Oishi's warning is dismissed so quickly Akaya doesn't even have a retort for him. At some point, Momo figures, they're going to have to play strategy and stop trying to help Rikkai. At least, they will if they don't want to all go down together.
Yanagi-san seems to have sensed something, though. Which Momo isn't surprised by. So that's one Rikkai who won't automatically fall into the last place.
He runs down the list, losing just enough speed for someone paying attention to notice.
Yanagi-san and Yukimura-san already know what's up, so they're not going to let Inui-senpai get them. Sanada-san will be trying to beat them and Tezuka-buchou, so he's not going to be led astray. Niou-san and Yagyuu-san are way too smart to not see through anything I try...
It was already falling into place, wasn't it? Momoshiro wanted as many people as possible after him. Preferably, also, Kaidoh would be one of them. But Fuji-senpai was the wild card. He might be willing to take the occasional shot for the team, but would he do it for Rikkai? He might not want to lessen the, um, effect for them.
Momo was a few lengths behind Rikkai's future captain. (He'd have to ask Marui-san his name later.) He looked like the easiest to trick, but he'd on his guard today. He'd be trying to impress Yukimura-san and Sanada-san. Focusing on them, and only them.
A quick glance behind showed Marui-san, Jackal-san, and Kirihara. Jackal-san was already pretty effective neutralized by Marui-san's luggage. There was no way he wasn't among the last over the finish line.
Getting into a mind game with Marui-san... Momo swallowed involuntarily. Not as scary as Niou, or so you'd think, if you hadn't already tried it.
But... there was Fuji-senpai, too, circling, smiling like a shark. He made the first play by alerting everyone to Inui-senpai's absence. If there was a way to get Fuji on his side without tipping off Marui, Fuji might be able to do the heavy lifting Momoshiro couldn't.
So that was it, then. He'd have to trap Kirihara at the end of the line, and do it transparently enough for Fuji-senpai to catch on and join in, but not so transparently that Marui-san and Jackal-san picked up on the strategy.
"You see right through Oishi-senpai's motivational attempts, don't you, Kirihara," he said, taking the risk of falling further behind Kaidoh. Also taking the risk that Kirihara was susceptible to flattery-- but he didn't have to be Inui to figure the percentage of that being true was high. If nothing else, it might be novel-- Sanada-san and Yanagi-san were more likely to express pride than praise.
"I guess senpai have to keep us going somehow."
He didn't want to risk playing for Fuji's help immediately, but he did think he was sweating more than just a run occasioned.
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Yanagi-san seems to have sensed something, though. Which Momo isn't surprised by. So that's one Rikkai who won't automatically fall into the last place.
He runs down the list, losing just enough speed for someone paying attention to notice.
Yanagi-san and Yukimura-san already know what's up, so they're not going to let Inui-senpai get them. Sanada-san will be trying to beat them and Tezuka-buchou, so he's not going to be led astray. Niou-san and Yagyuu-san are way too smart to not see through anything I try...
It was already falling into place, wasn't it? Momoshiro wanted as many people as possible after him. Preferably, also, Kaidoh would be one of them. But Fuji-senpai was the wild card. He might be willing to take the occasional shot for the team, but would he do it for Rikkai? He might not want to lessen the, um, effect for them.
Momo was a few lengths behind Rikkai's future captain. (He'd have to ask Marui-san his name later.) He looked like the easiest to trick, but he'd on his guard today. He'd be trying to impress Yukimura-san and Sanada-san. Focusing on them, and only them.
A quick glance behind showed Marui-san, Jackal-san, and Kirihara. Jackal-san was already pretty effective neutralized by Marui-san's luggage. There was no way he wasn't among the last over the finish line.
Getting into a mind game with Marui-san... Momo swallowed involuntarily. Not as scary as Niou, or so you'd think, if you hadn't already tried it.
But... there was Fuji-senpai, too, circling, smiling like a shark. He made the first play by alerting everyone to Inui-senpai's absence. If there was a way to get Fuji on his side without tipping off Marui, Fuji might be able to do the heavy lifting Momoshiro couldn't.
So that was it, then. He'd have to trap Kirihara at the end of the line, and do it transparently enough for Fuji-senpai to catch on and join in, but not so transparently that Marui-san and Jackal-san picked up on the strategy.
"You see right through Oishi-senpai's motivational attempts, don't you, Kirihara," he said, taking the risk of falling further behind Kaidoh. Also taking the risk that Kirihara was susceptible to flattery-- but he didn't have to be Inui to figure the percentage of that being true was high. If nothing else, it might be novel-- Sanada-san and Yanagi-san were more likely to express pride than praise.
"I guess senpai have to keep us going somehow."
He didn't want to risk playing for Fuji's help immediately, but he did think he was sweating more than just a run occasioned.