Stealing Spree

Chapter 2204: Revising the Creative Activity

As there was no running away from a womanʼs intuition, I came prepared when we showed up in Ryouko-sanʼs office. She might not notice that we carry the scent of each other but it was easy to infer from our faces and the fact that we arrived together.

Nonetheless, Ryouko-san only gave us a long stare without prying too much into it. They had already talked and understood their link with me.

Instead of being vocal about the degree of our closeness or what she picked up, Ryouko-san communicated with me through her eyes and I understood it.

Even with Orimura-sensei in the same room, I walked over to her, kissed her with the same passion I had shown her friend, and guided her down to her couch. She sat between my legs, my arms intimately wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly.

No doubt, a sense of awkwardness filled the air because of this. But Orimura-sensei also didnʼt say anything and simply looked the other way.

It was a little strained, I know. If the people involved werenʼt us, this wouldʼve already gone chaotic. Alas, it was the three of us and this became the result.

Orimura-sensei was feeling guilty while Ryouko-san was feeling jealous. However, the two of them chose not to show it on the surface and instead used my presence to convey those emotions.

Hence, the current situation.

”Whatʼs on your mind, Ruki-kun?” With a pen in her hand and a lesson plan spread out in front of her, Ryouko-san turned her head toward me.

”How to help you effectively today, Ryouko-san.”

”Is that all?”

”Well, Iʼm also thinking about how to dispel this awkwardness.”

”Your honesty is timeless.” Ryouko-san giggled before catching my lips for another kiss. Afterward, she continued, ”Youʼre the only one who feels this is awkward. You and Sanae can have your privacy. I wonʼt pry into it. Iʼm just feeling a little jealous, so bear with me, okay?”

”How can I not? Iʼm the source of this awkwardness and jealousy. It should be me making amends.”

”Stop with that thought, Ruki-kun. Iʼll scold you more for that if you continue. Instead... letʼs go finish this. You still have to change to your PE uniform. And Sanae, remember what I told you. Come here, I need your input too.”

”... I have no words. Youʼre really something else, Ryouko.” Orimura-sensei shook her head with a smile.

Following Ryouko-sanʼs words, she sat down next to us. No matter how weird this looked, Ryouko-san soon got possessed by her passion for her creative activities.

Whatever complications were pushed down as the three of us discussed how to do it perfectly. Yesterday, Ryouko-san already tried it out with her other classes and while it was deemed successful, it still ended up a little exhausting for the students who participated.

Thatʼs why today, she wanted to polish it using my and Orimura-senseiʼs input.

Minutes later, as our discussion started, the underlying tension began to fade into the background.

Ryouko-sanʼs energy for her work took over, and soon the focus shifted entirely to the task at hand: refining the creative PE activity.

I watched as she spread out the detailed plan on the table, explaining the intricacies of the challenge all the while enjoying the comfort of my embrace.

”So, the goal,” Ryouko-san began, tracing her finger across the papers. ”...is to engage both physical and mental coordination. You both saw it yesterday. Iʼve based it on a team relay but with an added twist. Iʼve prepared puzzles at certain checkpoints. Itʼs not just about running; theyʼll have to think on their feet while working together.”

Orimura-sensei and I both nodded at it. We did learn about this creative team relay.

With her brow furrowed and lips pursed, Orimura-sensei leaned forward, ”Alright. I have to say this, Ryouko. The physical challenge is fine, but combining that with a mental task is too much, especially for the less athletic students. Yesterday, you said it left some of them exhausted?”

Ryouko-san nodded. ”Yes, thatʼs why I want to tweak it. The puzzle elements can be simplified, and instead of stopping completely at each checkpoint, Iʼm thinking of incorporating smaller challenges they can solve while on the move. Like memory games or pattern recognition. Something quick but effective.”

I listened closely, appreciating how much effort Ryouko-san was putting into this. Her dedication to her studentsʼ growth was inspiring, and it was clear that she wanted the activity to be more than just another physical exercise. It was meant to be a holistic challenge. Truthfully, the puzzles were actually my suggestion. She only initially wanted to use riddles where students could take a question at the start and solve it at the first relay station then pick a new riddle before running to the next station.

The reason I brought it up was because even easy riddles could be difficult for some people. They might get stuck on it. However, I didnʼt think sheʼd pick moderately difficult puzzles like a 100-piece jigsaw puzzle or a Rubikʼs cube.

Sure. She didnʼt want them to solve the Rubikʼs cube to its entirety, just completing one side but it was still exhausting.

Alright. I should fix my own mistakes here.

”Mhm. That sounds good,” I chimed in. ”If you want to keep them moving and avoid too much downtime, I think you could also include other students who wonʼt be running waiting at the relay stations to help. That can also add more teamwork elements. They can choose puzzles or physical tasks. For example, shooting a basketball or completing a set of passes at a certain distance.”

Ryouko-sanʼs eyes lit up at the suggestion. ”Thatʼs brilliant, Ruki-kun! It keeps the physical aspect intact but encourages communication and trust among teammates. Iʼll add that.” Orimura-sensei, who had been quiet for a moment, glanced between us before speaking. ”I still think you should keep the stamina of the students in mind. If we exhaust them too early, the activity will lose its effectiveness. Maybe we can alternate the difficulty levels of the tasks. Start simple, then gradually build up to more complex challenges.”

I nodded, agreeing with her point. ”That makes sense. By the time they reach the harder tasks, theyʼll already be warmed up, and their minds will be more engaged.”

Ryouko-san smiled, clearly pleased with the direction this was heading. ”Perfect. A progressive challenge that pushes them physically and mentally, but in a balanced way.”

With the three of us working together, the activity began to take shape. We discussed how to arrange the relay checkpoints, deciding that there would be four in total. Each station would have a different task, alternating between physical and mental challenges.

In the end, we settled on the following:

Station 1 will be a test of speed and agility. It will be the most normal. A classic sprint relay, but the students had to navigate a small obstacle course with cones. The helper can remove a few obstacles for the runner.

Station 2 will be a memory test. It will be the usual memory game where the runner will memorize a sequence of colors. The helper will be waiting with the answer sheet on hand at the end. They have two chances to fill a correct color in the sequence if the runner gets

stumped.

Station 3 will just be balancing a ball on their arms. Both the runner and helper have to carry it

to the next runner.

And for Station 4, the last station will be a blindfold game. The runner has to put on a blindfold and allow the helper to guide them to the goal.

Just looking at it, it feels too much, no? But I could already see the potential fun of that

activity.

Since the activity will be for both Class 1 and 3, there will be at least ten participants for each

team. Five runners and five helpers.

There will be three matches.

Boys vs Boys.

Girls vs Girls.

Mixed genders.

They didnʼt necessarily have to form teams from the same class, but given how close they

were, thatʼs probably how it would happen.