Surprise! I've Transmigrated Again

Chapter 293 - 187 ↦ Have You Been Pressuring Him Too Much Lately?

At 7:45 AM, all students gathered in the gymnasium before proceeding in an orderly fashion to the field for the opening ceremony.

Houtarou followed in Class A's line. Though Arisu couldn't participate in the competitions, she still attended the ceremony.

From the field, spectators could be seen filling the seats around the arena — mostly faculty members and shopping center employees. The school seemed relaxed about attendance, allowing anyone interested to watch. Many were smiling and waving from their seats.

The school's teaching staff, however, maintained serious expressions. Medical personnel in white coats stood ready, and the school had prepared a cabin equipped with air conditioning and water dispensers that could accommodate about twenty people.

The preparation level matched that of the deserted island event.

The red and white teams had set up their tents on opposite sides of the track, effectively limiting interaction between the two groups except during competitions.

As the ceremony began, all attention turned to the main event.

Third-year Class A's Fujimaki delivered the opening declaration, though his speech proved unnecessarily long. With all students participating and a tight schedule ahead, Manabu stopped him after two minutes and directed everyone to proceed.

The students dispersed to their respective team camps amid a flurry of activity.

"Well, I'll just have to watch everyone's progress from the spectator seats." Arisu said as she departed.

Houtarou noticed her carrying a camera — true to her word about taking photos.

With thirteen competition events to complete that day, there was no time for formalities. Houtarou had no choice but to rejoin his team.

The first-year boys' group had already begun their 100-meter race trials in groups of eight.

The competition would progress from first-year boys through to third-year girls for each event.

After each 10-minute break, the order would reverse, starting with first-year girls and ending with third-year boys.

The event was efficiently organized.

Ten groups of first-year boys would compete in total.

As planned with Suzune, Ken had been strategically placed as their sacrifice. Following his controlled competition schedule, he would compete first in the opening event.

The aim was to attract Kakeru's attention.

The first group took their positions.

Bang!

At the sound of the starting gun, Ken launched forward like an arrow, dominating the race with an exceptional performance that left him ten meters ahead of second place.

His athletic gift was undeniable.

The spectators, clearly impressed, burst into applause.

Before the excitement could settle, the second group was already taking their positions.

During the third group's preparation, a disturbance broke out.

"This kind of competition is too boring..." Rokusuke announced before forfeiting.

He simply walked off the field.

"First place."

In that same third group, Houtarou secured first place, finishing just ahead of Class C's Yōsuke.

Though individual race rankings didn't offer many points, he was determined to contribute as a Class A student.

"Next group—"

The recorder swiftly logged the rankings and scores before moving to the next group.

The process was remarkably efficient.

With all three grades participating, eight students per group, and over 400 students total, each heat got 10 seconds of preparation time. The entire event would take about twenty minutes, followed by a 10-minute break.

After finishing his 100-meter race, Houtarou found himself with some free time, which he used to make preparations.

After all, this Sports Festival wasn't about mere participation or winning first place for an insignificant 100 Class Points — those rewards weren't worth considering.

For Houtarou, what mattered was directly recovering all the points from Kakeru's possession.

He would test the waters to see if the clever red-team leader had noticed he was being targeted.

Houtarou had gained four small spies in Class C from the cruise ship incident. However, he contacted them sparingly since Kakeru was cautious — too much communication would risk exposure.

There were also other suitable sources for gathering information, like the present moment.

"First group!"

The first group of girls was beginning their race. Suzune was among them, representing the first-year girls. Also competing was Mio from Class D — who, despite appearing to be on bad terms with Kakeru, was actually his spy meant to infiltrate Class A.

Though Houtarou had redirected her to Honami's class, which backfired, she showed no discomfort around Class B students afterward. She was quite independent-minded.

During the VIP exam on the cruise ship, she had demonstrated her "sense of justice" by slapping Manabe on Houtarou's behalf — revealing her straightforward, uncomplicated nature.

As the race concluded, Suzune claimed first place, while Mio finished a close second.

"Suzune Horikita..." Mio muttered, clearly frustrated by the loss.

"Good work." Houtarou offered one of his two towels to Suzune before turning his attention to Mio.

This gesture left Suzune puzzled.

Houtarou turned his attention to Mio.

"Hmm..." Mio hesitated.

"Want a towel?" Houtarou offered.

Mio remained silent. She wouldn't forget this Class A student — Kakeru had marked Houtarou as an enemy and someone to be wary of. The memory of how he had acknowledged her sense of justice during the ship incident still lingered in her mind.

"Aren't you a Class A student — why are you always with Class C's Suzune Horikita?" Mio asked bluntly.

Houtarou noted how similar these two girls were — both lacking the ability to read social cues or sense the atmosphere. Who else would ask such a direct question? Yet this directness also revealed Mio's lack of cunning.

"Horikita and I have some history." Houtarou said, "But Ibuki, don't you think Sudō from Class C looks quite strong? His athletic talent is almost beyond normal human limits."

"Uh..." Mio seemed to grasp his meaning.

Was Houtarou feeling insecure after witnessing Ken's explosive power?

The evidence was clear. In the boys' races, which preceded the girls', Class C's Ken had competed first. Everyone had been stunned by his overwhelming performance.

Though Houtarou had won first place in his group, the difference was stark — his respectable speed was no match for Ken's extraordinary performance.

She assumed he must be feeling discouraged.

Just like her. Having trained since childhood at her family's martial arts dojo, she could easily defeat boys in elementary school. But after middle school, when boys' physical strength surpassed hers, she had to rely on technique. By high school, even techniques weren't enough.

It was frustrating.

And now Suzune had beaten her too? The feeling stung.

"I've been assigned to the recommended three-legged race event, and then the 1200-meter all-grade relay." Houtarou said, "If I were to face him, I'd feel somewhat defeated."

Mio fell silent.

So it was just as she thought.

"You won't meet him."

After saying this, Mio glanced around uncomfortably. Though Kakeru hadn't explicitly forbidden them from talking to others, it felt awkward to linger here with students from different classes.

She left quickly.

Meanwhile, Houtarou had obtained exactly what he wanted to know.

Mio's statement that they wouldn't meet meant Kakeru planned to deal with Ken before the three-legged race — preventing Ken from participating.

Looking at the day's schedule, with its tightly packed individual events for all grades, the pole toppling — the third event of the day — would be the most likely opportunity for action.

With only three voice recorders at his disposal, Houtarou needed to place them strategically.

After watching Mio leave, he turned to Suzune.

"Let's change how we hold hands today."

"Hm?" Suzune's confusion was evident.

"I want to hug you. Consider it an insurance measure." Houtarou said, "Ryūen is coming on strong, so he might try something."

Suzune: "..."

Hadn't they already sacrificed Ken?

Being accustomed to his touch, Suzune didn't resist. She felt his hands slip into her pants pockets.

A moment later, she noticed his left hand emerge, holding a voice recorder.

He was planting the recorder on her as protection against any moves Kakeru might make.

Later, the fourth group finished their race with Kikyō taking second place, while Class D's ace, Minori Kinoshita, claimed first.

Kikyō noticed that when Suzune saw her friend arrive, she not only withheld offering a towel but shot her a glare.

"Oreki just hugged me." Suzune said, "Have you been pressuring him too much lately?"

Oh. So what?

Kikyō: "..."

None of her business.

She did notice, however, that Suzune was holding a voice recorder, which she casually slipped into her pocket.

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