Chapter 017: Sakayanagi: A Genius? I Actually Want to See a Genius Fall
"Could we please ask Class B to go easy on us?"
The moment Horikita Suzune said those words, the playground instantly fell silent.
It wasn't a normal silence; it was a deathly stillness where even the sound of breathing became clearly audible.
Dumbfounded.
Not only was Katsuragi Kohei stunned, but Totsuka Yahiko's mouth hung wide open. The surrounding Class B students looked at each other, their expressions shifting from confusion to shock, and from shock to...
Within the Class D ranks, a similar deathly silence reigned among both the boys and girls. Ike Kanji's mouth formed an 'O' shape, Yamauchi Haruki's eyes nearly popped out of his head, and Sudo Ken's hand pulled out of his pocket, clenched into a fist, then relaxed.
Hirata Yousuke stood at the front of the line, the smile on his face frozen. He opened his mouth to say something but found he didn't know what to say. Kushida Kikyo's fingers lightly pinched the cover of her notebook; her expression didn't change, but a flash of surprise flickered in those burgundy eyes.
"Go easy?" Katsuragi's voice was a bit dry as he stared at Horikita, as if confirming he hadn't misheard. "You're saying you want our Class B to throw the game?"
"Yes," Horikita nodded, her tone calm. "Because we don't want to come in last."
Katsuragi fell silent.
His mind raced. If Class B went easy on Class D, it meant Class B would be making concessions and wouldn't get high scores in the grade rankings. If Class B didn't get high scores, the top spot for the school year would likely go to Class A or Class C. The White Team was already at a disadvantage in the Red vs. White confrontation; if Class B went easy as well, the White Team's total score would drop even lower.
But—if Class D came in last, they would be docked 200 points. 130 points minus 200 becomes negative 70. What did negative points mean? No one knew. But no one wanted to be the first person to find out.
Katsuragi looked at Horikita, then at the nervous faces in the Class D ranks. He suddenly understood something.
This wasn't just Horikita Suzune's idea.
This was the idea of everyone in Class D.
They didn't want to be last, they didn't want points deducted, they didn't want to go into the negatives, and they didn't want to owe the school points.
They needed a guarantee of "not being last."
And that guarantee could only be provided by Class B.
Therefore, Horikita Suzune was trying to pull Class B down with them!
Katsuragi Kohei did not hesitate.
"Impossible." His voice was heavy but decisive. "Our Class B also places our hopes on this exam to move up. Therefore, we will not do this for Class D."
As he finished, his gaze swept over the Class D ranks. There was no anger or disdain in his eyes, only a calm determination. Having dropped from Class A, Class B was holding their collective breath. A vacation's worth of training—daily running, strength, and endurance—wasn't meant to benefit others. They wanted to win, to get points, and to climb back to Class A.
So, what Horikita Suzune was saying was simply nonsense!
However, the students of Class D didn't have much of a reaction. Although Horikita's proposal seemed exaggerated to them, if they thought about it carefully, it truly was beneficial to Class D. But they also had no right to demand Class B's cooperation. Katsuragi's rejection was within reason; no one felt surprised, and no one stood up to argue.
Even Ike Kanji just lowered his head and kicked a pebble on the ground. Yamauchi Haruki curled his lip and remained silent.
The playground was quiet for a few seconds.
Then Horikita Suzune spoke again.
"Does everyone remember the exam rules?
For the individual scores in the grade ranking, the bottom five boys and bottom five girls will receive a penalty of minus ten points on all subjects in the next written exam."
The moment those words were uttered, the Class D ranks fell instantly silent. That silence wasn't the "as expected" silence from before, but a silence where they had been hit by something and even forgot to breathe.
Yamauchi Haruki's eyes widened suddenly. Ike Kanji's mouth opened, closed, then opened again.
Ten points off all subjects.
Those words were like a hammer smashing into everyone's chest.
The underachievers of Class D understood instantly.
They were already poor students. Their academic ability was at the bottom, and their athletic ability was also at the bottom. In the Sports Festival, they were highly likely to be among the
bottom group of the year. Five boys and five girls—with forty people in Class D, they would likely account for at least half. If the penalty of minus ten points per subject was added, would they even be able to pass the next written exam?
What happens if you fail?
Expulsion.
The word circled in everyone's mind once, then again, and then stayed pinned there like a nail that couldn't be pulled out.
"Horikita-san is right!" Yamauchi Haruki was the first to jump out, his voice an octave higher than usual. His expression changed from shock to excitement, and from excitement to a near-fanatical adoration. "We in Class D can't be last! Absolutely not!"
Ike Kanji followed suit, shouting, "That's right, that's right! If we lose another ten points, I'll definitely fail the next written exam! Failing means expulsion! I don't want to be expelled!"
Several boys around them echoed the sentiment, their voices growing louder and more frequent.
"Wait a minute," Hondo's voice came from the back row, carrying a hint of a tremble. "If we come in last in the Sports Festival and lose ten points on the written exam, doesn't that mean—"
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood.
Doesn't that mean we're dead meat?
The atmosphere in the Class D ranks changed instantly. What was once a "whatever, we can't win anyway" flat-lining attitude had now turned into a sense of urgency, forced into a corner where they had to fight for their lives. Everyone was doing the math in their heads; everyone's complexion looked poor, and everyone's eyes had changed.
"Actually," Yamauchi Haruki's voice rang out again, "actually, you see, Horikita-san's proposal isn't completely unreasonable. If Class B could yield just a little bit, wouldn't we in Class D be able to get some points? Not too many, just enough so we're not last."
Ike Kanji immediately followed up, "Yeah, yeah! Anyway, Class B has so many top students, they wouldn't be afraid even if they lost ten points on a written exam, right? We're different! If we lose ten points, we're finished!"
These words were spoken righteously, but if you thought about it, it was actually moral kidnapping. Because Class B has many geniuses, they deserve to lose points? Because Class B wants to move up, they deserve to be held back? But at this moment, no one cared about that.
The students of Class D only cared about one thing—whether they would be last, and whether they would be expelled.
Concessions.
Katsuragi Kohei's brow furrowed.
He looked at the agitated faces in the Class D ranks, looked at Yamauchi and Ike's "if you don't help us, you're leaving us to die" expressions, and a surge of speechless annoyance rose in his heart.
But he already understood: Horikita Suzune was using Class D's academic and athletic underachievers for kidnapping. She wasn't fighting alone; she was using the survival instinct of the entire Class D to pressure Class B.
And at the thought that Horikita Suzune was actually quite close to Hikigaya Hachiman, he felt that this might be at Hikigaya's prompting.
As the new Class A, Hikigaya indeed needed to suppress their Class B severely!
But to actually use this method to incite these idiots... and for it to actually work.
This made Katsuragi's heart feel a bit heavy.
"You Class D people are too much!" As Katsuragi's subordinate, Totsuka Yahiko spoke up instantly, his voice carrying clear anger. "Why should Class B make way for you? We trained for so long during the holidays just to get points! You guys are incompetent yourselves, so you want to drag us down with you?"
As soon as those words came out, Class D exploded.
"What do you mean we're incompetent?" Yamauchi Haruki stepped forward, his face red and neck strained as he glared at Totsuka. "We're in the same group! The White Team! If we win, everyone gets points; if we lose, everyone gets deducted! Isn't it right to help each other?"
Ike Kanji also squeezed forward, "Exactly, exactly! If you Class B guys don't help, we'll just throw the game! Anyway, we'll lose points if we're last, and you'll lose points if you lose the Red-White match. Let's all lose points together!"
These words were no longer moral kidnapping; they were a direct threat. If Class D slacked off, the White Team's total score would drop, and Class B would suffer along with them. You help us, everyone benefits. You don't help us, we all go down together.
Totsuka Yahiko was so angry his face turned red. He opened his mouth to say something but was stopped by Katsuragi raising his hand.
Katsuragi looked at the Class D ranks, looking at those excited, nervous faces. His mind spun rapidly, weighing the pros and cons. Indeed, the Class D students were emotional; this was no longer a simple "request," it was a bomb. If he refused completely, Horikita Suzune would likely instruct the Class D students to simply throw the matches. At that point, the White Team's total score would drop, and Class B would suffer too.
But he couldn't just agree like that. Class B's goal was to move up; they couldn't sacrifice their own points for Class D.
He needed a compromise.
Just then, a sweet voice came from the side.
"Everyone, please calm down a little."
The voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a magic that made people quiet down. Everyone turned their heads toward the source of the sound.
They saw Sakayanagi Arisu walking over slowly, leaning on her cane. Her silver, straight hair shimmered softly in the sunlight, and she wore the first-year red school blazer over a white shirt, with her pleated skirt a few centimeters above her knees. Her pace was neither fast nor slow, and the sound of her cane tapping the ground was exceptionally clear in the quiet playground.
She had a faint smile on her face, and those purplish-blue eyes swept over the Class D ranks as if looking at a group of noisy children.
The boys of Class D fell silent instantly.
Not because they were intimidated, but because they were struck by her beauty.
Sakayanagi Arisu, the cutest girl in the entire school year. This was an acknowledged fact. Even if she wasn't the class representative of Class A anymore, and even if her class had dropped to Class B, her looks and aura were still top-tier. When she walked over leaning on her cane with an elegant gait, the Class D boys even forgot to breathe.
"So cute..." someone whispered.
"Sakayanagi-san..." another voice followed, with a nearly infatuated tone.
Yamauchi Haruki's eyes went straight, Ike Kanji's mouth opened again, and even Sudo Ken took a few extra looks before turning his head away.
Kushida Kikyo stood in the ranks watching this scene, her mouth twitching slightly.
She sighed in her heart; the "simps" of Class D were truly beyond saving.
Sakayanagi walked to Katsuragi's side and stopped. Her gaze landed on the Class D ranks, and the smile on her lips deepened.
"I heard what was said just now." Her voice was still in that sweet tone, but every word was clearly spoken. "Since the students of Class D have such a request, as teammates in the same group, our Class B will not completely ignore it."
In the Class D ranks, several people's eyes lit up.
"However—" Sakayanagi's tone shifted, her pace steady. "We will not make concessions unconditionally."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over every person in Class D.
"Therefore, Class D needs to create your participation list and hand it over to us first. Then our Class B will make the corresponding concessions and personnel arrangements."
The playground fell silent for a moment.
But Katsuragi Kohei's eyes brightened slightly. He instantly understood Sakayanagi's meaning. This wasn't a concession; it was control. Taking Class D's participation list meant Class B would know in advance who Class D would field for which events.
This way, Class B could strategically arrange their own participation list—yielding in events where Class D was strong and taking points in events where Class D was weak. Especially since Class D had "monsters" like Koenji and Ayanokouji, and even Sudo was very strong in sports. If Class B's seed players clashed with them, it wouldn't be very cost-effective and they might even lose. So, while Sakayanagi called it a "concession," it was actually a "precision concession." It could both appease Class D's emotions and maximize Class B's own points.
Furthermore—with the participation list in Class B's hands, Class D would lose their autonomy. They would have to follow Class B's arrangements and couldn't make any more demands.
So, by making a small retreat, they directly seized Class D's sovereignty!
"Sakayanagi is right." Katsuragi immediately followed up, his tone much steadier than before. "Our Class B can make concessions, but we need Class D's full cooperation."
He looked at Hirata Yousuke, then at Horikita Suzune.
"Therefore, we need the students of Class D to test their athletic strength. Then, together with Hirata-kun and Horikita-san, we will create Class D's participation list. Furthermore, it will only be released right before the exam to ensure security."
Hirata Yousuke was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "If it's for the good of the class, I am willing to cooperate."
Horikita Suzune looked at him, was silent for a second, then nodded gently.
She had no reason to refuse. Class B was willing to help, provided they took the right to create the participation list. This wasn't a bad thing for Class D. After all, Class D couldn't make a decent participation list themselves anyway.
Of course, she also had no intention of creating a participation list that would definitely be leaked.
But Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, standing at the back of the ranks, saw all of this and his mind was racing.
Under the banner of "helping Class D," Class B had taken the right to create Class D's participation list. Although Hirata and Horikita were said to be involved, the final decision-making power was in Class B's hands. The list would be kept secret and only released before the exam—it sounded safe, but true safety only exists when no one wants to leak it.
What if someone wanted to leak it?
Ayanokouji's eyes flickered slightly. Once the participation list leaked, who would be responsible? Hirata Yousuke? Horikita Suzune? Or Class B? No matter who it was, this was a time bomb. And if this bomb was detonated at the right time, who could it drag down?
His mind worked fast. Regarding Class D's participation list, he actually wasn't interested. Whether it leaked or not didn't matter to him. But if—if the leak of the list could make Horikita Suzune take responsibility, hinder her, or cause a crack in Hikigaya Hachiman's layout—then there was room for manipulation.
Miyake Akito, standing next to him, noticed his silence and couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Ayanokouji, what do you think?"
Ayanokouji looked at him and shook his head gently.
"It's nothing. Let's wait and see."
His tone was flat, revealing no emotion. But Miyake always felt that in Ayanokouji's golden pupils, something was flickering slightly.
It wasn't excitement or thrill.
It was a quiet patience, like waiting for prey to enter a trap.
On the playground, the discussion continued. The students of Class D were still discussing Class B's proposal; some felt uneasy about "handing the list to someone else," while others felt that "Class D wouldn't know how to do it anyway, so giving it to Class B is fine." Hirata Yousuke was calming everyone down, Kushida Kikyo occasionally interjected a few words, and Horikita Suzune stood there quietly, saying nothing more.
Katsuragi Kohei led Totsuka Yahiko away, preparing to go back and discuss the specific arrangements with the Class B students. Sakayanagi Arisu, leaning on her cane, followed behind him, her gait still elegant and composed.
After a few steps, she suddenly stopped, turned her head, and looked back at the Class D ranks.
Her gaze didn't land on Hirata, nor did it land on Horikita. She was looking at Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
In those purplish-blue eyes, there was a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
A genius?
Does being a genius ensure you'll definitely win? If it were before, she certainly would have thought so, but now, she no longer thought that way.
And how to defeat a genius—that was the more interesting thing.
Then she withdrew her gaze and continued forward.
.
.
.
Meanwhile.
When Hachiman left the playground, the sunlight was no longer as piercing as it was at noon.
Hachiman walked in front at a moderate pace. Ichinose Honami followed half a step behind him.
The two walked along the edge of the playground; the surrounding discussions gradually faded, replaced by the rustling of wind through the leaves.
The Class A students had long since dispersed.
After all, if Class C could avoid being out in the sun, why couldn't Class A? Not to mention, what needed to be arranged had already been arranged.
But Ichinose, walking beside him, kept her eyes on the road ahead. Her steps were a bit slower than usual, as if she were lost in thought.
"Hikigaya-kun." Ichinose walked a few more steps and finally couldn't help but speak.
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