"haha, been a while"
With an awkward smile on my face, I headed towards where Jin, Amanda, and the rest were. Glancing at my group, I pretty much knew everyone apart from a certain individual.
...his name was Zack I believe.
Leisurely chatting with Donald, whom I was in a group with back in Hollberg, Zack was a rather skinny individual with black hair and black eyes. He was around my height and apart from his long nose, he didn't particularly stand out.
As I observed him from the distance, apart from the fact that he was in my class, I really knew nothing about him. He wasn't even in the tournament arc therefore it was safe to say that he had failed the tryouts in my novel.
Arriving before the group, I nodded my head towards Jin and Amanda who nodded back. Thereafter, as I nodded towards Arnold, I saw him snorting and looking away from me.
...looks like he still hated me.
Well, not that I cared. In my eyes, he was merely putting on a show in front of Jin.
Turning my attention back towards Donald who was talking to Zack, I casually smiled as I greeted him.
"Hey Donald, been a while since I've seen you"
Turning around and glancing at me, Donald's casual smile faded from his face as he nodded his head.
"Hm? Oh it's you"
Noticing Donald's attitude, which was a stark contrast to what it was back in Hollberg I couldn't help but tease him
"mmhmm, I see...Now that I'm ranked higher than you, you're starting to be more polite huh?"
Hearing my remark, glaring at me, Donald raised his voice
"Do you want to fight you bastard"
Raising my brow I couldn't help but shake my head as I said.
"You still won't stop calling me bastard? Hey, how many times did I tell you? My name is Ren. Do you want me to spell it for you? R-E-N"
"You think I care about your damn nam-"
"Please stop"
Not so far from where Donald and I were, noticing that things were about to get out of control, Amanda sighed and spoke up. Her tone was neither overbearing nor cold.
She was really speechless at the moment.
In a couple of minutes they would be participating in the tryouts for the academy tournament and yet two of their members were already fighting.
Were they not nervous at all?
Brushing her hair to the side, Amanda curtly said.
"Please, calm down, and let's start discussing our strategy"
Thereafter, as she finished speaking, Amanda expectantly looked at me. Shortly after, as if mimicking Amanda, everyone else looked in my direction.
"huh?"
Noticing everyone staring in my direction, my brow couldn't help but twitch.
What's going on?
"Hold up, why is everyone looking at me?"
Unbothered by my expression, Jin looked at me and said.
"Do you not have a plan?"
Glancing at Jin, after a short pause I nodded my head.
"...I do"
Yeah, I did in fact have a plan.
...but the script wasn't supposed to go like this. I originally predicted for Jin to boss everyone around and tell them what to do, but to my surprise, he directly asked for my opinion.
Damn, he really did mature a lot since the last time I saw him.
Although I knew that he had changed...he was completely different from what he was a few months back. What in the world happened since the time I didn't see him?
Hearing my response, Jin coldly said
"Then what is the problem?"
*Sigh*
"...no problem, no problem"
As an extended sigh escaped from my mouth, lowering my voice, I pondered for a few seconds before saying.
"Fine, the plan is relatively actually simple. Give the code to me and you guys do the rest"
After a finished speaking, everyone looked at me strangely. Evidently not understanding what I meant.
Frowning, the first to voice out their confusion was Donald as he irritably asked
"...what sort of plan is that? and why you?"
Glancing at Donald, I raised my brow as I mockingly said
"Isn't it obvious why?"
"Why?"
Instead of answering immediately, I answered back with another question as I looked at everyone.
"Normally if you had the code who would you give it to?"
Hearing the question, everyone started pondering. The first one to speak up was Amanda who carefully said
"The strongest person?"
Nodding towards Amanda, I answered
"That is an option, yes, but not the ideal one."
With his hand on his lips, Jin frowned as he seriously asked
"Than what is the ideal one?"
Staring at Jin and the others, a faint smile appeared on my lips as I explained.
"The ideal candidate would obviously be someone who could run fast or hide well."
"Since we will be inside of a random map, if we were to be put in a flat terrain, someone who can outrun the opponent so that the other team wouldn't catch up would be the most appropriate."
"...and if the map wasn't plain but let's say filled with obstacles someone that could hide from the enemy's prying eyes would be the most obvious candidate"
Pausing, I looked at everyone and said
"...You guys are following what I'm saying right?"
Staring at everyone, and seeing them nod in understanding, my eyes soon paused on a certain individual as I said
"...can you guys think of a certain individual in our group who best fits such criteria?"
Hearing my words, soon everyone's attention turned towards Jin. With his arms crossed, a slight frown appeared on Jin's brows as he said
"so you want me to be bait?"
Looking at Jin straight into the eyes, I nodded my head and bluntly said
"yes, and you will be operating alone"
I'm glad he caught on.
With him being the most likely candidate for holding the code, chances were that the other team would mainly focus their attention on him. Therefore, if everyone was focused on him, with me holding the code, chances were that even if they caught Jin, by the time they realized he didn't have the code, it would've already been too late.
Staring into my eyes for what felt like an eternity, Jin eventually looked away and nodded his head.
"...fine"
Smiling, I secretly nodded my head.
With Jin listening to what I was saying, the chances of us successfully passing the tryouts increased.
...not that I was worried as originally Jin, Arnold, and Amanda made it past the tryouts.
Well, although I now knew that things outside of the plot could happen, with the plot armour they had, chances were that they were very likely going to pass.
As I was rejoicing at Jin's newfound attitude, Donald, who was quietly pondering for a while, suddenly frowned as he asked
"But what if they don't target Jin?"
Hearing Donald's question, I secretly nodded my head. He wasn't as stupid as I thought he was.
"Good question, I've also thought about that"
Yes, when I was coming up with the plan, I had already thought of this.
With Jin being the obvious target, the other team could also think that it was a trap and decide to focus on us...which wouldn't be ideal.
Fortunately, I had thought of this problem beforehand. Staring at Amanda, Donald, and Arnold, I smiled at them and said.
"That's where you guys come into play?"
Coking her head to the side as he black hair gently fell to her shoulders, Amanda's brows lightly frowned as she looked at Arnold and Donald. With a hint of doubt in her voice, she asked
"us?"
Nodding my head as I looked at both Amanda and Donald, I explained.
"Yes, you both will always be within a fifty hundred meter distance from Arnold."
"No matter what happens. Always be fifty hundred meters away from him, and whenever he gets into trouble, secretly help him"
As Amanda listened, her brows couldn't help but knit in a deeper frown as she asked.
"...why is that?"
Glancing at Amanda for a brief moment, I explained.
"...So that it looks like Arnold is the person that holds the code."
It was simple really.
If the other team thought that Jin was not the one that carried the code, naturally it would be either one of us.
Since I was the one with the code, we needed to divert their attention away from me.
...and if we carefully made it seem like Amanda and Donald were 'secretly' protecting Arnold from the distance, then they would instantly assume that the one carrying the code was Arnold.
Therefore, with Arnold being their primary target, I would be left alone with the code. Allowing me to protect the code fairly undisturbed.
Finishing my explanation, I glanced at everyone and asked.
"Do you understand?"
Placing his hand on his chin as he pondered, Jin eventually nodded his head.
"Makes sense, I'm fine with this strategy"
Thereafter, hearing Jin's confirmation, everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
"Me too"
"Me too"
Smiling, I looked at them and asked.
"Any other questions?"
Thinking for a bit, Zack, who hadn't spoken since the very beginning, looked at me and said with a hint of doubt in his voice.
"What makes you so confident that they are not going to target you?"
Looking back at him, I shook my head and responded.
"...I don't"
"Then what happens if they decided to target you?"
"Target me?"
Smiling, I didn't respond.
The answer was obvious.
With Jin's arrogant character being famous throughout the whole academy, chances of me having the code ware almost null to zero. In fact, I didn't even need to come up with a plan B revolving around Arnold.
With Jin's character being famous, chances were that people would instantly assume he was the one holding onto the code.
...Still, even though I knew this, it was better to be prepared rather than being unprepared.
Moreover, as we didn't know who our opponents were, it was better to not let Jin do all the work. If there was one thing I learned since being in this world, it was to always expect for the worse.
As I was thinking to myself, staring at me, to Jin, Arnold, and Amanda, my unresponsiveness had a completely different meaning in their eyes.
As their thoughts stopped there, one frowned, one shivered, and one sighed in relief.
Not noticing the different emotions displayed on their faces as I was deep into my own thoughts, staring back at Zack I quickly added.
"Either way, Zack. You and I will be responsible for finding the code from the other members"
"Wait what make-"
-Beeep!
[All contestants please make your way towards the virtual arena, we will be beginning with the first years]
Just as I finished explaining my plan, stopping Zack midsentence, the loudspeaker coming from below the stadium resounded across the arena.
Thereafter, hearing the announcement made by the speaker, every student wearing an azure-colored uniform headed downstairs towards the arena.
Similarly following them down with my group, I started thinking about the upcoming tryouts.
'...with the plan set, we should be able to breeze through this'
Worst case scenario, I could just expose a small portion of my strength.
With three E ranks in our team, apart from Kevin's team, I doubted that we could lose.
...still, it was better to be safe rather than sorry.
Thus, as my thoughts paused there, I quickly made my way down the stairs with my group.
