After the pointless physical exam, everyone's events for the sports festival were finalized. As the second-place finisher in the exam, Saiki Kusuo was assigned to multiple events—not just the pole-toppling competition, but also the school-wide relay race and the horse-riding battle.
After the list was confirmed, Saiki leaned against the wall, his expression one of utter despair. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
*"Man, this is a mess… How am I supposed to handle this? I can't aim for a top spot, and if I come in last, I'll probably get blamed… I guess I'll just aim for the middle. That's the least noticeable spot."*
Saiki thought to himself.
Not far away, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka's gaze fell on Saiki.
"Looks like you're in quite a few events, Saiki."
*"You too, I guess."*
Saiki sighed, shaking his head. He hadn't expected both of them to fall into Sudō Ken's trap.
"Seems like he'll make his move during the sports festival."
*"Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about."*
"What's he planning? To help Horikita grow? Eliminate Kushida, the class traitor? Or ensure the class wins this event?"
*"I haven't thought about any of that."*
"I'm curious to see what Saiki can actually do at this sports festival."
*"Dude, I plan on doing nothing."*
Saiki thought, exasperated.
---
Starting the next day, the class headed to the stadium for practice. Even though it was just practice, Saiki couldn't let his guard down. He had to meticulously control his powers.
Meanwhile, the rest of the class was also training.
"Huff… huff…"
On the track, Sakura Airi struggled to reach the finish line—still in last place, with a disappointing time. Airi's academic scores were decent, but her athletic abilities were abysmal.
"Good job, Sakura!"
Hirata Yōsuke approached, handing her a bottle of water. Airi was gasping for breath, on the verge of collapsing, but she forced herself to steady her body. Her eyes darted around, searching for Saiki.
*"Is Kusuo-kun nearby?"*
She thought.
*"He's so good at sports… I need to work harder too…"*
"Uh, Sakura, maybe take a break? You've been pushing yourself hard."
Hirata said. The long-distance run was exhausting, but he hadn't expected Airi's stamina to be this poor.
"I'm fine… I can run another lap…"
Airi insisted, though her legs trembled from fatigue.
"Maybe rest first…"
Elsewhere, the others practiced various events under Sudō's supervision. Despite his poor academic performance, Sudō transformed when it came to sports, becoming incredibly serious.
"Use your waist! Put power into it!"
"Machida, you're doing everything wrong!"
"No, do it like this… How can you be so clueless?!"
Though his tone was harsh, Sudō was genuinely invested, coaching everyone with full dedication—a stark contrast to his usual laid-back demeanor.
"Kusuo-kun, I got you a drink!"
Saiki, who had just pretended to complete some practice, was approached by Karuizawa Kei. She held two sports drinks, handing one to him.
"You're in so many events this time. Looks like you'll be the star of the show."
*"I'd rather not."*
Saiki thought, accepting the drink.
"Kei, you've been hanging out with Saiki a lot lately, huh?"
Another classmate approached, smirking.
"You two… already—"
"What are you saying?!"
Kei slapped her back, firmly denying it. Yet, she still smiled.
"Wait, where did you buy the drinks? The vending machines are outside the gym."
Saiki asked, confused.
"Oh, there's a temporary water bar set up nearby. I got them there."
Kei pointed to the other side of the field.
"The owner looks familiar, like I've seen them somewhere."
'Hmm?"
Saiki sensed something, turning his gaze to the water bar. The owner was a young woman wearing a mask.
*What?*
"I'll grab some extra water."
Saiki quickly walked over, recognizing the woman's figure and dark skin instantly. He could also hear her thoughts clearly.
*"I've investigated. His name is Saiki Kusuo, pink hair, initials… It's definitely him!"*
*"Saiki's in great shape. He's probably their class's sports festival ace."*
*"Those girls around him seem interested. They might be potential rivals."*
The thoughts belonged to Mikoto Aiura.
"What can I get you?"
Aiura acted oblivious, asking Saiki.
*"Saiki's here! I can observe him closely now!"*
*"You remember I can read minds, right?"*
Saiki sighed, transmitting his words directly into Aiura's mind.
*"Oops, forgot about that."*
"Why are you still at school?"
Saiki asked. The fortune-telling shop was supposed to close after summer, yet she was still here.
"I signed a contract for more than just the shop. I also run a gift shop here—selling water is no problem, right? I saw an opportunity and set up this water bar. Nothing wrong with that!"
Aiura smiled.
*"…"*
Saiki had no response. She wasn't breaking any rules.
"But how did you know I was here?"
"With the sports festival coming up, students would practice here, right?"
Aiura scratched her head, smiling.
"Plus, I sensed an overwhelming aura from afar! About 200 meters in diameter. Had to be you!"
"You're not up to anything weird, right?"
"Nope, just earning a living! But Saiki…"
Aiura paused, then pointed to Kushida Kikyō chatting in the distance.
"I saw a girl who's terrifying in every way. She's definitely hiding something."
"Yeah, I know."
Saiki nodded. As a fellow psychic, Aiura saw through Kushida instantly.
"If there's nothing else, I'll head out."
"Don't worry, I'm not causing trouble!"
Saiki studied Aiura for a moment, then left the water bar, his gaze drifting to Kushida.
---
"I'll be right back."
Meanwhile, Kushida excused herself from her friends and hurried off the field—not toward the bathroom, but to a corridor corner. There, Ryūen Kakeru stood waiting.
"Finally."
Ryūen smirked.
"Here's our class's event list."
Kushida smiled innocently, contrasting her actions. She sent him a file.
"Impressive."
Ryūen scanned the list, as expected.
"Sudō, Horikita, Hirata—they're your class's main players… And this Saiki guy's in so many events?"
"That's our lineup. Don't forget our deal."
Kushida narrowed her eyes.
"Of course. Horikita Suzune will taste humiliating defeat. I haven't forgotten."
Ryūen replied. He'd promised to give Class D the harshest punishment at the sports festival.
"Raw strength doesn't matter. It's all about strategy."
"Pit their weakest against our strongest, then target the rest."
"And injure their main players like Horikita and Sudō. That'll ruin their scores."
Ryūen grinned, his plan for Class B already set.
*"Yikes, that's some serious talk."*
Neither Ryūen nor Kushida noticed Saiki nearby, listening intently. He'd heard Kushida's thoughts earlier and followed them using invisibility.
"I'll make sure Horikita gets injured during the festival."
Ryūen said, then paused.
"Wait, Yamauchi Haruki's barely in any events. Suspicious."
"Yamauchi?"
Kushida frowned, confused.
"He's likely the mastermind behind everything. Maybe even the recording."
Ryūen's expression turned serious.
"Impossible! He's always been an idiot!"
"That's his genius. You never suspected him, did you?"
Ryūen paused, then continued.
"He attacked me earlier, testing my skills or luring me in. I've been watching Manabe, who's been acting oddly. After the gym meeting, she bought pudding—unusual for her—and left it somewhere. I saw Yamauchi take it."
*"Oh no… What have I done?"*
Saiki's forehead sweat intensified.
*"I need to fix this…"*
But Ryūen cut Kushida off:
"Too naive. Everyone knows Saiki loves sweets. Do you think he'd leave such obvious clues? Buying pudding was Yamauchi's tactic to mislead us, making us suspect Saiki."
*"Huh?"*