"This is boring…"
I sat alone in the Student Council room, taking care of some paperwork while the president and Tachibana-senpai were in the gym, training with their respective classes.
Well, I understood that much. But why did I have to be here? Why couldn't he choose another member to handle these tasks?
This was nothing short of bullying a younger student.
I would make sure to file a complaint with the school about this.
I had to attend all my classes, complete my duties as a Student Council member, and then participate in my class's training sessions.
Seriously, how was this any different from hell?
Even the training sessions were annoying.
Why had they suddenly decided to play tag? What was this, a kindergarten?
I had to make sure this never happened again.
I was certain I must have looked like an idiot running around like that.
I let out a deep sigh and rested my forehead on the desk. I would take a little nap, confident that I would wake up before the president opened the door.
Yes, that was one of my special skills.
Ugh… What else did they have in store for us today?
Would they ask us to walk on our hands next, or what?
Huh? What kind of thoughts were these? That was impossible, wasn't it?
Tch. I was starting to lose control of myself.
Although I had recently gotten used to doing physical exercises, group training sessions exhausted me both physically and mentally.
They were truly an evil that needed to be eliminated.
"Hikigaya, why are you sleeping instead of doing your work…?"
Suddenly, the president's voice echoed through the room.
Look at that. I was so exhausted that I had started imagining voices.
"Is he sleeping?"
"Maybe he's dead…"
"Huh…?"
I jolted upright, my body trembling in shock as if someone had just poured a bucket of ice water over me.
Standing right in front of me was the president, adjusting his tie, while Tachibana-senpai stood behind him.
"Hikigaya, were you sleeping?" the president asked, looking down at me with his stern eyes.
"Ah… Of course not. I was just trying to pick up my pen, which had fallen on the floor…"
Damn it. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't even noticed the door opening.
"He's not even trying…" Tachibana-senpai muttered, shaking her head from side to side as though she had completely given up on me.
"You know how important this period is. Stop slacking off and focus on your work."
"Ah, all right…" I replied, nodding.
What was this? Had I become the perfect corporate slave?
I had to make sure I got rid of this habit.
The president sighed in resignation and sat down in his chair at the head of the table, beginning to inspect the papers in front of him.
"Which team are you on?" the president asked without lifting his eyes from the documents in his hands.
"T-The White Team…" I replied, scratching the back of my head.
"Excellent!" Tachibana said cheerfully, practically bouncing on the spot.
Why had I never seen her this happy before? What was going on?
"Unfortunately, it seems we're on different teams," the president remarked.
Hmm. So they were on the Red Team. Not that it made much of a difference.
"I heard your class has formed an alliance with Class B to train together," the president continued.
"Hmm… Yeah."
I couldn't help but be impressed by how much information he managed to gather. It was almost as if he knew everything that was happening throughout the entire school.
Perhaps this was the secret to the game. Information was a weapon in this school.
"Then, who came up with the idea?" he asked in a tone that suggested he already knew the answer and was simply waiting for me to confirm it.
"The class leaders, obviously."
"Really…?"
The president took a pen from his jacket pocket and began writing on the papers in front of him.
Silence settled over the room.
I began gathering my belongings and putting them into my bag, but there was still one question that had been bothering me ever since I saw the president.
"Mr. President…"
"What is it?"
"C-Can I ask you something…?" I asked, fidgeting with my fingers.
"Go ahead," he replied, setting the papers aside and examining me closely.
"Ahem…"
I cleared my throat, trying to maintain my composure. The question I was about to ask might very well determine my life or death.
I wasn't exaggerating.
"Can I leave now…?" I asked quickly, gathering every ounce of courage I had before I lost control of my tongue.
"Ah… Yes, you can," he replied indifferently, returning his attention to the papers in front of him.
But why did I feel as though he was disappointed?
"All right… Thank you," I said, quickly standing up, grabbing my bag, and heading for the door.
I hurried toward it before the president's voice stopped me once again.
"Ah, Hikigaya. Wait a moment…"
I turned around nervously.
What now? Had he suddenly remembered another important task he wanted to assign me? Was he going to keep me trapped here until tomorrow?
"Hikigaya, I genuinely think cooperating with another class during training was a good idea. It will encourage competition between you, and you'll also get more time in the gym," the president said, interlacing his fingers in front of his face as his tone grew more serious.
"Y-Yes, I understand…" I replied, placing my hand on the doorknob.
He needed to understand that I had absolutely no intention of staying here any longer.
"I know you understand that this is essentially a physical test, but a lot of things could change on the day of the actual exam," the president added, returning his attention to his work, signaling that he had finished speaking.
I stood still for a moment, looking at him.
Was he actually trying to give us a hint?
"Goodbye…" I said as I left the Student Council room, his words still lingering in my ears.
I knew that a lot could change on the day of the exam. Every class would try to approach things in its own way, and with everyone attempting to exploit loopholes and take advantage of the unwritten rules, this test would become something far removed from an ordinary physical education class.
It would turn into a dirty game.
---
After finally leaving the school building, I wandered around outside for a little while. However, I didn't have time to waste, since training would begin soon. So I headed toward the gym, hoping things would go smoothly today.
I walked at a leisurely pace as I approached the gym's entrance. Then, I spotted two familiar faces, even though neither of them belonged to my class.
What? Was the hidden princess trying to spy on us and gather information?
"Hey, Sakayanagi. What are you doing here…?" I asked as I approached her.
Her companion, Kamuro, immediately turned around with a startled expression, as though she hadn't noticed me approaching them.
"Oh my, Hikigaya-kun! Is that you? It's been quite a while," Sakayanagi said, turning toward me with her usual composure.
It had indeed been a long time since I last saw her, which was a good thing. But why had she suddenly appeared here now?
"So, what are you doing here?" I asked indifferently, glancing inside at the students gathering before their training session began.
"My, my, Hikigaya-kun. We haven't seen each other in such a long time, and this is how you greet me? You're truly rude," Sakayanagi said, putting on a fake expression of sadness.
"Is that so? In that case, if you've come to spy on our training, I could bring you a chair and find you a seat inside," I replied.
"Although I never said that was why I came, that's very kind of you, Hikigaya-kun. Thank you," Sakayanagi said, placing a hand over her mouth to conceal her smile.
"Then, if you haven't come to spy on us, leave."
I stepped aside to give her room to pass, waiting for her to leave.
"Would you welcome us if we were spying, but kick us out if we were merely watching? How generous of you," Sakayanagi joked.
I didn't move from my spot, continuing to wait for her to leave.
"All right, we did come here to gather a little information. Would you help us, Hikigaya-kun?" Sakayanagi asked, placing both hands on her cane to support herself.
"Hmm…"
I raised an eyebrow slightly as I looked at her. I hadn't expected her to be so straightforward.
"Well, the overall level of our class is pretty average, except for Sudou, Hirata, and a few other students," I answered without hesitation. This was information that was hardly valuable. Anyone could figure it out.
"As for the girls, I honestly don't know much. But if you're interested, I could ask around for you," I added, slipping my hands back into my pockets.
Sakayanagi stood there staring at me in surprise, while her companion seemed to have forgotten herself, looking at me with her mouth half open.
"What? Isn't that enough?" I asked, scratching my head. Was she looking for something else?
I had thought that was more than enough information.
"No… But I didn't expect that. In that case, may I ask you another question?" Sakayanagi said, taking a step closer, her eyes gleaming with determination.
"What is it…?" I asked, instinctively trying to step backward.
What was wrong with this rude girl? Had her greed finally gotten the better of her? Was she planning to take over the world?
"What about Kiyotaka Ayanokouji?"
The random thoughts in my head suddenly came to a halt the moment I heard that name.
What was going on here?
Had she really come all this way just for that, or was she simply bored?
"Who's that? I don't know him," I replied, trying to search my memory for the name. It seemed I had thrown all my interactions with him into the farthest corner of my mind.
"Really? He's in the same class as you," Sakayanagi remarked, stepping back as though she hadn't expected that answer.
"Is that so? I guess I haven't interacted with him before, so I don't know him."
Yes, even if I knew him, I didn't know him.
Sakayanagi lowered her gaze. I couldn't tell what expression she was making or what she was thinking, but I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had suddenly settled over me.
"Come on, we're leaving," Sakayanagi said, walking away as her companion followed behind her.
Then, she stopped and turned back toward me.
"Oh, Hikigaya-kun. I just wanted to tell you that I'm not interested in this special exam at all, so don't worry about it."
I stared at her with a blank expression.
Was she still planning to make her class lose just to secure her position as class leader? Was she really that obsessed?
"I won't make a move until he does…"
Sakayanagi spoke in a voice barely above a whisper before waving her hand and walking away.
She glanced at Kamuro without making any effort to hide her irritation, then turned away as well.
I let out a deep sigh as I looked around.
So… Were we going to play tag again today?