Night Flower
Written: 7/10/2023
So, Chapter 13 is the buildup to the sports festival. There will be more flashbacks to Munfurawa's past as we get closer to the reveal. In general, I do think the past I gave him will make him unique in some form of way.
As for the actual sports festival, I'll probably make it closer to the light novel area, where Class D loses some points. There is a lot of background stuff that is required before we get into the sports festival. So there might be multiple parts going into the arc.
However, that means more chapters of this story, so that's nice. I am enjoying this and therefore will continue unless something comes up. Regardless, here's the thirteenth chapter of Night Flower.
Chapter 13: Sports Festival Preparations Part 1 – Mysteries of the Past
"It's easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend." – William Blake
Flashback (4th Grade Munfurawa)
Vigorous activities meant nothing to Munfurawa by now. While he had gone through his fair share of obstacles, this was by far.
When he first was brought into this dojo, he had thought that he would just be taught martial arts, kicking techniques, and ways to fight.
What he never expected, however, was the physical training he would go through. While Munfurawa hadn't known at the time, he began to understand the conditions.
Being within the top of the rank compared to the other children in this building, Munfurawa had ascended from the ranks, with each rank more difficult. Munfurawa remembered the times, when he felt like collapsing from the sheer exhaustion the exercises and trials, took out from him.
In addition, Munfurawa also recalled the academic trials he had gone through. The building wanting to teach kids certain topics, to change their mentality and how they functioned.
As a kid, Munfurawa was open, wanting to communicate with others and befriend them. This dojo, to Munfurawa, had changed that perception, somewhat, as it contributed to Munfurawa's descending into loneliness.
Then again, it was only loneliness if the person felt alone. And Munfurawa certainly did not feel alone. Especially apparent when the last other peer of his was officially bumped down to Rank II, leaving Munfurawa alone in Rank I.
He had seen everything the other kids would perform, which wasn't as strenuous or vigorous as what he did. Therefore, he did feel a sense of envy but was told by his tutor and butler, that he was merely more gifted than the others. Still, it felt weird being called gifted when compared to others. Munfurawa just didn't care for other people's input, and thus went through his trials.
That was what he did within this building, which his parents thought was a dojo for martial arts. They even participated in tournaments, to further prove this. They did not question the five-ten hour sessions students could go in.
Munfurawa, for example, went for eight hours on work days, and the whole day on Saturday, giving him just Sunday to truly relax and perhaps do unfinished homework.
While Munfurawa was alone in the Rank I box sub-room of the dojo, he had begun to hear the voices of two individuals.
He peeked around, and noticed that Fukunaga Makoto and the same individual as before, together, seemingly discussing something.
"So, we demoted the other student to the second rank?" Makoto asked.
"Mhm, the other child was not catching up to the progress of the other." The individual cloaked man spoke up, as Makoto hummed.
"So, what do we do with Munfurawa, then?" Makoto asked.
"It's simple, he's our best product at the moment. Keep him in the rank, if only he wasn't as emotional as he was, and he would be perfect."
"What do you mean, emotional?" Makoto asked, clearly confused by the individual's explanation.
"Emotions cause hesitance, which is what this world doesn't need." The individual explained, and Makoto sighed.
"I can understand where you are coming from…"
"Perfect, well then you will continue with these trials. In proportion to the others, this Munfurawa has the most potential for our program."
Makoto sighed, "And what exactly are these programs designed for?"
"I told you, it's to create and achieve the potential of human beings as a whole."
Makoto put a finger on his chin, "I understand that, but what about the others? Specifically the ranks, how do they compare?"
"Hmm, well again it depends. The lowest of ranks, like IX and X are more into those who are just above average. If you put a typical athletic individual into this program, then they may be around Rank V to VII."
"That's it?" Makoto asked.
The man nodded, "Yes, remember it also judges them by their mental processes and how they view others and the world. It doesn't matter if they can achieve a lot if they will hesitate."
"Hmm…" Makoto mumbled, clearly having second thoughts about this whole program.
"I'm starting to think this isn't as promising as I was hoping…" Makoto then revealed, and the man chuckled.
"Oh dear, that's a reasonable assumption for anyone to make. But you see, that is the exact mindset that causes humans to fail."
Makoto looked at the individual in surprise, "Excuse me?"
"Your hesitation and doubt are exactly what may cause your business to fail. Do you think with that mindset you won't continue this? You need to be confident. If you have doubts, you may make mistakes that may lead to your downfall."
Makoto sighed, "But is this ethical?"
"Of course it is if we are in the experimental human trials."
Makoto nodded, "Very well, let's hope this room of yours and the upper body goes well, then."
"If that's why you are nervous about the future of this, you don't need to worry! You are being paid generously to continue this, and will be paid even when the trials are over!"
"I know, it's just, do you think people will be happy that we've been taking children for our own physical and academic tests for them to become strong?" Makoto asked.
"I can't tell you for certain, but in the changing landscape of Japan, we will need highly adaptable individuals who can help lead this nation to greatness. It isn't a matter of nationalism or pride, it is a matter of survival."
"But how does this make them adaptable?" Makoto asked.
"That's what these trials are for, to engineer, so-called these children to be the best they can be. The potential of humanity is endless, but we are flawed in our ways that may prevent us from committing and achieving that potential."
Makoto began to understand and thus decided to continue. After all, he was a selfish human who wanted to benefit from his community, no matter the costs.
He remembered very well in high school, meeting his best friend who had a proposition with a program, to engineer the next generation to the fullest potential. While he had no opinion of his beliefs, he did encourage it.
Fukunaga Makoto attended university with his friend, whom he had stuck beside throughout the years. As a sort of payment for his actions, his friend wanted him to move to an island South of Japan, to promote his business. Regardless of how suspicious he made it, he had shown loyalty to this friend of his.
As for his friend's name? Makoto sighed remembering the good times with him. They would still meet, but his obsession with the program made it difficult for them to communicate.
"Very well, we will keep this facility running, after all the upper body has given me this opportunity for me since he owes me for our time before."
The individual chuckled, "Excellent then, I cannot wait to work with you more, in this room!"
Makoto nodded before he turned to a peeping Munfurawa.
Third Person POV
Munfurawa had woken up sweating. He had started panting and looking around frantically. He remembered the last time he had fallen asleep in that building, remembering the extra activities he was forced to do.
As he looked around frantically, his breathing calmed down when he realized he was in his dorm.
"It's okay, Munfurawa, you escaped that place and island for high school, there is no way it'll follow you here…" Munfurawa was thinking to himself to calm his sudden panic attack, clearly induced by a memory in his sleep.
"But why…" He then asked. Why was he getting a flashback to that dojo now? While he loved the dojo for what it was worth, he did realize the shadiness that surrounded it.
"What was the name…" He mumbled, trying to figure out the name of the dojo. But alas, he couldn't.
Frustrated, he got up and washed his face. His whole body was hurting, and he felt weird, almost like he was stretched. He thought nothing of it, as he began brushing his teeth. Eventually, he reached out of his room, eventually calmed down after his somewhat tense nightmare.
He had no idea what sparked this memory, that made it a nightmare. He hadn't even remembered that specific conversation he had eavesdropped on. Still, he needed some answers. It was a shame he was across the country, and thus couldn't ask for any clearance.
Sighing, he began to make his way out of his dorm, unaware of the stares he was getting. It was the return to normal, and thus he had decided to relax and perform his usual schedule. Go to class, eat lunch alone, and attend his martial arts class.
As he left, and made his way to his class, expecting a status quo, he was unaware of the stares he was getting from two girls.
Arisu Sakayanagi, and Masumi Kamuro. Sakayangi, in particular, was looking at Munfurawa with renewed interest, while Kamuro seemed somewhat intrigued by the individual, for his surprising intellect.
"I rarely see you get interested in topics like this, Arisu." Kamuro started, and the petite girl just remained silent.
Said girl was having her mind, as if she was recalling something. She had remembered why Munfurawa had intrigued her, and it seemed that she had finally found out why.
In all this time, of the most recent exam, she had seen the two boys of interest, working together and well, and this intrigued her. She remembered how she and her father had begun a conversation based on the genetics of individuals, and how some are stronger and more superior. Her father was concerned with her outlook, but merely explained his reasoning.
It was a memorable time for Sakayanagi, who sighed. This was around the time she had met a young Ayanokouji, in the white room. She had been intrigued by him, specifically because she had recognized him. Thus, Sakayanagi was very interested and excited to meet Ayanokouji formerly.
However, as for Munfurawa, she for the longest time, had a struggle into grasping the individual he was.
It was clear to Sakayanagi, that Munfurawa was not your typical individual. He was something else entirely. He was an individual, with many qualities of Ayanokouji, yet remained his being, due to differing personalities and goals they had. While both wanted a normal life, they wanted different things, which ironically were the total opposite.
One wanted freedom, while the other wanted a wall to protect him from exposure. Ayanokouji wanted to be free from his father's grasp from the white room, while Munfurawa wanted something to keep him from being exposed. While one may think Munfurawa did not want freedom, he just wanted secrecy.
As Munfurawa began walking up the steps towards his class, he was met with a panting noise.
"Wait!"
Munfurawa turned around and saw Horikita, who was panting, presumably from running to find him.
Horikita had been waiting for Munfurawa so they could walk to class together. Once she had caught up to him, they remained in that position.
"Ice girl, what are you doing?" He asked, and the girl sighed.
"I was catching up to you…" She said after catching her breath.
Munfurawa looked at her in surprise, "How long were you waiting there?"
"Around 15 minutes…" That was all Horikita stated.
Munfurawa sighed, "Alright, let's go."
Horikita then pouted, "Wait! Can we go to the cafeteria together?" She then asked, seemingly a bit nervous.
Munfurawa looked at his watch, seeing that he was almost forty-five minutes early. "I guess we can, sure."
Horikita gave a small smile at his approval, as the two made it to the cafeteria.
"Do you want anything, ice girl?" Munfurawa asked, and Horikita seemed surprised that the boy was paying for her.
"How many private points do you have?" Horikita asked, and Munfurawa shrugged.
"Just over five million." Was all Munfurawa stated, and Horikita nodded in praise.
"I see…" Was all she said before she chose her order, "Just a hot tea is fine, Munfurawa."
Munfurawa nodded, before ordering the beverage for Horikita. Munfurawa by himself got a crescent and chocolate milk.
"You like chocolate milk?" Horikita asked, seemingly chuckling at the revelation.
"What can I say, I like cold things," Munfurawa remarked, which made Horikita smile, but blush a bit.
She then began to chuckle again at the fact that such a mysterious person like Munfurawa liked something as simple as chocolate milk.
Munfurawa didn't care about stopping Horikita from laughing, as he found Horikita's laugh somewhat adorable.
Eventually, the two began to walk toward their class, having to go up some stairs. Before they could reach the stairs, the two walked past the likes of Sakayanagi, Kamuro, and Ibuki all on two occasions. The stare-down with Ibuki was interesting, as she seemed very submissive whenever she was around Munfurawa.
Horikita decided to wait until Munfurawa had gotten to the top of the stairs. Once he realized Horikita had not followed him, he looked down, only to see Horikita staring back at her. Now, the two were staring at each other. A bright pink tint lighting up the room they were in, as the two continued to stare at each other.
Eventually, Munfurawa broke the stare, "You coming up or what, ice girl?"
Horikita looked down, before nodding again, "Right, let's go."
The two eventually made it to their classes and to their respective seats. While Munfurawa sat down and was about to get into the gist of things, another girl came up to him.
"Munfurawa-kun!" Said the boy looked up to see Sana Azuma approaching him. Munfurawa nodded in acknowledgment, as the girl came close to him. If Munfurawa was able to see her way, he would have seen the glare of confusion Horikita was giving Azuma.
"Hey Azuma, is there anything you need?" He asked, rather normally, not seeing anything interesting with her attitude.
"Are you going to attend the martial arts club as always before the cruise?" She asked, rather enthusiastically.
"Yeah I am, I do plan on getting back to my normal schedule, which includes the club," Munfurawa answered himself, which made Azuma smile.
"Yay, thanks!" She exclaimed before she hugged Munfurawa unexpectedly.
"Uhh, what is this?" He asked rather confusingly and surprised at Azuma being this upfront.
Azuma chuckled, "It's a hug silly!"
"Yes I know what a hug is, but why are you giving me one randomly?!" Munfurawa asked and Azuma chuckled.
"Because you're my friend." She said before letting go and heading to her spot. Horikita then quickly turned back toward her book.
Eventually, Chabashira walked into the classroom after the start of the new semester.
The first was quiet the dramatic twist, however, it was only the beginning of this hectic environment. And thus, Munfurawa knew he had to be prepared for whatever may come next.
"It is great to see you all again, hope you all enjoyed your summer vacation. It will be important to mention, that there will be an increase in physical education prowess within the classes for the next month, due to the anticipating for the Sports Festival." Chabashira revealed, allowing me to hand out the details about the upcoming Sports Festival.
The class began to get excited as Chabashira continued, "For the distribution of the new timetables, it will go with the material involved in the Sports Festival."
As the students handed Munfurawa the details, he heard the uproar within the class. Munfurawa immediately could tell that their class would be at a significant disadvantage, considering that physical abilities played a role in which class one got.
Thus, Munfurawa could only look at a few within his class who could perform well. Sudo was the first that came to mind, while Akito Miyake was another. Hirata was above average and could help rile up the rest of the classroom.
He wasn't sure of the girls, however, he knew that Horikita was pretty athletic as she was skilled in some aspects. Also, Kayano Onodera is apparently among the best in the swimming club, so no doubt did she excel in stamina and cardio. There was also Chiaki Matsushita, who was pretty decent in terms of physical abilities.
Then, there was Sana Azuma, who was fit in vigorous activities. While she wasn't as good as Munfurawa himself, she had improved significantly to keep up with him to an extent.
Finally, not counting Rokusuke Koenji, whom he knew would not participate, Ayanokouji. Capable of performing well within the physical tests. Munfurawa knew because he was sure he could. Both thought similarly and thus could detect when the other wasn't trying and the like. In truth, they only liked testing against each other at their fullest, but that was a hypothesis that Munfurawa needed to confirm when the two were alone.
In general, the rest of the class performed relatively poorly on their physical body test.
Munfurawa sighed, knowing that they seriously needed to showcase a sense of improvement from everyone. In particular, Yukimura and Hondo would be relatively difficult in terms of improving their physical abilities.
As a result, Munfurawa knew immediately who the class should emphasize. Even if Yukimura and Hondo were not that athletic, he could easily get them to improve on at least their strength and cardio. It took some time, but it can happen.
Of course, it took months and even years to finally become excellent at something, but in this case, if their class could be overall above average, then they could do well.
Ayanokouji was looking out with disinterest, and Munfurawa knew exactly what he was thinking. Overall, Munfurawa knew what the class should focus on. It was clear they had athletic individuals, who could focus on strength and cardio. Two of the most vital things for the events that seem to be listed.
Azuma made her way back to Munfurawa and playfully punched his arms, only to regret it once she felt how hard his arms were.
"What the heck Munfurawa, why are your arms so strong?!" Azuma complained blowing her hand to lessen the pain.
Munfurawa sighed, "I'm not strong, but not weak either."
"Not strong my ass!" Azuma commented, "You can probably beat Sudo…"
Munfurawa sighed, "Don't overhype and overestimate me… I know you saw how strong I am by our sparring, but it won't help us here."
Azuma sighed, "You're hopeless, come on, I think they are planning on some meeting to help us with our physical capabilities."
Munfurawa nodded, "We'll see what happens."
Azuma nodded, as she unconsciously began to rub Munfurawa's shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Munfurawa asked once he realized. It seemed that Azuma didn't realize either as she yelped before deciding to talk to someone else.
Munfurawa looked on, thinking about what just happened before he began to read the rules of Sport's Festival.
For Classes of all school years, they will be divided into two teams:
- The red team, consisting of Class A and Class D.
- The white team, consisting of Class B and Class C.
Events are divided into two distinct categories:
- Universal participation, where all students will participate.
- Recommended participation, where students will be selected by their class to participate.
o These include the Scavenger Hunt, Three-Legged Race (Mixed Gender), and 1200-Meter Relay.
For Individual Competitions, there will be an allocation of points for the following:
- 1st place: 15 points
- 2nd place: 12 points
- 3rd place: 10 points
- 4th place: 8 points
- -1 point each for placing lower than 5th.
o The winning teacher will receive 500 points for all participants.
For Recommended Competitions, there will be an allocation of points for the following:
- 1st place: 50 points
- 2nd place: 30 points
- 3rd place: 15 points
- 4th place: 10 points
- -2 points each for placing lower than 5th.
o The relay, or the final competition, will be worth 3x the amount of points.
For the outcome of Red vs White, the allocation of points will be determined by the scores by pooling the total of all students in all school years on each team.
- Winning team: 0 class points
- Losing team: -100 Class Points from every class in every school year.
Allocations of points for each class in each school year:
- 1st place = 50 class points
- 2nd place = 0 class points
- 3rd place = -50 class points
- 4th place = -100 class points
Individual Competition Awards:
- 1st place = 5000 private points OR the equivalent of 3 marks in a written exam.
- 2nd place = 3000 private points OR the equivalent of 2 marks in a written exam.
- 3rd place = 1000 private points OR the equivalent of 1 mark in a written exam.
o Marks cannot be transferred.
- Last place = -1000 private points, if the student has less than 1000 private points, will lose 1 mark in a written exam.
For the student who receives the highest score across all competitions, 100,000 private points will be awarded.
For the three students of each school year who receives the highest scores across all competitions, 10,000 private points each will be awarded.
The bottom 10 individuals in each school year will be penalized, in some form of score reduction or private points exchange.
Here is the list of competitions:
- Individual:
o 100-metre dash
o Hurdle race
o Capture the flag (Boys only)
o Tamaire (Girls only)
o Tug of War (Gender divided)
o Obstacle Course Race
o Three-Legged Race
o Cavalry Battle
o 200-metre dash
- Team:
o Scavenger Hunt
o Four-Way Tug of War
o Three-Legged Race (Mixed Gender)
o 2000 Metre Relay Race (all 3 school years) *increased the distance from 1200 à 2000*
Each class is responsible for deciding which student competes in, and which order. This will be written on a participation table, and given to the homeroom teacher for submission anytime a week before the sports festival. Changes must be made 5 days before the festival.
Substitutes are required to pay 100,000 private points per competition for Recommended Only Competitions.
Munfurawa sighed, it was quite the amount of rules to understand. Thankfully, Munfurawa quickly understood what was happening.
It then did Chabashira let out a warning, "If you do not want to lose class points, you must go all out, and plan accordingly to everyone's strengths."
Munfurawa looked on, noticing the lack of actual benefits a class could have. The only way was the be in first place compared to the other classes and win as the corresponding team. But again, it was only 50 class points and thus was not that worth it. Likewise, losing points was not something the class wanted.
They had just managed to reach Class C, closing in on the margin.
Munfurawa sighed, knowing very well what could happen. Essentially, if Ayanokouji or he wanted to benefit themselves, and get the most amount of private points possible, they would have to try their hardest. And Munfurawa and Ayanokouji knew very well they both could outpace even Sudo and Shibata, from Class B.
Munfurawa had gotten some previous intel regarding the other members of the other classes. He had talked to Ichinose about each other's intel during the island. According to Ichinose, Shibata was incredibly athletic, and thus could potentially win if there were no other factors.
Munfurawa sighed in frustration, Shibata So. Having the same family name as that girl did not help matters, as Munfurawa did not have a good history with that name.
He specifically was remembering the torment he went through because of her. He growled before he moved on, distracting himself.
Looking towards Sudo, who knew he was going to take responsibility, Munfurawa decided to let the class go on its suspicions.
In particular, Sakura was looking relatively nervous, as Munfurawa knew that she wasn't the most athletic person out there. So was Yukimura and Hondo. Thus, Munfurawa decided that unless they wanted him to do something else, he might probably focus on improving the physical capabilities of the three. And it might be two if Sudo wants to spend time and help Sakura with her physical capabilities.
Right now, he knew that Sudo, Horikita, and the others were discussing what to do regarding the sports festival.
As for Munfurawa and Ayanokouji, they had remained outside, deciding to relax and decide.
"So, are you thinking about the MVP?" Munfurawa asked, and Ayanokouji nodded.
"I was, however, I decided against it over showcasing my capabilities," Ayanokouji answered,
"I am in the same boat, however…" Munfurawa started, turning to Ayanokouji, "We will need to take firm control of this class if we are to make progress."
"And what do you mean?" Ayanokouji asked.
"Do you think ice girl or Sudo is capable of leading the class to actual success?" Munfurawa asked. He knew he was being rude, but it had to be said.
"Horikita is rather indecisive, while Sudo may push it to himself, you are right," Ayanokouji mumbled, and thus he began pondering. With Munfurawa's point balance being 5,552,502 Private Points, he was in no hurry of winning more. He was already fulfilled on that level.
It wasn't until Hirata announced to the class, "We will be meeting with all the classes in the gymnasium in about half an hour, I think it'll be an appropriate time to discuss between the red team about how we go in the festival."
Munfurawa sighed before he and Ayanokouji made their way over to the gymnasium.
As the two hung around, Munfurawa noticed that Horikita was staring into the third-year crowd.
"I didn't know you were into older men, nice girl." Munfurawa commented, which got on Horikita's nerves.
"Excuse me, but I would not be into such occasions." Horikita remarked back, defending herself, "I am just looking for my brother."
Munfurawa nodded, "So, bro-con."
Horikita attempted to slap Munfurawa, who once again caught her hand, which caught her by surprise and made her shocked a bit at the contact.
"I'm not a bro-con…" Horikita mumbled before she turned back. Munfurawa merely walked off back to Ayanokouji as the two delved into more mundane topics.
It was seeming like the third years would lead the respective teams, which made sense considering they were more experienced with the occasion.
"This may seem to be unnecessary, but keep in mind how important this is. The experience gained here is vital for future endeavors." One of the third-years stated, as most of the first years began listening. "With that being said, remember, the only competition we are together in is the 2000m relay race at the end. Otherwise, this is split down the years."
As the crowd began to go into their own class and year separations, it was time for Class A and D of the first year to cooperate, or at least acknowledge and not cause any internal problems.
It seemed, thankfully, that most of Class A were thinking the same thing.
"Despite allying with you, this doesn't mean we are friends. I expect no strife nor quarrels between us." Katsuragi stated, citing his terms.
Hirata nodded, "I feel the same way, let us cooperate in this festival."
Katsuragi was, with Hirata who seemingly was shaking hands, agreeing with their cooperation.
Munfurawa and Ayanokouji looked on before they noticed a girl staring at the two of them. Munfurawa knew exactly who that was: Arisu Sakayanagi.
It seemed that many within Class D were now being introduced to her. Almost immediately, they were somewhat scared to approach her. It seemed that she was displaying an aura of strength around her, that prevented anyone from approaching her.
"That is Sakayanagi Arisu. She is disabled, so she cannot take part in this." Katsuragi mentioned, letting everyone know of her current capabilities.
It was here did Munfurawa get a good idea of how apparent the divide in internal faction in Class A, specifically between Katsuragi and Sakayangi. Munfurawa sighed, hoping that it wouldn't show up when they had to benefit from them.
Thus, Munfurawa could conclude that Sakayangi was as powerful as he had suspected.
However, he did notice another girl looking towards him, even approaching him.
It was Masumi Kamuro. She had approached Munfurawa, and likewise, he greeted her.
"It seems that we are working together this time." That was all Kamuro stated, and Munfurawa nodded.
"Indeed, let's see if we can perform well compared to our rivals," Munfurawa stated, and Kamuro nodded.
"Kamuro-san, you know him?" One of the girls from Class A asked her, and she nodded.
Even Katsuragi seemed intrigued that someone from his class was in contact with someone from Class D.
"Yeah." Kamuro started, "I assisted him when one of their classmates had some incidents with some delinquents from Class C."
Munfurawa nodded, "Yes, she even saw me interact with the student president."
Katsuragi seemed somewhat intrigued at Munfurawa before Munfurawa called out to him.
"Also, Katsurgai." Munfurawa started, as Kasturagi turned back to face him, "Regarding our cooperation, we should not interfere with the details of the competition every within our classes is participating in, deal?" Munfurawa asked.
Katsuragi nodded, "Indeed, we don't want to cause unnecessary problems that may lead to a possible leak that the other side can use. We will just be cooperating in our mutual performance, that is it."
Munfurawa nodded, with Hirata in the background hearing everything.
"I can't tell, who is leading your class?" Katsuragi asked, and Munfurawa nodded.
"Our class is led by two or three individuals, who excel in different sections of physical abilities, such as core strength, stamina, and body strength." Was all Munfurawa stated?
In action, Sudo, Horikita, and Hirata had all joined up.
Horikita was the first to respond, "Munfurawa is right, we are leading the class together."
Munfurawa sighed, as he did not want to inevitably become the leader of his class without him wanting to.
Katsuragi did not seem impressed, "Seems to me your class is not aware of your leaders."
Hirata then sighed, "We are aware, our class is focused on unity and making sure everyone's voices are heard. Regardless of your position, we did agree not to interfere in each other's internal decisions."
Katsuragi sighed, "You are right, we did agree to this."
Horikita then added, "Regardless of your opinions of us, keep it out for now, and focus on this specific event, thank you very much."
The leader for Class A nodded, "I agree, we will cooperate, just don't drag us down."
Munfurawa added, "Same applies to you, Class A."
As the two nodded, Munfurawa eavesdropped, hearing that Class C would not cooperate with Class B's leader, Ichinose Honami. That wasn't a surprise at all.
Munfurawa sighed, "Regardless of what it seems, Ryūen must not be taken lightly."
Katsurga nodded, "Good eyes, he can attack you without warning, so keep your guard up."
Munfurawa chuckled, "That's interesting that you know that, seems to me you have some form of interactions with Ryūen before, isn't that, right?"
Munfurawa's comment hit the area, and Katsuragi had visibly flinched at that. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Sakayangi smirking, clearly having heard his comment.
Munfurawa then decided to conclude on a high note, "With that being said, thank you for the warning." He waved to Katsuragi.
Once most, if not all the other classes went back, most of Class D decided to remain back, planning on what to do.
Almost everyone had decided to stay back, clearly wanting to improve themselves to contribute to this. It seemed that sticking and focusing on actually cooperating had gotten them a bunch of rewards.
Therefore, everyone, even Yukimura, Sakura, and Hondo was wanting to do their best.
"So, the way I see it, Horikita, Hirata, and I will be the ones leading us. Horikita will lead in the cardio exercises, Hirata will lead in building physical stamina, while I will lead the strength-building exercises." Sudo had decided to point out, laying out the groundwork of their plan.
"So that seems to be the basics, as for those who choose, I would recommend performing in a bit of everything. If there are some things that you feel underwhelming in, focus more on that. And don't feel insecure if you cannot keep up, just go at your own pace. It's better to excel at your pace so you can push yourself harder, than straining yourself." Horikita then explained as they had come up with a compromise.
It seems that saving Sudo twice all those times was paying off. Munfurawa looked towards Ayanokouji who nodded, both getting an idea of what was happening.
As they began to discuss the plan, Sudo had particularly looked towards Sakura, who was nervous, and for good reasons. She wasn't the most athletic out there, and this felt very insecure. Therefore, Sudo was probably thinking of some ways to help her capabilities in that.
However, Munfurawa had stared at the other two, and with Ayanokouji, was beginning to plan some form of exercise to get them up to par, or at least prepared for the festival. As of now, they had just over a month to prepare. Therefore, it would be a frontal stage to see where everyone was in terms of physical abilities.
Eventually, the three began their exercises, for about thirty minutes. Azuma had decided to go with Munfurawa to Sudo, for a buildup in strength, while Ayanokouji went to the cardio area with Horikita.
According to Ayanokouji, his overall cardio was worse than his core strength, but Munfurawa could easily see that even if that's the case, it was probably still very potent and strong. It was a similar story for Munfurawa, except he was more in control with stamina.
After that, Munfurawa had told Yukimura and Hondo to stay behind, for their exercise stuff. Giving them a brief lesson about some moves they could easily do while studying, or when they wake up could help them in the long run.
It then did Ayanokouji come up right next to Munfurawa, Horikita not too far behind.
"Is everything okay?" Munfurawa asked all of a sudden.
It was then did Ayanokouji raised his hand to Munfurawa's head, "You're around my height now, you got a bit taller."
Munfurawa blinked, and Horikita seemed to notice it too.
"Huh, I didn't notice, but cool." Was all Munfurawa commented, "Anyways, you three want to go to the café, again?"
Ayanokouji shook his head, "I have some things I need to take care of."
Horikita nodded, "Sure, I could go."
Munfurawa nodded before he felt someone hug him from behind. "I want to come too! Can I? Please?" Azuma had heard and begun to beg.
"Alright fine, you can join us too," Munfurawa stated at last, much to the dismay of Horikita.
Eventually, the three got a place and begun to talk. "So do you think we can perform well?" Horikita asked.
Munfurawa nodded, "I certainly think the plan you, Sudo, and Hirata had decided is pretty smart, allowing us to perfectly strengthen our weak points. However, I will personally be training Yukimura and Hondo."
Horikita looked on in interest, "And why is that?"
"They are in my opinion the weakest physically. The next is Sakura, but I know Sudo is probably going to help her."
Azuma nodded, while she began eating most of the food the three had ordered, much to Munfurawa's dismay.
"Can you leave some for us, thank you," Munfurawa mumbled as he got a piece of his dinner, and gave some to Horikita, who seemed to blush somewhat at the act.
This went noticed by Azuma, who then brought some food on her fork.
"Munfurawa-kun!" Azuma exclaimed.
"Huh—" Munfurawa turned his head only to be introduced to a piece of food, that Azuma had forced into his mouth.
To say Horikita was somewhat mad was an understatement, as Munfurawa strangely felt the atmosphere cool suddenly.
After escaping the weird atmosphere that Munfurawa found himself in, he was now walking alone with Horikita. Azuma had decided to call it early due to some friends texting her. While the two missed martial arts, it seemed the club had been on temporary hold due to the sports festival prep. According to some Munfurawa heard from, they decided to reform the martial arts training to include cardio, specifically in jump roping.
Munfurawa suddenly had a great idea with the cardio practice for the other two individuals he had decided to work on.
"What's with the weird smile?" Horikita asked, immediately regretting it when Munfurawa quickly turned back to his usual expression.
"Nothing, I just had an idea for training the others, that's all."
"Oh, I see, well I hope we do well." Horikita started.
"I'm pretty sure with you as leader, and Ayanokouji and I helping you, we should be fine. Of course, we should remain on guard if Ryūen tries to commit anything malicious towards us." Munfurawa warned Horikita, who nodded.
"Certainly, you had to save me countless times from him already…" Horikita mumbled.
"That's fine, I look over my friends." Munfurawa patted Horikita on the head, before he decided to continue walking, ignoring the blushing mess Horikita was.
"You are an idiot, Munfurawa-kun, not knowing how your actions make me feel… Even Azuma and Kamuro show interest in you…" Horikita took a breath to relieve her stress before she caught up to Munfurawa.
By the time they had gone out to make it to their dorms, it was already dark. With it becoming autumn, the day lengths were now shortening.
To Munfurawa's shock, Horikita had begun holding his hand yet again.
"Ice girl?" Munfurawa asked confused.
"It's pretty dark, I don't want to get lost." Was all Horikita replied to after her action, to justify it?
Munfurawa sighed, leading her inside, where it was lighter. However, even when inside, Horikita kept holding onto Munfurawa's hand, to the point the boy forgot to point out.
During this time, they noticed Kushida walking past them, with an unusual rancorous aura around her. She was walking towards the outside of their dorm.
"Strange, perhaps I should check up on her?" Munfurawa thought to himself before they reached their dorms. Eventually, Horikita reluctantly broke their contact away.
"Well, thank you for walking me to my dorm, Munfurawa-kun…" Horikita mumbled, clearly embarrassed to be nice.
Munfurawa caught onto that, "It's alright to showcase gratitude, ice girl, even you need to thaw a bit when making new friends."
Horikita stiffened a bit at the mention of making new friends, which Munfurawa caught onto.
"I know what you're going to say, I don't need friends I can do this on my own." Munfurawa countered before Horikita could even remark back, "However you will need help from others. What I'm recommending is to put yourself first compared to others, but acknowledge that you will need others to do their part if you truly want to achieve your goals."
Horikita sighed, listening intently to what Munfurawa was saying. "I see where you are getting at, but what's to say I won't be used, just like how you and Ayanokouji used me?"
Munfurawa shrugged, "That's for you to decide for yourself. At the end of the day, you are your person, thus you should focus on yourself. However, that doesn't mean you totally disregard the others. Just keep them at a distance so that they cannot rely on you."
Horikita was thinking it over, before sighing, "Very well, I'll think about it, and thanks again, for walking me back. Even if I cannot trust others, I can trust you…"
Munfurawa nodded, "No problem, get a good night, nice girl."
Horikita nodded before she closed the door. Once the door was closed, separating the two of them from seeing what the others were doing, Horikita slid down her door, clutching her chest to calm her beating heart.
"Why is it this erratic around him…" Horikita mumbled, "This isn't like me…"
Munfurawa, meanwhile decided to head out, looking specifically going for a certain individual. This individual, while seeming very outgoing, in fact, had a darker being behind that mask of theirs. Something Munfurawa quickly saw, considering he had just seen her passing by them.
In particular, this individual seemed to have been looking very scornfully at Horikita of all people, which surprised Munfurawa, considering how much effort she put into getting to know her, even if Horikita was difficult to approach.
Sighing, he made his way out the dorm and spotted the individual of interest: Kikyo Kushida.
It was clear she was on an episode, maybe that time of the month. Munfurawa gave a small smile, remembering the memory of the cruise. Even if it was traumatizing to learn about, it was a memory worth keeping of how funny the entire thing was. Especially when he had run to Horikita for safety, even though she was injured and sick at the time.
Sighing, he merely watched as Kushida began to kick the fence. This was different from the upbeat and happy-go-lucky girl he thought she was. Then again, there were always some signs, especially when he was invisible, as he did see some glimpse of a more sinister side of Kushida.
"Stupid… Absolute dumbasses!" She then hollered, which caught Munfurawa by surprise. Then again, he had seen surprise after surprise, but Kushida was an individual he could never grasp well. He had known she was wearing a sort of mask, but what was hiding underneath that mask was a complete guess.
"How dare they just look at my body! Absolute horny men! Especially Ike! Staring at my body with those stupid expressions! Like they want to see me naked?! GAH!" She then kicked a tree, not caring if her foot was probably hurting.
To Munfurawa, it was like he was witnessing this true side of Kushida flourish. This was how she acted when no one was around. Behind the scenes, and even though Munfurawa knew she would act differently, it was an almost complete 180 from how she portrays herself.
As a tool, she was helpful, but also incredibly dangerous.
"Ayanokouji, such a quiet and confusing brat, thinking he knows it all! I'm so goddamn lucky I managed to get him to stick quiet."
That was of massive intrigue with Munfurawa, who was questioning, what did she do to get him quiet, if he knew of this side of Kushida.
"All men think the same, just a simple forceful motion and some fingerprints on my breasts, the threat of criminal activity is enough to shut them up, hehe…" Kushida spoke, with a smug tone in her voice.
Munfurawa was so glad he was recording all of this on his phone, additionally glad he had put his phone on Do Not Disturb, so that no one could interrupt him or create unexpected noises that may reveal his position.
And so, he continued to let Kushida vent her true thoughts that she kept away from others.
"And Horikita! That dumb bitch! She's so irritating, thinking she's so cool, not needing friends. She's so annoying! Also, hanging out with Ayanokouji and Munfurawa?! Annoying brat!" Kushida exclaimed.
It was clear that Munfurawa was going to get mentioned by Kushida, but as she began to talk down about Horikita, he had to hold himself together. It was fine, he mumbled, this blackmail material would inevitably become useful in the future.
"Stupid, thinking she's so cool, thinking she's such a know-it, thinking she's so strong…" Kushida panted, getting Horikita off her chest before she turned to talk about Munfurawa.
"And Munfurawa. Fucking idiot, so oblivious. He's the biggest pervert of them all, pretending he doesn't know what a fucking period was!" Kushida exclaimed.
So Kushida thought that Munfurawa pretended not to know what that was? He genuinely didn't know, he needed someone to explain it to him!
"He's always around Ayanokouji and Horikita, he's such an Ayanokouji clone, wanting to be quiet…." Kushida mumbled.
Munfurawa sighed, sometimes it hurt to know what people honestly thought about you. Still, he wasn't surprised. He knew everyone was different when alone. He had seen that with the girls calling him out wrongly. He had seen it multiple times before.
"Thinking I'm a defect! If I'm not like everyone else, I am a defect! What kind of mentality is that?!" Kushida had it finished, as she panted heavily.
Munfurawa decided to keep his phone recording out to show Kushida herself, his brightness was incredibly low and she was facing away so she couldn't detect his presence. Regarding this, Kushida had finally decided to head back to her dorm, after venting her frustrations.
Munfurawa finally went out in the open, sighing as he ended the recording. It seemed that Munfurawa was a blackmailing expert, as he had the stuff to blackmail multiple individuals. Naming a few included Ryūen, Kushida, and Ishizaki. He even had blackmail against the stalker who tried to hurt Sakura.
Munfurawa looked at the night sky before he turned around to head into his room for the night. On his way, he noticed that Kushida was outside. He stiffened somewhat but hid it, before realizing it was Kushida with her "mask" on.
"Oh, Munfurawa! What were you doing?" She asked, clearly wanting to know if he was nearby her.
Munfurawa shrugged, "Got a bit hungry, so I went for a late-night snack."
"Oh, that's understandable! We are teenagers and thus we eat a lot, okay! Good night!" Kushida beamed before she closed her door.
Munfurawa looked on before he noticed that Horikita's door was open slightly.
"Ice girl? Your door is open." Munfurawa pointed out.
"Sorry, I was avoiding Kushida." Was all Horikita stated, before she sighed, "Good night, Munfurawa-kun."
Munfurawa nodded, "Good night, ice girl." He replied before Horikita closed the door.
Munfurawa then turned to his dorm, calling it a night for good.
A.N / As I said, this is the background and lead-up to the sport's festival. As for anything different, we'll see what happens.
I managed to put another flashback for Munfurawa, which will occur during this arc, as a lead-up to his past. As for fluff and romantic partners, I do have four characters in mind, maybe five. However, for now, I will probably stick to the one I have an idea about.
Overall, the sports festival is among my favorite, as it's relatively fun to hear about. As for me personally, I never attended them because I was always in casts, so I was technically disabled like Sakayanagi. Anyways, I will see you next time, take care!