it was hard to tell who had actually won. Sudou got back to his feet and rushed at Ryuen from the backline, still holding onto his anger from the capture-the-flag event. However, Kanzaki and a few others nearby quickly grabbed his arms and held him back.
"Uwaah... this is a complete mess..."
"Right..."
"Sigh..."
Kushida, Matushita, and Ichinose, watched the chaotic scene with worried expressions. Even if it was a win, it didn't feel like one at all. If anything, it felt more like the complaints of the loser rather than the reaction of the winner... even though they were the ones who had won.
"But why would Ryuen-kun purposely throw the match? It's not like they were at a disadvantage in terms of strength, right?" Matsushita asked.
Even though Class B had many strong students and was slightly superior compared to the other classes, the difference wasn't overwhelming. In a tug-of-war, the strength between the red team and the white team had been more or less balanced.
So Ryuen's excuse that they couldn't win sounded like nothing more than nonsense.
『It's for satisfaction. 』
"Huh?"
『Ryuen-chan threw the match mostly for satisfaction. In other words, it's for his own personal pleasure. Win or lose doesn't really matter to him. As long as he feels satisfied, that's enough.』
"That makes no sense at all..." Matsushita muttered.
If what Kumagawa said about Ryuen Kakeru's personality was true, then he really was twisted.
"But if that's the case, wouldn't winning make more sense for him? What could be more satisfying than a win?" Kushida said.
"Ah... I see," Ichinose said quietly, as if she had just undestand something.
"Hm? What is it, Ichinose-san?"
"Did you figure something out?"
Hearing her suddenly speak, Kushida and Matsushita looked at her with slight confusion.
"I think what Kumagawa-kun and Kushida-san said is both right, but also a bit incomplete.
""Incomplete?""
Both Kushida and Matsushita tilted their heads.
"As Kushida-san said, there's nothing more satisfying than a win, right? Especially in this case. If Ryuen-kun had won, he could've enjoyed our team's frustration even more."
"Right..." Kushida nodded.
"And like Kumagawa-kun said, Ryuen-kun is the kind of person who seeks satisfaction no matter what, even if it means using underhanded methods. But in tug-of-war, there's no real way for him to do that." Ichinose paused for a moment before continuing. "So if he can't use underhanded tactics, what would be the best way for him to feel satisfied?"
"Umm... Humiliation?" Matsushita said, though she didn't sound very confident.
It was just something that came to mind, considering what had happened on the field. Even so, she wasn't far off.
It was an old saying, but still common enough that no further explanation was needed. Kushida and Matsushita both understood what Ichinose meant.
"For now, I think I should head back to the tent. See you later, Kumagawa-kun, Kushida-san."
"Ah, me too. I think I'll go back for a bit."
With that, both Ichinose and Matsushita left for the tent.
Ichinose returning made sense. Together with Kanzaki, she was helping lead the team, managing both the boys and the girls. It seemed like she wanted to regroup with them and talk things through.
As for Matsushita, she didn't seem to have any particular reason.
That left only Kushida and Kumagawa behind.
Once again.
"Do you think that we can win againts Class B and C?" Kushida suddenly asked.
『To be fair, this is a pretty bad matchup for the red team. With Ichinose-chan's naivety and Horikita-chan's rigid way of thinking, there's no way they can win against Ryuen-chan and Sakayanagi-chan when it comes to planning. Though if it's the current Ichinose-chan, she might have a slight chance, but Horikita-chan is definitely impossible. 』
"Is that so..."
『Ahaha, you seem pretty happy hearing that, Kushida-chan. 』
Kushida's expression looked almost pleased, like someone who had just been handed a free voucher for food.
"You know me, right? There's no way I wouldn't be happy hearing that."
『Of course. Especially since your plan seems to be going smoothly, right?』
"Hehe, did I get caught? Well, of course things are going smoothly... as long as no one finds out about my plan, or tries to sabotage it."
She said that while looking straight at Kumagawa.
『Don't worry. I don't have any intention of interfering with whatever you're planning. In fact, I don't have much motivation to participate in this sports festival, aside from the scavenger hunt later. 』
"Then that's good."
Kushida nodded, satisfied.
She didn't say anything more.
Even though Kumagawa was a known liar, at least at this moment, Kushida didn't feel like he was lying.
At least, not to her.
『END』
『』『』『』『』『』
Heya, it's been a while, hasn't it?
Well, what can I say? Looks like I've been hit by a very common disease among writers...
That's right, it's the "writer's block" disease.
Not much else to say about it except, it is what it is, tehe :p.
Anyway, I'll try to write more chapters moving forward, as long as this thing doesn't keep coming back. Though honestly, I think part of the reason is that I've been playing FFVII Remake lately. The nostalgia's been hitting hard, so yeah... writing kind of took a backseat, haha.
Oh, also, although it's a bit late...
Happy Eid Mubarak to those who are still reading and waiting for my story until now.
Anyway. Here you go peasants, another chapter.
Anyway, that's it for today's chapter.
Hope you enjoyed it.
[Thanks for reading!]