Chapter 354: Chabashira: Out of Money~ / Sakayanagi Arisu: I Feel Like Shimizu Akira is Targeting Me
Fight Class A?
Despite Sakayanagi Arisu's flowery rhetoric about Class C having Koenji Rokusuke, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, and Shimizu Akira making them "worthy opponents," reality was a bit different.
"Hahaha! You needn't look at me so earnestly~" Koenji Rokusuke brushed his golden bangs, a brilliant smile on his face.
"Due to the great exertion of my recent 'sparring' with Acting Chairman Tsukishiro, I am in dire need of rest and recuperation. Therefore, I intend to spend this special exam in leisure. The third-year senpais are graduating soon, and my 'exchange' business requires continuous promotion. So, everyone, please do your best~"
He made it clear he was going to be a hands-off observer. On the other side:
"?" Ayanokouji Kiyotaka looked up.
"Sakayanagi-san, I don't quite understand why you mentioned me. I'm just an ordinary student. I likely won't play much of a role in the project competitions, so please just treat me as a regular bystander."
He also explicitly stated he wouldn't participate in the core competition.
Shimizu Akira rubbed his temples and stood up to look at Sakayanagi:
"This promise to reveal one of your mandatory events—is it true or false?"
Sakayanagi frowned slightly.
"What do you mean? Shimizu-kun, are you questioning my credibility?"
"Shouldn't I?" Akira twitched his lips and shot back.
"Do you think your reputation is good? Ichinose Honami's reputation was almost ruined by you, and you secretly interfered in Class D's affairs during the last vote. Why on earth should I trust you?"
"Exactly!"
"Shimizu is right!"
"Sakayanagi-san's reputation hasn't been great lately. What if you go back on your word?"
The Class C students exchanged glances and nodded. Sakayanagi's expression sank, and she lightly tapped her cane on the floor.
"I always do as I say! Since you don't believe me, we can go to the Student Council and sign a formal agreement bound by school rules. Is that enough?"
"Fine, I'll give you that for now." Akira continued his interrogation.
"As for revealing the project, have you obtained the consent of all Class A students? Have you internally decided which project to reveal? You came here the moment the bell rang; surely you haven't held a class meeting yet?"
Sakayanagi was stunned again.
Come to think of it... she really hadn't had time to consult her class.
"Go back for now," Akira waved her off.
"You need to negotiate with your class, and we need an internal discussion. We'll give you a clear answer before school ends."
"......Very well." Sakayanagi gave him a deep look.
"As expected of you—a rational judgment."
'Rational judgment my foot! Isn't this just common sense? Do you really think you can run Class A as a one-woman show? If you lose this exam completely to Class C, how are you going to clean up the mess? Has this person even considered the consequences?'
The class watched as Sakayanagi and Yamamura Miki left the room.
Once the door closed, a heated discussion erupted.
"Fight Class A? Seriously?!"
"One million points... and knowing one project in advance..."
"But Class A is too strong! Can we actually win?"
"Setting Ayanokouji aside, Koenji clearly doesn't want to put in any effort!"
"Hey! You guy!" Ijuuin Wataru and a few others glared at Koenji. "Didn't you say you were going to turn over a new leaf? You lied again, didn't you?!"
Koenji merely held up his mirror, adjusting his hair, deaf to the accusations.
"Everyone, please quiet down and listen to Shimizu's opinion." Hirata Yousuke walked to the podium and clapped his hands.
Since the last talk where Akira had criticized his "Saint-like" mindset, Hirata seemed to seek Akira's opinion for every major decision.
Akira cleared his throat.
"Since Koenji won't give his all and Ayanokouji has declared himself a bystander—and given that rules generally limit each person to one event—the role of the Commander becomes vital."
"True! One person, one event."
"The Commander can interfere in all events if the rules allow!"
"Exactly, with luck, the Commander can touch all seven projects!"
"However, the Commander isn't as omnipotent as you think." Akira shook his head, holding up the rulebook.
"How much a Commander can intervene depends entirely on the specific rules of each project."
For example, in a written test, the rules might say "The Commander can substitute for an answer," which is deep intervention. Or it could say "The examinee can call the Commander for one question," which is limited.
And there was the critical point: the person serving as Commander faces expulsion if the class loses.
"Shimizu, I think you are the most suited for this role," Hirata said seriously.
"The Commander needs high comprehensive ability and psychological fortitude. They need to judge on the fly, support, or even substitute, all while staying calm under pressure. You have all of that."
"He's right!" "I think Shimizu is the one too!"
"Hmm... personally, I think we might need to reconsider," Kushida Kikyo interrupted with a smile.
"While the Commander can interfere, don't forget the Commander themselves cannot be a direct participant. If a project weights the Commander's intervention very low, Shimizu-kun's impact is limited. It might be better to have him win a strong-point event directly, like boxing, to guarantee a victory."
"..."
"That... makes sense too."
If they set a project where Akira had an absolute advantage, having him participate directly almost guaranteed a win. If he was the Commander and rules restricted his input, they'd be wasting their strongest asset.
Just then, Akira's phone buzzed. It was a message from Sakayanagi.
"Sakayanagi says she's secured Class A's consent," he announced. "She sent the mandatory project: Chess. Rules are standard International Chess. Regarding Commander intervention: instructions can be given at any time, but there is a total 30-minute time limit. Also, she's drafted a contract with the Student Council. Class A will definitely list this as a 'Must-Play' event."
"Chess?!"
"That's so niche... if it were Five-in-a-Row, I might know a bit..."
Horikita Suzune raised her hand.
"I can play. I'm not as good as my brother, but I believe my level is decent."
"So far, Class A doesn't seem to be playing dirty."
"With 1 million points divided among 39 people, that's about 26,000 points each."
"If Horikita can play, we should be fine, right?"
Akira nodded.
"Class B is our ally, so our choices were really only Class D or Class A. If we aim for Class A and win big, we take a massive amount of class points, securing our promotion to Class B or even a shot at Class A.
But the downside is obvious: Class A has higher overall academic ability. If we get stuck in pure academic subjects, our win rate is low. Since Sakayanagi came to us, it means Chess is a Class A strength; they likely expect to win that point."
He laid out the pros and cons clearly.
After a few minutes of debating the "courage" to face Class A and the chance for a promotion, the class reached a resolution: "If we win the priority draw, we choose Class A as our opponent."
However, they gave Akira time to consider the Commander role. If he didn't want it, they'd pick someone else.
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"This Lion's Head meatball is actually very good."
During lunch, Akira and Horikita Suzune spread a picnic mat on the rooftop. He took a bite of a Shixi meatball. Suzune's learning ability was terrifying; he had mentioned wanting Huaiyang cuisine yesterday, and she had made it today.
"Of course." Suzune tilted her chin up slightly. She was a natural at cooking.
"Then regarding—" Before she could finish, the rooftop door opened.
"Good afternoon, Akira-kun, Horikita-san."
Kushida Kikyo walked over and sat down naturally.
"What are you doing here?" Suzune pursed her lips. This was their rare private time.
"This isn't your house," Kikyo smiled. "Besides, I've been to this rooftop way more than you have."
Akira stifled a laugh. In the early months, Kikyo came here all the time to vent her stress. Ironically, the person she used to curse the most back then—Suzune—was now sitting right in front of her.
Kikyo turned to Akira, her expression serious.
"Akira-kun, Hirata's proposal for you to be Commander is only because you have a Protection Point. That way, even if we lose, no one gets expelled. Don't be fooled by his calculation."
"I know," Akira nodded. It was the most rational, safe choice.
"My suggestion is..." Kikyo continued, "just be a player in a fixed event. No risk of expulsion, a guaranteed win for the class, and you save that precious Protection Point for a more critical moment. What do you think?"
"Wait, I disagree," Suzune countered immediately.
"Having Akira-kun as Commander is the better choice. With him coordinating the whole board and intervening when necessary, the class's overall win rate rises significantly."
"What are you saying?" Kikyo looked at Suzune.
"You're supposed to like him! You're pushing him into the most dangerous spot?"
"I say it because I believe in him," Suzune didn't back down.
"I don't think he would lose to Sakayanagi. You, on the other hand, claim to worry but actually don't trust his ability."
"What? Who doesn't trust him?! I just want him to avoid risk! Protection Points are precious; why waste it on this exam? And Tsukishiro might pull something!"
"Akira-kun hasn't lost a head-to-head match since enrollment unless he threw it on purpose. As his first girlfriend, shouldn't you know that? And Tsukishiro won't move unless he wants to be fired."
The two began a fierce back-and-forth about whether Akira should be the Commander. Akira tried to mediate, but they wouldn't listen, so he went back to his fried rice.
A few minutes later, they stopped and stared at him.
"What do you think?"
"Akira-kun, what's your decision?"
'Total war zone.'
Akira finished his tea and looked at the two girls—one with stubborn fox-like eyes, the other with anxious almond eyes. Both cared for him in their own way.
"Thanks for worrying, Kikyo. I know you want to protect me." Kikyo's eyes softened.
"And thanks for the trust, Suzune." Suzune bit her lip.
"You both have points. But regarding the Commander..." He sat up straight.
"Kikyo, have you looked into who the other classes are picking?"
Kikyo checked her phone.
"Class A is Sakayanagi Arisu, Class B is Ichinose Honami, Class D is Shiina Hiyori."
"Every other class has chosen someone with a Protection Point," Akira analyzed.
"That prevents an expulsion even if they lose. If I don't step up... there will be whispers that I'm a coward afraid of responsibility. I don't want people looking at me—or us—that way."
"Tch!" Kikyo clicked her tongue. She couldn't stand anyone looking down on Akira.
"Actually, two people have already offered me rewards." Akira showed them his messages: Chabashira Sae: If you agree to be Commander, I will personally provide 3 million points as an incentive.
Sakayanagi Arisu: Shimizu-kun, if you are Commander, I will gift you 2 million private points as encouragement.
"Third," he continued, "Sakayanagi won't leave me alone, and I want to make her eat dirt again. Fourth, if I'm Commander, I can coordinate everything to look out for you, Suzune, Haruka, and Airi. So... Kikyo, can you accept me taking this role?"
Kushida Kikyo sighed.
"If you put it that way... what can I say?" She was out of arguments.
"Setting Sakayanagi aside," Suzune's eyes narrowed at the phone.
"Why is Chabashira-sensei giving you so many points privately? And this isn't the first time... how much has she given you in total?"
"Well..." Akira shrugged. "I haven't really counted." Between 5 and 8 million, probably. Chabashira-sensei was a major contributor to his private war chest.
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"He agreed!" Chabashira Sae looked at Akira's confirmation, her heart racing. If he led Class C to a victory over Class A, her dream of reaching Class A—a goal stagnant for seven years—would finally be within reach.
She would give up her entire savings for this.
She checked her bank balance: 490,000 yen. That was all she had left. After seven years of poor class performance, her savings were meager.
She had converted almost everything into private points to invest in Akira.
"This should be... the last time I can push him with points," she whispered.
'If this doesn't work, what else do I have left to offer?'
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After school, 5:00 PM.
Akira arrived at the multi-purpose classroom. The other Commanders were already there: Sakayanagi (A), Ichinose (B), and Shiina (D). They all smiled at him—Sakayanagi provocatively, Ichinose brightly, and Shiina demurely.
Mashima-sensei held up a sealed box.
"We will now draw for the priority right. The red marker allows you to pick your opponent. The remaining two will be paired automatically."
He started with Sakayanagi due to class rank, but she giggled.
"Oh, since I targeted Ichinose-san last time, I'll let her go first as an apology."
The draw proceeded: Ichinose → Akira → Shiina → Sakayanagi.
Akira unfolded his slip—Red Marker. "Shimizu, make your choice."
"I choose Class A," Akira replied.
"Hehe, wonderful," Sakayanagi giggled.
"I knew you'd agree." Akira didn't understand why she was so happy.
Is she that confident? Even if Chess is a Class A strength, that's only one point.
On the other side, Ichinose and Shiina smiled at each other.
"Ichinose-san, it looks like we're opponents."
"Yes, please look after me, Shiina-san." They had gotten along well during the training camp and maintained a friendly rivalry.
Matchups:
Class C (Shimizu Akira) vs. Class A (Sakayanagi Arisu) Class B (Ichinose Honami) vs. Class D (Shiina Hiyori)
Mashima-sensei pointed to two computers.
"On exam day, this is your workstation. You will decide participants in real-time. Unlike the Sports Festival, you don't submit names in advance; the Commander decides on the spot. You can also intervene via these terminals according to the rules of each project."
The instructions were clear: text-to-voice commands with a 10-second delay, one headset per project.
Akira raised his hand. "We are sitting side-by-side. Is it a violation if one Commander intentionally interferes with the other's computer?"
"Absolutely," Mashima said sternly. "I will be supervising. Any interference will result in immediate disqualification."
Sakayanagi pouted slightly.
'This Akira... he's already guarding against me? Does he trust me that little?'
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