Chapter 277: This is Too Much Bullying / Nagumo Miyabi: "I Feel Like Someone is NTR-ing Me!"
Afterward, Shimizu Akira led Shiina Hiyori quickly to the drawing box and handed his slip to the official. He repeated the explanation he had given Hiyori, emphasizing the details of why he considered her the smartest female student.
Hearing him reference specific logic from the previous VIP exam, the official nodded and declared Shimizu's answer valid. Having secured verification, Shimizu sprinted toward the finish line and naturally took first place.
As he walked back, Hiyori was still waiting for him.
"Shiina, thanks a lot for this!" Shimizu smiled.
"Don't mention it," Hiyori waved it off.
"Looking at your prompt, it was actually the easiest. You could have picked any girl and claimed she was the smartest in your heart; the referee likely wouldn't have pressed too hard."
"True. If I wanted to exploit a loophole, I could have grabbed a random female passerby and insisted she fit the criteria."
While they chatted, Yamamura Miki came trotting over clutching the cane. Her answer had clearly passed; she nodded to Shimizu and hurried to the finish. Meanwhile, Ibuki Mio stood to the side with a sour face. The rules required a 60-second wait to redraw a slip, so she was stuck waiting.
Just as Shimizu and Hiyori were leaving, Hiyori nudged him.
"Shiranami-san over there seems to be in trouble. Her prompt seems related to you; she's looked your way several times."
"Eh?" Shimizu looked over at Shiranami Chihiro. The cute brunette was indeed peeking at him. When she met his eyes, she looked away in a panic, but she couldn't help looking back a second later with an expression of frantic hesitation.
Shimizu took the initiative and walked up. "Shiranami-san, did you draw a prompt related to me?"
"Shi-Shimizu-kun!" Chihiro flinched. "Y-yes..." She handed over the slip.
Shimizu read: 'Find a male student who can do 20 push-ups using only two fingers.'
"I see. This one." He had thought the box only contained Sakayanagi-related items, but it seemed those were "special" slips drawn early. This requirement was actually quite difficult for a normal person.
Chihiro watched Yamamura Miki cross the finish line; her anxiety grew. Class B and Class A were rivals in this festival, and she didn't want to lose to Yamamura.
"You don't need to find anyone else. I'll help you." Shimizu dropped to the ground. Since he had already finished his own race, the rules didn't forbid him from assisting another participant.
Using only his index and middle fingers, he pushed off the track surface, completing 20 steady push-ups in seconds. Chihiro watched his rhythmic movements, her anxiety slowly replaced by a sense of security—and a subtle, new emotion.
"Qualified!" the official called out.
Chihiro bowed deeply. "Thank you so much... I really didn't want to lose to Class A. And about before... because you're close to Ichinose-san, I was hostile toward you... but you still... I'm truly sorry."
"It's fine," Shimizu waved casually.
"Go on, the finish line is waiting."
He didn't take it to heart. He'd noticed her staring since the VIP exam, but since she never caused trouble, he chalked it up to teenage moodiness. He watched her run off, noting how her drooping eyes and red-tipped nose made her look quite pitiful.
'She seems like the type who remembers a favor for a lifetime' he thought.
Ultimately, Chihiro was a step slower than Yamamura and took third. Per the rules, once the top three were decided, the last person didn't even need to finish the task. Ibuki Mio automatically became the last-place finisher.
"Hey! Shiina! Shimizu! I accept the bad luck with the slip!" Ibuki was practically vibrating with rage. "But what is with you two! This is just too much bullying!"
Shimizu and Hiyori looked at each other and awkwardly looked away.
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The Scavenger Hunt continued for several rounds, but Shimizu couldn't catch a break.
He was constantly used as a "target item."
Ayanokouji needed a "friend," Sudo needed "someone I admire," and most interestingly, Kamuro Masumi's prompt was "someone I want to take revenge on."
Even President Horikita Manabu needed the "kouhai I have high hopes for," which also pointed to him.
Next was the Four-Way Tug-of-War. Ryuen's team didn't try any tricks this time, pulling with everything they had. However, with Shimizu joining Sudo on the Class C line, the raw power was overwhelming. Class D didn't last ten seconds.
During the Mixed Three-Legged Race, a minor incident occurred. Ryuen was arguing with staff about "replacing Kinoshita." He had to pay 100,000 personal points to have another girl substitute for her so he could participate.
"What's the strategy?" Horikita Suzune asked as she tied their ankles.
"I'll follow your rhythm. Just run as fast as you can," Shimizu replied. Against average opponents, they easily took first.
"Still not as fast as you and Ayanokouji," Suzune noted.
"Don't dwell on it. Biological differences are a thing," Shimizu shrugged.
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Only two events remained: the 1,200m Relay (Group) and the 10km Run (Individual).
Shimizu checked the rankings.
Horikita Manabu and Nagumo were still tied for first at 175 points. Shimizu had 115. He wasn't worried; the 10km run points were multiplied by five. If he took first (50x5=250), he would overtake them even if they took second (30x5=150).
The 1,200m relay started. Class 1-C's team: Onodera, Suzune, Hirata, Ayanokouji, Sudo, and Shimizu.
Onodera (swimming star) started well but was pitted against athletic boys and fell behind. She handed to Suzune in 7th.
Suzune (a sub for the injured Akito) struggled against the gap, falling to 10th. Hirata moved them up to 8th. Ayanokouji maintained 8th with a "steady" (average) pace. Sudo exploded forward but was blocked when two senpai ahead of him "stumbled" and fell, forcing him to decelerate and weave around them.
By the time Shimizu got the baton, they were in 9th place. Up ahead, Manabu and Nagumo were already 100 meters away on their final lap. Shimizu sprinted like a demon, closing the gap to just five or six meters, but the distance was too short.
1st: Horikita Manabu 2nd: Nagumo Miyabi 3rd: Shimizu Akira
"Shimizu! That sprint was insane! If the track were longer, you'd have had them!" Sudo cursed, punching his palm.
"My fault! If I hadn't been blocked, we'd have won!"
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The 10km Run
The final event. The school announced a 20-minute prep time. Chabashira-sensei handed out watches equipped with GPS chips to track the 25 laps (400m each).
Staff set up a large electronic screen to show the Live Rankings for the top 30 runners.
"Shimizu-kouhai, what a pity." Nagumo walked up, smirk in place. "Your fifth runner had an 'accident,' so I took first place over you and the President."
"Was it you?" Shimizu asked coldly.
"Those students who fell were from Year 2, Classes C and D, right?"
"You wrong me," Nagumo laughed.
"Why would I do something so petty? Your class was at the bottom anyway; why would I target you?" He then leaned in.
"By the way, you chatted with my childhood friend at lunch. What did you talk about? I'm curious."
"What do you think we talked about?" Shimizu countered.
Nagumo's smile vanished. Thinking of Asahina meeting Shimizu privately without his permission made him feel like he was being NTR-ed.
"Shimizu, Nazuna is mine."
"Yours?" Shimizu frowned, disgusted by the arrogance. "You aren't dating. She isn't your property."
Nagumo snapped, "How I treat Nazuna is none of a junior's business! We've been together for ten years. You're just a passing face!"
"The race is starting," Manabu's cold voice interrupted. He looked at Nagumo. "Nagumo, save your breath for the track."
Nagumo glared at Shimizu. "You'd better stay out of things that don't concern you," he spat, walking away.
"Shimizu, ignore him," Manabu said calmly. "The 10km run is where you should show your true strength."
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The officials announced a new rule: Starting positions are based on current class total points. * Year 2-A (Nagumo): 1st Row, Inner Lane.
Year 3-A (Manabu): 1st Row. Year 1-C (Shimizu): 4th Row, Outer Lane.
"Outer lane? 4th row?" Sudo hissed. "We have to run extra distance just to pass people!"
"The outer lane has a wider field of vision," Suzune noted calmly. "If we time our acceleration, we can pass."
The countdown on the screen hit 1 minute. All runners lowered their centers of gravity. Shimizu was ready.
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