Not a detective

Page 155

It's really hard to understand.

So when he left, Asakawa Riku softened his tone. Although he hoped for a fair competition, he himself didn't really understand the meaning and boundaries of "fairness".

"I don't care, I don't care... as long as we win, that's all that matters!"

Shinonome Suetsuki was an enviable optimist; she didn't even think about the question, but instead whistled as she walked forward.

As if infected by it, Asakawa Riku could only smile wryly, temporarily setting aside this complicated problem and simply heading straight to the next destination.

"Really..."

If you can't figure something out, just stop thinking about it.

We've now conquered two stages of the Marineford War...! And we've achieved a feat that no previous challenger had been able to accomplish!

Everything that followed was entirely new territory that no one had ever set foot in before!

The thought of this swept away all the gloom in his heart, and even Asakawa Riku couldn't help but feel a little excited.

...

However, when they actually arrived at the next challenge location, Asakawa Riku's excitement was unknowingly dampened.

Is this really the place?

He stood in front of the door, hesitant for a moment. The door sign in front of him was really confusing, and he didn't know whether he should go in or not.

This room is located on the fourth floor of the school building and does not have regular student classrooms.

She felt a rare sense of confusion when faced with the challenge from Asakawa Riku, who was always fearless. Fortunately, the guy next to her was even bolder and didn't care about worldly norms at all.

"Excuse me~"

Without even knocking, Shinonome Suetsuki pushed the door open and went inside.

"Oh?"

Principal Gong, inside the door, was wearing a beige business suit and had a neat, professional hairstyle.

She looked up from the files on her desk, glanced at the two students who had barged in, and showed an expression of interest:

"You...have you come to see me about something? Or has someone actually broken through to the third level of the [Marineford War] challenge?"

Yes, this is the Vice Principal's Office.

The location of the third trial was surprisingly here. At first, Asakawa Riku thought it might be a prank, which is why he hesitated in front of the door.

However, what Principal Komiya said forced him to accept this fact:

"So... Principal, you really are the gatekeeper of the third level?"

This usually serious and stern middle-aged woman, the school's vice principal who rarely smiles, actually used the term "Marineford War"—it was quite a contrast.

"Yes."

Principal Komiya readily admitted it.

She capped her pen, set the documents aside, seemingly pausing her work, and turned to Asakawa Riku:

"Asakawa-kun, it's been a long time. Our school hasn't properly thanked you for what happened this summer. Would you like an award ceremony?"

"...Then forget it. I'd be satisfied if you just let me pass this test directly."

Asakawa Riku smiled wryly. Adults are just hard to deal with. She should know that she is not good at dealing with crowds and lively scenes.

It seems everyone thinks he saved all the second-year students from the school trip... That's not wrong, but let's skip the grand award ceremony.

Principal Komiya smiled:

"Then let's have a more practical material reward, like a scholarship. It's not easy for you to live alone in Tokyo, especially since your parents have left."

"How do you know . . . ?"

Asakawa Riku was stunned for a moment; he thought he had kept it a secret very well.

Principal Komiya shook his head: "Don't underestimate adults. You often ask for leave, and every time you ask for leave, you do it yourself or ask someone else to do it. That lady is not your mother, right? It's something that can be found out with an investigation. We pay attention to the situation of every student. If it weren't for your self-esteem, we were originally planning to apply for a scholarship."

"That won't be necessary..."

Asakawa Riku quickly refused. He really didn't expect that the school would pay so much attention to his affairs without him even realizing it.

Besides, he had long since escaped his initial financial straits. His salary from the firm and several important commissions had left him with a considerable amount of money in his account—enough for not only daily living expenses but also university tuition. He couldn't take up someone else's scholarship slot; it wouldn't be good if a student needed it more.

I feel awkward whenever this topic comes up, so I can only force myself to go back to the original topic:

"Speaking of which... Principal, why are you the gatekeeper? Are you also a member of the student council?"

“I could be,” Principal Xiao Gong said with a smile. “And what about the student next to you? Is she also a student at our school?”

"Um--"

Dongyun Sueyue nodded seriously: "Nice to meet you. My name is Dongfeng."

I don't know if she was deliberately pretending to be stupid or if she really thought she was a great actress.

They've already seen through it... This principal is quite dedicated; how can he remember so many students' faces and names?

Riku Asakawa then realized that Principal Komiya had quietly refused the option to let the child off the hook; what a cunning adult.

Zashiki-warashi no Aki: Chapter Twenty-Two - Homemade Rock-Paper-Scissors

"Miss Shinonome Suetsuki, right?"

Principal Xiao Gong remained seated behind his desk, smiling as he exposed her lie:

"We've been keeping an eye on such an outstanding student since you were in junior high. If we could get the eldest daughter of the Dongyun family to enroll, we might have been able to attract a large donation. But it's a pity that you ended up going to a prestigious girls' school. Otherwise, you could have left a legend in our school's history. It's such a shame that so many years have passed."

"The biggest help I received in high school was that it taught me how to greet people with 'Gui An'."

The two seemed to be on different wavelengths; Shinonome Suetsuki was putting a lot of effort into being a manzai comedian.

Principal Komiya was amused as well. After laughing, he looked at the puzzled Asakawa Riku and explained:

"Okay, let's get serious. Actually, I studied at this school when I was young, which is why I later became a teacher and then the principal. I'm not kidding you, I was a member of the student council back then, and not only that, I was the student council president. The 'gaming' culture you see in the student council now is something I promoted back then."

"So you were the real culprit..."

"To call someone the culprit is going too far."

Principal Komiya ignored Asakawa Riku's disrespectful tone and continued, "Therefore, I will also participate in this 'Rooftop Battle.' After all, the rooftop is a very important location. Although there are railings to prevent falls, we must still be careful for the safety of the students. We can only feel at ease if we entrust it to a group with strong management capabilities. I personally trained the student council, and now I am their mentor. I can trust them. If other classes want to prove themselves, they must pass my test and be personally examined."

I see. Asakawa Riku found it quite reasonable. He hadn't expected that there was a deeper meaning behind this seemingly absurd rule.

However, Shinonome Suetsuki blinked and contradicted him:

"It can't be that simple, can it?"

"...The above is the official statement, which is part of the reason, but not the most important one."

Principal Komiya smiled and said, "As for my own selfish reasons, I want to take advantage of the school festival to be less serious than usual and participate with everyone."

Looking at the usually serious and earnest principal, who now had this kind of face, Asakawa Riku suddenly understood why his homeroom teacher, Matsuyama, had chosen to marry him.

Although there is an age gap between the two, and Principal Komiya is indeed much older, perhaps he has an interesting personality underneath...

but--

As if sensing Asakawa Riku's momentary hesitation, she suddenly leaned forward and asked:

"But I've been working overtime and waiting for so long this year, and not a single student has managed to get here. You're the first group... What happened?"

...Because everyone was eliminated by Class President Kato.

Asakawa Riku felt helpless, but since he had made a promise to her, he naturally couldn't betray her about cheating. He simply said expressionlessly:

"Because the student council's gatekeeper is very capable, you taught him well."

"Is it Kato-san...? She's definitely a very serious kid. She probably thinks that if someone gets past me, it means she's incompetent and lacks ability, and that she might even lose her accounting job? Honestly, it's not that serious. Has she been watching too many TV dramas, or is she just overthinking things?"

Unexpectedly, Principal Komiya's observation skills are so sharp. No wonder he has reached the position of principal; his ability to read people and expressions is truly remarkable.

However, her behavior on the snowy mountain last summer was not so clever. Is it because people's judgment is impaired in life-threatening situations?

Or is it just a dream character created by the tapir, and not Principal Komiya in the true sense?

Unsure what Asakawa Riku was thinking at that moment, she sighed with a wry smile:

"It's also my fault. Although I was the one who first brought this tradition of 'games' into the student council, I initially just wanted everyone to use their brains and try some ways to expand their thinking beyond academics. I didn't expect it to escalate and become the trend it is today. It seems that I will have to control and correct it after this year."

"I'm so glad you said that."

This wasn't just polite talk; Asakawa Riku said it sincerely.

Judging from how much Kato, the class president, took this seriously just now, it's clearly abnormal and pathological. If this continues without being stopped... she might become completely obsessed.

"...When will the trial begin?"

The two were still discussing the issue when Dongyun Sueyue, who was waiting impatiently, interrupted them.

“Yes.” Principal Gong twirled his pen. “That’s something for after today. At least for this trial, I will still give it my all.”

"She's the challenger, is that okay?"

Asakawa Riku knew he couldn't escape; if he didn't challenge the principal, he probably wouldn't be able to advance to the next level.

"Of course, Miss Dongyun has always been a student I've wanted to take on. Please have a seat. We won't serve tea, as this game shouldn't be too long and will be over soon."

Principal Komiya pointed to the two seats in front of the table and said with a smile:

"This is a game that I first promoted in the student council twenty years ago. The rules are very simple, so it was very popular."

You've all played rock-paper-scissors, right?

...

"Just like playing rock-paper-scissors, after you and I shout 'rock, paper, scissors,' we choose a gesture to make."

"Scissors beat paper, paper beats rock, rock beats scissors, forming a cycle. It's no wonder this game has been passed down for so many years; it has a pure beauty."

"However, relying solely on luck does not align with our game's concept of testing intelligence and psychology, so we have to break this perfect balance and introduce variables."

"Both of us will each add a new gesture."

"This [self-made gesture] requires setting certain rules in advance. It wins against certain gestures and loses to certain gestures. For example, it wins against scissors but loses to rock. This is the variable."

"The exact gesture needs to be defined and communicated to the other party in advance. But the rules are written down and confirmed by Asakawa, who is the referee, so neither of us knows them."

"Asakawa-kun, you need to check carefully. The [self-made gestures] can't be too powerful. For example, 'winning over all gestures' won't work, otherwise the game will lose its meaning."

"Then, we played a best-of-five game of rock-paper-scissors, using five different hand gestures to determine the winner."

"Yes, it's that simple. It's a trial that can be completed in about five minutes. I have work to do, so I can't waste too much time playing."

Zashiki-warashi no Aki: Chapter Twenty-Three - Gesture Effects

"Homemade gestures?"

When Asakawa Riku first heard about this rule, he immediately felt "very interested".

This game isn't as complex as the previous two; it doesn't involve brain-teasing numerical calculations or time limits, but it still maintains a sufficient level of psychological engagement.

The foundation is based on the most traditional game that everyone knows, "rock, paper, scissors," with new variables added to this well-known rule.

"So... in these five rounds, both sides need to hide their own [self-made gesture] effects as much as possible, while guessing the other's [self-made gesture] effects, and calculating the win-loss relationship with the original three gestures. They need to make the optimal gesture within a few seconds. Thinking about it carefully, this retains both simple and complex elements. It's amazing."

He sincerely remarked that it was indeed the principal's idea that made the game so popular in the student council for so long.

"That's it, a very precise summary."

Principal Xiao Gong smiled, took out a piece of paper from her folder, on which something seemed to have been written beforehand:

"My gesture rules are finalized, Asakawa-kun, here you go."

Do I really want to see it?

Although he was very curious and eager to know the answer, knowing it so early felt like a spoiler.

Asakawa Riku even felt that watching the match without knowing anything about it beforehand, without knowing the rules of their "self-made gestures," might be more exciting and interesting.

"Of course," Principal Komiya said with an air of self-righteousness. "If you, Asakawa-kun, don't even know the outcome of the match, how can you determine who won?"

"...It seems so."

Asakawa Riku looked behind him. There were only the three of them in the principal's office, and he couldn't find another student to make the judgment. It seemed that he had no choice but to take on this role as the referee.