Of course, Saiki didn't want things to turn out this way.
Becoming first place was already troublesome enough.
And now, he had also become the person who defeated the student council president...
'It's not like I wanted to slap him away... He was the one who suddenly charged at me with that disgusting look on his face...'
Saiki complained in his mind.
"But I'm a bit curious, what exactly was that move of yours? It's the first time I've seen someone get sent flying with a move like that."
Kiryuin Fuka said.
Although slapping someone is a common move in real life, Kiryuin Fuka hadn't expected someone to be sent flying by it.
"Well... I've practiced martial arts before."
Saiki could only say this.
"Really? Can martial arts really do something like that? If that's the case, I'd like to study it more deeply."
Kiryuin Fuka said with a smile.
"..."
Saiki was at a loss for words.
'If she really goes and studies martial arts, I hope I don't get exposed...'
"You really do bring me a lot of surprises, Saiki."
Kiryuin Fuka narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at Saiki.
"What do you plan to do next?"
"If possible, I just want to spend the rest of my high school life peacefully."
Saiki replied.
"A peaceful high school life? That doesn't quite match your actions. You were completely unknown before, but suddenly you took first place in this difficult exam. That alone guarantees you won't have a peaceful future."
"That's true."
Saiki sighed.
He had received too much attention recently, which was troubling for him.
"But did you really take first place in this exam just to avoid Nagumo bothering you in the future?"
Kiryuin Fuka asked curiously.
"Yes."
Saiki could only nod reluctantly.
After all, the truth was something he definitely couldn't reveal.
But to be honest, Saiki didn't even know what Saiki Kusuke's true intentions were.
Could this exam really be considered a showdown?
And this exam had also made him even more noticeable in school. Was that his goal?
Saiki was a bit confused, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
"But Saiki, how do you feel about life at this school?"
"How do I feel?"
Saiki hadn't expected Kiryuin Fuka to suddenly ask this question.
Horikita Manabu had asked a similar question before.
Saiki recalled his high school life so far and felt that there were always some strange troubles around him.
However, to be honest, Saiki didn't exactly dislike his current life.
At least at school, there were all kinds of desserts to eat. Although they cost personal points, it was much cheaper than spending money.
Of course, there were other factors too.
"Although I've spent three years doing whatever I wanted, I do feel a bit of regret about my school life. If this school had a system that allowed students to stay in their original grade, I might consider staying here longer. It might not be so bad."
Kiryuin Fuka said with a smile.
"Saiki."
At that moment, Kiriyama Ikuto appeared beside Saiki and called his name.
"You're already here? It's still early, but can we start now? This isn't a good place to talk. Let's move somewhere else."
"Kiriyama, are you trying to say something you don't want me to hear?"
Kiryuin Fuka shifted her gaze to Kiriyama Ikuto.
"It's just that it's too crowded here. If possible, I'd like to talk in a quieter place."
"Too crowded... Kiriyama, that's quite a contradictory statement."
"What?"
"If you want to talk in a quieter place, then choosing to meet at the crowded pool is pretty ridiculous, don't you think?"
"So you want me to say something like 'talking near you ruins my mood' right from the start?"
Kiriyama Ikuto frowned, clearly expressing his dislike for Kiryuin Fuka.
"Oh, so you're actually considering my feelings?"
Kiryuin Fuka said with a smile.
"Why don't you tell me what you're planning to say next?"
"I refuse. This has nothing to do with you."
"Nothing to do with me? That's hard to say~"
"What do you mean?"
"Saiki and I are in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Can you still say it has nothing to do with me?"
"?!"
Kiriyama Ikuto's face immediately showed a look of shock, and he stared blankly at Saiki.
[What? Saiki and Kiryuin are in a relationship? How is that possible? Someone actually managed to tame that crazy woman? Although Kiryuin's looks and figure are top-tier in the school, her troublesome personality makes her completely unsuitable as a romantic partner.]
[No, no, if it's Saiki, then it might be possible... Saiki has been hiding his abilities, and his true identity is shrouded in mystery. Even Chairman Tsukishiro seems to pay special attention to him... He's definitely not an ordinary person. If that's what attracted Kiryuin... it's not impossible.]
[Not to mention, Kiryuin was with Saiki from the start of the exam, which is completely unlike her usual solitary behavior. Could they really be...]
At this moment, Kiriyama Ikuto's mind was racing.
Although he found it hard to believe, he couldn't help but feel that there might be some truth to it.
'Hey, hey, hey, how can you believe such an outrageous claim?'
Saiki felt helpless. Just as he was about to explain, Kiryuin Fuka spoke first:
"Haha, Kiriyama, I was just joking. You're such a boring man, but your reactions are occasionally quite amusing."
"You..."
Kiriyama Ikuto's eyebrow twitched, and his displeasure became even more apparent.
But he didn't say anything more and simply left.
"Saiki, say hello to Kiriyama for me."
Kiryuin Fuka waved her hand, signaling Saiki to follow Kiriyama Ikuto. He then followed Kiriyama to the upper deck of the pool area.
"Kiriyama-senpai, what did you call me out here for?"
Although Saiki asked, he already knew why Kiriyama Ikuto had sought him out.
Because Kiriyama Ikuto's mind was constantly preoccupied with one question.
[Just who is Saiki?!]
"I'll get straight to the point. Saiki, just what kind of person are you?"
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"You hid your abilities at first, but then you defeated Nagumo in every task, and even in the final wrestling exam, you took him down in one move. That's not something an ordinary student can do."
"I've studied martial arts."
"Martial arts can't do something like that, can they? And even if that could explain the wrestling match, how do you explain defeating Nagumo in all the other tasks?"
"It was just luck. Like that rock-paper-scissors task—it's just a game of chance, right?"
Saiki said expressionlessly.
"..."
Kiriyama Ikuto was momentarily speechless. The rock-paper-scissors task was something he had been particularly concerned about.
On one hand, the task was indeed based on luck.
But on the other hand, Saiki had won every round and taken first place.
It didn't make sense.
No matter how skilled someone is, they can't win every single round of rock-paper-scissors.
'Actually, someone can do that, and that person is standing right in front of you.'
Saiki answered in his mind.
"Let's not talk about that for now. Saiki, did you know Chairman Tsukishiro before?"
"No, I only met him after he became chairman."
"Then why did Chairman Tsukishiro seek you out that day?"
"Kiriyama-senpai, how do you know Chairman Tsukishiro came to see me on that day?"
Saiki seized the initiative and immediately asked.
"I..."
Kiriyama Ikuto was at a loss for words.
That night, he had been planning to use some forceful methods to restrict Saiki's movements.
But he hadn't expected Chairman Tsukishiro to suddenly appear and disrupt his plans.
Of course, Kiriyama Ikuto couldn't say anything about that.
"Kiriyama-senpai, you were planning to take some action that day too, weren't you?"
"I..."
"In the end, Kiriyama-senpai, are you going against Horikita-senpai's plans?"
"No! I haven't surrendered to Nagumo! I'm just looking for a chance to defeat him!"
Kiriyama Ikuto said excitedly.
But in reality, his thoughts had already betrayed him.
Right now, Kiriyama Ikuto had no intention of defeating Nagumo Miyabi. He just wanted to use this opportunity to rise to Class A on his own.
"It's all because you, Saiki, went against my instructions. I told you not to interfere, but you..."
"Is that so?"
Before Kiriyama Ikuto could finish, Saiki's sharp gaze immediately fell on him.
Kiriyama Ikuto swallowed his words.
In that moment, he felt an overwhelming pressure, far greater than what he had felt from Nagumo Miyabi.
Not only that, but Kiriyama Ikuto also remembered Saiki's close relationship with Chairman Tsukishiro. Saiki clearly had significant influence within the school.
He absolutely couldn't afford to provoke him.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."
After saying this, Saiki turned and left.
Kiriyama Ikuto watched Saiki's retreating figure, but he could only let him go.
Both Horikita Manabu and Nagumo Miyabi had placed such importance on Saiki for a reason.
And now, Kiriyama Ikuto was beginning to understand that reason.
After the uninhabited island exam, Nagumo Miyabi seemed completely demoralized, as if he had lost all his energy.
It was all because of Saiki.
So, what kind of strategy should he adopt in the future?
Should he continue to resist Nagumo Miyabi...
Or should he completely surrender to him?
"Saiki... just who are you?"
...
Before they knew it, the summer vacation on the cruise ship ended, and the students returned to school to begin their second year.
In the first class of the new semester, Chabashira Sae explained the upcoming events.
"In this second semester, the school will host many major events. First, there's the sports festival in October. Although there will be some rule changes compared to last year, the core skills being tested won't change. It's still a test of your physical abilities, so it's not much different from last year."
"Then, in November, the school will host its first-ever cultural festival. The details will be explained later, just like with the sports festival, but you should start preparing now."
To prepare for the sports festival, the number of physical education classes would increase in September. For the cultural festival, the class would have a one-hour discussion session each week.
Hearing about the cultural festival, the entire class seemed to get excited.
"Of course, midterm and final exams will still be held as usual during the breaks between events."
"Details about the sports festival will be explained later. For now, let's talk about the cultural festival."
"The cultural festival will invite many external guests. You'll compete with all the other classes in the school, and the winner will be determined by sales revenue—you can apply to the school for as many products as you want, but the budget is limited. The detailed rules are on your tablets."
After Chabashira Sae finished speaking, information about the cultural festival popped up on the students' tablets.
Cultural Festival Guidelines:
Each second-year student will receive 5,000 personal points as initial funding, which can be freely used within the specified limits.
Students with outstanding contributions in the student council or club activities may receive additional funding. Details will be announced later.
Initial funding and additional funds will not be reflected in the final sales results. Any unused funds will be reclaimed.
Classes ranked 1st to 4th will receive 100 class points.
Classes ranked 5th to 8th will receive 50 class points.
Classes ranked 9th to 12th will not receive any class points, but they also won't lose any.
"Yare yare, finally an event with less intense competition."
Saiki thought to himself.
This cultural festival wouldn't punish lower-ranked classes. Instead of fierce competition, it allowed students to immerse themselves in the festival atmosphere.