Chapter 360: The Bad Woman Shiina Hiyori
Computer Lab, one afternoon.
Sotomura Hideo was buried in his work, typing at a blistering speed. Seeing Shimizu Akira enter, he immediately halted his movements.
"Shimizu, what do you think?"
Akira took a quick scan of the screen. Facing a long-form novel and timed for less than five minutes, Sotomura had already churned out several hundred words.
He gave a thumbs-up. "The speed is incredible. It'll be very difficult for anyone in Class A to beat you."
"Oh! Please leave it to me!" Sotomura wore an expression that was both proud and a bit shy before diving back into his practice with total concentration.
In addition to that, the other mandatory event—Fixed Target Archery—saw Miyake Akito performing with remarkable stability, hitting the bullseye with almost every arrow. In the 200m swimming, basketball, and Street Fighter 6 events, Onodera Kayano, Sudo Ken, and the others also seemed to be in excellent form.
Akira returned to the classroom and walked up to Horikita Suzune to ask for an update.
"The five events our class prepared are showing great results. How is it on your end?"
Horikita thought for a moment and replied, "Things are going smoothly. I'm spending at least two hours a day practicing chess with my brother. The others responsible for countering Class A's academic subjects are holding regular study sessions, ensuring over an hour of specialized training daily. Kushida-san has detailed attendance records."
Akira nodded. It seemed the targeted training was paying off; there was no need for immediate concern.
Just then, Ike Kanji, Sudo Ken, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka approached, giving Akira a meaningful look. Though he didn't fully grasp their intent, Akira followed them.
"Hey, about this special exam," Ike scratched his head, getting straight to the point.
"Should we try to scout Class A's event leaders? We've excluded the three physical items, but thinking about it, there must be another mandatory event for Class A besides chess. If we can figure that out, it would be a huge help to the class."
Sudo rubbed his chin.
"Shouldn't that be a job for Hirata or Kushida?"
The three of them didn't have broad social networks in other classes. By comparison, Kushida Kikyo's social prowess was far more suitable.
"No, think about it. No matter how popular Kushida is, the opponent won't necessarily leak key intel regarding class confrontations. Besides, she has to prepare for Class A's academic events," Ike shook his head.
"Then what do you mean?" Sudo pressed.
"It's simple," Ike said bluntly.
"When the Class Poll results were announced, you saw how badly Totsuka Yahiko was abandoned by Class A. Why don't we start with him and dig for info?"
"I see." Akira had already guessed as much. In Class A, the easiest point of entry was indeed Totsuka Yahiko.
"Wait, do you even know him? Even if he hates Class A, he might not tell us their secrets. Do you have a plan?" Sudo questioned.
"That's why I need you guys to help me figure it out!" Ike replied matter-of-factly. It seemed he had a direction but no concrete plan.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka remained silent for a few seconds before speaking.
"We can contact him through Katsuragi Kohei. Totsuka and Katsuragi are good friends, and we helped Katsuragi with a favor during the summer vacation. Given his personality, he shouldn't refuse. If that fails, we can ask Katsuragi to reveal info on a few key Class A projects."
"Great idea!" Ike and Sudo nodded in unison.
Last summer, Katsuragi had needed to send a birthday gift to his sister; it was thanks to Sudo Ken, who used a gap during a sports competition to leave campus, that the gift was delivered. With Katsuragi's principled nature, he would surely remember that debt.
Having finished their enthusiastic discussion, Ike and Sudo dragged a reluctant Ayanokouji out of the room.
Horikita Suzune watched them leave, then walked over.
"Regarding chess... I might not be a match for Sakayanagi Arisu."
Akira was surprised. "It's rare to see you lack confidence. Did you discover something?"
"Yes." Horikita nodded. "At my brother's suggestion, I went to the Chess Club to find opponents of equal level. The president mentioned in passing that Sakayanagi Arisu beat him in under half an hour right after the school year started.
According to Class A's chess rules, the Commander can intervene for 30 minutes. But at my current level, I can't even beat the president, let alone Sakayanagi. You know how to play, but like me, you're just a beginner. With less than a week left, if Sakayanagi plays with her true strength, we are bound to lose that event."
The current Horikita had changed; she was no longer as blindly confident as she was at the start of the year. Akira was her boyfriend; there was no need to hide. Admitting her shortcomings was the mature move.
"From your expression, I take it you've already thought of a solution?" Akira asked, noticing her brow furrow and then relax.
"Yes," Horikita nodded.
"I asked Koenji Rokusuke; he has studied chess systematically. As for Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, since you said he's a graduate of that 'perfect training' facility, he should possess corresponding skill. If we let them face Sakayanagi, our win rate would increase significantly."
Akira had previously stated publicly that only Horikita knew how to play, but in private, he knew Koenji and Ayanokouji were more than capable.
"Those two are indeed good candidates..." Akira said thoughtfully. "But the problem is, they won't necessarily follow orders."
"Ayanokouji aside, Koenji owes you a favor from the Class Poll. If you personally step in, they should listen to you even if they ignore everyone else, right?" Horikita was quite confident.
"Not necessarily," Akira shook his head.
"Ayanokouji has a typical 'trouble-avoidance' personality. Asking him to expose his strength and stand at the forefront is unrealistic. A style like the basketball game—where he assists teammates from the shadows—suits him much better.
As for Koenji, I used him once during the Class Poll and promised him freedom for a few months afterward. Plus, he's already volunteered for Mental Arithmetic; he might not be willing to take on Chess."
Horikita fell silent. It seemed Akira had his own considerations; things weren't as simple as they appeared.
"By the way," Akira gently patted her hand, changing the subject.
"I've looked into it—your overt opponent should be Hashimoto Masayoshi. As for the exam against Class A... though I can't guarantee a landslide, I can at least guarantee we won't lose. Don't worry about it."
Hearing this, Horikita's expression softened considerably. It was true. Up until now, Akira had found a way to win every special exam.
This time would likely be no exception.
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In a café, Kaneda Satoru, Shiina Hiyori, Ibuki Mio, and Ryuen Kakeru sat around a table.
"Hmph, interesting... a riddle project." Ryuen scanned the class event list again.
"Setting Class B aside, there probably aren't many people in the entire first-year grade better at riddles than you, Shiina."
"I can only say I'll do my best," Hiyori said politely.
"Those with levels close to mine would be Shimizu-kun, Sakayanagi-san, Horikita-san, and Ichinose-san."
Kaneda adjusted his glasses.
"Shiina, don't be modest. Riddles test not just reaction speed, but depth of knowledge and breadth of thinking. Those people are smart, but they don't necessarily have a specialized hobby for riddles. In the end, you should win."
Ryuen glanced at Hiyori, his tone shifting. "It seems you really followed my instructions and picked nine physical items... that doesn't quite fit your 'anti-violence' image."
Hiyori shook her head gently.
"To be precise, what I dislike is meaningless violence. These are formal sports events with complete rules. They align with Class D's strengths—it is the optimal solution."
'This woman isn't some naive saint' Ryuen thought, grinning.
Then again, if she were that simple, she wouldn't have counter-attacked Manabe Shiho so decisively during the poll.
"Ryuen, I wanted to ask you!" Ibuki Mio rolled her eyes, speaking bluntly.
"After you got schooled by Shimizu Akira, weren't you finished with class affairs? Why are you suddenly jumping back in?"
"Hmph, who told you I wasn't interested?" Ryuen downed half his coffee.
"Up until now, I've just been acting. Now is the perfect time to make a comeback."
"What?" Ibuki looked surprised.
Ryuen grew more arrogant.
"The people in Class B won't expect the real leader of Class D to be me. Now is the time to swallow a massive amount of Class B's points in one go."
'Enduring humiliation to prepare for the future—that was him.'
Kaneda was surprised, but Hiyori remained calm.
She had already predicted Ryuen wouldn't stay on the sidelines forever. During the Class Poll, when Ryuen "nonchalantly" solved the class's big trouble, she knew he had never truly given up on the class.
"Wait!" Ibuki realized. "Even if you take power, the current Commander is Shiina! The rules are clear: once the Commander enters the multi-purpose room, phones must be off and they can only use official equipment. Can you bypass that?"
"No," Ryuen pointed his thumb at himself. "Shiina can fake an illness and take leave. Her body is weak anyway. Then I'll step in as the replacement Commander and lead the class personally."
"Ryuen-kun," Hiyori looked up.
"You haven't forgotten, have you? The Commander of the losing class gets expelled."
"Hmph, that's why I've prepared a sure-fire method." Ryuen revealed a devious smile, pulling a small vial from his pocket.
"I bought this from the pharmacy. It's a laxative that only takes effect after 48 hours. I just need a few key players from Class B to 'accidentally' drink it."
"What?!"
"You can even do that?!" Kaneda and Ibuki's eyes widened.
Hiyori was also surprised, but she caught a different detail.
"48-hour delay... that doesn't sound like a standard medicine. It sounds like something specifically designed to frame people. The school pharmacy actually sells this?"
"Uh... don't worry about the details." Ryuen's lip twitched.
'Why do women always focus on weird things?'
"I had Ishizaki Daichi test it; the effect is reliable. If we dose them 48 hours before the game, those Class B people will be basically useless. We'll easily take at least 200 class points."
"Isn't that a foul?" Kaneda frowned.
"There must be a record of your purchase."
"Hmph!" Ryuen was full of confidence.
"I bought this in the second month of school. It was originally intended for Shimizu Akira, but for various reasons, I never used it. The school won't trace back that far. A foul? It's only a foul if you get caught."
"You guy..." Ibuki was speechless. The drug intended for Akira had, by a twist of fate, become a tool against Class B.
"Wait, how do you know which Class B people will compete?" Ibuki asked.
"Hehe, we have records of every boy's performance from the Sports Festival. The athletic ones in Class B are just Kanzaki Ryuji, Shibata Souta, and a few others. For these dangerous events, they'll only send their strongest! Dosing those few is enough." Ryuen spoke with malice.
The plan sounded thorough. But Hiyori frowned.
"I don't think this is good. Your methods are too crude, and a 48-hour laxative is unreliable—it varies by person, diet, and water intake. Furthermore, this is a clear violation; if discovered, it means expulsion.
Besides, given Ichinose-san's personality, she's likely to forfeit events where they are at a disadvantage. We don't need to go this far. In a normal confrontation, we should be able to secure at least three wins."
Ryuen stared at Hiyori for a few seconds.
"That's just your speculation. My way is a 100% win. I've already planned it all out; Ishizaki and Albert will execute it. They know how to leave no trace."
Hiyori, unusually unyielding, said, "This involves the risk of expulsion! And do you really think Ichinose-san will let it slide after such a major loss?
Regarding your recent harassment of Class B, Kanzaki Ryuji has already filed a complaint with the Student Council. Class B is no longer the pushover they were at the start of the year. Ryuen-kun, you cannot continue with such reckless methods."
Ryuen froze.
It was true—the people he sent to scout Class B's lineup had been warned by the Student Council shortly after. Come to think of it, the name Kanzaki... seemed to belong to a certain famous family. The school staff had even gone out of their way to emphasize that they should stop targeting Class B. If the drugging were exposed, expulsion was the baseline. It would definitely be a permanent mark on his record.
Ryuen glanced at Class B's event list again. It was almost the exact opposite of Class D—nearly all academic. It gave him a headache.
"Then what's your idea?" he asked impatiently.
"Without 'methods,' it's hard to beat Class B. Do you plan to take the 'righteous path' and organize the whole class to start studying?"
Hiyori stirred her coffee.
"I think... we can turn our gaze toward Manabe Shiho."
"Oh? That woman is the key?" Ryuen looked at her with surprise. Why bring her up?
Thinking about it, that woman was still a "dead weight" in the class.
Was she planning to use her as a spy? Like he did during the island exam? But that woman had been targeted so badly by Hiyori, Kaneda, and Ibuki—there was no way she would listen to them now.
'This woman is hopelessly naive!'
Then, as Ryuen watched, he realized Hiyori's gaze was fixed intently on his own face.
"Damn! After all that, it's not you three doing it—you're counting on me to do the dirty work?" he cursed.
"Is this the reason you called me out today?"
Ryuen retracted his previous thoughts. People said Sakayanagi Arisu was a bad woman, but it looked like Shiina Hiyori wasn't far behind.
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