After Class D's crushing defeat, they handed over the Golden Large Yellow Croaker. Class B took possession and immediately began preparing the dish. Yukinoshita Yukino undoubtedly became Class B's hero, showered with praise by her Classmates. However, she seemed to have some concerns, casting a glance toward Horikita Suzune, who had returned to Class D.
Although Horikita Suzune still appeared calm and composed on the surface, during the competition, Yukinoshita had felt the girl's rhythm being thrown off... As the people in Class D began busying themselves with damage control, Horikita Suzune, who had been working non-stop, said to the students beside her, "I'm going to take a break. I'll leave the preparation work to all of you."
The people in the class didn't pay much attention to her. Although they knew she had worked hard, the evaluation was approaching, and everyone was putting their all into a final desperate effort.
A dejected Horikita Suzune walked alone to a deep pool she had discovered. The surroundings of the pool were beautiful, with piles of jagged rocks and a shimmering lake surface. She sat by a rock, quietly resting her face between her drawn-up legs. Finally, tears began to flow silently.
After crying for a while, suddenly, a boy's voice asked in confusion, "It looks like you really are quite sad."
Horikita Suzune was startled. She immediately wiped away her tears with her sleeve and turned her head to see Chen Yao carrying a pile of firewood.
"Senior Chen... why are you here?" Horikita Suzune asked with a frown, her eyes still a bit red.
"I was picking up firewood nearby and heard your crying. You're still feeling bad about the match with Yukinoshita Yukino, aren't you?"
Chen Yao put down the firewood and asked.
"I'm fine... Senior, please forget what you just saw. I just feel a bit tired."
Horikita Suzune was very stubborn, her expression returning to its usual calm and cold demeanor, though her nose and eyes were still a bit red.
"...Maybe it's because you've rarely failed, but this kind of failure is normal. Even though what I'm saying sounds like chicken soup for the soul, the number of times I've failed is comparable to an expert's, so I didn't expect you would cry because of this defeat."
Chen Yao looked at Horikita Suzune and said.
"That's because you always manage to succeed in the end after failing, Senior. But for some people... failure is just continuous failure. You... won't understand that feeling."
Horikita Suzune sat there, replying defensively.
She had lost to her brother since she was a child. She felt it was very difficult for others to understand this feeling of being constantly suppressed.
"That's not necessarily true. No one can guarantee success after many attempts. Catching that top-tier seafood this time also involved a lot of luck, but your attitude toward it shouldn't change. It's impossible for people to always win, but there's a constant attitude needed to handle both winning and losing. You still care too much about every gain and loss. If you lose, at most you just try again, persist once more, look for opportunities, until you reach the other shore. To succeed, anyone can only walk this path; there is no other way."
Chen Yao looked at Horikita Suzune, whose nose was red, and said.
In fact, this world and the world of Dark Souls were quite similar. Overcoming difficulties was by no means easy. When people were unable to move forward multiple times, they would become like the Undead, losing hope and fighting spirit, thus becoming mindless Hollows. To get through this cold world, only one's original intention and hope cannot be abandoned; only then is there a way to reach the end.
Rumble... The water from the deep pool flowed down the mountain, and both of them fell silent. Horikita Suzune hugged her knees, her expression gloomy. After a while, she asked a very desperate question: "Everyone says that failure is the mother of success, but if one keeps failing, and the person failing begins to doubt the truth of this sentence, Senior, what... would you do?"
"If it's something that must be achieved and I have no choice, I can only keep moving forward. If it's something I like, then if I fail, I fail; I can keep trying. But if it fails to the point where it becomes a burden and can no longer bring me happiness, I will immediately bypass it and look for a new beginning. After all, pursuit is a kind of joy; obsession shouldn't be allowed to become a burden, right?"
Chen Yao asked with a smile.
Abandon it... Horikita Suzune heard Chen Yao say, "If it's painful, then bypass it." This logic sounded simple, but for someone who treated this obsession as a driving force to move forward, it brought a strange realization, yet felt strangely difficult to do.
"Is it really that easy to abandon..."
Horikita Suzune thought silently.
"Alright, it's getting a bit dark. Today's victory hasn't been decided yet. Although we lost the top-tier ingredients, it doesn't mean the other classes obtained better materials. Horikita-kouhai, let's go back. The battle isn't over yet."
At dusk, Chen Yao reached out his hand toward Horikita Suzune to pull her up.
"..."
Horikita Suzune looked up, gazing at Chen Yao's face which was free of psychological burdens. She was surprised by the resilience and optimism that never seemed to fade from him. For some reason, when she saw him reveal that confident smile, her mood would recover as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun. After a moment's hesitation, she still reached out her hand.
She was pulled up by Chen Yao. He picked up the firewood again and began to throw himself into the subsequent cooking. He moved forward through the dense forest, and Horikita Suzune followed behind, as if there really was still hope for everything.
After 5:30 PM, the four classes submitted their finished dishes according to the schedule. Class A actually caught lobster and made [Lobster Salad]. Class B used the Golden Large Yellow Croaker to make [Pan-Seared Yellow Croaker]. Class C's dish this time was a bit hard to describe; they could only present fried small fish and shrimp as their competition entry. Class D's [Sea Fish Sashimi] and [Seafood Soup] were also passable.
As a result, on the first day, Class D barely got 10 points, while Class C was deducted 60 points. On the first day, Class D obtained 11 points, a decent result.
After at least taking third place, the students of Class D finally breathed a sigh of relief. Horikita Suzune's mood finally improved, but when she noticed Chen Yao looking at her with a half-smile, her cheeks immediately turned an embarrassed red. She quickly coughed a few times to hide her previous dejection.
On the first night, Class D started a seafood BBQ. Students sat around the campfire, eating grilled food collected from the sea and the mountains while chatting about various topics.
Chen Yao sat near the rock wall, watching the party of this seemingly conflict-ridden class. The atmosphere was actually a bit more harmonious than his Class J at Sobu High School.
"The soup used for the competition indeed tastes good. No wonder it could take third place."
Horikita Suzune handed him a bowl of seafood soup and sat down beside him.
"Thanks..."
Chen Yao was slightly stunned. After taking the soup, he said a word of thanks.
"The taste is very similar to a soup I've had before. The students in your class are truly remarkable." Chen Yao praised the group of students.
"Mm... If the yellow croaker hadn't been lost, today's score should have been 31 points. From occupying the strongholds to judging the work options in a very short time, and then knowing how to capture top-tier ingredients... if you could praise everyone, Senior, they would be very happy."
Horikita Suzune said casually.
"You aren't as strong as you say... you just know how to take some things more lightly... though I think the class's confidentiality work might need to be done better. The so-called [class duel] needs knowledge of other classes' resources to be triggered. However, at that time, we were focused on capturing the top-tier ingredients and didn't consider that the fishing spot was too public..."
Chen Yao began to analyze the weaknesses of the [class duel] mechanism with Horikita Suzune, constantly delving into it as if he were enjoying it.
"...Senior, you really are someone who takes things as they come."
Horikita Suzune looked at Chen Yao and also found him somewhat incredible.
However, she began to understand the meaning behind the words Chen Yao had once told her... Fortunately, Class D had drawn Senior Chen Yao. Horikita Suzune felt that by relying on the class members and Senior Chen Yao's assistance, they were full of confidence in defeating Class A in the following six days.
But for Class D, what they feared most happened. On the morning after Class D had rested for a day, the teacher informed them that Class D had received a new [class duel].
And this time, the challenger was from Class A. What they wanted to seize from Class D was neither a stronghold nor tools purchased with S-points, but a special resource: [Assisting Student Chen Yao]... Chapter 52: The Princess's Possession (Seeking Votes)
When this news was told to Chen Yao, who was eating breakfast, he almost spat out his food.
"Cough, cough, wait a minute. You're saying Class A initiated a duel, and the thing they're snatching is..."
Chen Yao quickly finished his breakfast, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and asked.
"That's right, it's you."
Horikita Suzune pointed her finger at him and said.
Chen Yao didn't know whether to be happy or sad that one day, two classes at Koudo Ikusei High School would treat him as some kind of resource to be fought over.
"So that's how it is. The so-called assistants are also one of the resources. When the teacher kept emphasizing the word 'resources' back then, they were hinting at this."
Class D's central figure, Hirata Yosuke, said thoughtfully as he analyzed the situation.
Horikita Suzune put one hand on her hip and said dissatisfiedly, "Now our class is practically becoming a target for everyone. First, our ingredients were snatched, and now even a person is going to be snatched away?"
The entire class fell into a somber mood. As the bottom class, being challenged in turn by other classes was indeed not a pleasant feeling.
"In any case, let's go over first and see what Class A wants to compete with us in. We must win this time."
Horikita Suzune said to everyone.
"Mm."
The boys and girls nodded one after another. Except for some who stayed at the stronghold, the other students began to move toward the competition ground on the beach. This time, Horikita Suzune was full of fighting spirit; she wouldn't allow a second failure.
On the way, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka walked beside Chen Yao, glanced at him slightly, and said, "Senior, although I'm not sure if Class D can win this class duel, if we lose on our side, I hope you can keep the relevant secrets."
"That's natural. Although I don't yet understand Class A's purpose in treating me as a resource, keeping the secrets of a previous employer is itself a manifestation of personal principles. I will keep my promise."
Chen Yao promised Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, then glanced at him and said, "But whether I promise or not, you'll probably find a way to swap the key cards again, won't you? Even though we're not close, you seem like the type to do that."
"Mm, possibly."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka nodded, admitting it frankly.
In this day or so, Chen Yao had more or less gotten to know this boy with a somewhat dull expression and a cold personality. In fact, he also sensed a vibe that was the complete opposite of his own. Chen Yao's aura was as black as ink, while Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's aura had a sense of paleness.
"Of course, I believe Senior is a very important combat asset at the moment. We definitely won't lose you this time."
But after walking for a while, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka added.
Chen Yao was stunned for a moment, not knowing if his words were just polite or if he really had prepared some methods.
But what he also cared about was: who would be the mastermind in Class A proposing to snatch him? Was it the bald and steady Katsuragi Kohei, or the Class A princess Sakayanagi Arisu, who claimed to have been stripped of her power?
The group arrived at the venue for the selection. Most of the students from Class A were present, including Katsuragi Kohei, Sakayanagi Arisu, and Yui Yuigahama.
"Ah, Yao-kun!"
When Yui Yuigahama saw Chen Yao, she walked forward excitedly, appearing very enthusiastic. It was obvious that she lacked acquaintances in the Class A stronghold and felt like the days were dragging on like years.
"Yuihama student, are you okay?" Chen Yao asked with concern.
"Mm mm, the Classmates in Class A are all very enthusiastic, but I still really miss the time in the Service Club and my life at our old school..." Yui Yuigahama scratched her cheek a bit awkwardly and whispered her complaints.
Horikita Suzune, seeing them interacting on the side, coughed twice and said seriously, "I'm sorry, Yuihama-senpai, our two classes are still in a duel, so private communication is not allowed for the time being."
Yui Yuigahama blinked and nodded, saying, "Oh oh... then Yao-kun, you have to do your best too."
With that, Yui Yuigahama ran back.
*Stare...*
Horikita Suzune watched Yui Yuigahama leave with a stiff face, like she was guarding against a thief, making the other students break into a cold sweat. It seemed she was even more cautious and careful than last time.
Soon, after the students from both sides officially arrived at the venue, Katsuragi Kohei said to Horikita Suzune, "This time we want to plunder your assistant. The subject of the competition is [Arts and Literature]."
"Then bring it on. In terms of arts and literature, our class won't lose."
Horikita Suzune's momentum didn't fall behind at all as she spoke.
As a result, on the display screen, under automatic screening, the option that popped up was [Chess].
This time Horikita Suzune was relatively confident. In terms of chess, there were still quite a few experts in their class.
But Ayanokouji Kiyotaka felt that things had become bad. In his information bank, he remembered that Class A had a chess master. It was just that luck wasn't very good this time; that Class A chess master had to participate. Not participating would mean not contributing to Class A, but participating seemed like being controlled by Katsuragi Kohei. In any case, it wasn't a good thing for her either.
"So this time it's chess. Both sides please begin selecting your representatives."
The presiding teacher began to announce.
"I'll do it..."
Horikita Suzune was just about to have herself compete again, but a hand pressed down on her shoulder.
She turned her head and saw Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who said, "You compete this time, but don't win."
"...W-Why?"
Horikita Suzune's brow immediately furrowed as she asked.
"But don't lose either. You'll understand in a moment," Ayanokouji Kiyotaka continued.
Because he had made eye contact with Sakayanagi Arisu. That petite princess was still looking at him with a half-smile, and then glanced at Chen Yao beside him, making Ayanokouji Kiyotaka realize that this woman probably wouldn't be so easily manipulated by Katsuragi Kohei.
"..."
Horikita Suzune fell silent. Although she didn't quite understand Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's meaning, she still listened for the time being.
"For Class A, I'll just do it."
Sakayanagi Arisu raised her hand and said leisurely, volunteering herself.
"Then do your best."
Katsuragi Kohei looked at her and said.
When Sakayanagi Arisu walked forward, she glanced at Chen Yao. Chen Yao was stunned for a moment, then saw the opposite Sakayanagi Arisu reveal a somewhat sweet smile.
Soon, a chessboard was laid out. Just as Horikita Suzune and Sakayanagi Arisu sat down, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka raised his hand and raised an objection: "Teacher, the duration of a chess match is very long. Do Horikita and Sakayanagi need to play all night?"
"Of course not. If no winner is decided within an hour, the score will be calculated based on the remaining pieces on the board."
The presiding teacher explained.
"Okay, thank you." Ayanokouji Kiyotaka lowered his hand and fell silent.
"Senior, have you ever played chess?"
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka turned his head and asked.
Hearing this, Chen Yao, who had always disliked such dull puzzle games, shook his head and replied, "I don't have much interest in that kind of game."
"It's okay. If I'm not mistaken, Sakayanagi will probably make a deal with us... and if I'm still not mistaken, the item she wants to trade for... is likely still you, Senior."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka informed him of this news matter-of-factly. After all, Chen Yao didn't know the detailed information about Class A, and informing him of the communication between himself and Sakayanagi Arisu in advance was out of respect.