After the pole-toppling competition, Saiki had no other events for the time being, so he could finally take a breather. However, even during this break, trouble seemed to follow him everywhere.
"Saiki, great job back there!"
"You got lucky! I didn't expect you to pull that off!"
"Thanks to you, our team won!"
Thanks to his outstanding performance in the competition, Saiki had become the center of attention, not just in his class but across the entire school. Girls crowded around him, bombarding him with questions.
"I was just lucky. It's all thanks to Sudo and the others," Saiki replied, inwardly groaning at the situation.
*'Ugh, this is such a hassle…'*
"Damn Saiki, how does he get so lucky? Look at all those girls around him… I'm so jealous…"
Yamauchi's unfiltered thoughts echoed in Saiki's mind without restraint.
"Kusuo, you did great!"
Just then, Karuizawa pushed through the crowd and stood beside Saiki, smiling at him. Her proximity felt almost like a declaration of ownership in such a crowded setting.
*'Wait, when did she start calling me by my first name? Last chapter? Or the one before that?'*
Saiki wondered internally.
"Kusuo, did you see me compete earlier?"
Karuizawa asked expectantly, clearly waiting for praise.
"Uh… yeah," Saiki nodded absentmindedly. Though his attention had been elsewhere, he'd used his telepathy to catch up on what had happened.
"Third place, not bad. I'm heading to the bathroom, be right back."
To avoid further complications, Saiki decided to distance himself from the crowd.
But just a few steps away, he overheard a group of girls talking to Karuizawa.
"Are you Saiki's girlfriend? You two seem so close."
"Haha!"
Karuizawa laughed in response.
*'Laugh all you want, but deny it already!'*
"Well, for now, we're not exactly…"
After a deliberate pause, Karuizawa used an ambiguous tone that invited misinterpretation.
"…"
Saiki sighed in exasperation. Dealing with Karuizawa wasn't an option right now, so he simply walked away.
"Kusuo-kun…"
Just then, Airi approached him, her body drenched in sweat and her eyes heavy with exhaustion. She'd just finished another event and looked on the verge of collapse.
*'Seriously? You acted like you were about to sacrifice yourself for a greater cause after one event? And your eyes are so empty—are you okay?'*
Before Saiki could speak, Airi asked,
"Kusuo-kun… did you watch my race?"
*'Of course not.'*
Saiki thought, but he knew better than to say it aloud. He nodded quickly.
"Yeah, you did great just by finishing…"
"This is the first time I wasn't dead last!"
Airi's eyes lit up at his words, and her energy seemed to return instantly. She smiled triumphantly.
"Uh… second to last is still impressive."
Saiki nodded. Airi closed her eyes, looking as if she'd fulfilled her life's purpose, and collapsed forward.
Saiki caught her and immediately called Aiura for help. Thankfully, Airi was just exhausted, and a sports drink should help her recover.
After handling Airi, Saiki continued walking. He entered the bathroom, activated his invisibility, and headed elsewhere.
Class D's resting area.
Since the pole-toppling event, Saiki had been keeping an eye on Ryūen, even using his clairvoyance to monitor his movements. Earlier, he'd clearly heard Ryūen's thoughts, revealing his intent to act, but the attention Saiki had received prevented him from investigating further.
After all, spying on someone in public wasn't something a sane person would do.
Well, considering this school, sanity wasn't exactly in abundance.
Regardless, Saiki wasn't about to do something so foolish.
He soon reached Class D's resting area and overheard Ryūen's voice.
"Listen up. Here's how we'll frame and take down Horikita Suzune from Class B—Kinoshita, you're in the same group as her, right? When the time comes, collide with her like we practiced. Fake being hit and make it look like an accident."
Ryūen instructed his classmate.
Before the sports festival, Ryūen had his class members practice faking injuries and making their falls look natural.
"Make it look as severe as possible. If it's not convincing enough, I'll personally worsen your injury."
Ryūen told Kinoshita, his tone commanding.
"Uh… isn't that going too far…?"
Kinoshita's voice trembled. She knew all too well how ruthless Ryūen could be.
On the uninhabited island, he'd severely injured Ibuki to ensure her infiltration into Saiki's class—an injury that wouldn't heal with just a few days' rest.
"Don't worry. If you succeed, I'll compensate you with 500,000 private points."
"500,000?"
Kinoshita's tone shifted.
"Right. I won't ask twice. I'm sure someone else will take the job if you don't."
Ryūen smirked.
Few would willingly injure themselves, but 500,000 points was a significant sum for an average student. Ryūen didn't plan to pay it himself; he'd use it to extort Horikita later.
Meanwhile, Ryūen's mind raced.
"Manabe's a potential traitor. I excluded her from this meeting under a pretext to avoid being recorded."
"Kushida Kikyou might be exposed. Since she's in Class B, she should report any changes, like personnel shifts. I sabotaged the pole-toppling event as a precaution, but they still countered it…"
"They saw through my plan and prepared accordingly. How arrogant. But I'll make sure to give them a warm welcome, Yamauchi!"
*'Looks like Ryūen's grudge against Yamauchi just got worse.'*
Saiki, still invisible, narrowed his eyes. He'd already recorded the conversation on his phone.
*'Better safe than sorry. If I send this to the student council, Ryūen will definitely face consequences.'*
After preparing everything, Saiki took a detour and returned to his class area as if nothing had happened.
Airi had finally recovered, forcing a smile and nodding at Saiki. Aiura had stayed by her side the entire time.
"The girls' obstacle race is up next. Horikita's competing," Airi told Saiki.
"Uh-huh."
Saiki responded, turning his gaze to the track.
Horikita was warming up, with Kinoshita beside her—the same girl who'd conspired with Ryūen.
Saiki knew her full name, Kinoshita Minori, a member of the school's track team. She'd performed well in previous events and was a strong contender for the top three.
For Class D, however, sabotaging Horikita was the priority.
The race began, with a Class C girl taking the lead. Her speed was unmatched, even by Horikita, who focused on securing second place.
Horikita maintained her position, but Kinoshita clung to her, forcing Horikita to glance back—a major mistake in track events. Her speed slowed as the gap between them closed.
"Now's my chance! Ram into her!"
Kinoshita thought, lunging toward Horikita.
She'd deliberately held back earlier to close the distance. After countless practices, she could fake being hit while making it look like Horikita's fault.
The gap between them vanished in an instant.
*'Not if I can help it.'*
Saiki, standing nearby, narrowed his eyes and used his powers to untie Kinoshita's shoelaces.
*Thud!*
With a loud sound, Kinoshita lost her balance and fell.
"What?!"
Everyone stared in shock.
"Wasn't that a flat stretch?"
"Did she not tie her shoes properly?"
"But she's on the track team—how could she make such a mistake?"
The crowd murmured.
Ryūen's face turned purple with rage. He hadn't expected this outcome.
Kinoshita had been inches away from colliding with Horikita but fell just short. The gap between them was clear, making it impossible to blame Horikita.
"Damn it, how did this happen?!"
Ryūen clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.
"Was she trying to collide on purpose?"
Ayanokōji noticed Kinoshita's sudden movement but wasn't surprised. This was Ryūen's style.
On the track, Horikita heard a loud thud behind her. With Kinoshita out of the race, she secured second place.
"No… this can't be…"
Kinoshita struggled to her feet, realizing she'd missed her chance.
She turned and met Ryūen's furious gaze. Fear gripped her.
"Nothing's gone right in this sports festival!"
"Is this all part of their plan? No, untied shoelaces are just an accident…"
"I need another strategy! Damn Class B!"
Ryūen cursed inwardly, his confident demeanor from earlier completely gone.
*'Whatever they try, it won't work.'*
Saiki, unaware that Ryūen's thoughts were audible to him, thought,
*'Provoking a psychic is never a good idea.'*