capitulo 4
Chapter 4
The following week, the sun shone brightly over the campus of Kurohime High School. The first-year students, now accustomed to the pressure starting to form in their lives, gathered for what would be their first physical challenge of the new semester: the endurance competition.
Yoge Hagame, as always, stood at the back of the group, watching the others with a cold and calculating gaze. While many of his classmates seemed filled with adrenaline and eager to showcase their abilities, he remained silent, his face expressionless. He knew that this competition, although crucial for some, meant nothing to him. He wasn't going to stand out in this test of endurance, but his real goal was much bigger.
Kaede Tanaka, on the other hand, was visibly nervous. Although she felt some relief knowing she wouldn't be expelled, she knew her position in Class 1-6 was at stake. All eyes were on her, as if her performance in this competition determined whether she had a future at the school. The idea of losing it filled her with anxiety, and although she tried to stay calm, her hands trembled slightly.
Professor Takamura stood in front of them, his characteristic serious expression in place. His voice tone left no room for doubt.
— The second endurance competition will not only evaluate your physical ability, but also your ability to work as a team. Remember that collaboration is key, as the final results will depend not just on your individual performance but also on how you coordinate with your teammates. Show us what you're made of!
After his announcement, the students were led to the track. Yoge walked without haste, observing his surroundings as the others lined up to begin. In the distance, Kaede seemed even tenser than before. Takeshi Murata, as expected, looked nervous and clumsy, moving back and forth without really knowing what to do.
With a signal from Takamura, the competition began. The students had to complete a series of endurance circuits involving running, jumping, and obstacles. While the test wasn't extremely difficult, the pressure of being evaluated and the constant observation from others weighed on everyone.
Yoge wasn't particularly agile or fast. His physical performance was average, which didn't surprise him. The real strategy, for him, was manipulation. He carefully observed his classmates as they ran, especially focusing on those who had the potential to be useful to him later on.
Kaede Tanaka launched herself onto the track with everything she had, though her movements were clumsy, and her breathing grew heavier. Fatigue began to take over, but what worried her most was the idea of being seen as weak by her classmates. The anxiety of failing haunted her as she struggled to keep up.
Takeshi, for his part, was even more clumsy than expected. In his attempt to gain some speed, he tripped on an obstacle and fell to the ground, kicking up dust in the air. A couple of students laughed at him, but Yoge didn't show any emotion at all.
But then, something caught everyone's attention. Yoge, unhurried, began to gain ground by carefully observing the track. Although he wasn't the fastest, he knew how to move with precision at the right moments. As if everything was calculated, he slowly advanced, avoiding obstacles with a skill that seemed more planned than instinctive.
As he progressed, he gained an advantage not just from his agility but also from his strategic decisions. He deliberately positioned himself behind Kaede, and when she seemed about to give up, he approached.
— Kaede-san, do you want to reach the finish line, or are you staying behind? — he whispered, without even looking at her face.
Kaede, not fully understanding, reacted instinctively and accelerated her pace, though with some fear. Yoge had touched a sensitive spot in her. The simple fact that he could be so direct and calculating pushed her to keep going, though the fear still tormented her.
Takeshi, who had fallen behind due to his clumsiness, came closer with difficulty. But Yoge, without even looking at him, motioned for him to follow. Despite Takeshi's lack of physical abilities, Yoge seemed to be guiding them both at a pace that would not only help them survive the competition but also secure a better position.
When they finally reached the finish line, Yoge was one of the first to cross it. It wasn't because he was the fastest, but because he understood how to make the others work towards achieving his goal. Kaede, still panting from the race, managed to get close to him. Takeshi arrived a little later, still recovering from his fall but happy to have exceeded his own limits.
---
With the results in hand, Takamura made one last observation:
— Yoge Hagame, as expected, achieved an excellent result, not for his speed, but for his ability to collaborate and make others perform better. — said the professor aloud, looking at all the students. — Despite not being the fastest physically, the way he guided his teammates shows that he has a strategic vision far above others.
Kaede felt uncomfortable hearing the praise directed at Yoge. She wasn't sure whether to feel grateful or uneasy.
— Kaede Tanaka, your performance was acceptable, although there were moments when your fatigue caused you to lose time. Still, you managed to complete the race, which is not bad. You need to work on your endurance if you want to improve.
Kaede nodded, feeling a mixture of frustration and relief. At least she hadn't been expelled.
Takeshi, though defeated by his own clumsiness, was also praised for completing the competition, though with a much lower performance. The fact that he hadn't given up was enough to avoid sanctions.
---
After the competition, Yoge quickly left the track. He knew that, although he had won this time, he couldn't let his guard down. The real goal wasn't just to win the competition, but to seize the opportunities that presented themselves.
He approached Kaede and Takeshi as they walked towards the main building. Kaede looked at Yoge, still with a doubtful expression on her face.
— Kaede, would you like to know how to win more easily in these tests? — Yoge asked, without looking directly at her, but with a calmness that made her feel confused.
Kaede didn't know how to respond. But before she could, Yoge had already begun to walk away, his gaze fixed on the future.
— Takeshi, do you want to improve? — he added, turning to his friend, who followed him in silence. — If you follow my lead, there will be no obstacles we can't overcome.
Takeshi nodded, although he didn't fully understand what Yoge meant, he knew that, in this place, following him could be the only way to survive.
---
Yoge had proven, once again, that true control didn't lie in physical abilities, but in how to use others to achieve one's goals. The endurance competition had been just another stage where his cunning and strategy had prevailed.
Kaede and Takeshi didn't know it yet, but this was just the beginning. Yoge wasn't just going to survive at Kurohime High; he intended to control it all.
---
The endurance competition had ended, and as the students began to disperse, some talking among themselves about their performances, and others still recovering from the physical effort, Haruka Shimizu remained silently observing from a secluded corner. Her face was serious, her gaze fixed on the group of students dispersing, but it wasn't until she saw Yoge Hagame walking away calmly, without any sign of exhaustion, that something inside her stirred.
Haruka Shimizu was not like the others. Her mind was always working, evaluating, analyzing every detail around her. Yoge, in particular, had caught her attention in a way that she couldn't ignore. While other classmates, like Kaede Tanaka and Takeshi Murata, wore their emotions more openly, Yoge kept his face expressionless, as if he didn't care about what happened around him. This sparked a curiosity in Haruka that she had never felt towards anyone else.
"Who is Yoge Hagame, really?" Haruka thought, furrowing her brow slightly. "He's not normal... He can't just be any regular student."
---
The afternoon passed slowly, and after the students dispersed to return to their rooms, Haruka decided to follow Yoge. Without him noticing, she watched him walk through the hallways until he reached one of the campus buildings, a quiet place where some students spent their time outside of activities. He was in the library at that moment, always searching for answers to any doubts he had.
Haruka knew she was treading in dangerous territory. She couldn't allow someone like Yoge to stay under her radar without understanding who he really was. Although his academic reputation already gave her some clues about his ability to manipulate situations, she felt there was something more to him that she couldn't fully grasp.
---
Yoge, on the other hand, walked without worrying about his surroundings. His life had always been a series of calculations and observations, but something in the atmosphere of Kurohime School told him that the rules here were different. Despite his success in the competition, he felt he should stay in the shadows a little longer. The key to surviving was maintaining a low profile.
As he passed by one of the doors, he stopped when he heard a slight noise behind him. He turned calmly, seeing Haruka Shimizu, who was observing him with an expression that clearly couldn't hide her curiosity.
— Are you interested in something? — Yoge said, without changing his tone or posture.
Haruka blinked, surprised, as if she hadn't expected him to notice her. For a moment, there was an awkward silence, but she didn't let herself be intimidated.
— I wanted to know... — Haruka began